Nature — 98' Nate

In the spring of 2022, Jermaine "Nature" Baxter returns to release material three years after his last album.

This new Nature tape opens wonderfully, the boy takes the magic piano keys that Trackmasters originally designed for Nas' "Shootouts", a pearl cut from the album-peak of mafia rap "It Was Written". The New York emcee goes on for a minute in this tribute, for me it could go on for ten. "Bidden' It" features a skit from a movie that opens the track to a simple boom bap, string loops, dry midtempo drum, orchestral samples, good flow by Nature.

MC Eiht — Revolution in Progress

MC Eiht delivers laid-back for half an hour on relaxed music that combines mobb and trap elements, the guys behind the keyboards did a good job, especially with the first two songs, the rest somehow doesn't shine. Not the best tape of him, but still interesting to fans, Kurupt only guest is a punctual addition. 6/10.

9th Prince — One Man Army

On album number four, you know what to expect from Ninth Prince. Thirteen tracks, forty minutes, BP production, Wu guests. Some rhythms come down from the hands of Soul Professa, Lord Beats, Shawneci, Spanish Jose and a trinity of Wu-Elements consisting of RZA, Bronze Nazareth and True Master. Nobody has the rhythm of the year, the loop created by Bronze might make you think the opposite after a couple of plays, but from the third it won't. It could also happen with the production of True Master for the bonus song, which is the second best. On Steelz, I don't say anything. Among the guests, there are RZA himself and Frukwan of Gravediggaz, Kinetic and Dom Pachino of Killarmy.

The Purist & Westside Gunn — Roses Are Red... So Is Blood EP

In 2016, British hip-hop producer Lawrence "The Purist" Lord from Brighton, Sussex, releases a collaborative EP with US rapper Alvin "Westside Gunn" Worthy from Buffalo, New York. The guests are Conway, Mach-Hommy, Keisha Plum and Roc Marciano.

Joell Ortiz — The Brick: Bodega Chronicles

In 2007, Joell Ortiz signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath, which allowed him to debut with an independent street album, released by Koch Records. Production is handled by Showbiz, Alchemist and many unknown names, such as MoSS, JPaz, DJ EMZ, Ax the Bull, Hecks, Frank Dukes, Jonyfraze, Prince, Machavelli, VIC, P-Money, and Street Radio. The bonus tracks are produced by Mel-Man, DJ Silk and Dr. Dre. Guests are Cashmere, Maino, Solomon, Big Daddy Kane, Big Noyd, Immortal Technique, Ras Kass, Styles P, Akon, Sha Stimuli, Grafh, Gab Gotcha, Lord Black and La Brujha.

DJ Quik — Way 2 Fonky

Profile Records releases DJ Quik's second album, which comes a year after his debut: driven by two singles, it achieves great commercial success, being certified gold by the RIAA a few months after its release and platinum two years later.

Snoop Lion — Reincarnated

In the summer of 2012, the bombshell came out that Snoop Dogg has changed his name and will now be called Snoop Lion. What appears to be a trivial joke from one of your school mates comes to reality with Calvin Broadus's album number twelve. He went on a long trip to Jamaica during which he met a Rastafari priest who suggested that he change his moniker, he recorded a reggae album and shot a documentary directed by a VICE magazine journalist, "Reincarnated", announced in early 2012, released at festivals in September and released in theaters six months later. Shortly thereafter, Snoop Lion also releases the album with RCA, which have the same title and cover as the film.

The Roots — Organix

Debut album for Philadelphia hip-hop group The Roots. Originally, it's a trio made up of Philadelphia boys Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, Malik "Malik B." Basit and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, later became a live band also composed of instrumentalists Joshua Abrams and Leonard Hubbard (later joined officially to the band in 1994) on bass, and Scott Storch on keyboards. Guitarist Chuck Treece, who isn't part of the group, also works on the project.

Westside Connection — Bow Down

In September 1996, the East vs. West war touches one of its most violent peaks and the death of 2Pac convinces Ice Cube to take the field not to stop the feud, but to win it with its own battalion also made up of WC and Mack 10, more or less the same age: the three have already collaborated recently on the solo albums of Mack 10 and WC, the Los Angeles supergroup Westside Connection is born, one of the first in hip-hop. In a short time, within a month, the group's first studio album comes out, ten tracks plus three skits produced by Bud'da, QDIII, Cedric Samson, Ice Cube and Binky Mack, with guests such as K-Dee, The Comrades and All From tha I.

