Def IV — Nice and Hard

DJ Vicious Lee, Lonnie Mac, Jon B and Prince E-Z-Cee, four guys from Houston come up with a decent debut album under the name Def IV. Ahh... maybe without too much imagination? It matters little because... maybe it matters, instead. Because here we find the usual simple beat and the longtime friend drum machine waiting for you on the doorstep and welcoming you for a warm tea on the sofa. The four entertain you – I didn't realize they were four during the listening, whatever – for a good three quarters of an hour with a regular and rapid rapping, decent, but a little bland, it seems to me close to pop rap. The scratched functional hooks help little, the crossover attempts are pretty bland and lazy, the skinny beats are never-inspired and the drum machine, yes, the dear old drum machine is now close to being sent to a nursing home because it doesn't make it more. Instead, the essential samples are the masters in this curious LP: James Brown, Rick James, Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, Eric B. & Rakim and Barry White. For the last cut, they borrow the theme of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", 1966 spaghetti western directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood, but the music comes from the genius of Ennio Morricone. For the fact that they come from Houston, I wanted to take a look at Spin's rap map of June 1990: they're mentioned last in the local scene, not for some sort of merit, but they were among the pioneers. 5/10.

Murder Inc — Playin' for Keeps

Murder Inc. was a common name for a hip-hop group in the mid-1990s. It certainly was for a group that wanted to propose a gangsta style of its own genre. We are in New Orleans, Louisiana, inside there are Michael "Krazy" Wilson, years after a member of the 504 Boyz with TRU and Curren$y, among others, and who debuted as a soloist a few years later, Leon "Legend Man" Saulny, also with a debut studio album under his belt with a cover that imitates those of No Limit, Alamo and Linc "MC L" Vanderhorst, a guy who started spitting early, dropping several projects in the nineties.

Freestyle Fellowship — Innercity Griots

Second album by Freestyle Fellowship, a Los Angeles hip-hop group composed of Aceyalone, Myka Nyne, PEACE and Self Jupiter. J-Sumbi aka the only one who understood something when he spoke, left the group precisely because his style was more understandable than usual.

Salt 'n' Pepa — Very Necessary

Oh no, it wasn't that necessary. Salt 'n' Pepa returns to release a studio album, the fourth, three years after the last one. This time, the disco dance London Records (Island) and Next Plateau Records (independent) labels don't want to be wrong: the record is one of the few in rap to be marketed on five continents, in the United States it doesn't go beyond fourth position on the Billboard 200, doing well in Europe, however, in just under two years it has five platinum certifications from the RIAA, four from Canada and one from Australia. Four singles are extracted ("Shoop", "Whatta Man", "None of Your Business", "Heaven 'n Hell"), the first and the second are both #1 among rap singles and enter the top 5 of the Hot 100, the third goes distant in the charts but wins the Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, and the fourth fails to rank in the United States.

Peanut Butter Wolf — Peanut Butter Breaks

Debut album by Chris Manak, producer from San Jose, California, under the moniker Peanut Butter Wolf, later founder of Stones Throw Records. The tape consists of 13 short instrumentals for a total of about 25 minutes: the producer creates simplistic rhythms, jazzy boom baps, based on bass lines in the first part, with slow and tight drums, and light jazzy samples. Manak produces mainly clean, crisp beats, close to the East Coast sound, all quite solid and not too generic (except "Wake Up Beat"). Among his best results, I highlight: "Summers End", good relaxed jazzy boom bap with slow pounding drum machine and excellent samples; "Dopestyle", relaxed jazzy production with slow and accessible light drum, dusted cymbals and elegant piano, dope rhythm; "Lunar Props"; "Don't Turn Your Back"; "Currents", jazzy production with lively and energetic, controlled drum, and wonderful and nostalgic samples, there's also the almost imperceptible sound of vinyl in the background.

Rating: 6.7/10.

Fat Joe — Me, Myself & I

Separated from Atlantic Records, Fat Joe changes his manager and starts to work on his new LP, signing a deal with Imperial Records, division of Caroline Records, sub-label of Virgin Records. The production is realized by Streetrunner, Grind Music, DJ Khaled, The Runners, Nu Jerzey Devil, and Scott Storch. The guests are Lil Wayne, H-Mob and The Game.

