Kanye West — 808s & Heartbreak

After the release of his third studio album, his mother dies and his longtime girlfriend leaves him. Shocked by these two events that brutally impact his mental health, over the course of three weeks in the fall of 2008, Kanye West records his fourth album. Hip-hop is a genre that can't contain his emotions, and rap is a lyric style that "has limitations", according to West. He discovers two new things: the auto-tune and the Roland TR-808 drum machine, whose heavy and massive use, with sonic distortions that according to the producer create a "heartbreak" effect, gives rise to the title of the album. Kanye West breaks away from hip-hop, rapping and sampling, and decides to make a pop album almost exclusively sung to rhythms built around 808.

DJ Khaled — Suffering from Success

Seventh work in one of the worst discographies in hip-hop, that of club producer DJ Khaled. There are 25 different producers accredited in 14 tracks, for about 53 minutes of material. The guests are some of the biggest mainstream rappers of the period and some icons of the genre.

Kanye West — Late Orchestration

In spring 2006, Kanye West's trademark Dropout Bear walks the zebra crossing in front of Abbey Road Studios paying homage to the Beatles album, because it's precisely here that many months before the producer recorded a live album that collects the creme of his first two LPs in a dozen tracks and about three quarters of an hour of material, to which a bonus track is added. To support Mr. West in this live there's an all-female orchestra, along with Lupe Fiasco, GLC, John Legend and Consequence. The boy is not a good rapper and the orchestra does not work the miracles that the studio does, in any case, it's an enjoyable listen for the fans, easily skippable for anyone else. 6.5/10.

Kanye West — Graduation

Takashi Murakami designs the cover of the year for the third and final chapter that completes the educational themed album trilogy by Kanye West, producer and rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Originally, there should be a fourth chapter in a tetralogy, "Good Ass Job", but this LP, the first of a long series in West's career, will never see the light of day. Kanye West is the lead producer, guests are Mos Def, Dwele, DJ Premier, Lil Wayne, T-Pain and Chris Martin of Coldplay.

DJ Khaled — Kiss the Ring

DJ Khaled's apex record in his first ten years of career, at least. He knows that he has succeeded in the challenge of creating his own opera omnia, to have tried to the end. Look at the cover. He's exhausted. Here are top producers and a stellar cast. Behind the keyboards appear the names of Boi-1da, DJ Toomp, Hit-Boy, JUSTICE League, Mike WiLL Made It, The Runners, J. Cole, Jahlil Beats. The performers are the usual guys, Khaled's friends, if you've listened to at least any of his other records before or after this, they're always the same names. These are the usual tracks. There are people who shout on simplistic and economic rhythms, when Khaled himself isn't shouting, others mumble things in a very lazy, unwilling style.

Kanye West — Late Registration

Kanye West's second education-themed albums, continuing in the direction traced by "The College Dropout", whose great success convinces him to abandon the heavily imitated chipmunk soul in order to reward orchestral and richer music, enlisting producer Jon Brion. With this move, the Chicago artist risks losing the large niche of fans he built a year earlier, however, track after track, you understand how West won the bet. Inspired by Portishead and Fiona Apple, he works with Brion on experimental beats with instruments distant from hip-hop and an intelligent and extraordinary choice of samples, creating a sound painting that is memorable and brilliant, flawless for seventy minutes. Just Blaze is the author of only one rhythm for "Touch the Sky", and it's one of the best pop rap songs of the year thanks to its stratospheric production.

Guru — The Best of Guru's Jazz Matazz

When the fourth volume of Guru's Jazzmatazz comes out and finds some market in Europe, EMI senses that that lemon can still be squeezed to release the last bitter drops. The label has already tried it on several occasions in the past, publishing a compilation including the entire first two volumes of the series both in 1996, for the British market, and in 2003, for the European circuit via Cooltempo, encountering lukewarm responses from fans. In 2008, EMI tries again (via Virgin) and this time decides to compact its CD to fifteen tracks that represent the first three chapters of the series, with a coherent tracklist: the first volume boasts six tracks, the second five, the other four.

Colle der Fomento — Odio pieno

Debut album of the hip-hop group from Rome Colle der Fomento, initially formed with the name Taverna Ottavo Colle (referring to the seven hills of Rome) and also including Piotta, here guest together with Kaos and Julie P. Ice One is the main producer, although Julie P and Danno are also credited with him.

