Wu-Syndicate — GrimLenz

After the success of the first album that came in the wake of the thousands released by Wu affiliates, the Wu-Syndicate already Syndicate has fractions with Wu-Tang Records and decides to leave Killa Beez becoming simply The Syndicate. In 2009, the group reconciled with the Wu world and returned to the name Wu-Syndicate, but in the meantime it lost an element, as member Napoleon left the group, now made up of Myalansky and Joe Mafia. In the same period their second album is released and unfortunately, it's a bad record. Production is handled entirely by local Virginia Beach beatmaker Antagonist, guests are Jesse Taylor and Ray Lugar. The rapping of the Syndicate is totally without inspiration and will, while music is horribly cheap, it's a bad product, thankfully short-lived. Released by Syndicate Entertainment and Wu International, in the following years Shaka Amazulu the 7th reissues it via Black Stone of Mecca with several additional tracks. Never recommended.

Slaughterhouse — Welcome to: Our House

Eminem comes to rescue a group that appeared to be on a collision course and savagely marks the sophomore jinx of the rap supergroup Slaughterhouse, made up of Royce da 5'9", Crooked I, Joell Ortiz, and a dude still far from retirement. Eminem is in charge of mixing, executive producer and lead producer on the record, credited throughout the album. Rhythms are provided by Eminem, Alex da Kid, Hit-Boy, T-Minus, AraabMuzik, No ID, Streetrunner, Sarom, Black Key, Zukhan Bey, Mr. Porter, Boi-1da, Kane Beatz, J-Mike, The Mad Violinist, The Maven Boys, and Matthew Burnett. The guests are, in addition to Slim Shady himself, Skylar Grey, Busta Rhymes, Cee Lo Green and Swizz Beatz.

Team Napalm — Napalm World

Sort of compilation of songs by Team Napalm, hip-hop group formed by Dom Pachino of Killarmy, Crunch Lo of Otherized F.A.M, Chapel of 140 Productions and NLZ. Unlike the other project of the group, this one doesn't come out under Chambermusik. Production is mainly performed by members of the group like Chapel and NLZ, as well as Dom Pachino, Booyow and Dane.Ja. Guests are Canadian singer Infinite, C-4 (both sometimes credited as members of Team Napalm), Monique, MGT and Janko.

Surprisingly, it starts and continues decently for at least the first twenty minutes. There's an honest production done by the in-house guys from Team Napalm and the rap sounds better than you would expect from the group of a member of a Wu-Tang affiliated group. Halfway through the record, there's a freestyle where something horrible happened to the mix, followed by a skit, then the second part looks like a completely different record, almost as if they wanted to chase all kinds of hip-hop trends of the time, from rap salsa to rap rock, from Houston velvety southern to Atlanta hardcore, from soft-rnb ballad rap to snap. Nothing works.

Team Napalm — The Invasion

All successful rappers have tried to launch their own group, and this is the case with Dom Pachino and his Team Napalm. The composition of this group is not obvious: in addition to the aforementioned member of Killarmy, there are Crunch Lo of Otherized F.A.M, Chapel of 140 Productions and NLZ. Chambermusik Records' official website, which released the tape alongside Napalm Recordings in 2005, also adds Just Da Barber (featured once and uncredited as a guest), Islord of Killarmy (featured once and uncredited as a guest), Dub Sonata (one beat), C-4 and the Canadian singer Infinite. The latter two are not featured on this record and make several accredited guest appearances on "Napalm World, a Team Napalm compilation released in the same year.

In theory, it's not a bad idea as it appears from the moment you start reading the names of the guys credited with the rhythms: NLZ is the lead producer in the midst of a bunch of no-names, Dub Sonata, Dom Pachino and Chapel have a beat each. Tommy Whispers of TMF, Double AB and Tara Star are the guests. Dom Pachino is the main rapper, Crunch Lo (7), NLZ (6) and Chapel (5) revolve around him: PR Terrorist is not in its most inspired moment, in addition, as in many records of this genre, it is difficult to distinguish one guy from the other, and the very cheap choice of beats does not help to appreciate the effort of these youngsters. It's a totally ignorable and forgettable record.