Dark Skinned Assassin — Down Low Wreckege E.P.

In 1995, the Harlem-native rapper Dark Skinned Assassin aka DSA, releases his first single "Lockshit Down", produced by RNS and DJ Ill, which also features the tracks "The Horror" and "Gotta Get the Creme", both produced by Vic Flowers.

 

Pete Rock — PeteStrumentals 3

Seventh solo studio album by Pete Rock, third chapter of the PeteStrumentals series. The Soul Brothers are credited with making the tape together with the producer.

Young Ed — Time to $tack

Debut for Eddie "Young Ed" Stevenson, rapper from San Francisco. The album is produced entirely by Chess and Cellski, who also guests on the project alongside Bay Area mainstays Hitman and San Quinn.

 

Brooklyn Zu — Chamber #9 Verse 32

Brooklyn Zu was born from an idea of ​​Russell Jones aka Ol' Dirty Bastard in 1994. The group is composed of his former hype man, friend and all-rounder Ellery "Buddha Monk" Chambers with ODB cousins ​​Odion "12 O'Clock" Turner, David "Murdoc" Turner (both blood cousins), Zu Keeper and Shorty Shitstain, although sometimes the composition is also expanded to other rappers close to the group, such as the members of the collective Brooklyn Zu Fam and the rappers of the affiliated group Zu Ninjaz. The group debuts entirely in ODB's solo debut "Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version" (1995), all five have a contribution in the posse "Protect Ya Neck II the Zoo". Due to various vicissitudes, the five are unable to release any project and in 2004 the leader of the group Ol' Dirty Bastard dies. Only in 2008, the boys manage to give life to a studio album.

Production is by Cno Evil, Rico Lumpkin, LSI, Phaze Wun, RZA, DJ Woool, Plaboy-Chi, Devious, Yoel Beats and Structure. Mixing is handled by Frank Vasquez. The guests are GZA, Masta Killa and RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Killah Priest, 60 Second Assassin and Prodigal Sunn of Sunz of Man, Rugged Monk of Black Knights, Free Murda of CCF Division, Shyheim, Zu Ninjaz, K-Blunt, Popa Chief, 5 Foot Hyper Sniper, Chi-King, The Preacherman, Felicia Ray, LaFonda, Lifestylez, Captain Midnight, Willy Gleamz, Allah Real and Popa Wu.

Bahamadia — Kollage

Studio debut album by Antonia "Bahamadia" Reed, rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She's a member of the Gang Starr Foundation and later a founding member of the Army of the Pharaohs.

 

Justice System — Rooftop Soundcheck

Jazz rap group from Bronx, NY, which debuted in '94 with a studio album distributed by the major MCA: the record gets praise from critics, but in the following years, the group decides to leave the label and continue the activity as an independent act.

 

Gelo — Havin It My Way

Unique project made by Gelo, rapper from Pittsburgh, California. The record goes unnoticed despite the MC's amused gangsta-thug lyricism, a pretty solid production by Mike Mosley & Sam Bostic under the name Mobboss Productions, and a scandalous and controversial cover that is the envy of Pooh-Man. The rapper here enjoys himself on a funky boom bap musical carpet, with a skinny hard and pounding drum machine, often slow to soften the smoothing of the rhythm and favor the contrast brought by the hardcore bars of Gelo. Technically, it's nothing impressive, there are no clever samples, no hyper mega flow, no beat top drop benzy or ish like that, this guy spits some g with his friends and releases it for the SMG Solar Music Group, label somehow linked with the Master P's No Limit and the E-40's Sick Wit It. Non-essential album, only interesting note is the track with C-Bo: beautiful funky rhythm, boom bap, slow and light drum, simple hook, smooth delivery of the duo. 6/10.

Mr. Ivan — 187 in "A" Hockey Mask

Debut studio album by Ivan Alonzo Newton aka Mr. Ivan, rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. The album is recorded in the studio of Mannie Fresh, who handles production and mixing and is the main host. Shawn "Tha Devil" is credited on guitar. Other guests include Cash Money roster members Lil $lim, Kilo-G, Tec-9 of UNLV, Black, Big Heavy of PxMxWx (aka Projects' Most Wanted) and the co-founder of that label B-32 better known by the stage name Birdman.

