Walter Reed also known as Killah Priest, rapper of Almighty, Black Market Militia, The Four Horsemen, Maccabeez, Moon Crickets and Sunz of Man, a Killa Bee in summary. Wu-Tang is Forever, but Killah Priest takes the concept to another level. Wu-Tang is Ethereal, despite the man being "only" an affiliate.
Hip-Hop Albums of the Year
31 May, 2020
30 May, 2020
Ice Cube — Kill at Will EP
One of the best efforts of the year, released a few months after the release of the debut album by Ice Cube, in order to capitalize on the hype: despite being an EP, it goes strong in the rankings reaching fifth place into hip hop chart and top records 40 in the pop chart, gold in 1991 and the following year is the first platinum EP certified by the RIAA.
29 May, 2020
Flee Lord — Hand Me My Flowers
Flee Lord is one of the hottest names in the game right now and is really pushing hard to bring glory back to Queens and some visibility to the darker cities of the East Coast. This is his fourth effort in less than four months, they're all studio albums that have the appearance of extended plays and this, together with "Pray for the Evil", is a serious candidate to remain high on the lists of the best hip hop albums of 2020.
Joell Ortiz & KXNG Crooked — H.A.R.D. EP
After saving Eminem's "Music to Be Murdered By" earlier this year, Joell Ortiz & KXNG Crooked release a collaborative project, proving that hip-hop group Slaughterhouse may have disbanded in April 2018, but it still lives. The album cover is an image of former US President Ronald Reagan holding a block of government cheese in his hand. Released by Mello Music Group, the disc is mainly produced by the Heatmakerz with three rhythms, together with Boogeyman, Erick Sermon, Apollo Brown, JUSTICE League and Illmind, while the only guests on the tape are the singers MRK SX and Blakk Soul.
27 May, 2020
Gorilla Twins — Gorilla Twins
26 May, 2020
Westside Gunn — Hitler Wears Hermes II [mixtape]
After the first episode, released in 2012, Westside Gunn returns three years later to continue the "Hitler Wears Hermes" series. Series that over the years has proved successful. Daringer produces almost the whole tape, J57 and Camoflauge Monk provide one beat each. The guests are Keisha Plum (credited as Kiesha Plum), Tiona D, High Fashion P and Conway the Machine.
25 May, 2020
Stove God Cooks & Roc Marciano — Reasonable Drought
Entirely produced by Roc Marciano, inspired by Clipse and the main exponents of Wu-Tang, drawing from the best artists of the past and present who influenced him, Cooks signs with Busta Rhymes and brings out a debut of Illmaticly length that pays homage to "Reasonable Doubt". It's a really good street-coke rap record.
Cookin Soul — Soul Beach
Instrumental tape by Cookin Soul. Skit, then starts a vibrant and cheerful jazzy rhythm, good beat by Cookin Soul. The second rhythm chosen by the producer, has its jazzy connotations and is quite simple, with an excellent soulful female sample looped in the background to reinforce a discreet, but not excellent, minimal beat.
24 May, 2020
Compton's Most Wanted — It's a Compton Thang
Yet another gangsta act inspired by NWA, Compton's Most Wanted debut album, that is one of the most important groups on the West Coast in the early nineties.
23 May, 2020
Sauce Money — Middle Finger U
Debut album by Todd "Sauce Money" Gaither, rapper from Marcy, Brooklyn, New York, the same place Jay-Z came from. He made his circuit debut in 1993 guesting on a track on Original Flavor's "Beyond Flavor" album, Ski Beatz group on an album that also features Damon Dash and Jay-Z as guests. The following year he also guested on Big Daddy Kane's album "Daddy's Home", in a posse track with Jay-Z, Big Scoob, Shyheim and ODB. In 1996, Jay-Z featured him on his debut album "Reasonable Doubt": AZ and Nas are expected to guest on "Bring It On", on a beautiful mob-style production created by DJ Premier, but they don't show up and Jay-Z decides to send his friends Big Jaz, his mentor, on the track, and Sauce Money, which destroys the cut with a dope flow. The emcee also guest stars on a bonus track for the Japanese market on the limited edition of the album, later he also participates in Jay-Z's records "In My Lifetime, Vol. 1" (in "Face Off") and "Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life" (in "Reservoir Dogs", together with The LOX and Beanie Sigel).
He also takes part in several film soundtracks, including "Soul in the Hole" with the solo track "Against the Grain", a hidden gem produced by the genius of DJ Premier. In 1997, Sauce Money is credited as co-writer on Puff Daddy's worldwide hit "I'll Be Missing You", in memory of Biggie, and for which the ghostwriter wins a Grammy. In the same year he released two singles after signing with his friend Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella, which released "Action" and the aforementioned "Against the Grain". For some unclear reason, Sauce Money exits Roc-A-Fella and in 1998 releases more singles with MCA, "Middle Finger U" and "What's My Name", as independent ("Luv is Love") and finally with Priority ("Chart Climbing", "For My Hustlaz"), with which he agrees to release a CD. After several high-profile appearances, Sauce Money debuted his own solo album in 2000.
