RZA — Instrumental Experience

Compilation that has remained incomprehensibly unnoticed and never properly treated. In 2006, Robert "The RZA" Diggs, rapper, producer, master and co-founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, officially releases an instrumental tape through Think Differently Music, a label managed by Dreddy Kruger, Killa Bee and part of the Royal Fam. 21 instrumental tracks from some of the most famous songs by Wu-Tang and other affiliated artists, in addition to the intro, a jewel of over eight minutes. The rest should be the best of RZA, it shouldn't be that hard to find, it's all wrapped up in the Wu-Tang Clan albums between 1993-1997: "36 Chambers", "Tical", "Return to the 36 Chambers", "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...", "Liquid Swords", "Ironman" and "Forever". Easy come easy go. But that's not the case, for some reason, and RZA beats from the beginnings up to 2007 are encapsulated: it means that there may be underwhelming beats made by Steels in the last decade. And so it is, unfortunately.

Raekwon & Ghostface — R.A.G.U. (Rae and Ghost United Pt. 2) [unofficial]

Ghostface Killah & Raekwon The Chef return with a new recipe two years later "RAGU", they cooked "RAGU 2", Rae and Ghost United Pt. 2. There's still Dreddy Kruger's Think Differently Music behind this unofficial release. The tape maintains culinary references from the beginning, where the tradition remains of putting different titles to obscure songs in order to deceive listeners by making them pass as new songs: it happens immediately for "Fried Rice with Eggs", which is "Belt Holders / Eldarado" from "Hidden Darts", Starks' compilation.

Raekwon & Ghostface — R.A.G.U. (Rae and Ghost United) [unofficial]

Following the unification of Italy, formally proclaimed in the spring of 1861, agricultural contracts of feudal origin, allowing the population working on the land to continue to live, especially in the south of the country, were abolished. The democratic land distribution, which passes from the vast ownership of kings, nobility and clergy to smaller properties divided among the heirs of those lands, it no longer allows farmers to live on the fruit of their labor in a country that is almost completely devoted to agriculture, and forces them to look for work elsewhere in order to survive and not die of hunger. Between 1861 and the First World War, there was a massive migration of Italians seeking their fortune abroad, particularly to the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Many survive, adapt and proliferate in these places, even starting to eat meat, a food that before the Second World War most Italians could not afford due to the inaccessible price.

Ice Cube — The Predator

Ice Cube's third album comes out half a year after the riots in Los Angeles, sparked by the videotape of Rodney King's beating. Audiences and critics alike expect another political effort from the guy who is the most ruthless spitter, but Cube has already poured his anger, talent and passion into his two previous records.

Statik Selektah & Termanology —The Evening News EP

At the end of 2010, an EP of 22 minutes and 8 tracks signed 1982 is released, distributed by St. Records & ShowOff, respectively the labels of Termanology and Statik Selektah. The tape is a showcase for the talent of Term, Statik and friends, including Wais P, Kali, Ghetto, John Xantus and Action Bronson. The MC from Queens eats the boom bap jazz rhythm that Lawrence's producer offers him in "Money Is Reality", with a professional attack and a good hardcore flow with which he rips the track. Termanology, on the second verse, sounds bland. The others are simply clocking in before the usual absenteeism covered by Statik, which shuts both eyes on the thing. Of course, excluded Bronsolinho, no one does the work here and the project ends up being of no particular interest.

Curren$y — Pilot Talk 4

Six years after the last chapter, Curren$y and Ski Beatz release the fourth part of Pilot Talk.

Bravehearts — Bravehearted

Wo, wo, wo, wo, what up son? What up G? Debut studio album of one of the most forgotten groups, rightly so, in rap. Bravehearts, East Coast hip-hop straight outta Queensbridge, New York. Originally, the group is formed by Jabari "Jungle" Jones, brother of Nas, Mike "Wiz" Epps & E. "Horse" Gray. You know both, at the time of the biggest feud the East Coast has ever seen, the one between the two Kings of New York Nas and Jay-Z, Hova claims that Horse's verse and flow are better than those of his rival in the hit "Oochie Wally", gold certificated in which Wiz also participated.

Snoop Dogg — Tha Last Meal

Fifth studio album by Long Beach rapper Snoop Dogg, third and final on the Houston label No Limit Records. Production is handled by Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Scott Storch, Mike Elizondo, Battlecat, Soopafly, Meech Wells, Studio Ton, Carlos Stephens and Jelly Roll. Kokane is the main guest on the album, participating in eight songs. The other guests are The Lady of Rage, Bad Azz, Lil HD, MC Ren, Ice Cube, Nate Dogg, The Eastsidaz, Butch Cassidy, Mac Minista, Eve, Mr. Magic, Master P and Suga Free. He keeps a reference to Crips by wearing blue on the cover. Musically, the product maintains a funky soul that looks hopefully at the return of g-funk, lyrically, the rapper tackles the same topics as ever, moving from gangster themes to bars closer to pimpin'.

