B-Legit the Savage — Tryin' to Get a Buck

Debut album by Brandt Jones, rapper from Vallejo cousin of E-40, part of the family group The Click. The production of the disc is entirely performed by Studio Ton, while E-40 is the main guest of the edition, with six appearances. The other guests are Little Bruce, Mac Shawn and Levitti.

Anquette — Respect

Debut LP for the rnb group Anquette from Miami, Florida. The production is entirely handled by David Hobbs of 2 Live Crew and the effort is distributed by Luke Skyywalker Records.

Totally Insane — Back Street Life

Third album by the duo Totally Insane from East Palo Alto, California. Mac-10 and Ad Kapone handle the entire production, aided by the live instrumentation of brothers Barry, Ray and Reggie Smith, who play bass and guitar and co-produce the album: the sound of the record is minimal, scarce, funky, for a few moments acceptable, in the long run too cheap, fast, syncopated. The guests are Mr. Ke-Weed, Money Marc, Scoot Dogg, Backstreet Mentality, 11-5, Dre-Dog, Hennesy and The Nut Case, with whom the boys share normal gangsta lyrics. The drum is always too tight, even in the softer tracks, there are some honest samples, rap is never noteworthy in any way. The few random, rusty whiny synths are a sign of the time, they were about to go out of style even on West Coast records. Composed of fourteen songs and almost an hour of listening, this is their latest product released by In-A-Minute Records: the album manages to pierce the top 50 among rap records, becoming the group's most commercially successful and also their last to enter a chart.

Rating: 6/10.

D-Shot — The Shot Calla

Dannell Stevens is the third member of Click La Familia to debut a solo studio album after Brandt "B-Legit" Jones and Tenina "Suga T" Stevens, preceding Earl "E-40" Stevens, all with the first LP in 1993.

 

Kilo G — The Sleepwalker EP

In 1992, a teenage boy released his first hip-hop album, a half-hour EP. It's pretty interesting because the boy is Robert Johnson Jr., one of the many faces forgotten by hip-hop, was born in late August 1976 and therefore made his debut in the game at only 15 years old, with the moniker Kilo G. I don't want to go into what drama and what trauma a person must have faced to release a horrorcore effort at this age, but this effort is practically fantastic, it's a simple raw, underground and dark gangsta 'n horrorcore EP that has nothing to envy to the best records of the genre in the early nineties.

Capone-n-Noreaga — Channel 10

Third studio album for C-N-N, nine years after the last. Production is handled by Hazardis Soundz, DJ Premier, The Alchemist, SPK, Havoc, Ron Browz, Streetrunner, The Inkredibles, Mike Beatz, Big Drain, Hangmen 3 and The Alienz. The guests are Ron Browz, Busta Rhymes, Mobb Deep, Uncle Murda, Clipse, Maino and Tha Dogg Pound.

AAVV — Murder Was the Case

The soundtrack of the eponymous movie is sometimes credited in Snoop Dogg's discography, however, it's more a work of Death Row Records and its artists. Second soundtrack of the year and fourth project released in the history of Suge Knight's label. Production is handled by Dr. Dre, Sam Sneed, Jewell, Soopafly, George Archie, DJ Pooh, DJ Quik, DeVante Swing, Sam Man, Kevin Lewis, Marc McWilliams, Big Wy, Lil' Stretch and Dat Niggaz Daz. The performers are Snoop Doggy Dogg, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Tha Dogg Pound, Big Tray Deee, Nate Dogg, Jewell, Lil' Style, Young Swoop, Danny Boy, Sam Sneed, Jodeci, DJ Quik, Slip Capone, CPO, B-Rezell and Young Soldierz.

College Boyz — Radio Fusion Radio

Debut album for this Los Angeles hip-hop group consisting of Romani Romanic Malco Jr. (R.O.M.), Squeaky G, Humphry and DJ Clue. Originally calling RMG, they changed their name to College Boyz upon moving to LA. The group signs an agreement with Virgin Records to publish their first effort and the production is entrusted to a dozen different beatmakers who offer more or less the same sound, a boom bap funky lo-fi rhythm.

