Just-Ice — Gun Talk

After three years of silence, Just-Ice returns to release a studio album, his fifth one. Kurtis Mantronik produces the first five tracks, O.C. Rodriguez produces the last five, for a total of ten cuts and no guests.

Lil' Fly — Bonafied Playa EP

First and only tape by Gary "Lil' Fly" Hudson, a rapper from San Francisco linked to Rappin' 4-Tay. The production is done by Al Eaton, The Enhancer, TC and Regi-Reg: the rhythms are irregular, decent, funky, minimal, sometimes good, overall, they're a solid support for the g-bars and the rhythmic flow of Fly. Among the guests, in addition to Rappin' 4-Tay, are The Bank$ta and Franky J. Composed of six songs and twenty-four minutes, the tape is distributed by the Oakland label Rag Top. 6/10.

Intelligent Hoodlum — Intelligent Hoodlum

When he was young, Percy "Tragedy Khadafi" Jackson starts writing rhymes and tries to reach the neighborhood myth, Marley Marl, but is still too young to make a song with him.

Tairrie B.— The Power of a Woman

Theresa Beth was born in Anaheim, California, starting her career as part of the female dance duo Bardeux. Beth left the group after their debut single, "Three-Time Lover". Approaching Eazy-E, Beth takes the moniker of Tairrie B (pronounced "Terry"), and signs with NWA's member label Ruthless Records. In 1990 she releases her debut studio album.

Saafir — Boxcar Sessions

Saafir was born in Oakland, California, and lived with 2Pac, becoming a dancer for the hip-hop group Digital Underground. Saafir debuts on several songs on Digital Underground's "The Body-Hat Syndrome" (1993), participates in the movie "Menace II Society" (1994), and included in the movie soundtrack.

NWA — Efil4zaggin

2015. Within three months, the movie "Straight Outta Compton", a biopic on the NWA that traces the entire history of the group, was released worldwide, describing the rapid rise and fall of one of the most important rap groups ever.

N.O.R.E. — Student of the Game

Sixth studio album by N.O.R.E. aka Noreaga, who for this record changes his moniker again to P.A.P.I. Production is handled by Cookin Soul, Illa, Infa-Red, Pharrell, SPK, Pete Rock, Charlie Brown, DJ Thoro, Scram Jones, Hazardis Soundz, Large Professor and Jaleel Beats. Guest rappers are French Montana, 2 Chainz, Pusha T, Pharrell Williams, Scarface, Pete Rock, Lil Wayne, Tragedy Khadafi, Havoc, Jeremih, Large Professor, Swizz Beatz, Raekwon, Busta Rhymes, Mayday and Tech 9.

Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam — Straight Outta Hell's Kitchen

Lisa Velez forms her own group Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam after auditioned for Full Force at 14 years old. The group is composed also by guitarist/bassist Alex "Spanador" Moseley, and drummer/keyboardist Mike Hughes. Initially, the group is produced by Full Force. Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam deal with Columbia Records and in 1984 releases the first single with Full Force "I Wonder If I Take You Home".

NWA — 100 Miles and Runnin' EP

Feeling deeply deceived by the monetary remuneration that would have been due to him by the contract, in 1989 Ice Cube left the group because of Jerry Heller who would soon get rich behind the NWA.

Ghostface Killah & Trife da God — Put It on the Line

In 2005 Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan & Trife da God of TMF released a collaborative album. Both performers are part of the group Theodore Unit founded by Tony Starks, who the year before released his only album, "718". The production is done by Animal House, Anthony Acid, Da Beatminerz, Dirty Dean, Emile Haynie, Jim Bond, J-Love, Look Out Ent., MoSS, MRR-ADM, Nottz, PHENOM, RZA & Supa Dave West. The guests are Raekwon & RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Tommy Whispers and Kryme Life aka Cryme Life of TMF, Shawn Wigs, Solomon Childs & Sun God of Theodore Unit, Kool G Rap and Slick Rick, the only guests outside the Wu universe.

The Jaz — Ya Don't Stop EP

The cut with Hova is easily the best of this last act of The Jaz, the third in three years, released by EMI America. Despite the production of great artists such as The 45 King, Large Professor and Prince Paul (in addition to Chad Elliott and Jaz himself), this effort doesn't scratch the surface of the considerable acts released in '91. The rapper delivers worthily with his regular and rapid style — surpassed in fluency by the clear flow of his friend in "It's That Simple", on an unusually better jazzy rhythm vibes, minimal and frenetic, made with a tight and skeletal drum machine, heavy first ("The Sign of Crimes") and then regular ("Hypocritters"), while the performer is basically telling you that it's not your generic rapper who instead the clues lead you to believe it is. 7/10.