9th Prince — Revenge of the 9th Prince

After releasing his second project, 9th Prince claims he wants to unseat the throne occupied by Lil Wayne and Jay-Z, intention reaffirmed during the album ("Sour Diesel"), with his personal revenge that coincides in his third CD, the one that should launch him among the great protagonists of the rap game. Pregnant pause.

Articolo 31 — Così com'è

The third LP of Articolo 31 is the best-selling ever in Italy in the hip-hop genre, under which this effort is framed, thanks to its 600,000 physical copies sold that have dragged it to the diamond disc. No one has ever sold so many copies recording a rap album and it's also the only one to have obtained the diamond certification.

Eightball & MJG — On the Outside Looking In

Just under a year after the debut, Eightball & MJG release another LP for Suave Records: they rap from Memphis, but their record isn't part of the Memphis rap sub-genre. The production, credited to the duo and to Tristan "T-Mix" Jones aka Smoke O, moves towards the g-funk sound, while the two MCs spit bars mostly on gangsta themes, with conscious variations. The first part features hard-to-overcome synths on cheap and heavy boom baps, so after the first few cuts, melodic samples soften the depth and whine of the synths, favoring a more accessible sound for the listener. MC Breed, Crime Boss and Thorough are the guests of the edition, and the hardcore rap style of the performers is good. Overall, it's an honest tape that gets good sales by getting close the top ten in the rap chart, but it's qualitatively inferior to the debut. 7/10.

Royce da 5'9" — Layers

Sixth solo studio album for Royce da 5'9", Detroit rapper part of the groups Slaughterhouse, Bad Meets Evil, and PRhyme. The rhythm set is provided by eleven different producers, including Mr. Porter, major author with four choices, S1, Epikh, J. Rhodes, G Koop, AntMan Wonder, Jake One, Nottz, DJ Khalil and Daniel Smith. The guests are Melanie Rutherford, Pusha T, Rick Ross, Mr. Porter, Tiara, Loren W. Oden and K. Young. Released by his Bad Half Records and distributed by an independent label linked to Universal, the album becomes his major commercial success, hits the top 25 of the pop chart and becomes is his first solo record to reach the peak of hip-hop / rnb chart.

9th Prince — Prince of New York

9th Prince doesn't pay the taxi fare and is taken to court where he's accused of robbery, ending up in prison for some time. Back free, the founder of Killarmy publishes this effort, which had already been put together in previous years in a sort of compilation of tracks, which passes as his second LP five years after its debut. The cover, you have probably already seen it, because it's almost identical to that of the CD released a few months later by his brother RZA, "Digi Snacks": both are seated on a throne, surrounded by half-naked girls, on the pink bra there's a black symbol which is in fact that of the Wu-Tang Clan and at the top stands the logo of the 5 Percent Nation. 9th Prince forgoes Wu-Tang production and entrusts the beats to Gooch, Monster and Freedom Productions, with William Cooper of Black Market Militia providing a beat. The guests are Islord and Beretta 9 of Killarmy, Tommy Whispers and Trife of TMF, Tekitha, Paradox and Tash Mahogany.

Murs & 9th Wonder — ForNever

Murs & 9th Wonder arrive saturated and breathless on their collaborative album number four, even the chemistry they could boast on the third disc seems to be present only in residues in this product.

Prince Paul — Psychoanalysis (What Is It?)

«Researched, analyzed and diagnosed by Prince Paul». Whatever it means. He writes «conducted» on the cover, which is a bleak artwork in which he allows himself to take an image of Freud and puke on it with random writing and images. His debut album running around the concept of psychoanalysis, mentioned in the titles and subtitles of the tracks, without being explored too much further. What Is It? It's the end, for Prince Paul, it should be his last record shortly before his retirement.

Neffa — Neffa & I Messaggeri della Dopa

Debut studio album by Giovanni "Neffa" Pellino, rapper and singer from Scafati, Salerno, who grew up in Bologna from an early age. Former drummer of hardcore punk bands such as Impact and Negazione, in the nineties he devoted himself to hip-hop becoming a member of Isola Posse All Stars first and then of Sangue Misto. His first solo album comes right in the wake of the dissolution of his latest group.