Blaq Poet — Blaq Poet Society QB Slasher Remixes

Collection of instrumental rhythms deriving from "Blaq Poet Society". With the addition of five remixes. They're all quite solid in their simple, skeletal and tight jazzy rhythms, thanks to the guests: Roc Marciano and Wais P support "Bushmaster Music"; Big Noyd opens with a technical, loose, smoothness flow in the light, essential, slow, alternative boom bap jazzy of "Freezers"; Blacastan and Meyhem Lauren flow worthily on the remixes of "Butcher Shop" and "Hood Talk" respectively, Reef also makes his decent figure on "Mortuary Music". The rest are heavy, dark, essential or simple jazzy rhythms of Stu Bangas and Vanderslice. 6/10.

Hanz On — Barca

In the summer of 2009, joe budden gets a slap so hard that he leaves his group, ends his artistic career, stops taking drugs and makes him question his sexual identity. Throughout the year, he has stood up against the Wu-Tang Clan by questioning Method Man's legitimacy on a list of the best MCs of all time compiled by Vibe magazine. He arrives at the fight a few months later with Raekwon's crew arriving in Gambino style, and one of his boys splapped joe budden. In the following years, the rnb singer releases more material to meet his contract deadlines, then retires and becomes a podcaster.

Original Concept — Straight from the Basement of Kooley High!

First, last, only work of the Original Concept group, made up of Andre "Doctor Dré" Brown (the MTV host with James "Ed Lover" Roberts), Tyrone "T-Money" Kelsie (regular guest on "Yo! MTV Raps"), Gerald "Rapper G" Gray, and Gary "Easy G" Reese. In the early eighties, these four kids formed the group Concept Crew, with a show on the same station who featured Spectrum City, whose members would later form Public Enemy. In 1986, the group changes name in Original Concept and releases "Knowledge Me", followed by "Can You Feel It", originally the b-side then chosen as their first single. In 1988, they sign to Def Jam Records, publishing their unique LP.

Psycho Gangsta — Stories of the Jack

Debut studio album by Psycho Gangsta, rapper from San Francisco, California. The tape boasts a good number of guest appearances, especially on side A: D-Moe, Keylo, Reese Dog, Hugh EMC, JT, Jumpin' J, OC Dre, Angie, Greg and BoBo. Beats are provided by Greg Singletary, D-Love, JT the Bigga Figga, Mr. Laid and Psycho Gangsta. All the people involved in the project are originally from San Francisco, many from the Fillmore neighborhood, with the notable exception of rapper Angie from Oakland.

Marvaless — Ghetto Blues

Debut album by Marva "Marvaless" Cooks, rapper from Sacramento, California, launched by fellow citizen C-Bo. The production is handled by DJ Daryl, Xtra Large and Mobboss, while the guests of the tape are Mississippi, Pizzo, C-Bo and Rup Dog.

The Last Poets — Holy Terror

Album number ten for The Last Poets, a group of musicians and poets formed in the late sixties. This effort is performed entirely by the Umar Bin Hassan group, consisting of Abiodun Oyewole on microphone, Bernie Worrell on keyboards, Bootsy Collins on guitar and bass, Bill Laswell on bass and production, and Aiyb Dieng on conga, bells, tambourine, gong and percussion. To help Oyewole deliver some songs, there's also Grandmaster Melle Mel ("Homesick", "Men-tality", "Funk", "Homesick [Black and Strong]", cut not present in this edition with the featuring of Don Babatunde and that of George Clinton).

$auce Heist & Camoflauge Monk — SaucexMonk EP

"King Kong Ain't Got Nothing on Me!". It's hard to find a project in 2017 that enters stronger than did this collaborative extended play between up-and-coming Brooklyn rapper $auce Heist and Buffalo-based producer Camoflauge Monk, who established himself in the underground circuit of the New York scene producing some of the best projects of Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, Mach-Hommy, Tha God Fahim and Hus Kingpin. Denzel Washington's line as Alonzo Harris in "Training Day" (2001) is preceded by some gunshots so heavy that they seem to come from a Desert Eagle and introduces the first track, "Ronin".

