Ol' Dirty Bastard — The Dirty Story: The Best of Ol' Dirty Bastard

In 2001, Russell Jones aka Ol' Dirty Bastard hasn't been making music anymore (if you dare to define what he did with that term) for several years and is frequently on the pages of newspapers due to his private controversies. Over the years he has been convicted of attempted robbery (1993), he was shot (1994), arrested for failing to pay child support for his many children (1997), found guilty of assaulting his wife (1998), robbed and shot again (1998), arrested a few days after this incident for stealing a pair of Sneaker in Virginia, arrested for criminal threats, arrested for other threats, arrested for attempted murder and possession of weapons, involved in a firefight with police after being stopped in Brooklyn while traveling by car (1999), arrested for driving without a license (1999), arrested for drug possession, crack possession and road crime, escaped from a drug treatment facility and spent a month as a fugitive (2000), and arrested as a fugitive in South Philadelphia while signing autographs for fans on the street (2000), being permanently imprisoned for two years.

Diddy Dirty Money — Last Train to Paris

For his new album, Sean Combs aka Diddy joins the rnb group Dirty Money, a duo formed by the singers Dawn Richard & Kalenna Harper in 2009 and disbanded in 2012. Among the 21 producers of the tape, Swizz Beatz, Mario Winans, Danja, and Sean "Puffy" Combs stand out. Guests are Swizz Beatz, Usher, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Justin Timberlake, The Notorious BIG, Trey Songz, T.I., Bilal, Grace Jones, Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, Skylar Grey, Sevyn Streeter, James Fauntleroy and Drake. Diddy guesses a right selection of songs, all more or less good and not too bad and, helped by the melodic singing of Richard & Harper, he makes his best album.

RZA — Digital Bullet

Sophomore jinx for RZA, which releases his second solo album again under the pseudonym Bobby Digital. It's not an album-producer, the boy actively engages himself in rapping and produces almost the entire disc, leaving a rhythm each to Tony Touch, Mathematics and True Master, while rapping features Masta Killa, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard and GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, Beretta 9 and Killa Sin of Killarmy, Prodigal Sunn of Sunz of Man, Black Knights, the affiliates Jamie Sommers, Streetlife (in "Glocko Pop", credited as "Wu-Tang Clan") and Tekitha, and finally the external guests Big Gipp, Mad Cez and Junior Reid.

Flee Lord & Roc Marciano — Delgado

First collaborative album between Flee Lord, on his second project this season, and Roc Marciano. Entirely produced by Roc Marciano, the tape features ten short songs and twenty-six minutes of listening, boasting Conway the Machine, Ransom and Stove God Cooks as guests. Roc Marciano takes part in rapping exclusively in "Breeze in a Porsche", uncredited.

Westside Gunn — Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Sincerely Adolf

Westside Gunn puts an end to the "Hitler Wears Hermes" series with the eighth chapter, a double album, divided into two: "Sincerely Adolf" and "Side B". Originally, it should have been a single double LP, however, following some unexpected, the two twin tapes are published at a distance of about one month from each other. The rhythms are made entirely by the new group of producers of Griselda, The Heartbreakers, formed by Denny LaFlare, Conductor Williams and Camoflauge Monk. It's the first mixtape of the series to not boast Daringer behind the keyboards. Flygod sets himself aside for most of the time in its tenth mixtape and gives another showcase for the spectacular talent of Stove God Cooks, after "Flygod Is an Awesome God 2" (2020), present in five tracks. The other guests are Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher, Mach-Hommy, Boldy James, AA Rashid, Rome Streetz, Jadakiss, Sauce Walka, Lil Wayne and DJ Clue.

Curren$y — Highest in Charge

Currensy's third project of the season it's not among the finest efforts released by the rapper. Here, his flow is nice and effortless as usual on an average production of Trauma Tone, I'm sure the guy has the right rhythms to make an honest album with Currensy, but in this product he kept them somewhere and decided to put out experimental beats and rejects. The drum bothers, most of all in the initial "Carry On", then fades as the minutes pass, favoring the melodic samples chosen by the producer: it's as if Trauma Tone had worked with only one snare drum all the time, deciding to speed it up and slow it down track by track, except in "Out the Window" and "Young Nigga" where it sounds the same. 24 minutes, 10 short joints, average tape. 6/10.

Makeba Mooncycle — Earth Power

Debut album for Pamela "Makeba Mooncycle" Wilder. The cover features tones similar to those that will use of her brother Prodigal Sunn for that of his debut album the following year. The tape consists of eight tracks, including three skits, for a total of just over twenty minutes. Most of the content is braggadocio with some frayed socio-conscious lines and stanzas, Makeba has a good vocals and competent rapping style and the production is simple, honest samples and a hard, skeletal drum that hits every track. That said, neither the content nor the music is ever surprising, the tape will not convert you into a fan of the artist, who has been on the circuit since the early nineties. It's published via Nyamu and Chambermusik, the historic label linked to Wu-Tang Killa Beez. 6/10.