22 May, 2020
Styles P — Styles David: Ghost Your Enthusiasm
Studio album by Yonkers rapper Styles P. Noah Styles and Dayzel the Machine are the main producers, the rest of the set is completed by Vinny Idol, Trey on da Beatz, DJ Wonda, Supastyles, Nice Rec and Khardier da God. The guests are Sheek Louch, Jadakiss, ItsTheReal, Dyce Payne, Whispers, Cassandra the Goddess and Snyp Life.
21 May, 2020
Buckwild — Essential Beats
I'm not going to negatively judge a Buckwild album, he's one of the least recognized East Coast producers, he has given so much to the game, he has done so much with D.I.T.C. and solo, and above all he has made a lot of East Coast hip-hop quality music, from my point of view, receiving few props in return.
20 May, 2020
Cookin Soul — 4 Dilla Vol. 1-5
Kind of compilation by Cookin Soul that resumes four previously EPs dropped by the producer in the past three years, in another great tribute to J Dilla. Highly recommended to boom bap and jazz hip hop fans.
Young Buck — Outbreak EP
Released from prison and from the G-Unit, Young Buck returns to publish material also in 2020, with an extended play of 25 minutes and 7 pieces, Caleb Neal and Cherae Leri the only guests. His effort surprises positively, his voice is good, his boom bap trap rhythms are accessible and composed of melodic samples, on which the boy pulls out bars with a competent and regular rapping style. The tape practically never goes beyond decency, except in "Signed Up", which rises to a better track thanks to a solid rhythm, concrete samples and an energetic chorus. 6/10.
18 May, 2020
Eto — The Beauty of It
Seventh studio album by Eto, rapper from Rochester, New York State. Illien Rosewell and V-Don win two rhythms each, but for the rest of the record the beats are provided by a producer for each track: among the many, Eto himself, Motif Alumni, Alchemist, Daringer, Statik Selektah, Marco Polo, DJ Green Lantern and Large Pro stand out. Several guests collaborate on the record, including Flee Lord, Willie the Kid, Rome Streetz, Vinnie Paz, Lord Goat and Ill Bill.
Method Man — Tical 0: The Prequel
In 2004, Method Man released his third studio album, five years after his last LP and six years after his last solo. An eternity in the rap game. In this period, he devoted himself more to the cinematographic activity, appearing occasionally as a guest rapper and participating in the Wu-Tang commanded albums. Production is done by a different beatmaker for each track, including P. Diddy, Mr. Porter, RZA, No ID, Rockwilder, Tony Dofat, Nashiem Myrick and Scott Storch. Guests on the record are Wu-Tang's Raekwon and Ghostface, Wu-affiliates Streetlife and Black Ice, friend Redman and rap stars Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg and Ludacris.
17 May, 2020
Tha Chill — Fohead
Tha Chill holds the Compton's Most Wanted flag very high and, almost thirty years after the debut of one of the best hip-hop groups on the West Coast, he puts out fourteen tracks for just under an hour of material. Among the many guests featured on the album, there are MC Eiht of CMW, Kurupt of Tha Dogg Pound and Kurupt's brother Roscoe, MC Ren of NWA, Yukmouth of Luniz, Bo Roc of The Dove Shack, Kokane, Suga Free, KXNG Crooked and James Savage aka Jayo Felony. Tha Chill, at 50 years old, brings together a roster of guests that it would have destroyed the disk in 1997 and that more than two decades later still remains highly respectable. The listening goes by without any particular problems and without too many highlights ("Throw Flamez"). 5/10.
16 May, 2020
M.C. Hammer — Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em
After the release of "Let’s Get It Started", MC Hammer signs with Capitol Records and begins a huge tour to support his disk. Between May 1988 and November 1989, during the tour, he records his third effort, practically on the streets, whenever the MC had some spare time to make tracks on the back of his tour bus.
Styliztik Jones x DirtyDiggs — The Legend of Zelzah EP
Collaborative EP between rapper Styliztik Jones and producer DirtyDiggs, both of LA. This is the first project for the MC in 2020, while DirtyDiggs signs his effort number eleven over the course of the year. Defari & Heavy are the only guests on the tape, which is a tribute to the videogame series "The Legend of Zelda".
15 May, 2020
Yung Lean — Starz
Jonatan Leandoer Håstad, SoundCloud trapper from Stockholm, Sweden, releases his fourth studio album, distributed by the independent label YEAR0001. A past of drugs and music surrounds this emo-faced guy who has colored pins in his face, I think. Since mid-May, when this record was overhyped, I've been asking myself: "will this tape by Yung Lean really be worth listening to?" The answer is a predictable and strong "no!"