The Almighty RSO — Revenge of da Badd Boyz: The E.P.

Debut tape of Boston hip-hop group The Almighty RSO, formed by Raymond "Ray Dog" Scott, Marco "E-Devious" Ennis, Jeffrey "DJ Deff Jeff" Neal and Anthony "Tony Rhome" Johnson. The group was born in the mid-eighties, in 1992 gets a contract with Tommy Boy, but due to their single "One in the Chamba" — here courtesy of Tommy Boy Records — the label abandons them. They move on to the Flavor Unit, and finally sign with RCA.

2 Bigg MC — He's the King of the Hype!

He's not. "King of the Hype" because he's the hypeman for MC Hammer and performed vocals on "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em", worst rap album of the year. In more detail, but not too much, with a team large enough to envy the cast of a small independent film, we can expect a little more than simple and minimal skinny beats, a drum machine that works roughly, remaining syncopated, skinny, minimal, but light to give a lot of space to the rough, cumbersome, syncopated and barking delivery of this rapper who sounds really bad-bad-not-good. Instead, the brothers Kent "The Lone Mixer" and Kevin "2 Bigg MC" Wilson from Oakland, California, offer a quite subdued and generic album, below the acceptable level for a '90 rap effort: it hadn't started well, with a pretty mediocre first piece, but the second one was quite acceptable, as mediocre as the previous one. Unfortunately, the third song is a ballad among the worst placed in a tracklist that totally kills the disc and gives it an immediate 2. Beats by The Lone Mixer, rap by 2 Bigg MC, the record is released by deep house / dance music label Crush Music and distributed by K-Tel, falling pretty flat in the market and immediately ending the young hypeman's rapping career. 4/10.

The Goats — Tricks of the Shade

This is the definition of an obscure album. I listened to all the 1992 records on my list before I went to review them and when I got around the top thirty, I found that I completely bypassed this LP. This group comes from Philadelphia and is made up of Oatie Kato, Swayzack and Madd on rapping, and is accompanied by a support live band consisting of Mark Boyce on keyboards, Derrick Pierce on drums, EJ Simpson on bass, Pierce Ternay on guitar, while 1 Take Willie puts the scratches. They choose a cover that would need several explanations and a quite mediocre name to release their debut studio album, released by Ruffhouse Records, a hip-hop subsidiary of major Columbia.

99 Posse — Curre curre guagliò

The 99 Posse is a raggamuffin / dub group born in Poggioreale, a neighborhood of Naples, Campania, originally composed by Luca "O Zulù" Persico, Marco "Kaya selecter" Messina, Massimo "JRM" Jovine and by Giampiero "Papa J" Da Dalto, who leaves the group the year before the debut album.

Detroit's Most Wanted — Tricks of the Trade

The group Def Drive is formed in 1986 (1988 according to other sources) and composed by DJ Duncan Hines, Reginald "Motsi Ski" Abrams and Robert "MC Lee" Lee Jr., the latter joined the group later in 1988. Then the group changes name to Detroit's Most Wanted, signs with Bryant Records and drops a full LP, among the first albums on the Detroit scene. It's made by three guys who want to stand up to the Compton scene and in particular to Compton's Most Wanted.

Rodney O & Joe Cooley — Fuck New York

Rodney O & Joe Cooley, this hip-hop duo from Los Angeles returns to the rap game, we could actually say "it comes", because it practically never was there. At the end of the eighties, it already sucked, when all the acts were rough and amateur, they managed to do worse than all.

Hitman — Solo Creep

Debut studio album by Ricky "Hitman" Herd, rapper of San Francisco and member of the hip-hop trio RBL Posse formed together with Black C and Mr. C, this last one dies a couple of months after the release of this album. Black C manages the entire production of the project and is among the guests together with Mr. EEC, N.O.H. Mafia, Iyesha and Hustla Moe.

A Lighter Shade of Brown — Brown & Proud

Extravagant union between skeletal and hard production and weak delivery by this unknown duo, easily forgotten. A Lighter Shade of Brown aka LSOB is a duo from Riverside, California, formed in 1987 and composed by the rappers Robert "Don't Try to Xerox (DTTX)" Ramirez and Robert "One Dope Meixcan (ODM)" Gutierrez.