The Jaz — To Your Soul

Second and final effort for the rapper who had the merit of having made a young Jay-Z debut. The production is realized by The Jaz, Prince Paul, Chad Elliott, and Vandy C. Jay-Z is guest in a couple of songs in this disk.

Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew — The World's Greatest Entertainer

After two seasons, Doug E. Fresh returns to release a studio album. The production is credited to his group, with co-producers including Dennis Bell, Ollie Cotton, Carl Ryder, Eric Sadler and Hank Shoocklee, the latter two part of the Bomb Squad famous for producing Public Enemy.

N.O.R.E. — Noreality

NORE's fifth studio album. Rhythms are performed by Swizz Beatz, The Alchemist, Oz, Deacon, Tony HeathCliff, Hazardis Soundz, Algado, Dame Graese, Kyze Beats, Boola and Dakari. The guests are Swizz Beatz, J. Russ, Three 6 Mafia, Jadakiss, Kurupt, Capone, Final Chapter, Deacon, Styles P, GLC, Kanye West, KC, Peedi Crakk and Tru-Life.

Just-Ice — Masterpiece

A book shouldn't be judged by the cover. Not even an album should be judged by the cover. But here I invite you to make an effort, because from this cover you can immediately understand a couple of things.

Eazy-E — Eternal E

Nine months after Eazy-E's death due to AIDS, Priority releases the first compilation of the Compton rapper. The product features fourteen tracks for an hour of listening circa, and consists of the skeleton of his debut solo album with the addition of some tracks from his first EP and some solo cuts from his efforts with NWA. The best cuts come, of course, from his debut ("Eazy-Duz-It", "We Want Eazy", "Boyz-N-The-Hood (Remix)", "Nobody Move", "No More ?'s", "Radio"), as well as "8 Ball", from the pioneering "NWA and the Posse". The remaining songs, taken from the group's last album and his '92 solo EP, are not his best material and you can hear it, although some songs still have the fresh production of Dre and DJ Yella. The disc is distributed by Priority, which does not want to pay for the tracks from Eazy-E '93 EP, so, some gems like his hit "Real Muthaphucckin G's" are not included in this tape (later included in the 2003 reissue). In the end, with or without Dresta & BG Knocc Out, the compilation is not essential. 6.5/10.

Just-Ice — The Desolate One

Just-Ice aka The Desolate Just-Ice seems to be going strong, really strong, on this album: the first cut, which is the title track, features a skeletal and tight jazzy beat, light and minimal drum machine; spoken skit, then clear and slow hardcore delivery.

Just-Ice — Kool & Deadly

The sophomore of Just-Ice is among the most minimal hip hop albums of the eighties. The rapper arrives with a rough and tough style, but doesn't fully explore the ideas he puts in the field and stumbles into some reggae filler with flexible rhythm. It's a skeletal and bare record, raw, hardcore, purely hardcore, reduced to minimum terms, but in a decade dominated by long stretches by the skinny-n-raw beats, how do you stand out for the minimal rhythm? KRS, producer with a few spots here, provides hard and simple beats sometimes replaced by a thin beatbox that leaves room for the hardcore and skinny delivery of Just-Ice. However, the album in many ways is an unfinished one.

It's necessary pull down a couple of lines about the cover: yes, it's among the worst that an artist has ever published, on that there is no doubt. But it's also quite representative of what you will come across here: crudeness, roughness, flat out. Released by Fresh Records, It's surprising how the public bought it avidly, pushing it into the R&B chart (#14) and also making it one of the best-selling rap efforts of the whole of 1987.

Rating: 6/10.

N.O.R.E. — N.O.R.E. y la familia...ya tú sabe

Victor Santiago aka Noreaga aka N.O.R.E., isn't the man with the greatest fantasy in the rap game. After his solo debut in 1998, he ran out of ideas. In 2005, Def Jam dumped Capone and kept Nore. It's a curious move. To thank the label of trust, the boy comes up with a record that pays homage to Puerto Rico. SPK is the main producer, along with Monserrate & DJ Urba, Rafy Mercenario, Echo, Eliel, Menace, Luny Tunes, Doble A.

DJ Kool — The Music Ain't Loud Enuff

John "DJ Kool" Bowman was born in Washington, D.C. In 1988, he signs with Creative Funk rap label and publishes a couple of singles. Two years later, he drops his first LP, produced by himself with Funky Ned and released by S.O.H. Distributors Network. Eighteen cuts, half are skits. Short meaningless skits that don't add anything to the tracks. As for the real songs, they're really bad, all of them, without exception.

Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew — Oh My God!

