Big L — Return of the Devils Son

«A rhythm changes, a title changes, and best cuts became strangers, word up». Now, joke aside, here both rhythms and titles change, but more or less they're cuts already listened and assimilated in the previous releases. Almost everything resolves itself in the dark, light, lashing, or heavy jazzy boom bap and in the deviations given by the grim, violent or horrorcore Big L's delivery. In production, there are some excellent beats provided by J-Love ("Zone of Danger" and "Once Again" aka "Size 'Em Up"), Premier ("Tony's Touch"), Domingo ("Right to the Top" with a G Rap tight verse), Buckwild ("I Should Have Used a Rubber") & Show ("MC's What Going On"). There's "Unexpected Flava" to mark the buckwildians Christmas bells on a pretty nice beat dropped by Large Pro and Finesse, and finalized by Big L in "Unexpected Flava". Little remains to be said, twenty-one tracks, from diehard fan of Big L you should have heard them more or less all. 6/10.

Master P — Ice Cream Man

In 1995, Master P leaves Richmond to settle permanently in New Orleans, moving his No Limit here and founding his own production team, Beats by the Pound, including KLC, Mo B. Dick, Carlos Stephens, Craig B and DJ Daryl. In April 1996, Master P releases his fifth solo studio album, entirely produced by Beats by the Pound, with guests such as Mo B. Dick, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X, UGK, Big Ed, Mr. Serv-On, Three-8, and Skull Diggery.

U.D.I. — Under da Influence

Debut studio album by the rap duo of San Francisco, California, U.D.I., acronym of Under Da Influence, composed by the rappers Quinton "Big Quint" Morris and Derrick "Dig" Reed. The disk is mainly produced by Chill Black and Mr. Laid, the other beatmakers are Reg, Race, T.C. and Big Quint. The guests are O.G. Kevi Kev, Pookie, Iyesha, Reg, T.M.S., Baldhead Rick, Big Vic, Primo, 11/5 and Cold World Hustlers.

Big L — The Danger Zone

This is second attempt in few years to pay homage to Big L after the rather weak attempt of "139 & Lenox". Progress is being made here. Producers are not credited. The guests are Terra, Herb McGruff, Big Twan, Trooper J, Mike Boogie, Buddah Bless, Killa Cam (aka Cam'ron), Bootsie, Lord Finesse, OC, Gang Starr, AG, Fat Joe, Diamond D, Liz Lucci, Richie Thums, Roc Raida and DITC.

Ghostface Killah — Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City

Ghostface Killah's eighth studio album, released two years after his last. Sean C & LV of The Hitmen are the main producers of the project, the remaining beats are provided by Scram Jones, Blickstreet, Mahogany, Austin "Watts" Garrick, Rashad "Ringo" Smith, Skymark, Bei Maejor, Tim Bosky, JUSTICE League, Clyde & Harry, LT Moe, Anthony "Acid" Caputo and Xtreme. The guests are mainly singers, Shareefa, Raheem DeVaughn, Jack Knight, Estelle, Fabolous, John Legend, Adrienne Bailon, Lloyd, Ron Browz, Kanye West and Ne-Yo.

Boogie Down Productions — Sex and Violence

Lawrence Parker aka KRS-One arrives at his album number five in five years under the name Boogie Down Productions, which now means almost nothing more than a synonym to refer to Parker himself: he arrives at the album with the line-up now reduced to himself, Willie D and his brother Kenny Parker, according to the same liner notes of this record, excluding D-Nice, his wife and all other associates.

Chief Kamachi — Cult Status

Debut album by Edward "Chief Kamachi" Littlepage, a rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1998, the emcee joined the local hip-hop group created by Vinnie Paz Army of the Pharaohs after winning a rap battle with the group's member Virtuoso. Vinnie Paz called him for the new album of his other group Jedi Mind Tricks, "Violent by Design" (2000), and Kamachi recorded the track "The Deer Hunter" with the guys.

King Tee — IV Life

Fourth studio album released by King Tee, Compton rapper who has one of the most solid discographies of the period. After three efforts with Capitol, the rapper signs with the major MCA. The production is mainly done by the rapper himself and Broadway. DJ Pooh makes a beat, among others, while the guests are DJ Pooh, Rashad, E-Swift, MC Breeze, Xzibit, Tha Alkaholiks and Nikke Nicole.

Logic — Welcome to Forever [mixtape]

Fourth mixtape and, originally, last part of the "Young Sinatra" trilogy by Maryland rapper Robert Bryson Hall II aka Logic. Behind the keyboards alternate C-Sick, 6ix, Kevin Randolph, Swiff D, Don Cannon, Arthur McArthur, Key Wane and No ID, while among the guests stand out Kid Ink, Trinidad James, Jhené Aiko and John Pops Witherspoon (protagonist, among many shows, in "The Boondocks").

King Tee — Tha Triflin' Album

Third album for the Compton rapper King Tee, three years after the last one. Likwit's MC entrusts his production mainly to DJ Pooh, leaving some rhythms to SLJ, Marley Marl, Mr. Woody, Bobcat and himself. In the rapping section, the disk features Tha Alkaholiks, Mad Kap, Nefertiti, Deadly Threat (uncredited in "On the Rox" and "Black Togetha Again") and Ice Cube, as well as uncredited E-Swift ("Where'sa Hoe Sat", "Where'sa Hoe Sat [Cont.]"), DJ Pooh ("I Gotta Call Earl", "Got It Bad Y'all"), Broadway & Mufla ("Black Togetha Again").

