Posted by Eavvon O'Neal on 05/07/2008 5:08 PM
Okay, we get it! Naming your album Lighter Subjects when its context revolves around some of the most difficult elements of life (love, loss, etc) is kinda clever. Kinda. But still, we have to be able to digest it. Costa Music (aka Joseph Costa), seems dedicated to clever ideas, and for our sake, this diligence crosses over to his music as well. Expansive structure and intelligent use of a range...

Posted by Jeff Artist on 05/07/2008 5:00 PM
reSearch reps the Holy Ridaz click of Harriman, Tennessee. Probably some bible-thumping, sermon-humping, holier than thou ‘ish, right? Naw, not really. “Christian Rap” is a pretty unfortunate title in some cases. Ever heard of Mars Ill? Anyway, God is most definitely in the mix (but no more than Allah on a Brand Nubian jam) and reSearch is a good enough lyricist. The production on Identity Theft is proper, good...

Posted by Nick McClure on 05/07/2008 4:56 PM
Sheek Louch (pronounced "Looch" for those wondering) is one of the founders of the Lox and D-Block. His latest release Silverback Gorilla is much of the same thug rap as his previous two solo debuts with a few introspective tracks thrown in the mix.

Posted by D.L. Chandler on 05/06/2008 3:32 PM
North Carolina producer 9th Wonder (formerly of Little Brother) and New York MC Buckshot (Boot Camp Click, Black Moon) joined forces in 2005 to release one of the more anticipated pieces of work from that year in Chemistry . Well received by fans and critics alike, the union inspired more 9th Wonder pairings with Duck Down artists such as Sean Price and others. The duo join forces again for...

Posted by John Book on 05/06/2008 3:29 PM
There are countless albums from the 1970's that for many define the decade: Songs In The Key Of Life, Saturday Night Live, Bitches Brew, Rumours, Dark Side Of The Moon, Exile On Main Street, That's The Way Of The World, Frampton Comes Alive, There's A Riot Going On, Off The Wall. In this batch, one would often find the album that would start the tradition of presenting female singer/songwriters...

Posted by Jeff Artist on 05/06/2008 3:23 PM
To the east my brother to the east, c’mon… Truth Universal actually represents New Orleans via the West Indies but that doesn’t make him any less afro-centric than Brother J. Knowledge sprays and angst permeates Self-Determination but not in an alienating or overtly negative sort of way. And by way of his incredibly rich musical heritage, this Trini-gladiator anti-hesitator keeps a kung-fu grip on well-rounded intelligent music that actually sounds...