Douglas Davis was born in Barbados and was introduced to hip-hop by listening to cassettes of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and DJ Hollywood, writing lyrics, forming his own group and participating in rap battles under the name Doug E. Fresh. In the immediate aftermath, he learned to beatbox by listening to other artists' records at Bobby Robinson's record store and became popular for this ability, attracting the attention of Kurtis Blow, who enlisted him to beatbox on tracks produced for the Fat Boys.

Rocko — High as a Test Rat EP

Hidden tape of Memphis, one of many. From the first second, however, Rocko makes you understand that he's not one of the many. I don't know where he comes from, but he enters very strong on the minimal beat of the first track: dry and gaunt drum downtempo, dark loop in the background, the boy destroys the rhythm. The host, D-Pimpin, delivers calmly and regular, and lets that creepy, fantastic loop in the background breathe more. The other two tracks are delivered by Rocko with a singsong and almost spoken style on melodic rhythms, with hard downtempo drums, accessible loops and interesting tense strings. The last of these four cuts is a kind of outro. A little over a quarter of an hour of listening, printed Down Low Records, this cassette doesn't feel like an essential listening, in any case, it's a good tape. 6/10.

Killah Priest — The Exorcist

Seventh studio album released by Wu-Tang Clan affiliate rapper Killah Priest. Produced entirely by DJ Woool, it features Victorious and Able as the only guests.

N.O.R.E. — God's Favorite

After releasing "The Reunion" (2000), Capone and Noreaga controversially leave Tommy Boy, with whom they still have a contract, and signing with Def Jam. The label holds the names of both the Capone-N-Noreaga group and the rapper Noreaga, who changes the moniker to N.O.R.E. His third solo album is his first under the new pseudonym. Production is provided by SPK, Neptunes, Ez Elpee, Irv Gotti, K-Yze, Swizz Beatz, L.E.S. and Yogi of the Hitmen. Guests are Mashonda, Nelly, Tyson Beckford, Mike Kyser, Nas, Ice-T, Musolini, Maze, Gold, Troy Outlaw, Ja Rule, DWNLZY, Capone, Complexions, Final Chapter, Kelis, Cam'ron, Fat Joe, Cassidy, Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss and Chinky.

2Pac — Pac's Life

Sometimes in the history of music when the stars align in a certain particular way, exceptional and unique events occur that culminate in legendary collaborations that cannot be replicated. The Beatles and Eric Clapton on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", David Bowie and Queen on "Under Pressure", Swizz Beatz and 2Pac here.

Underground Kings — Super Tight...

Sophomore CD for Underground Kingz, hip-hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas, formed by Bun B and Pimp C. The production made by Pimp C, with the help of Dorey "DJ DMD" Dorsey (another guy from Port Arthur) in a couple of tracks, consists of minimal boom baps, excellent midtempo and downtempo drums and funky samples mixed with a live instrumentals above-average level (among others, there's the guitarist of the Meters Leo Nocentelli).

Nikki D — Daddy's Little Girl

Nichelle "Nikki D" Strong was born in Newark, New Jersey, but is in LA when she signs with Def Jam at the age of just twenty, becoming the first female rapper with the historical label.

Killah Priest — Behind the Stained Glass

Killah Priest's sixth studio album. DJ Woool produces over half the album, while other beats are provided by Kount Fif, Thoro Tracks, Magnetic, C Sik, Dirty Needlez and 4th Disciple. Guests include 60 Second Assassin of Sunz of Man, Jeni Fujita, Allah Sun and Victorious. The cover art suggests that this album is tied to the author's previous solo album, "The Offering", released the year before.

Young MC — Brainstorm

This is the sophomore jinx of Marvin Young aka The Young M.C. Man, who produces the entire effort. Vail Johnson plays bass, Paul Jackson Jr. plays guitar, to the drums are credited Alphonse Mouzon and Mike Bordin.

House of Pain — Same as It Ever Was

Sophomore for House of Pain, a trio consisting of Everlast and Danny Boy at rap and DJ Lethal behind the keyboards, helped in the construction of the rhythms and in the mixing by DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill.

Theodore Unit — 718

Theodore Unit is Ghostface Killah's group, composed of Cappadonna (an affiliate of the Wu-Tang Clan at the time and then a member of the group since 2007 officially), Kryme Life and Trife Diesel of TMF, Shawn Wigs of Othorized FAM, Solomon Childs and Du-Lilz. Ghostface's son Sun God is also believed to be among the members of the group, although he does not participate in this album.

Noreaga — Melvin Flynt – Da Hustler

Sophomore jinx by Noreaga, rapper from Queens, New York. Production is handled by Neptunes, Trackmasters, Swizz Beatz, Ez Elpee, Mannie Fresh and SPK. The guests are Maze & Musolini, Kelis, Missy Elliott, Final Chapter, Scarlet O'Harlem, Troy Outlaw, Goldfingaz, Juvenile and Lil' Wayne.