AAVV — Compton Compilation Sound Control Mob

Interesting compilation that contains some of Compton's unknown artists on raw rhythms with a skeletal and minimal drum machine. Production is quite simple and funky, while rapping is decent in most cases.

Def Jef — Just a Poet with Soul

Jeffrey "Def Jef" Fortson was born in Manhattan, New York, but he only found success as a professional rapper when he moved to the other coast landing in Los Angeles as a young man and signed with Delicious Vinyl.

Kap & Kinetic 9 — 911

Whole production created by Kinetic from Steubenville, Ohio, rapping by Czech author KAP, emcee from Prague, Czech Republic. A rare international collaboration between Wu and Europe. RZA already tried it in 2003, selling his beats' scraps to half of Europe ("The World According to RZA"). Bohemian rapper Vladimir 518 and Mr. Sulo are the guests on the album, while Kinetic himself comes to help the main emcee on a couple of tracks in the second half of the album. KAP aka IronKap has already collaborated with Kinetic in 2010, in addition to having RZA, Redman, Buddha Monk of Brooklyn Zu and Rugged Monk of Black Knights as guests on his album "Nemesis",  whose cover is designed by the historic graphic artist of Chambermusik Sho Graphix, who if I'm not mistaken has Bohemian origins.

PMD — Awakening

After the collaborative album with Japanese producer DJ Honda released the year before, PMD returns to release a solo project seven years after the last time. The production features beats from PMD himself, 7L, DJ Muggs, Pete Rock, Alchemist, DJ Honda, EPMD, KutMasta Kurt, Ghetto Professionals, Raheem Soto, Dre Meezy, Track Addicts and Ground Work. Guests are Erick Sermon, Cypress Hill, Fat Joe, K-Solo, Rob Jackson, 275, J-Boogie, Don Fu-Quan, Drayz, Feever and Rah.

Ghostface Killah — GhostDeini the Great

In 2008, Ghostface Killah blessed fans with another compilation of his ultra-popular tracks, including a couple of remixes. Production included RZA, Carlos Bess, Acid Caputo, Shorty of 140 Productions, Allah Mathematics, MoSS, Just Blaze, LV & Sean C, G2J Band, Pete Rock, MF DOOM, Hassan, K-Def, Anthony Acid, Fantom of the Beats, and Xtreme. Guests included the entire Wu-Tang Clan, his son Sun God, Popa Wu, No Malice of Clipse, Beanie Sigel of State Property, Styles P & Jadakiss of The LOX, Ice Cube, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, and Ne-Yo.

Boogie Down Productions — Edutainment

Fourth album released by Boogie Down Productions but actually produced, directed and starring Lawrence Parker. The music is as simple and skeletal as possible, it boasts good scratches, tough drum machines and hard and raw boom bap rhythms, and even the hooks are minimized to make room for the lyrics. Lyrically, the record is excellent and one of the best of 1990, KRS dedicates himself entirely to edutainment, that is, he tries to educate and entertain the listener at the same time, focusing on socio-conscious and political themes such as racism, black history, police brutality, afrocentrism, without disdaining the bare braggadocio, delivering its weight bars with excellent storytelling, a direct and hard rapping style, slow and flowing, clear and raw. Ambitious, lively and positive effort, the artist realizes it with a splendidly conscious and lyrically enlightening look — even if some of his arguments are questionable — to compensate for a lower level music.

Highlights: "Blackman in Effect", "Ya Know the Rules", "Edutainment", "The Homeless".

Rating: 8.5/10.

King Tee — At Your Own Risk

King Tee's sophomore's slightly better than his debut, both in production both in rapping. The music set is provided by the main beatmaker DJ Pooh, along with Bilal Bashir, Bronek Wroblewski, J.R. Coes (aka Rashad Coes), E-Swift, King Tee and DJ Aladdin. The guests are Breeze and Ice Cube.

Nas with The National Symphony Orchestra — Illmatic: Live from the Kennedy Center

Nas gives a performance of his debut album "Illmatic" played together with an orchestra. In support of the interpreter, there's also DJ Green Lantern to provide scattered scratches. The project is contained in a double vinyl released by his label Mass Appeal for Record Store Day 2018 and features a live recording from March 2014 in which the artist performs his entire first work together with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C.

Boogie Down Productions — Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop

KRS drops his third effort in three years and manages to remain relevant in the game, unlike most of the hip hop artists. The boy decides to change the elements of the Boogie Down Productions crew again, including for this album D-Nice, Ms. Melodie, D-Square, Willie D, Harmony and Robocop, among others. Unlike what the scene might expect after two critically and commercially successful albums, KRS continues to follow in the footsteps of his previous albums and remains focused on socio-conscious themes, trying to get his message across without any kind of mainstream concession and without betraying the roots of the group.

King Sun — Righteous But Ruthless

Second pretty good album for King Sun, which is mainly dedicated to rapping with remarkable results. He doesn't give up on his beloved ballads, but fortunately his formula improves, in this way also songs like "Undercover Lover" seem acceptable: he rounds the typical formula of ballad rap, introducing a tight, simple and minimal rhythm, funky-jazzy skinny and worthy delivery, always smooth even if slower, simply leaving just an aftertaste of the ballad.