Kilo G — The Bloody City

Unique studio album by Robert L. "Kilo G" Johnson, Jr., rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He's among the first to sign for Cash Money Records and is the first to publish material for the label. The production is entirely made by Mannie Fresh. Guests are Ms. Tee, Pimp C & Bun B of UGK, Mr. Ivan, and Skull.

Blaq Poet — Tha Blaqprint

A sort of real debut for Blaq Poet after the "LP compilation" released three years ago. It should be the album-banger that destroys the underground roots where he has been trapped for over thirty years and makes him emerge arrogantly among the top of the rap game thanks to the stratospheric magic of DJ Premier on the keyboards, but it's not so.

Taiyamo Denku — RadiOctave

Album by Jason "Taiyamo Denku" Miller, rapper from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Production is by Simon "D-Cypha" Stoker. The disc contains 80 minutes of music divided into 19 long tracks, excluding the intro and an interlude, no song falls below three and a half minutes, which is challenging for a 2015 album by an unknown artist on the underground hip-hop circuit. But behind the scenes, the album has its reasons, because the guests represent some of the most important realities of the New York scene of the nineties, it's a tribute to the nineties.

Double X — Ruff, Rugged & Raw

The success of their flagship single allows the group to embark on a national tour and maintain the deal for a second LP with Atlantic via Big Beat.

Finesse & Synquis — Soul Sisters

Two female rappers try to enter the rap game during 1988. Unfortunately, you can't stop KRS and Rakim, the game is changing. This product encompasses the entry into the recording industry for Sidney "Finesse" Hall and Sheraine "Synquis" Brewster, both part of the Uptown Crew along with Groove B Chill, Heavy D & the Boyz, Marley Marl, The Brothers Black and Woody Rock.

AAVV — Above the Rim

Soundtrack of the homonymous film and third work of the Death Row Records label, founded by Suge Knight. Production is created by Dr. Dre, Warren G, DJ Quik, Dat Nigga Daz, 2nd II None, Havoc, Suamana Swoop Brown, Dalvin DeGrate, Johnny Jay, Tracy Kendrick, Benny Medina, Allen Gordon, Brian Alexander Morgan, Nikke Nikole, OFTB, Darryl Pearson, Chris Puran, Sharon Riley, Carl Small, Al B Sure and DeVante Swing. The performers are Snoop Doggy Dogg, Nate Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound Gangstas, Warren G, Thug Life, Big Pimpin' Delemond, SWV, Allen Gordon Jr., Joe, Sweet Sable, H-Town, DJ Rogers, Jewell, Aaron Hall, The Lady of Rage, CPO, Paradise, Al B Sure, OFTB, Rhythm & Knowledge and B-Rezell.

The Afros — Kickin' Afrolistics

In 1989 is formed The Afros, hip-hop group from New York composed by the rappers Wendell "Hurricane" Fite and Tadone "Kool Tee" Hill and by the DJ Kip "Kippy-O" Morgan. Hurricane (DJ of the Beastie Boys) and Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC created the concept of the group after watching together the movie "Hollywood Shuffle" (1987), thus deciding that all members of the group would wear Afro wigs in order to imitate the blaxploitation films of the seventies. The group is the first act to signs with Jam Master Jay's label JMJ Records. In 1989, the Afros appears in the music video of Run-DMC's "Pause".

Lil Heavy — Illegal Sells EP

In 1994, Maceo "Lil Heavy" Smith produces a cassette that's wholly dragged by Crime Click members II Tone and Mac Montese and features several other Memphis guests, such as Lil Los, TYS, P. Drizzle, Outlaw, Tha Goodfellaz and Jae Jo, who has the final solo tune. The tape is extended, with eight long tracks and over forty minutes of listening, and stands out from much of the rest of the local circuit for its beautiful melodic and compelling loops that form the background to the thug-gangsta bars produced by the slow and raw style of Crime Click rappers and Lil Heavy. Mid-South re-mastered the cassette in 2008 and released the work on CD. 7/10.