Rick Hyde — Plates II

Direct sequel to "Plates", which arrived two years later. The production is made by SLNC, Daringer, DJ L, The Soul Monsters, Tre Eiht, DJ Chopz, Skrilla, Sha Money XL, Stan da Man, Bohemia Lynch, Buda, Grandz, Harry Frayd, DJ M80, DJ Shay. Guests are Keisha Plum, Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher, Heem, Elcamino, Chase Fetti, Jay Worthy, Skyzoo, Grafh, Meyhem Lauren, Killa Kyleon, G Herbo and TF.

Twinz — Conversation

First and only album by the Long Beach Twinz duo, formed by twin brothers Deon "Trip Locc" & DeWayne "Wayniac" Williams. The boys debuted the year before on Warren G's first album, which produces their entire LP (one track is left to Priest Brooks) and is the biggest guest on the record, with four appearances. The other guests are Jah-Skillz and Neb Love of 5 Footaz and Foesum. Lyrically, this is one of the rare West Coast documents from the mid-1990s that isn't gangsta: the two young rappers come up with simple topics about partying, friends, youth and having fun. The Williams brothers bring out honest bars with a slow, calm, relaxed delivery style, pleasantly in synchrony with Warren G's chosen music: the guys aren't phenomenal and their rap isn't surprising, but they both flow well and smoothly on these rhythms.

Big Twins — Still Here

2021 saw a conspicuous number of promising releases in the hip-hop genre, coming from the 2020 which had seen an overwhelming amount of projects.

Raekwon — Cuban Revolution [mixtape]

Compared to all the other mixtapes released over the years by rapper Chef Raekwon, this one hits differently. There's a welcome and massive presence of Wu-Tang: Ghostface Killah is the main guest on the tape, with seven appearances, covering half the album. In addition to him, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, GZA, U-God, Cappadonna, Trife Diesel of Theodore Unit, Raekwon's group American Cream Team, and external guests Big Pun, Fat Joe, Armageddon, Biggie Smalls and Nas. The tape is curated exclusively by Memory Man: this mixtape is yet another and fortunately last in view of the upcoming release of "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt II", which has been eagerly awaited ever since Lex Diamonds first announced it at the release of "Immobilarity".

Killarmy — Fear, Love & War

Third studio album by Killarmy, three years after the last. The hardcore rap group of boys from New York and Steubenville still consists of all six of its original elements, plus 4th Disciple remains the primary producer. Behind the keyboards he's joined by Falling Down, Rebel Dainja and Mike "Trauma" D of Arkatech Beatz. The guests are U-God of Wu-Tang Clan, Prodigal Sunn of Sunz of Man, Superb & Polite of American Cream Team, Frukwan of Gravediggaz and Madam Scheez.

Diddy — Press Play

For a couple of years, Bad Boy had a distribution deal with Universal, failing to release albums. In 2006, Sean Combs released his fourth album, the first with the moniker Diddy. Hitmen are removed from production duties (there's only Mario Winans to represent the team, in addition to Sean Combs who credits himself as P. Diddy behind the keyboards: the? He didn't even know which pseudonym to choose or what?) and replaced by Kanye West, Just Blaze, Timbaland, will.i.am, Havoc, The Neptunes, Danja, Rob Lewis, Rick Harrison and Jai. Guests are Christina Aguilera, Nicole Scherzinger, Ciara, Shawnna, Keri Hilson, Brandy, Keyshia Cole, Mary J. Blige, S. Rosete, Jack Knight, Scar, Big Boi, TImbaland, Twista, Avant, Cee Lo Green, Nas, Mike Letts, Mario Winans and Jamie Foxx. Fergie is the guest of one of the two bonus tracks, produced by will.i.am.

Cookin' Soul — Cookin Hot Buttered Soul

Tape tribute to Isaac Hayes, with Cookin Soul that provides soulful and jazzy instrumental, some better that others.

Slaughterhouse — Slaughterhouse

In 2008, joe budden is working on his third solo studio album. It's another one of those albums that won't buy anyone and there are no guests. I don't think anyone would really want to be there. He has a beef with Royce da 5'9" right now, and besides, what rapper hasn't had beef with this guy? The following year, he cried with the reporters after Raekwon managed to reach him in person. Going back to beef with Royce, budden manages to convince him to end the feud and work together because "it would be good for the Internet" (what?); Royce has no intention of doing it and knows he doesn't have to, however, he decides to collaborate with budden on his track, "Slaughterhouse", exclusively because there will also be Joell Ortiz, Nino Bless (who will later be excluded from the group) and Crooked I. The song gets a very positive response among fans and many on the internet ask that a group be formed among these rappers, the suggestions are listened to, and the group is born.