Ghetto Mafia — Draw the Line

Debut album for Ghetto Mafia, Atlanta hip-hop duo formed by Nino and Wicked. Production on the album is handled by Carl "Cooley C" Dorsey, Dat Nigga Blast and Sedric "Swift" Barnett, while MC Breed is credited as co-producer in a couple of cuts.

 

T-Lowe — Mack-A-Flama

Second and last CD by T-Lowe, rapper from San Francisco. Kirk "KZO" Crumpler does most of the music, the other producers are Black-"C" and Premier Music (Race, Reg and TC). Guests are 4-Tay, Primo, Herm, Hitman, Lyrical Assassin, Robin Lowe, Black-"C", Tay-da-Tay, Alleykatt, Lil Dank, Quincy, Stoney B. and T. Loc.

T-Bone — Tha Life of a Hoodlum

Christian hip-hop is danceable. With this premise begins the artistic career of Rene Sotomayor aka Bones bka T-Bone, initially part of the group JC Crew, then a soloist since 1993, when he debuted with his own album.

Blaq Poet — Smoke EP

Astro Vandalist provides a varied, skeletal and decent dark jazzy landscape for the second effort of Blaq Poet & Comet. EP pretty functional, simple, accessible, there doesn't seem to be too much chemistry between the two MCs, sealed in their own hardcore bars.

Da Bush Babees — Ambushed

Debut for Brooklyn hidden hip-hop group Da Bush Babees, consisting of Harold "Babe-B-Face Kaos" Lee aka Lee Majors, Acklins "Mr. Man" Dillon aka King Khaliyl and Y-Tee aka Light. The production is handled by Jermaine Dupri, JP, Mark Batson, Nikkie Nikole, Salaam Remi, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and the group itself. 2 Unorthodox is the only host on the disc.

Count Bass D — Pre-Life Crisis

Debut studio album by Dwight "Count Bass D" Farrell, a Bronx native rapper based in Atlanta. The tape is self-produced and doesn't feature guests.

Blaq Poet & Comet — Mad Screwz

Blaq Poet with his second 2016 record after the "The Most Dangerous". This effort is a collaboration with the emerging rapper Comet. Despite flowing like an EP, with a selection of cuts worthy of an EP, and with an overall length equal to that of a long EP (half an hour), call it LP. Marco Polo ("Mad Screwz") and Domingo ("Pain & Strife") provide the best rhythms of this roundup, the first with a simple, tense, dark and rocky jazzy rhythm, the second with a tense, gloomy jazzy boom bap an appropriate delivery by the duo Poet & Comet and the generic verse of Red Eye; cut supported by the hook that pays homage to "C.R.E.A.M" of the Wu-Tang Clan and to "New York, New York" of C-N-N. Also cuts like "Holding Back" with Tragedy and "Time for Change" are pretty decent, the others are missing something. Incoherent record, 5/10.

Pizzo — Heater Man

First studio album for Dwayne "Pizzo" Tucker, rapper born and raised in Oaktown, California. Pizzo moves to Suisun City, signs with AWOL Records and recorded an album with the label, before leaving the AWOL and signing with Strong Island.

Ultra — Big Time

Collaborative album between Kool Keith and Tim Dog, entirely produced by KutMasta Kurt. For some reason, the record also manages to get praise: the rap is there, the rhythms are there, end. Tim Dog plays a minor guest role in this CD of Kool Keith, until a few months also known as Dr. Octagon, today named Ultra. The rhythms of KutMasta Kurt are sometimes decent, sometimes they are less decent, it's a boom bap that says little and leaves something to be desired. The lyrics are battle rap with some of Keith's sexual deviations, bars against wack rappers and arguments against the industry, with which they have had some tribulation in the past. To take a couple of banal examples, Tim Dog refused to look like NWA to get a deal and, at one point, with his group Kool Keith was at PolyGram, who decided not to promote the record. Composed by dozen tracks and three quarters of hour, this CD has a West Coast mood with g-funk rhythms, synths, funky samples and relaxed rap, nevertheless, it doesn't sound essential. 6/10.