Raekwon — The Lex Diamond Story

The last noteworthy mafia album is "Roots of Evil": at the end of 1998, Kool G Rap gives a final twist to the subgenre and gives us one of his latest masterpieces. At that point, the wave of the subgenre was long over and the undertow was about to bring more waves of greater intensity, shiny suits, jiggy, shock rap, bling, the return of alt rap, and so on. At the end of 2003, Raewkon released his third studio album, four years after his previous one, the disappointing "Immobilarity".

Method Man — The Meth Lab Season 2: The Lithium

More than three years after the latest effort, Method Man releases what is regarded as the sixth studio album in his discography, sequel to "Meth Lab". The production is mainly done by Dame Grease in the first part and by Daez in the second part, as well as a dozen amateur beatmakers. Among the guests of the record, there are Raekwon, Cappadonna and Masta Killa of Wu-Tang Clan, affiliates Redman, Streetlife, Intell and Lounge Lo, and several Wu-external members, including Snoop Dogg, NORE, Heltah Skeltah, Sheek Louch and Hanz On, main guest of the album, as in the previous edition.

Daz-N-Snoop — Cuzznz

After many years of work, Snoop Dogg & Daz Dillinger release a collaborative album under the name Daz-N-Snoop. They are cousins, hence the title. The production is mainly performed by Dâm-funk, together with Rick Rock, DJ 2High, League of Starz, KJ Conteh and Jansport J. The guests are Dâm-funk, Shon'Lawon and above all Kurupt, present in three songs and part of Tha Dogg Pound together with Daz. When the tape comes out, without any promotion, it already sounds old: the music is excessively cheap, simplistic, shoddy, imitates g-funk and mobb without much success, while the dudes' rap is tired, lacking in energy, bland. Snoop Dogg did his best disk in 1993, having largely contributed to Dr. Dre's debut the year before, and Tha Dogg Pound released its best album in 1995. All three acts were under Death Row. It's easy to think that a collaborative project around that time would have been a masterpiece or a huge The Firm-style flop, doing it twenty years later makes almost no sense. No track works except the last one, which closes the tape with a high note. Released by an independent label, the tape records its presence in both the rap and pop charts. 4/10.

Eminem — Slim Shady EP

His album sells just under a hundred physical copies. He's ignored by insiders and ostracized by the radio, which refuses to spin his songs: "Are you a white rapper? Go to rock n roll". His producers are dumping him. Having not recovered the money he had spent to record the album, Marshall Mathers finds himself in a precarious economic situation, worse than before. The boy cannot afford the apartment on the outskirts of Detroit, and is forced to return to live in the trailer park with his mother. Kim and her twin sister Dawn Scott ran away from home in their teens and, shortly after meeting Marshall, moved in with him in their mother's trailer for a couple of years, until their mother kicked them out because he left school at 17.

PRhyme — PRhyme

PRhyme debut album, a collaborative project between Detroit rapper Ryan "Royce da 5'9"" Montgomery and Houston-born New York producer Christopher "DJ Premier" Martin. The music department is managed exclusively by the guy from Gang Starr, who uses Adrian Younge's catalog for the samples, while the guests continue to follow one another during the listening: Ab-Soul, Mac Miller, Dwele, Common, Jay Electronica, Schoolboy Q, Killer Mike and Slaughterhouse.

Russ — Chomp 2

Sequel to the EP released in 2020. The production is signed by Russ, Jake One, Mr. Porter, Hi-Tek, 9th Wonder, DJ Premier, Harry Fraud, The Alchemist, Hit-Boy, Statik Selektah, Bink, Boi-1da. Guests are Ransom, Papoose, The Game, Styles P, Westside Gunn, Jadakiss, Big KRIT, DJ Premier, Snoop Dogg, Jay Electronica, Big Sean, Hit-Boy, Joey Badass, Wale, Conway the Machine, Ghostface Killah, Cyhi the Prynce, Lloyd Banks, Statik Selektah and Mozzy. They are, hands down, some of the best producers and MCs of the moment. It looks like an album, it's sold as an EP, it's actually a mixtape.

KRS-One — I Got Next

Third solo album by KRS-One, rapper from the Bronx, former member of Boogie Down Productions. The MC of New York is primarily responsible for the rhythms, creating two thirds of the total set, the rest is provided by "Commissioner Gordon" Williams, Showbiz, DJ Muggs, Domingo, Jesse West, DJ Cipher and Thembisa. The guests are Angie Martinez, Redman, Puff Daddy, Mic Vandalz and Thor-El.