9th Prince — Prince of the City [mixtape]

Terrance Hamlin bka 9th Prince of Killarmy is still in prison when this mixtape comes out which anticipates by a month what should be the rapper's second official release, his second LP, "Prince of New York". It should, because the album won't be released on September 11, 2007, and will be pushed back one semester to March 2008. The cover of this mixtape is quite explanatory: New York skyline in the background, with the Statue of Liberty rising to the left, in the darkness of the city sky the W symbol of the Wu-Tang Clan emerges brilliantly, on the right in white the name of the author which is humbly reported in lower case. Below is the rapper's label presenting the mixtape, hosted by Beretta 9 & Shogun Assason. This "hosted" means absolutely nothing, the two Killarmy rappers appear on the tape respectively twice and once in the span of twenty-eight tracks, and they are also thanked on the cover together with other guys, unlike Dom Pachino and Killa Sin. While this last emcee is present in the tape with a contribution in "Murder Venue", the absence of references to Dom Pachino isn't accidental. At the center of the disc, thoughtfully, 9th Prince.

Royce da 5'9" — Success Is Certain

When Ryan Daniel Montgomery aka Royce da 5'9" got the whole set of beats wrong for the seventh time (I also take into count the albums with Slaughterhouse, where he mostly decided the beats) in nine years, well, man, you can guess it, people weren't happy. The fans weren't happy. Sony executives were happy. The critics were happy, for some reason. Hip-hop fans weren't happy and you can see it. The beat of "Legendary", what to say, I have paused it now while I'm writing, if I hit the play button again, it makes me laugh: it's not something you expect to be in a hip-hop album. And the same can be said for all the other ten beats, more or less. They're provided by Eminem, Futuristiks, Luis Resto, Streetrunner, Sarom, Nottz, Mr. Porter, The Alchemist and DJ Premier.

Remedy — It All Comes Down To This [mixtape]

Remedy is finally back to releasing something after seven years of disappearance from the music scene. Between the release of his previous record and this effort, Remedy completed and financed Cappadonna's comeback with "The Struggle" (2003) and participates in the debut album of Cappadonna's younger brother Lounge Lo's "Drop City S.I.M.P.SON (Staten Island's Most Popular Son)", guy who was one of the main guests on the last CD released by Remedy and was also present on Ross Filler's debut. Originally, this is a promotional mixtape for Remedy's subsequent third studio album, which however is no longer released, which is why this mixtape is often also considered as the artist's third actual LP: in fact the boy doesn't have the rights to use all these samples and rhythms from other artists, there's no way this thing is even remotely official, it's a whole mix of short freestyles, unreleased extracts and snippets from his unreleased future studio album.

Baby J — Birth

Debut album by British producer Jonathan "Baby J" Hewitt, which brings together some of the most promising rappers on the New York scene in this listening hour, mostly unknown artists. Inside are the duo A.Alikes, Poetic, Shaqueen, Omen, Shabazz the Disciple, Knowledge Scientifik Cipher, Kinzmen, Freestyle, B. Mohammad, Bless of Ruthless Bastards, Yogi, Fire, G-Force, the duo Celestial Souljahz and DJ Noize.

Snoop Dogg — Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

After the murders of 2Pac and The Notorious BIG, Snoop Doggy Dogg begins to fear for his own safety and decides to leave a decaying, shattered Death Row Records, deprived of its guidance. After a couple of guest appearances in 1997, Master P manages to keep the Long Beach rapper in the No Limit studios and convinces him to sign with the label. The MC forfeits its former moniker, claimed by Death Row, and now is debuting under its new name Snoop Dogg. For the first time, there are no collaborations from the historic inner circle he has worked with on the previous two albums released with Death Row. The production is mainly done by Beats by the Pound, a team of producers made up of four guys: KLC, Mo B. Dick, Craig B and O'Dell. The remaining rhythms are provided by Master P, Snoop Dogg, Carlos Stephens, DJ Pooh, DJ Daryl, Meech Wells and Soopafly. Guests are MP aka Master P, C-Murder, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X, Mystikal, Fiend, Souljia Slim, Steady Mobb'n, Big Pimp'n, Mac, Eddie Griffin and Jon B.

Puff Daddy & The Family — We Invented the Remix

The latest project by Sean Combs with Arista who supported Bad Boy in the distribution since the beginning, is called "We Invented the Remix": it's a remix album, the latest to carry the moniker P. Diddy.

Remedy — Code:Red

After the positive reception of his debut album, the Wu-Tang affiliated rapper Remedy returns with his sophomore album two years later. Meanwhile, he founded his own label Code:Red Entertainment, from which the album title comes and also literally took Cappadonna off the streets and brought him back into the studio to record the Don's new album "The Struggle", also released through Remedy's label and unfortunately one of the worst records ever recorded by a Wu-Tang member. Remedy produces most of his second album, there are also beats from RZA, 4th Disciple, Cilvaringz and scratches from PF Cuttin. The guests are RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, future Theodore Unit member Solomon Childs, Beretta 9, Islord and Shogun Assason of Killarmy, Lounge-Lo of Othorized FAM, Cilvaringz and SweetLeaf.

Ghostface Killah — Shaolin's Finest

In 2003, Dennis "Ghostface Killah" Coles left Epic Records and signed with Def Jam. He had released his previous three solo albums with Epic, and having signed for four albums, he had one more to release before he could get out of his contract with the label. Hence the idea of ​​a compilation of his previous albums, two clear classics ("Ironman", 1996; "Supreme Clientele", 2000) and a good CD with many great moments such as "Bulletproof Wallets", released in 2001.