 

MC Ren — The Villain in Black

A year after Eazy-E's death, MC Ren releases his second LP with Ruthless. Three quarters of an hour divided into eleven tracks, few guests, limited themes, bland music. The CD doesn't disappoint like the debut, but it still disappoints, criticized by insiders and fans. Linked to the Nation of Islam, in 1995 the rapper decided to discard all the material for the new album recorded with the late DJ Train of CPO, recording new tracks. Production is handled primarily by former NWA rival Cold 187um of Above the Law, along with Madness 4 Real, Dr. Jam and Big Jessie. After seeing the mainstream success and legitimacy that other NWA members had achieved thus far fading, Ren delivers gangster rap lyrics without much inspiration, without energy and with a slow, dull and compliant style, on a generic and harmless production of Cold 187um. Not essential.

Guru — Jazzmatazz: The Timebomb / Back to the Future Mixtape

More than six months after the publication of the fourth volume, solar's hunger for money never stops, it never stops. Somehow, he convinces Guru to release this thing as well, which takes a whole bunch of different names: "Guru's Jazzmatazz: The Timebomb Back to the Future Mixtape".

Guru — Guru 8.0: Lost and Found

Guru's seventh and final studio album. Production is handled by solar, guests are Omar, DJ Doo Wop, solar, K Born & Highpower. The disc consists of 17 tracks (+ 1 bonus), for just under an hour total. When it comes out, it's ignored, by everyone. Critics. Fans. Friends. No magazine has given it a couple of lines, the only place where you can find something is this site, where the tape is harshly criticized. Rightly criticized.

Westside Gunn — There's God and There's Flygod, Praise Both EP

How can you release a classic effort in just two days? Well, you can't. But prodigy rapper Westside Gunn doesn't go too far when he brings out this short six-cut, twenty-minute EP in summer 2016. Pure Griselda record, the production is entirely ascribed to Daringer and overall it's an EP above average, but much above average. It should be frightening that an emerging rapper will be able to pull off an effort of this level within fifty hours.

2Pac — All Eyez on Me

While Tupac Shakur is in prison, Interscope releases his third studio album, "Me Against the World", which turns out to be a great success. For critics it's just a good album like any other, will soon be considered one of the best hip-hop records in history. It's the best-selling rap CD of the year and the third best-selling rnb/hip-hop album of 1995, behind only Mary J. Blige's "My Life" and TLC's "CrazySexyCool". At the end of the year it's certified double platinum by the RIAA.

Killah Priest — View from Masada

After releasing his solo debut ("Heavy Mental") and the first album with the group Sunz of Man ("The Last Shall Be First") within a few months of 1998, Killah Priest separates from Wu-Tang and Sunz of Man, who do without him while the Brooklyn rapper decides to continue "he against the world". As per the tradition of the supergroup, the artist changes his moniker to Masada, an acronym for Most Analyzing Situations And Drama Artistically.

Snoop Dogg — Bush

Snoop Dogg's solo studio album number thirteen, entirely produced by Pharrell Williams. Guests are Gwen Stefani, Stevie Wonder, Charlie Wilson, T.I., Rick Ross and Kendrick Lamar. Ten songs, forty-one minutes: six out of ten songs are credited also to Chad Hugo, who together with Williams forms The Neptunes.

Killah Priest & 4th Disciple — Don't Sit on the Speakers Vol. 1

Collaborative mixtape between two artists strongly affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan, Killah Priest of Sunz of Man and 4th Disciple of Killarmy. The set created by the producer of Wu-Elements mentally returns to the eighties, sturdy drums, thick bass lines, curious loops, everything seems meant to prove that the rapper would have been one of the greatest even if he had spit bars thirty years ago, legitimizing its position after building a solid discography and full of excellent records that have received a shy reception from critics and have been little appreciated even by fans, before the new exploit that Killah Priest had in the 2020s.

Hell Razah — The Renaissance Child

Promoted by a series of mixtapes released in the previous two years, in 2007 Hell Razah released his third CD, his second solo six years after the previous one. During this time, the Brooklyn rapper released albums with Sunz of Man, joined the group Black Market Militia and collaborated on Killah Priest's records. With this third solo effort in six years, Razah cements his place in the underground game, feeling he has broken away from Wu-Tang and been reborn artistically, hence the album's title. The production is assembled by a dozen different artists: Bronze Nazareth, Dirty Needlez and Jordan River Banks of Godz Wrath (with one of his first beats), 4th Disciple, MF DOOM,, Krohme, Fabrizio Sotti, Dev 1, Shuko, DJ Battle, Focis and Smokeshop Productions. The guests are Viktor Von, Talib Kweli, Tragedy Khadafi, Ras Kass, Maccabeez, Killah Priest, RA the Rugged Man and Bronze Nazareth.