Curren$y — Land Air Sea EP

Jet Life collaborative tape between rapper Currensy and producer Cash Fargo. The effort, five tracks per twenty-one minutes, is a further testimony to the fact that the MC is more at ease on a melodic production on which he can express himself with greater freedom, without being pressed by asphyxiating samples and a too tight drum. The drum chosen by Cash Fargo waits for the rapper and falls downtempo, accompanied by excellent samples and a jazz background that comes in the wake of the best works with Harry Fraud. Fiend & Fendi P are appropriate guests. The best songs arrive in the last few minutes, completing one of the rapper's most successful works of the season. 6.5/10.

DJ Shocca — 60 Hz

«"Preemo you know wassup?" "Wassup?" "Vai a cagare!"»

Sta cercando di bere qualcosa con DJ Premier, ma il Gang Starr è circondato di persone. Matteo "DJ Shocca" Bernacchi è stato più volte paragonato all'iconico producer e ha in "60 Hz" il suo lavoro più riconosciuto, considerato un classico nella storia dell'hip-hop italiano. Nativo di Treviso, Veneto, Shocca fonda il gruppo Centro13 con i rappers locali Mistaman, Ciacca e Frank Siciliano. Nel 1997, il producer realizza "ABC" assieme al rapper Uno, l'anno dopo pubblica "Acciaio" coi Centro13, il gruppo si scioglie pochi anni dopo e Roc Beats continua a collaborare sia con Frank Siciliano sia con Mistaman, rilasciando rispettivamente un EP e un album. "60 Hz" è il suo primo album in studio da solista, ed è un album-producer. Shocca aka Roc Barakys produce tutte le tracce e vanta uno dei migliori roster nella storia della musica hip-hop italiana: gli artisti rappresentano le città di Treviso (Mistaman, Frank Siciliano, Shezan il Regio, Zonta), Reggio Calabria (Esa, Tormento), Palermo (Stokka & MadBuddy), Torino (DJ Double S, ATPC), Milano (Club Dogo, Bassi Maestro), Senigallia (Nesli), Roma (Primo, Colle der Fomento), Verona (DJ Zeta), Stresa (Rido MC) e Bologna (Inoki, Royal Mehdi), oltre al rapper belga di Bruxelles Rivalcapone.

Berner — Gotti

"Gotti" closes the mafia trilogy created by the San Francisco rapper Berner, which began with "Russ Bufalino: The Quiet Don" (2020) and continued with "Paulie Cicero" (2021). He, in a complicated moment of his personal life, gets the blessing directly from John Gotti Jr., with whom he has a couple of meetings, and which allows him to use unreleased audios from his father, John Gotti, on the album. Berner uses short clips from the Gambino family's Godfather for the interludes on his record, closing a trilogy centered on the Italian-American East Coast mafia.

Flee Lord & Tiona Deniece — Mask & Glove

Third album of 2021 for New York rapper Flee Lord, debut for Buffalo-native singer Tiona Deniece, known for having participated in several Griselda projects and who has signed with Flee Lord's label, Lord Mobb. Composed of ten short tracks and half an hour of listening, opened and closed by a spot of G4 Jag, with BVNGS as the only other guest, the tape alternates Delgado's rapping with Tiona D's suave singing and focuses most of the time on the singer's qualities, enveloped in an accessible light jazz boom bap production. Overall, this hip-hop/rnb joint isn't a bad tape, although it might turn Flee Lord fans and casual rap listeners away, because his contribution is contained here.

Lil Peep & Harry Fraud — High Fashion EP

Lil Peep's emo rap plays on the materialistic holy trinity (girls, weed, money), it complements la musica de Harry Fraud well, and sounds better than usual when the snare is accompanied by lively jazz loops and a roaring guitar in the third song. The material is brief and from a lyrical point of view, you can either pretend that it does not exist and let yourself be carried away by the sweet sound current that the excellent producer provides or appreciate the pleasant frequency with which the interpreter uses his favorite verb and topic in these ten minutes: either way, it's surprisingly both accessible and good enough to convince Harry Fraud fans and skeptics to take on listening without regrets of any kind. 7/10.

Raekwon — Coke Up in da Dollar Bill [mixtape]

It seems that in the last weeks of 2009, to thank the audience for the warm and ultra enthusiastic reception received by the Purple Tape sequel, Chef Raekwon decided to throw out a New Year's Eve mixtape with the little material he had available and he had very little.

EPMD — Business as Usual

Third effort for the hardcore duo composed by Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith, they release an album easily assembled with the same formula of the previous works which allows it to take zero risks.