DJ Khaled — God Did

Thirteenth album by DJ Khaled who returns to release an LP almost 18 months after the last time and remains number one on the Billboard 200 (his fourth to do so), also reaching number one in Canada. The album is a worldwide hit reaching charts worldwide and is one of the best-selling hip-hop records of 2022. Among the producers stand out the names of Dr. Dre, Kanye West and Mike Dean. StreetRunner and Tarik Azzouz produce eight beats each. Guests are Jay-Z, Eminem, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend, Fridayy, Kanye West aka Ye, Drake, Future, lil Baby, Lil Durk, 21 Savage, Roddy Ricch, Quavo, Takeoff, SZA, Nardo Wick, Kodak Black, Don Toliver, Travis Scott, Gunna, Latto, City Girls, Skillibeng, Buju Banton, Capleton, Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Juice WRLD, Jadakiss and Vory.

Harlem 6 — Harlem Musik

For some reason, I've listened to this record more times than I should have, that is, twice. Maybe three times. Ah, I think two. Harlem 6 is a rap group consisting of six elements, AGR, Will Power, Young Man, Black Jesus, Shawn Sparks and Khilly Mo. Over the course of the songs, I can't tell you who is doing what, probably AGR is the busiest on the mic, I don't really know. The music is bad, unlistenable, maybe track number five, "American Gangstas", is the closest thing to decency on this tape. Published by Chambermusik and their label Entaprise Entertainment, this effort is the most distant thing from the W (from an exquisitely quality point of view of the music offered, in my very humble negligible opinion), listening isn't necessary.

Slaughterhouse — On the House [mixtape]

This is one of the mixtapes by hip-hop group Slaughterhouse.

"Who I Am" has the blessing-one-way-ticket-to-Heaven rhythm that Ski Beats wisely packaged for Jay-Z's divine flow in "Dead Presidents", from his masterpiece album "Reasonable Doubt". He has that piano, heavenly. And what are these guys doing? They place a scandalous drum on it that messes up more than World War II and messes with everything else, from sampling to rapping. It makes no sense. Why? What is this thing?

Canibus & Bronze Nazareth — Time Flys, Life Dies... Phoenix Rise

A strange, warm, fuzzy feeling should set in when, at the start of the third round, you can watch this guy grab a notebook to recite his own rhymes, which he couldn't memorize. Not being able to memorize a text is a common thing that can happen to anyone. However, it's not common for a guy to read his own rhymes during a rap battle. This is what Germaine "Canibus" Williams did in the famous challenge against Dizaster, anno domini 2012. Nobody took his choice well, for some his career is over, for others he's dead, metaphorically. People are cruel. At the time of writing, his wikipedia page stops at that battle, although he has released six other studio albums, including one with the Horsemen.

Nini X — She's Dangerous

Rajni "Nini X" Faulks, rapper native of Steubenville, Ohio, raised in Compton, Los Angeles, debuts in 1992 as the main guest on Tweedy Bird Loc's first album, "187 Ride By", then Bird Loc introduces her in a project which unites several friends (all Crips if I'm not mistaken) in the Underground Connection (aka The Underworld Connection aka Tha Underworld) together with Blue Rag, Do or Die, Sin Loc, Att Will, Big D Mark and Bird Loc himself, then he takes Nini X to Ronnie Phillips: only after insisting, she manages to become part of the album "Bangin on Wax" by the Bloods & Crips project, choosing the name Bloody Mary and taking part in four tracks, "Rip a Crab in Half", "Piru Love", "No Way Out" and "C-K Ride".

Inspectah Deck — Tune Raider Jackin Flows 2K [mixtape]

Inspectah Deck aka Rebel INS born Jason Hunter of Park Hill, Clifton, Staten Island, should always be named when discussing the best rapper of the nineties, along with friends he grew up with, Dennis Coles, Clifford Smith and Corey Woods. He's considered to be one of the best lyricists of the nineties, the most flourishing period for hip-hop, and with this mixtape, the Inspector reminds us why.

Makaveli — The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory

In February 1996, 2Pac released the double album "All Eyez on Me" and came close to a resolution with Death Row Records, the label of Suge Knight that had bailed him out of prison last October, having completed in one fell swoop two of the three albums that the boy who grew up in Oaktown had committed to with Death Row. It was quite a move.