Lost Boyz — Legal Drug Money

First album by Lost Boyz from South Jamaica, Queens, consisting of Terrance "Mr. Cheeks" Kelly, Raymond "Freaky Tah" Rogers, Ronald "Spigg Nice" Blackwell and Eric "Pretty Lou" Ruth.

 

Skee-Lo — I Wish

Debut album by Antoine "Skee-Lo" Roundtree, a Chicago native rapper who grew up first in Poughkeepsie, New York, then in Riverside, California, moving to Los Angeles as a teenager.

DJ Zirk — Nuttin But Killaz

From the previous product, "2 Thick" (1994), it's not really clear what DJ Zirk's value is. In this tape, he reveals himself as one of the best producers in the Memphis rap scene.

Capone-n-Noreaga — Lessons

Fifth studio album by the Queens duo Capone-N-Noreaga, five years after the last LP, which was followed by the announcement of the breakup (2011) and that of the reunion of the group (2013). Production is provided by Scram Jones, Large Professor, Ayatollah, Statik Selektah, Beatz n da Hood, Hazardis Soundz, iFresh, Jahlil Beats, Mr. Authentic and SPK. Guests are Royal Flush, The LOX and Raekwon. The album is practically by Tragedy Khadafi featuring Capone-N-Noreaga, because the MC is present in nine out of fifteen songs.

Tim Smooth & Too Cool — Straight Up Drivin 'Em

Debut album for the duo formed by Timothy "Tim Smooth" Smoot and Mark "DJ Too Cool" Marine. The production is made by Too Cool and Leroy "Precise" Edwards, and the rapping is exclusively the work of Tim Smooth, flanked by guests Bust-Down, Playache' and MC Thick, keeping things in New Orleans despite the record being signed by Rap-A-Lot of Houston.

Micranots — Return of the Travellahs

Micranots are an American hip-hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia, formed by rapper Chaka "I Self Divine" Mkali, originally from Los Angeles, California and DJ / producer Kool Akiem Allah, former DJ of MF DOOM. Later I Self Divine will also be part of the group The Dynospectrum together with Slug of Atmosphere, among others. Micranots was originally formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1991 and also includes a third member, rapper Truth Maze, then they moved to Atlanta in 1994 when Truth Maze left the group.

Hard 2 Obtain — Ism & Blues

Only studio album by Hard 2 Obtain, a rap group from Lakeview, Long Island, consisting of Warren "Taste" Mason, Lorenzo "DL" Smith and Kevin "DJ Six Seven" Calhoun.

5th Ward Boyz — Gangsta Funk EP

First EP by 5th Ward Boyz, one year after their debut album. The tape isn't far from the record: there are the same generic gangsta themes and the production is average, typical West Coast g-funk. The trio makes six new pieces, adding two from the previous album "Ghetto Dope" ("Ghetto Curse Words" and "Same Ol'") and performs with good aggressive flow on funky boom bap rhythms.

Capone-n-Noreaga — The War Report 2: Report the War

The fourth album of the Queensbridge duo C-N-N is the sequel of their debut. To provide rhythms there are guys who have already worked in the past with the two rappers, including Alchemist, Scram Jones, Buckwild, Hazardis Sounz, Kyze, Araabmuzik, DJ Green Lantern, Just Blaze, Neo da Matrix, Tha Bizness and Spk. Raekwon is the main guest of the LP. The other guests are Faith Evans, envelope Rhymes, Nas, The LOX, Musolini, Imam Thug and Avery Storm. Tracklist is tight.

C-Bo — Autopsy EP

C-Bo's second effort is an EP that comes the year after releasing the debut album.