Black Market Militia — Black Market Militia

At the beginning of the 2000s, there's a break that appears definitive between Killah Priest and RZA, with the former deciding to cut ties with Sunz of Man, which has always been a group close to Wu. Around the same time, Killah Priest forms a new supergroup, The Four Horsemen, with Ras Kass, Canibus and Kurupt, but their album is ignored and soon forgotten by all. Reed doesn't give up and a couple of years later, he returns with a new original supergroup, bringing with him Hell Razah from the Sunz of Man, Timbo King from the Royal Fam, affiliate William Cooper and Tragedy Khadafi.

Hell Razah & 4th Disciple — Freedom of Speech

Three years after his debut studio album, rapper Chron "Hell Razah" Smith releases his second official album in collaboration with producer Selwyn "4th Disciple" Bogard. The guys are part of the groups Sunz of Man and Killarmy respectively, both affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan. So this is an interesting collaborative effort between artists from the two groups in the Killa Beez universe. The cover recites "Sunz of Man Presents Hell Razah & 4th Disciple", so due to the confusion around the group in the early 2000s, this is believed to be a Sunz of Man effort by two of them. The guys thought it up like Gangstarr, G Rap and DJ Polo, Rakim & Eric B., Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, this should be a legendary duo at that height.

Method Man — The Meth Lab Season 3: The Rehab

Method Man returns to release a studio album four years after the last time, releasing the third installment of the "Meth Lab" series that began in 2015. Pascal Zumaque produces half the album and handles the mixing, other beats are provided by Rockwilder, Adam Mcleer, Erick Sermon, Darnell Normn, Daniel C. Wells, Joshua D. Zimmerman and Justin Trugman. Guests include Cappadonna of Wu-Tang Clan, Elaine Krista, RJ Payne, KRS-One, Redman, Eddie I, Jadakiss, Cortez, Chunk Bizza, and Wu-Tang affiliates JoJo Pellegrino, Hanz On, Iron Mic of Staten Stars, Carlton Fisk of House Gang, Intell & 5th PXWER of 2nd Generation Wu.

Killah Priest — The Untold Story of Walter Reed Part 2 [mixtape]

Sequel to a mixtape released eight years earlier. Swollen, with 34 tracks, uniquely produced by DJ Woool according to the credits, with Agallah, Cappadonna and Raekwon as guests. At least a third of the product is fine, which means that the bad times outweigh everything else. The author builds battles by writing unclear and mostly abstract texts regarding religious, biblical, metaphysical topics, crimes, murders, thugging, braggadocio, street stories, historical references between Egypt, Africa and the Middle East and the inevitable beloved mysticism Rap is ok, the music doesn't sound like it should most of the time. The short sections between "Neftel" and "Pinch of Kelp" in the first half, and between "Deliverah" and "The Best" in the second half are some of the highlights, the rest is forgettable. "Elohim City" feat. The Chef is the strong point. Many months later, in the same year, Killah Priest releases another mixtape, this time made together with 4th Disciple, in a Sunz of Man x Killarmy project that is made with a different mold than this one and that is worth checking out. 4/10.

Royce da 5'9" — Book of Ryan

Seventh solo studio album by Royce da 5'9". Mr. Porter is the main producer, the others rhythms are provided by Akino Childrey, S1, AntMan Wonder, Boi-1da, 808-Ray, Cool & Dre, Epikh Pro, Frank Dukes, Illmind, Fuse, DJ Khalil, Key Wane, Streetrunner, Tarik Azzouz and The Maven Boys. The guests are Marsha Ambrosius, Melanie Rutherford, Pusha T, Jadakiss, Fabolous, J. Cole, Westside Boogie, King Green, Ashley Sorrell, Eminem, T-Pain, Robert Glasper, Agent Sasco and Chavis Chandler.

Killah Priest — The Untold Story of Walter Reed [mixtape]

Mixtape self-released by Killah Priest composed by twenty tracks, devoid of production credits and also cleared of known guests (Rasul Allah aka G/Ciples and Killah Priest's son Starkim), and maybe that's for the best. Music is decent when it's good, with some random honest rhythm, while the lyrics are abstract.

Killah Priest — I Killed the Devil Last Night [mixtape]

Second solo mixtape for Killah Priest, distributed for free on the internet and released by Proverbs Records. The author himself says he's giving this project away for free and will bring out more because he has so many set aside (in "Don't Stop"). Only half tape boasts credits for the beats: the production is handled by Killah Priest himself & Marvin Gaye, Thorotracks, Kilisto, Danger, DJ Wool, Kount 5th, Tha Advocate and Jeff Burna for Ruff Houze Productions. The guests are 60 Second Assassin of Sunz of Man, Vendetta Kingz, Starkim, Purpose, Tha Advocate, Willy Northpole, Stat Quo, Doitall, Big Lou, Hussein Fatal of Outlawz, Sha Stimuli and Mr. Probz. Starkim, the son of Killah Priest, gets two soloist tracks.