Future — High Off Life
Eighth studio album for Future. It's a great international commercial success, first in the pop, rap and Canadian charts. With guests such as Travis Scott, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert, Drake, Lil Durk, Meek Mill and Doe Boy, he makes sure to sell the record get stream views for his many tracks around the world: when your record is strong even in Lithuania, well, that's a great sign. The icing on the cake is the feat of DaBaby & Lil Baby on the same track, the remix of the lead single. The record is appreciated by most of the insiders and the public: it's certified platinum in two months, but it's pretty disappointing in reality.
Kurtis Blow — The Best of Kurtis Blow
Essential compilation, here is hip-hop pioneer Kurtis Blow at his best, basically. If you don't want to put up with an half dozen albums that are someway incomplete or watered-down, this is the best product: simple lyrics, simple rhythms, solid songs in their deep old school roots, more or less all the tracks inserted here deserve a listening, starting from the classic "The Breaks".
Rating: 8/10.
14 May, 2020
Gang Starr — No More Mr. Nice Guy
Debut for DJ Premier and Guru, anticipated by some singles. The group is Brooklyn, NY, but the two performers come from Houston and Boston respectively. Premier production is still experimental, one of the best DJs in hip hop history is still trying to define his own style, which is why, despite the excellent samples in order to pay homage to jazz, the rhythms are a bit generic and not impressive. The rapping of Guru is of a good level, superior to most of the '89 scene, but not yet at its best, dropping simplistic, light-hearted and decent lyrics, the rapper writes mainly on braggadocio. Overall, it's a solid album that features a vast good material and several gems, but in comparison to the subsequent ones, it's significantly lower.
Highlights: "Jazz Music", "Manifest", "DJ Premier in Deep Concentration", "No More Mr. Nice Guy", "Positivity".
Rating: 7.5/10.
13 May, 2020
Skinny Boys — Skinny (They Can't Get Enough)
In 1981, Jacque "The Human Jock Box" Lloyd, Robert "ELD" Durrett, and brothers James "Superman Jay" and Shaun "Shockin' Shawn" Harrison formed a rap group, Superior Crush MC's, recording with the independent label Bush Records. In 1985, the Bridgeport, Connecticut-based group changed their name to Skinny Boys, in response to the more famous Fat Boys, the member ELD goes away, and they released the single "Awesome". The song caught the attention of New York label Warlock Records, one of the labels of Adam Levy (son of the infamous Morris), who signed the boys the following year and released two singles ("Jockbox", inspired by Fat Boys member Human Beat Box, and "Unity") and a studio album.
12 May, 2020
11 May, 2020
Fat Boys — On and On
«Then came the day we knew we were finished.
Gentlemen, Us magazine just came out with its what's hot and what's not issue.
Are we hot?
We are not.»
From a purely technical point of view, it's no worse than the last album of the group. And, in fact, it has a first part that can be listened to, the group abandons — finally — the hardcore delivery preferring a more easy-going, light, quiet one. And despite the revisable lyrics, it partly works. Unfortunately, the Fat Boys are therefore not sure where to bring this project, they're now at the edge of the game: the g-funk tune ("Get Down") is as out of place as the subsequent reggae crossover ("T'ings Nah Go So").
Hus Kingpin — Gunpowder
This is a tape that gets better with every listen. At first it seems like just an effort like the others released in the same period, but it just takes a little more time to appreciate it.
10 May, 2020
Freeway — Think Free
After experiencing the underground game for more than a decade, Freeway finally returns to Jay-Z's Roc Nation, releasing this project under New Rothchilds label. The music is handled by Bizness, S. Frank, Scholito, DJ Skizz, Jay & P.I., E.S.T., Gamal Lewis, Pop Traxx, Vidal Davis, Tryfe, Lou Diaz, Terrance Rolle, and Ben Diehl. The guests are Faith Evans, Jadakiss, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Johnny (aka Johnnii), BJ The Chicago Kid, Kamillion and Lil Uzi Vert.
09 May, 2020
Real Bad Man — On High Alert, Vol. 2 EP
Second EP by producer Real Bad Man, composed in a similar way to the previous one, with 5 tracks and about 18 minutes of listening, and competent guests. Collaborate Blu, Lojii, Posdnuos of De La Soul, Elcamino, Flee Lord (already present in the first edition), Boldy James, Eto, Inspectah Deck of Wu-Tang Clan and Willie the Kid.