Double XX Posse — Put Ya Boots On

Raynard Howell Jr. aka MC Sugar Ray, Warm Prince Shabazz and Brian Keith Coleman aka BK The Original Bootsmoker, make up the Jersey City hip-hop trio Double XX Posse.

Goldy — In the Land of Funk

Second studio album for Mhisani Miller, the first after adopting the moniker Goldy and leaving Mhisani. The boy is again helped by the collective he belongs to, Too Short's Dangerous Crew, who produce the album entirely, also helping him with the execution of the rhythms with live instrumentalists: Ant Banks and Pee-Wee are the main beatmakers and are among the uncredited guests on "Never That", Goldy produces a beat. Guests also include Too Short and Rappin' Ron & Ant Diddley Dog, a duo linked to Ant Banks.

Blaq Poet — Blaq Out

Blaq Poet's second studio album. In addition to Poet himself, there are DJ Premier, Ayatollah, Thoro Tracks and Lil' Fame behind the keyboards, but their productions are disappointing and simplistic. The guests are Yung Mike, Killa Sha, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Phantasm and Teflon.

halfBREED — 3P EP

C Dot Castro's rise from a casual guest on the mixtapes of an emerging rapper friend to one of the most listened to Virginia emcees on streaming sites began a long time ago. The guy took part in Logic's entire "Young Sinatra" series, participating in more ("Beggin", "Disgusting") and less successful pieces ("Back and Forth"), going with Logic himself on his first North American tour in the spring of 2013, the "Welcome to Forever Tour".

Insane Poetry — Grim Reality

Under the moniker of Cyco, Andrew Hollman leads the LA group Insane Poetry on their debut record: the product is a decent, dark and raw horrorcore tape, Cyco is the only rapper of the group and he's quite decent in his performance, however technically he's mediocre and not a good MC.

Totally Insane — Goin Insane

Second studio album released by Totally Insane, duo from East Palo Alto, Cali, formed by the rappers Mac-10 & Ad Kapone. Production credits are unclear: it should be done by Tony Jackson, The Enhancer, Stingy and TC. The rhythms these guys choose are overly cheap, scarce, minimal: the drum falls old, listless, doesn't hit, the samples are poor and the boys play more generic than usual with their bars on gangsterisms and extracts close to horror. Mixing makes the tape sink even lower, however, even with a more professional sound, the music would always sound bad. It's poorly thought out and worse executed. There's a catchy synth line in the choice number eight and it's the best thing about the project, for the rest, the LP, pushed by In-A-Minute Records, manages to get into the last places of the hip-hop / rnb chart and allows the dudes to continue some more time with this "rap thing".

Rating: 4/10.

Lil' Jyule — Ashes 2 Ashes, Dust 2 Dust

Cassette credited to Lil Jyule, a boy from Memphis about whom it's difficult to find information. You can find the five pieces that make up the cassette in different sequences on the internet.

Blaq Poet — Rewind << Deja Screw

Sort of collection of previous bars dropped by Blaq Poet in 2000s mixed with new lyrics over all new beats, hence the title. This CD is the debut album of the Queensbridge rapper. 45 Scientific is the main producer of the record, along with Blaq Poet himself, DJ Premier, The Alchemist, Easy Mo Bee and DJ Sincere. The guest are KL, J Roc, Verse, Team Shug and Teflon.

Yaggfu Front — Action Packed Adventure

Debut album by the rap group Yaggfu Front, composed of the rappers Spin 4th, Jingle Bel and D'ranged & Damaged, the latter also takes care of the role of DJ. The trio, originally from Durham, North Carolina, moved to New York to pursue their career in the hip-hop world. The production is carried out by the group together with New Vibe Messengers and Minnesota, while some instrumentalists linked to the group provide piano, trombone and trumpet in some tracks.

Termanology — More Politics

Fourth solo studio album in the rapper Termanology's discography. His friend Statik Selektah produces half the album, providing most of the music in the second half, the rest of the beats are created by Just Blaze, Buckwild, Dame Grease, JUSTICE League, Hi-Tek, Nottz and Q-Tip. The guests are Kendra Foster, Crushboys, Sheek Louch & Styles P of LOX, Bun B of UGK, KXNG Crooked of Slaughterhouse, Conway & Westside Gunn of Griselda, Joey Bada$$, Cyrus DeShield, Sean Taylor, Your Old Droog, Chris Rivers, Ea$y Money, Bodega Bamz, Masspike Miles and Saigon.