Altered Crates — Metaphorical Villainy

Mashup tape made by this collective that decides to mix lyrics and rapping of MF DOOM and production of Nujabes. An easy and immediate winner, but no. What convinces and exalts at the first listening, soon cools down with the following ones and in the end, almost nothing really works that well. It's all strangely lukewarm and generic, mild jazz rap, it might as well do nothing for you. The appearances of Jay Electronica and Czarface as guests fall flat in a quite curious way, perhaps due to beats not completely suited to their style. "Police Myself As Usual" is the highest point of the project, thanks to a fresh and crackling drum, a booming bass line and above all a clear and deep flute, on which the rapper's flow runs very smoothly. "Morning Avalanche" approaches that song, while the rest of the tape doesn't live up to the rosiest expectations. The guys did apparently more consistent work with "MF BLOOM" the previous year, so except for a few remixes featured here, the tape is negligible.

GZA — Collection of Classics

Dreddy Kruger puts together this compilation / mixtape of 26 tracks of GZA / Genius called a "collection of classics", with the addition of some unreleased tracks, by the one who is the greatest lyrical swordsman in Medina (Brooklyn), quoting the cover. The songs are taken from LPs made between 1995 and 2002, "Liquid Swords" (title track, "Killa Hills", "Shadowboxin", "Duel of the Iron Mic", "Labels"), "Beneath the Surface" ("High Price, Small Reward", "1112", "Mic Trippin", "Publicity", "Hip-Hop Fury") and "Legend of the Liquid Swords" ("Did Ya Say That", "Silent", "Sparring Minds", "Fame (Accapella)", "Animal Planet"), as well as tracks from other artists where GZA is featured.

Altered Crates — Butcherin' Donuts

It's really hard to go wrong when you put one of the most celebrated rappers of his time with one of the most celebrated producers of his time. It’s so difficult that I find it hard to understand how these guys did it. Some of Benny the Butcher's best verses are combined with nine beats produced by J Dilla to create this 26-minute mashup tape. The beats that these guys choose to select from the vast catalog of J Dilla not only aren’t those of “Donuts” — the title could mislead you; the cover is dope, in any case — but neither are some of his best beats or that suit the rapper's style better. A grumpy and at times unacceptable tape comes out, which only a star-level cast with Conway the Machine, Westside Gunn, 38 Spesh, Black Thought and Styles P can hold up.

Sunz of Man — Elements [reissue]

In 2004, Sunz of Man released a reissue of "The First Testament", the album bootlegged in 1999. The effort takes shape with songs borrowed directly from that album, combined with other Hell Razah songs from his debut album "When All Hell Breaks Loose", released in 2001. The music is therefore a mixture of mid-nineties rhythms made very well by the historic producer of the group Supreme aka Supreme Kourt, by Y-Kim of Royal Fam and by Priority Records' in-house producer Dropsect who at that time was recording tracks with Shabazz the Disciple for his never-released debut album, and of sparse and simplistic early 2000s rhythms credited to amateur guys like Data, Joe Loopz, Mark V, David Burnette and Nitro.

Jay-Z & Kanye West — Watch the Throne

Album of the Year. This should be album of the year. Watch the throne. Seated, two Kings of hip-hop. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter from Marcy, Brooklyn, New York. Kanye West native of Atlanta, Georgia, raised in Chicago, Illinois. This is a collaborative album, Kanye West's first historical and Hova's fourth after the two with R. Kelly and seven years later the project with Linkin Park. West and Jay-Z have collaborated on several songs and singles in the past, Kanye has often produced songs by Jay including those featured on his last seven solo albums, i.e. all since their artistic collaboration was born in 2000, while the New York rapper guested on four of West's five albums (he's uncredited on "Graduation"). After the success of the remix of West's song "Power" (with Jay-Z) to promote "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", the idea of an effort between the two artists was born. Originally the collaborative project began as a short EP of five songs, then extended to a full album. West's track "Monster" is also destined for the EP, but ultimately ends up on one of the best hip-hop records ever, while some tracks recorded for that album end in this, like "The Joy" and "That's My Bitch", while others, intended for this collaborative LP, end in Hova's future solo album after Jay-Z's strong insistence that he must convince a stubborn West.

Production features Kanye West, 88-Keys, Mike Dean, Om'Mas Keith, Jeff Bhasker, Q-Tip, Pharrell Williams, Don Jazzy, Anthony Kilhoffer, The Neptunes, RZA, Hit-Boy, Ken Lewis, Swizz Beatz , Sak Pase, S1, Pete Rock, South Side, Lex Luger and No ID. Credited guests are Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, The-Dream, Mr. Hudson, Otis Redding and Curtis Mayfield.

