Billboard Album Review - Busta Rhymes - Back On My B.S.

Billboard Album Review - Busta Rhymes - Back On My B.S.

Billboard.com Album Review - Busta Rhymes - Back On My B.S.

Billboard Album Review - Tanya Morgan - Brooklynati

Billboard Album Review - Tanya Morgan - Brooklynati

Billboard.com Album Review - Tanya Morgan - Brooklynati

Billboard Album Review - The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)

Billboard Album Review - The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)

Billboard.com Album Review - The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)

Eminem - Relapse

Eminem - Relapse - Album Review

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Eminem - Relapse

“It’s no surprise that Eminem’s first new disc in five years would stick to the outline he and Dr. Dre wrote in 1997. Eminem dutifully hits all his marks here: “3 a.m.” for bloody torture-porn, “My Mom” for profane family laundry-airing, “Beautiful” for carpe-diem slogans and “We Made You” for name-dropping celeb-blogging, marketed ostensibly to shock rap fans keeping up with the Jennifer Aniston/ John Mayer relationship. But it’s hard not to be as dulled to this stuff as Em repeatedly claims the drugs have made him. “Bagpipes for Baghdad” threatens by its title to be a dark detour like “Mosh” but ends up being mostly about Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, and the “Paul” skit has a Christopher Reeve joke, again. There are flashes of inspiration: the brutal, brittle “Deja Vu” makes an emotional impact. It’s good to hear Dr. Dre practicing his medicine again (no producer can better match Em’s circus-tent horror); the disc is packed with satisfying hooks (”Must Be the Ganja,” “Old Time’s Sake”) and Eminem’s ridiculously fabulous flow. Now in his 30s, he doesn’t surf the beat so much as box with it, with both brutality and no small degree of grace. That a rapper of this much verbal gymnastic ability is still making Perez Hilton cracks is too bad, but the bigger problem is that Eminem’s recipe of gore and gay jokes sounds like the past.”

Method Man & Redman - Blackout 2

Method Man & Redman - Blackout 2 - Album Review

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Method Man & Redman - Blackout 2

“Method Man and Redman might be rap elder statesmen, but don’t pass them off as the hood’s Statler and Waldorf just yet. The stars of the 2001 stoner comedy “How High” are inching toward 40 quicker than they would like, but this dynamic duo comes off as vital as it has in a decade on the highly anticipated sequel to the pair’s 1999 collaborative debut, “Blackout!” Paying homage to the old school at every turn, this explosive 17-track set doesn’t have any new-generation attention-grabbers like Lil Wayne or T-Pain. Rather, Meth and Red eschew the trends of today’s hip-hop and stick with the talents of such longtime running buddies as EPMD’s Erick Sermon on the Philly Soul-jacking “Mrs. International,” Ghostface Killah and Raekwon on the grimy Wu-banger “Four Minutes to Lock Down” and the legendary Pete Rock, who flips a great loop from Phyllis Hyman’s “Magic Mona” for the cruising anthem “A-Yo” featuring renowned Toronto-based MC Saukrates. The duo also pays tribute to UGK’s Pimp C on the mesmerizing “City Lights,” featuring the late rapper’s sampled voice on the hook and a memorable guest spot from Bun B. This should give young bucks like T.I. and Flo Rida some heavy competition this summer both on the dancefloor and in the barbershops.”

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Method Man & Redman - Blackout 2

“Method Man and Redman might be rap elder statesmen, but don’t pass them off as the hood’s Statler and Waldorf just yet. The stars of the 2001 stoner comedy “How High” are inching toward 40 quicker than they would like, but this dynamic duo comes off as vital as it has in a decade on the highly anticipated sequel to the pair’s 1999 collaborative debut, “Blackout!” Paying homage to the old school at every turn, this explosive 17-track set doesn’t have any new-generation attention-grabbers like Lil Wayne or T-Pain. Rather, Meth and Red eschew the trends of today’s hip-hop and stick with the talents of such longtime running buddies as EPMD’s Erick Sermon on the Philly Soul-jacking “Mrs. International,” Ghostface Killah and Raekwon on the grimy Wu-banger “Four Minutes to Lock Down” and the legendary Pete Rock, who flips a great loop from Phyllis Hyman’s “Magic Mona” for the cruising anthem “A-Yo” featuring renowned Toronto-based MC Saukrates. The duo also pays tribute to UGK’s Pimp C on the mesmerizing “City Lights,” featuring the late rapper’s sampled voice on the hook and a memorable guest spot from Bun B. This should give young bucks like T.I. and Flo Rida some heavy competition this summer both on the dancefloor and in the barbershops.”

Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus

Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus - Album Review

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Chimaira - The Infection

“After Company Flow spent the majority of this decade in limbo with its former label Rawkus Records, the rights to the sole full-length from the highly influential New York rap trio have finally changed hands. In 1997, “Funcrusher Plus” altered the course of underground rap with complex beats that evoke the Bomb Squad and Robert Fripp/ Brian Eno with equal combustion, as well as cadence-defying rhymes interweaving street realism and Orwellian nightmare scenarios. Under the auspices of Co-Flow frontman El-P’s Definitive Jux label, “Funcrusher” is introduced to a new generation with a beautiful remastering job. Longtime fans will welcome the addition of such rarities as the pre-1995 tracks “Juvenile Techniques” and “Corners 94″ as well as the last trio of official Company Flow tracks, “Simple,” “DPA” and “Simian Drugs.” The return of this landmark work is a most welcome one.”

Rick Ross - Deeper Than Rap

Rick Ross - Deeper Than Rap - Album Review

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Rick Ross - Deeper Than Rap

“The Miami-bred MC Rick Ross has faced a number of career obstacles in recent months—from damaged street credibility to a multi-episodic beef—so it’s all the more impressive that on his third album, “Deeper Than Rap,” he presents his most cohesive work yet. Recruiting producers like J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, the Inkredibles and “Tricky” Stewart, Ross employs all the tropes of fantasy-fueled rap (”Swimmin’ in women/ Champagne sippin’ ” as John Legend sings on the record’s sun-drenched first single, “Magnificent”) and renders the recession a fuzzy memory. The standout tracks include “Maybach Music 2,” which features T-Pain, Lil Wayne and Kanye West trading well-earned boasts over saxophone flourishes, and “All I Really Want,” where Ross’ unusually lithe flow dances over a classic disco sample (Evelyn King’s “Love Come Down”). For the first time, Ross has a sound as rich and lustful as his expertly furnished persona.”

Asher Roth - Asleep in The Bread Aisle

Asher Roth - Asleep in The Bread Aisle - Album Review

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Asher Roth - Asleep in The Bread Aisle

“”Asleep in the Bread Aisle” demonstrates that there’s much more to Asher Roth than “I Love College.” He addresses head-on the comparisons to another white rapper on “As I Em” and stands for social justice on “Sour Patch Kids.” Drawing from his life experiences, which is what rappers have always done, Roth’s slant is growing up suburban in a two-parent household. “Dream” is a loving tribute to his father, and the Cee-Lo assisted “Be by Myself,” a surefire hit about being single, further cements his wide appeal. Live instrumentation supports Roth’s poetic, witty lyrics over head-bobbing beats, with drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, tambourine and even violin in the air. Middle class? Sure. But after being the first white guy to grace the cover of a Gangsta Grillz underground mixtape (”The Greenhouse Affect” with Don Cannon & DJ Drama), this buzzed-about MC proves that suburban rap has finally arrived.”

The Soul of Hip Hop - Volume 1

The Soul of Hip Hop - Volume 1 - Album Review

Building sonic bridges between the past and the future, hip-hop has steadily sampled its way from trendy fad to global force. Playing a major role in that transition: the venerable Memphis label Stax Records. Its deep well of soul, R&B and funk courses throughout the work of such forward-thinking rap/hip-hop acts and producers as Public Enemy, Ice Cube, DJ Quik and DJ Hi-Tek. Featuring classic and little-known tracks by Isaac Hayes, David Porter, the Emotions and others, this 14-track collection doubles as a fascinating aural history about how the past inspired the hip-hop generation. One example is the Dramatics’ 1971 song “Get Up and Get Down,” which has been sampled by a diverse lineup ranging from LL Cool J, N.W.A and Redman to Raekwon featuring Ghostface Killah—proof positive that old school can still be cool. —Gail Mitchell

Eminem - Relapse - Album Cover

Here it is, the album cover for Eminem’s upcoming CD entitled Relapse.  The album is dropping May 19th.

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