Double D — Think About It

Unique solo album by Darrel "Double D" Anderson, who in 2002 released a collaborative album together with Telly Mac for JT the Bigga Figga's Get Low Records before being killed in August 2003. Production is provided by Nick Peace, REG, JT, Gigolo G, Mac Shawn, Boback, Secret Service, Theef and Black Diamond. Guests are D-Moe, Playa P, San Quinn, Marci B., Mac Shawn, Tac Quill, Willie Hen, Proper D, Seff Tha Gaffla and Dre'man. It's not a good album and this is due to the often messy music, I don't mind about the rapping, despite the end result being a gangsta record out of San Fran that is below average for the period. Mac Shawn produces and participates in "Can't Be Faken", one of the tracks that stand out in these fifty minutes, the rest of the tape is passable. 5/10.

D12 — D12 World

In 2004, Detroit rap group D12 released their second studio album. Most of the production is credited to Eminem, here joined by Luis Resto, Hi-Tek, Mr. Porter, Witt & Pep, Red Spyda, Kanye West, Trackboyz, Night & Day, Dr. Dre and Mike Elizondo. Guests include Obie Trice, Young Zee, B-Real and Bugz, the D12 member who was killed in 1999 to whom the boys dedicated their first CD and who they include on the new album with a brief contribution from one of his recordings from 1997.

Sicx — Dead 4 Life

Debut album by Maxmillian Levec Kunitz, rapper of German origins, born in Sacramento, known under the moniker of Sicx and also known for extra-rap events, but I will get there towards the end, I guess. The production is made by Sicx himself and by E-Mo, and the record doesn't feature guests. The rapper is half-brother of Brotha Lynch Hung.

Blaq Poet — Simon Phoenix

Blaq Poet in his second effort in 2020. This seems destined to remain ignored by the public and critics, not without too many reasons: weak hardcore bars on simplistic and hardcore rhythms self-produced by Blaq Poet himself. The six skits reduce this LP to ten meager, simple tracks. The hooks have always been the rapper's weak point, so it's not surprising that here they're pretty banal, the production is between the mediocre and the just decent, but also when the rhythm seems to want to help the MC ("Animal"), other commercial errors invariably come to condemn the individual cuts, in this a sample looped in an annoying way that ruins a dark jazzy beat. 4.5/10.

Poppa LQ — Your Entertainment, My Reality

Kenneth Green already debuted five years ago, in 1990, under the moniker Laquan, how bad did it go? I just know that, when I put together the rap albums for the 90's list, I didn't even find that record, just plain. Meanwhile, Green changed moniker to Poppa LQ, he's your generic nine-five gangster rapper from L.A., California, West Coast. There's nothing wrong with that so far. Guests are AMG, Mad CJ Mac and Menace Clan. The music is mainly entrusted to Tony Dennis, Jason Lewis and Joseph Johnson, Clement Burnette, Bosco Kante, DJ Battlecat, Poppa LQ and Mike Dean also participate in the construction of the rhythms.

DJ Zirk — 2 Thick EP

Debut EP for DJ Zirk, rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. The author keeps the tape exclusively in Memphis, producing the entire work himself and calling to the rapping local performers: Tony Down, Tom Skeemask, Buckshot and Kilo G (the latter two have the same moniker as two other more famous rappers).

Mad Lion — Real Ting

Oswald Priest is a Jamaican artist born in London, later moved to Brooklyn. Between '94 and '95, in the same period in which this project was created and published, he's considered one of the best reggae artists, winning the prize of The Source magazine in both years.

Akinyele — Put It in Your Mouth EP

Three years after debut, Akinyele releases a much dirtier EP, title track and the rest of the company are what you might have expected on his '93 CD, if you came to it as a 2 Live Crew fan. Or a Lil Kim one. Anyway of that kind of hip-hop.

 

Cold World Hustlers — Iceland

1995 was the year of the second studio album for many hip-hop acts, mostly from the West Coast, and many disappointed in comparison to the debut. Among the others, also the Cold World Hustlers of San Francisco.

 

Salt 'n' Pepa — Blacks' Magic

Third pop rap effort for Salt-n-Pepa. I can't express how disappointing this album is in words, I think "facepalm" does quite well. The girls don't make progress compared to the previous album, on the contrary, they regress towards the lowest pop, making an LP that doesn't Represent.