08 May, 2020
Kurtis Blow — Party Time? EP
Disco rap has closed. And he remained outside, in the same white dress as "Tough", now faded. Hands in pockets, he has surrendered to the inevitable, he doesn't know where to go. He's visibly angry. Can you pity him? He tried to keep alive that genre that has been finished for a long time with this funky EP composed of R&B fillers or which wink at the disco and raw, skeletal rhythms. He no longer wants to rap, already evident before, here it's clear: he struggles, understanding that he'll not be able to carve out that margin to move into the festive world sung R&B, always forced to do rap: the result is that those sociopolitical lines sound weak, tasteless, gray. 6/10.
06 May, 2020
Fat Boys — Coming Back Hard Again
Having rediscovered their lost fame and well-deserved success, the Fat Boys never stopped and continued to release one album after another. This is their project number five, full of hits and pitfalls. The group is sometimes behind the keyboards, assisted by Eddison Electrik, Steve Linsley, Gary Rottger, Albert Cabrera, Tony Moran, Van Gibbs, Tony Bongiovi, Chris Richards, The Indiana Crew and Fresh Gordon, along with several musicians.
05 May, 2020
Kurtis Blow — Tough EP
Kurtis Blow also has the merit of having released the first EP in hip hop, after the first solo album. Call it EP: it's over 25 minutes and the other rap albums of the time didn't last much longer. This record holds on the shoulders of the title track — leaded by a good rhythmic and skeletal funky beat, decent, supported by a bare clapping, with a discreet delivery of Kurtis Blow — and "Daydreamin'", R&B cut on a light, skeletal, essential jazzy rhythm, on which the rapper delivers singing. The latter is an attempt to an ethereal song, not completely successful but not to be thrown away. Are inferior to it both "Juice" — good skeletal jazzy rhythm, tight and essential, with bare bongos and a decent delivery of Blow, not inspired here — both "Boogie Blues" — simple, rhythmic, skeletal funky beat, delivery in demi-rapping by Blow, also here not inspired, not enough to seriously deliver in rapping. The last choice leaves you dumbfounded, with a lyrics of little value, Blow chooses a more rocking rhythm. Musically, it's an inconsistent work, lyrically, it doesn't add anything new. Not essential.
Rating: 6.5/10.
Bobby J from Rockaway & Statik Selektah — Endless Summer EP
Statik Selektah, what a producer, what he has done and what he's still doing for the underground game, for the underground artists, he tries to raise these damned underground rappers to make themselves known to a little more people than two or three blocks in which they perform usually. Watch Termanology, an ordinary mixtape rapper who at the twentieth effort touches the top 50 of Billboard urban albums. This is a goal that all youngsterz who keep it real should aspire to. I don't know if this is the case of Bobby J from Rockaway, Queens, NY. The boy spits a few bars that don't have much weight, on "confident" Statik rhythms, the producer doesn't risk: of course, he touches the trap vibes ("You Know the Vibes"), but for most of the time, he keeps his jazzy East Coast sound with female soul samples looped in the background (stretched and deepened that of "Moonlight"), with a vibrant drum machine and a lively boom bap that offers you only a few variations that never cross the border of what can be acceptable for a East Coast head (like the synth on Haile Supreme's soul-pop hook in "Ungrateful"). Statik seems to slip with a confused boom bap due to the excessive number of elements in "Swear to God", then closes this EP with a splendid jazzy sample and a light rhythm. Bobby J adds almost nothing, the product is practically supported by the rhythms, overall, this record is just acceptable. 6/10.
04 May, 2020
Low Profile — We're in This Together
This is one of the best five albums of 1989. Surprisingly, for sure. It's one of the best of the year thanks to one of the best producers of the year, Alphonso "DJ Aladdin" Henderson and to one of the best performers of the year by far, William "WC" Calhoun.
03 May, 2020
Das EFX — Dead Serious
In 1988, hip-hop fans Andre "Dray" Weston and Willie "Skoob" Hines meet at Virginia State University, decide to enter a campus contest by performing together, winning it. It's the birth of Das EFX, union of their names (Dray and Skoob) and the desire to want the reverb effect for their voices in the songs (EFX).
02 May, 2020
01 May, 2020
Rasheed Chappell x 38 Spesh — Ways & Means
New Jersey rapper Rasheed Chappell releases his third studio album, completely produced by Rochester artist 38 Spesh. Planet Asia, Jamal Gasol, The Musalini and Che Noir are the guests of the tape.
Drake — Dark Lane Demo Tapes [mixtape]
Nice tribute to tiktok by Drake who puts together some of his scraps (demos, leaked and unreleased cuts) to package this empty project with some guests who will try in vain to save their songs. You can't even speculate on the production, this generic and skeletal trap on which he drops a lazy and listless delivery: this material is without direction, devoid of both historical and replay value, good only to be consumed for free. The dude knows it and takes advantage of it to get as much dead presidenz as possible, flying in the charts and been quarantined at the top. 3.5/10.
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