Posted on 07/17/2008 Mixing jazz influenced vocal inflections with hip-hop swagger and b-girl next door charm, Toronto songstress Ayah delivers an infectious summer mixtape that, if heard by enough ears, should put her on the radar of hip-hop heads and R&B fly girls alike. Serving as a prelude to her upcoming album, The Problem Woman Mixtape successfully introduces listeners to Ayah as an artist and a person, giving us a bounty of breezy,...
Posted on 07/17/2008 The fantasy art that adorns the cover of Exodus is the first clue to the music within, an epic near-masterpiece of a debut that finds Alex Moulton realizing his version of a classic '80s sci-fi soundtrack. Four years in the making, this synth-driven work distills the essence of legends Moroder and Vangelis, instilling it with the spirit of more recent heroes such as Carl Craig or Daft Punk, but exhibiting...
Posted on 07/17/2008 David Banner is one of the few rappers that gets respect for what he does outside of the recording booth. He’s been very vocal about the devastation of New Orleans, and his home, Mississippi, due to Hurricane Katrina, and has spoken out tremendously about the Jena 6, and the death of Sean Bell. It is obvious that he is thoughtful and articulate. Unfortunately, his new LP, The Greatest Story Ever...
Posted on 07/17/2008 No matter how many times this album spins through my CD player, I cannot effectively narrow down exactly how I feel about it. Sometimes the 12 tracks drag like molasses and I am anxiously waiting for LeRoy Bell to stop crooning about a love he desperately needs back. Accompanying those sessions are listens when something just feels right. Bell's bluesy, rugged vocals hit all the right notes and I find...
Posted on 07/14/2008 Jeanius finds Jean Grae in a surprisingly confessional mood. From making no qualms about wanting dough for her skills on “Don’t Rush Me,” an admission considered a crime by conscious rap extremists, to revealing in detail the mental and emotional trauma behind her teenage abortion on “My Story,” Grae pulls no punches and still manages to tell these stories with impeccable lyricism and a more energized delivery than usually showcased.
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