Tweedy Bird Loc — No Holds Barrel

Tweedy Bird Loc is one of the fittest guys in the early nineties on the West Coast, and in 1994 he released his second and final solo studio album. Production is provided by Big Wy, D-Fingaz, East Side Tag Team, Leroy Dukes, Lil Stretch, Ronnie Phillips and Tweedy Bird Loc himself.

D12 — Devil's Night

The group D12 was formed in 1996 when Detroit emcee DeShaun "Proof" Holton invited local rappers Da Brigade Denaun "Kon Artis" Porter & Von "Kuniva" Carlisle, as well as Karnail "Bugz" Pitts and Rufus "Bizarre" Johnson to join him. The following year, the boys released their first effort, "The Underground EP", which featured guest appearances by Marshall "Eminem" Mathers and Willie "Eye-Kyu" Drake. Over the next few months, the group's members began to gain attention and a following, with Bizarre releasing his own EP, "Attack of the Weirdos", Proof winning a freestyle contest hosted by The Source, and Bugz releasing his own EP, "These Streets", shortly before he was killed on the eve of a concert in 1999. Bugz's friend Ondre "Swifty McVay" Moore later joined D12, as did Eminem, who volunteered to replace Bugz.

Fat Joe — All or Nothing

After enjoying the success of his single "Lean Back", a song he co-wrote with Remy Ma, officially under the name Terror Squad, in November 2004 Fat Joe participates to Ja Rule's single "New York" featuring Jadakiss of The LOX. The song provokes a feud between Don Joe, Jada and 50 Cent, because the latter, who had an ongoing feud with Ja Rule since 1999, complains that his rival has involved the other two emcees in the feud. The new studio album of Fat Joe arrives in the wake of this feud, that lead the Bronx rapper to record a own answer to 50 Cent, "My Fofo".

Wu-Tang Clan — Iron Flag

A year after their last album, Wu-Tang releases their fourth work. The Clan seems to have definitively lost its way. RZA is still the main producer of the project, supported by Wu-Elements Mathematics and True Master, but also joined by Nick Fury and the Trackmasters. At the mic the group loses pieces and for the first time sees no presence from Ol' Dirty Bastard. Several affiliates are present, such as 12 O'Clock of Brooklyn Zu, Prodigal Sunn of Sunz of Man, Polite of American Cream Team, Cappadonna, Suga Bang Bang and Streetlife, as well as Madame D, Flavor Flav of Public Enemy and Ronald Isley.

Pete Rock — Return of the SP1200

Fourth instrumental album for Pete Rock, homage to the SP1200 sampler: he brings out some of his unreleased rhythms made throughout the nineties.

Antoinette — Burnin' at 20 Below

Maybe the first album, or at least one of the first, entirely hip house. Antoinette makes it, it's her sophomore and last effort in career. The hip house hadn't been received with too much enthusiasm, and probably marks the end of her career, despite the fact that it managed to enter the R&B chart, towed by a couple of singles ("Never Get Enough", "She Operates Around the Clock"). The production invented by I.G. Off, Jay Ellis, Kurtis Mantronik, Antoinette, Dee Dee, Kenni Hairston, Trevor Gale and Eric Lynch, with instrumentals played by Phil Chiore (keyboards), is simplistic, minimal, tight, not too accessible for an untrained ear, while Antoinette sounds pretty well despite her deliver is slowly and syncopated, with rare variations (faster in the second part), and the LP has trivial or pop-dance hooks: released by Next Plateau Records, musically it's a bad record and lyrically generic, not recommended, 4/10.

Blaq Poet — Scribes EP

Okay, this is a good example of effort outside its time. Blaq Poet here seems to have fallen behind in the late eighties / early nineties. If the production's sometimes good, fairly decent in its generic jazzy, lo-fi, skeletal and sometimes bouncy rhythms, the lyrics are still gangsta, trivial, too simple and Blaq Poet delivers speaking, never inspired. "Put It Down" has the merit of possessing an exquisite light, skeletal and bouncy, dope jazzy boom bap; the hook is left to a sample that repeats the title in loop, this is enough to make the tune stand out as the best of the EP.

Side note: impossible to understand why towards the end of each track, he decides to put a new skeletal rhythm for a few seconds, it's not so necessary. 5/10.