Posted on 11/19/2009
On any average day, I hear gripes about how there’s no good music left. Whether it be from my mother, who misses what she considers the golden age, or my older brother who refers to Rakim as the god emcee, everyone complains about a lack of good music. I beg to differ. It’s not that there isn’t any good music. In fact, I think there is good music everywhere. But, great music – that’s where the drought is.

Posted on 11/19/2009
By definition, the word “parallel” is used to describe the similarities of two items. In music, a song is considered parallel when voices or melodies mirror each other. That definition holds true on Parallel Uni-Verses, a quirky, yet charming hip-hop offering from Del The Funky Homosapien and Tame One. Both emcees seem united by their disdain for commercial hip-hop and this album is a call for rappers to dig deeper. Through 12 songs, Del and Tame reminisce about hip-hop’s glorious past, complain about life’s struggles, and proclaim they’re taking over the game. But while the album’s concept is commendable, Parallel Uni-Verses ultimately falls short due to its occasional monotony and incoherence.

Posted on 11/19/2009
College radio sensation and big man on campus, Bekay, has dropped his newest release Hunger Pains. Unfortunately, consciously or not, the college radio heads seem to be the demographic he’s aiming for. What does that mean? Basically solid but vaguely generic boom bap and typical retread underground/backpacker lyrics that have been around since the tail end of the shiny suit era. On one track Bekay even goes out on a limb to ask the question, “Is it me or does every Lil Jon beat sound the same?” He sounds like a message board poster on undergroundhiphop.com circa 2004.

Posted on 11/19/2009
The album artwork is unassuming: Three blood brothers sit side-by-side, two of them peering intently into a camera lens as a picture of the iconic Duke Ellington looms above their heads. Both Godallah Truth and Acem gaze at you with a confident stare, while their brother, Powerful, sits in the middle with hands clasped, looking away in apparent deep thought. The three men — known collectively as Gods’Illa — look assured, as if Ellington himself was a calming spirit over their EP, The Pre-Lease, a collection of six songs aimed at generating a buzz before the group’s full-length debut album hits the street. The recording, which has some certified heat, has already garnered acclaim from producers DJ Scratch and 9th Wonder. But with only 32 minutes of music to digest, this album leaves listeners hungry for much more.