House of Pain — House of Pain

After a mediocre solo debut, Erik "Everlast" Schrody (part of the Ice-T crew Rhyme Syndicate) joins Daniel "Danny Boy" O'Connor and Leor "DJ Lethal" DiMant to form House of Pain group from Valley Stream, Long Island. Lyrics by Everlast, rhythms by native producer from Riga, Latvia, DJ Lethal, Ralph the Funky Mexican, along with DJ Muggs (Cypress Hill); and Danny Boy I'm not sure what he does but there is, I believe in some sort of hype man role because most of the lyrics are delivered by Everlast.

2Pac — Loyal to the Game

As a big fan and enthusiast of Tupac's life and artistic work, in 2003 Eminem asked Afeni Shakur, the rapper's mother, to produce 2Pac's next posthumous album and obtained permission. This effort was born, in which Afeni delivered some unreleased recordings of songs realized while her son was under contract with Interscope.

Klondike Kat — The Lyrical Lion

Debut for André Parish, a native of Dallas, rapper affiliated with the South Park Coalition, Houston, Texas. It's not a name like any other within the SPC clique, it's a certainty.

2 Live Crew — Banned in the U.S.A.

Luke & Co. win the court case and finally return to dropping music. They laugh at it, on the cover, they had a lucky escape. Originally, is credited as a solo album by Luke Skyywalker, also known as "The Luke LP". It's the first release to bear the RIAA-standard Parental Advisory warning sticker. Their fourth album in five years, however, is impressive in a negative way: the ideas are finished, the songs are finished, the group places eleven skits here, 11. One for each single track, all the energy that the group had in previous efforts it seems vanished, here there are only these skits and tracks spoken over some simplistic scratches and skinny beats, they don't seem to have fun anymore; yes, they still deliver sex bars, but they don't seem to believe it, almost like "yes, we have to do it, we are the only successful pornocore group in the whole game, but we don't want it anymore"; each bar is pronounced with so little verve that it's a little cumbersome to want to continue listening. Released by Luke Records and Atlantic is a commercial success, peaking ten among rap records. Not recommended. 2.5/10.

Fu-Schnickens — F.U. Don't Take It Personal

Roderick Roachford, Joseph Jones and Lennox Maturine make up a trio of rappers from Brooklyn who in 1991 took the name of Fu-Schnickens and the following year released their debut album.

K-Solo — Time's Up

Second studio album for Kevin "K-Solo" Madison (Hit Squad), now running out of ideas coming two years after his debut.  The lyricism is decent despite the amount of themes explored and its typical grammar game here doesn't help him enough: the production, mainly done by Sam Sneed, is darker than before, but it's just decent and minimal, with some decent samples and few good beats, despite the fact that Erick Sermon, from his friends EPMD, and Pete Rock were also enrolled in the paddock with two and one beat respectively. Most of the tracks are boring, despite K-Solo keeping its aggressive and syncopated rapping style decent.

2Pac — Better Dayz

This is the seventh posthumous product released under 2Pac's name, the fourth to be a double album, if you didn't have enough. Behind the project is a collaboration between Amaru Entertainment, Tha Row Records, successor to Suge Knight's Death Row, and Interscope. 27 tracks in total, the entire project is a remix of cuts recorded during his time at Death Row, with exceptions.

AAVV — The Hill That's Real

"The Hill That's Real" is a compilation of ten cuts by five artists from Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY, released by 4th Broadway Records and distributed via Island Records: the artists provide some underground, hard and hardcore hip-hop, with topics varying between street and g themes, most of the lyrics are written by Jamal Grinnage, most of the beats are provided by Silver D of Lords of Funk.

AAVV — Menace II Society

Soundtrack of 70 minutes and 16 tracks, distributed by Jive Records. Production and lyrics are obscure and reflect the atmosphere of the movie.

 

Richie Rich — Don't Do It

In 1990, Richard "Richie Rich" Serrell also produced a laudable choral effort with the debut of 415 "41Fivin". J.E.D. produces entirely is soloist first LP, that is co-produced by Kirk "Kickin' Kirk" Crumpler and Daryl "DJ Daryl" Anderson.

The Future Sound — The Whole Shabang, Vol. 1

David Osman and David Thomas form New Rochelle's East Coast duo, The Future Sound. They go by the names of Flashback, the Funky Tactitioner and Rhythm King Pin Relay, and deliver their only studio album in 1992. The production and lyricism, entirely provided by Flashback and Relay, are inspired by music made by Native Tongues, alt rap of discrete level, with a generic delivery.