Judah Priest — Valley of Kings

Judah Priest is born in Philadelphia and raised in Staten Island, New York. Buddha Monk brought him closer to the world of the music industry and the Chambemusik label, with which Judah Priest began collaborating. Between the late 1990s and early 2000s, Judah Priest collaborated with some of Wu-Tang's main affiliates. His debut solo album, originally released in 2004, is launched by Buddha Monk and his group Brooklyn Zu. Production is mainly handled by Derrick Christopher, together with Judah Priest, some producers close to Killa Beez such as Falling Down, Rebel Dainja, Cee The Architek, Kevlaar 7 and 3Fifths, as well as Marc Peterman, Souljahz 4 GOD and OZ.

9th Prince — Grandaddy Flow

In 2003, the younger brother of RZA Terrance "9th Prince" Hamlin debuts with his own solo album. Raised between Steubenville, Ohio, and Staten Island, New York, this boy attends from a privileged position (not literally, given where and how he had to live in that period) at the birth of the Wu-Tang Clan, growing up with the future members of one of the most famous groups in the history of music. After introducing RZA to his young neighbor and almost peer Shyheim, who quickly becomes Wu-Tang's youngest affiliate, towards the end of the nineties, 9th Prince has the possibility to create his own group on the path traced by the Wu-Tang Clan: one of the earliest and most successful Killa Beez groups are born with the name of Killarmy. After a couple of LPs that arouse the interest of the public and critics, following the third release, Killarmy disband and the members of the group take separate directions. This is the second solo album by Killarmy, released a year after that of Dom Pachino.

Hell Razah — Heaven Razah

Shortly after finishing the recording of the album, in April 2010, Hell Razah suffers a brain aneurysm and ends up in hospital. The rapper survives and in the following September is released this effort composed by seventeen tracks. The production is provided by the Wu-Elements Mathematics, 4th Disciple and Bronze Nazareth, along with Kevlaar 7 of Wisemen, Jordan River Banks, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Ayatollah, Dev 1, St. Peter, Shroom, Blastah Beatz and Rainmayqha. The guests are Timbo King of Royal Fam, Darnell McClain, Shabazz the Disciple who together with him form T.H.U.G. Angelz and RA the Rugged Man, for the follow-up to his underground hit "Renaissance".

Hell Razah — Ultra Sounds of a Renaissance Child

Far from his prime work from both the lyrical and the performing point of view, this effort by Hell Razah is sunk from the beginning by a light-hearted and stammering production. Rhythms are mainly provided by the Godz Wrath group, with five tracks considering Ciph Barker's two soloists, Jordan River Banks and MOD The Black Marvel ones, while the other producers are Shroomz with four beats, Hugh Whitaker, DJ Rated R and 4th Disciple, which signs one of the few good tracks, "Renaissance Ages". The absence of guests doesn't help and increases the monotony of Razah's rap. The release was used exclusively to keep his name warm after the very positive reception obtained with the record made together with Blue Sky Black Death, it's not a necessary listening. 4/10.

Ransom & Nicholas Craven — Directors Cut: Scene Three

Third chapter of the "Directors Cut" series, made by rapper Ransom and produced entirely by Nicholas Craven. The guests are The Musalini, Rasheed Chappell, RJ Payne, 38 Spesh and Rome Streetz.

Cappadonna — The Cappatalize Project

Fourth studio album for Cappadonna, who in spring 2007 is still the tenth unofficial member of the Wu-Tang Clan. The supergroup comes from a long hiatus, hasn't released a studio album for six years and is engaged with the third wave of solo releases. This time frame is one of the most complicated for Darryl Hill: in the summer of 2004, the boy was welcomed again as an affiliate in the group by The RZA, with whom he mended the financial differences of 2001, however, his career is on the bubble, and only Ghostface Killah makes him work constantly finding him always some place in his mid-2000s records to make him spit a few bars, generously. The tear with the Clan is mended, but the scar will remain forever: the man decides not to include any guest and any producer who's in the least tied to Wu-Tang, establishing a historical record and managing to improve "Mr. Xcitement" of U-God, that had tried to do the same thing, but had to give up to a beat of 4th Disciple by Killarmy.

Snoop Dogg — Metaverse: The NFT Drop, Vol. 1

This new album by Snoop Dogg is a lazy effort, I don't think it even catalogs as an album, being essentially a mix of previously released songs — many from "Stoner's EP" (2012) — and others new. The title kills it before you even listen to it, although there's just no reason to check it out, unless you're a completist. 4.5/10.