Totally Insane — Direct from the Backstreet

Phillip Allen and Adam Hicks take their respective names Mac-10 and Ad Kapone and emerge from the East Palo Alto, Bay Area scene, with a debut record that has remained under the radar of West Coast gangsta rap. The production is done by TC, the guy keeps a local sound, skinny and simple, generic frantic funky rhythms, while the delivery of this duo is syncopated and smooth, sometimes quick, good, to spit gangsta bars a little above average for the scene of 1992. The album has no weak songs, but neither classics nor bangers of any kind and the choice to include long tracks of six and seven minutes, kills the fluidity of the record. 6/10.

Chubb Rock with Howie Tee — And the Winner Is...

Sophomore by Chubb Rock (Crooklyn Dodgers), Howie Tee assists him behind the keys again. The title reflects the fact that the Grammys awarded Best Rap Album before the televised broadcast of the show.

Brothers uv da Blakmarket — Ruff Life

Christopher "MC Cee" McKinney and Eric "DJ Mental" Menal form the duo Brothers uv da Blakmarket from Paterson, New Jersey. Their only studio album is released by Select Records, but it was neither commercially nor critically successful. The production is entirely done by the group themselves, except for the fourth and ninth cuts, where the rhythm is provided by the Naughty Boys. The group is discovered by Naughty by Nature, of which they mimic the sound, themes and style of rapping.

Rodney O & Joe Cooley — Me and Joe

First disk by Rodney-O & Joe Cooley, Los Angeles trio composed by Rodney Oliver from Riverside, DJ Joe Cooley from Compton and Jeffrey "General Jeff" Page from Los Angeles. After the intro, there's just a series of rhythmic beats and plaintive delivery with weak functional hooks and some scratches with the drum machine that screams "stop!!!!": significant "Let's Have Some Fun", the simplistic production is probably also decent in its constant pounding, but the delivery of the duo is so flat as to make this track skippable.

Gimisum Family — Tha Hoodway I

Fifth cassette produced by Gimisum Family, a Memphis supergroup made up of rappers Skinny Pimp, So Serious, Lil Gin, Lil Pimp and 211. Other uncredited performers of the edition are Z Dogg, Joy, Killamac, Lil Ced, Big Hill, OG Larry, Big Blacc, Chill Will, Mista Playa Dre, AK and Big Debo.

Gimisum Family — The Gimisum Dungeon

First cassette released by Gimisum Family, a Memphis collective featuring local rappers Kingpin Skinny Pimp, So Serious, Lil Gin, Lil Yo and 221.

Extra Prolific — Like It Should Be

Debut record for Extra Prolific, Oakland hip-hop duo part of the Hieroglyphics crew and composed of Duane "Snupe" Lee and Mike "Mike G" Gray, probably both originally from Texas, I'm sure for the former, but not for Mike G. The album remains internal to the Oakland collective, with production, lyrics and rapping performed by the members of the Hieroglyphics: Snupe and A-Plus are among the major producers, Mike G, Casual and Domino provide some beats, while guests are Casual, Opio and Pep Love. For some reason, Mike G isn't present in rapping in any of the cuts, so the record is pretty much a Snupe solo.

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five & Grandmaster Melle Mel — Adventures on the Wheels of Steel

In 1999 Castle Music releases a 3CD compilation album by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and Grandmaster Melle Mel, including 34 tracks (2 unreleased) for three and half hours of music.

Chubb Rock featuring Hitman Howie Tee — Chubb Rock featuring Hitman Howie Tee

A pre-med student at Brown University, Richard "Chubb Rock" Simpson dropped out of school to pursue a career as a rapper, earning his moniker thanks to his imposing physical build. Discovered by his cousin Howard "Howie Tee" Thompson, the boy signed with Select Records, released several singles and in 1988 released his debut studio album.