Damu Ridas — Damu Ridas

In 1995 gangsta rap is still going strong throughout California, some kids go from the streets to the recording studios managing to sell a million copies by releasing three albums. After the release of the sequel to "Bangin' on Wax" in 1994, Bloods & Crips split up, the Bloods becoming Damu Ridas and the Crips becoming Nationwide Rip Ridaz.

DJ Khaled — Khaled Khaled

This is another step backwards for Khaled. Album number twelve. In fifteen years. There's no controversy, it's first, it's platinum. Epic does its job, not like two years before — according to Khaled. This guy has been on the charts since he started. "Thankful" is a good start, for his standards. Then there's a mix of singers and rappers in twelve tracks that sound very similar, they are among the worst in his discography. I don't know how you can put Nas and Jay-Z on a track (Beyoncé says "hey" for a moment, and it's still a thousand times better than the rest of DJ Khaled's discography) and still make one of the worst albums of the year. The best track is the last one, not only because it "frees you" from this disaster, it's an epic track with reggae icons such as Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, Capleton and Barrington Levy, dominating everything that preceded it. 2/10.

Young Soldierz — Young Soldierz

Unique studio album by Young Soldierz, a hip-hop group from Los Angeles, California, formed by members of the Bloods & Crips recording project. The members are Wytony "Big Wy" Dillon, Dajuan "Dog" White, Pops and Samari "Lil Stretch" Doby.

UTD — Manifest Destiny

In the early nineties, the Brooklyn hip-hop trio Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD) signs with Payday / FFRR and released a couple of singles between 1994 and 1995. Then, the group formed by brothers Dante "Mos Def", Denard "DCQ" and Casey "Ces" Smith, is dumped by the label. A few years later, in the late nineties, Mos Def forms another group together with his brother DCQ and other members, creating Medina Green.

DJ Khaled — Father of Asahd

DJ Khaled's eleventh studio album is a disappointment. There's Buju Banton, twice, he opens and closes the album, then a handful of strong names who don't save the record from overly bad music. "Wish Wish" is fine. Some singles are decent / honest ("Just Us", "Top Off"), others less so ("You Stay", "No Brainer"), a third of the whole album is generic trap. The tracks in the central region that are produced by Streetrunner and Tarik Azzouz, "Higher", "Won't Take My Soul" and "Weather the Storm", are the best. The joint with Nas & Cee Lo Green is essential, however, to steal the show are Meek Mill & Lil Baby who deliver spectacularly on a track blessed with a celestial soundscape, a sudden and unexpected gem.

Khaled's album is first, in Canada: this provokes the anger of the producer, who sparked controversy after missing his third consecutive #1 on the Billboard 200 due to details, gaining a platinum plat exactly one year after the release. Despite a parade of champions, it's one of the worst records of the season, 3/10.

DJ Khaled — Grateful

Double album by Khaled "DJ Khaled" Khaled. About 30 producers, about 30 guests, almost an hour and a half of material. The trap production is often forgettable, and the contribution of the artists isn't particularly inspired. It could be a typical Khaled album, except that most of the songs are decent and there are some good joints. With the Epic distribution, the producer is still first on the Billboard 200 and his record is a global success that goes strong everywhere (with good sells in Scandinavia) and rips certifications in four continents, obtaining his first platinum. However, only one year after his previous work, well received by the public and critics, the insiders seem to have already forgotten him. Overall, the record isn't as good as "Major Key" and it's not as bad as the rest of its catalog, it's a bit irregular and too bloated in a laudable attempt to satisfy as many hip-hop palates as possible.

Highlights: "Shining", ""It's Secured", "Nobody", "I Love You So Much", "I Can't Even Lie", "Good Man", "Billy Ocean".

Rating: 5/10.

Crooked I — Apex Predator

At 37, Dominic "Crooked I" Wickliffe's debut is one of the most anticipated ever, having been in the game since the 1990s. In 1995, he signed with Noo Trybe, a branch of Virgin, but in the same years, Virgin decided to do without its subsidiary and the rapper was left without a contract. In this period, he approaches Dr. Dre's Aftermath, before signing with DPG Records, a subsidiary of Death Row, and later to agree again with Death Row itself, exiting the contract with DPG. He only manages to release a mixtape, in 2003; in the same year, his contract with the label ends and he begins to have legal problems with Death Row, which prevent him from releasing material with a subsidiary of Universal, with which he had settled.