Brand Nubian — Everything is Everything

Brand Nubian continues to suffer excessively without Grand Puba, whose absence is felt more strongly on the third LP, released almost two years after the previous one.

Funkdoobiest — Brothas Doobie

Second studio album by Funkdoobiest, West Coast trio from Los Angeles. Production is mainly entrusted to DJ Ralph M and DJ Muggs (of Cypress Hill), while Ray Rall and DJ Lethal (of House of Pain) realize one rhythm each. The record, personal, has no guests. The album is an appreciable improvement on its debut two years earlier. If, up until now, you still didn't understand why DJ Muggs got so much credit for making the beats, this is another document that works in his favor. On this record, the mixing is handled mainly by Muggs himself, so the sound is sharper and cleaner than in the past and is better.

Eric B. & Rakim — Don't Sweat the Technique

Fourth and final LP for Eric B. & Rakim, a duo that made hip-hop history and boasts one of the best discographies ever in the genre. Four classics, indisputable. This album has a simply inappropriate cover, it starts with a very rare pop-rnb filler that has never been seen in Rakim's career so far and is considered the worst album released by the duo. Rakim's worst album would still be 90% better than the material released by all other artists in the same period, and second of all, personally, this is even superior to his previous album, "Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em".

Public Enemy — Muse Sick-N-Hour Mess Age

In 1994, everyone loves gangsta rap and no one would ever want to disown it, even if Chuck D himself came to do it, indeed, it would be much easier to disown Chuck D himself: that's pretty much what happens when Public Enemy release their fifth album, three years after the last one.

Big Sean — Dark Sky Paradise

"West Coast".

I thought that with these two words, the game was over. For everyone. End.

Instead, to my surprise, the game continued. Two years after taking that slap on his own track, Sean Anderson releases his third studio album. Production is provided by around twenty different producers, including Kanye West, Boi-1da, DJ Dahi, DJ Mustard, KeY Wane, Metro Boomin, Mike Will Made It, Nashiem Myrick, T-Minus and Vinylz. The guests of the album are some of the most acclaimed artists of the mainstream rap scene of the period: Drake, Kanye West, E-40, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla Sign and Lil Wayne, in addition to the singers Jhené Aiko and John Legend.

Kam — Neva Again

Debut album for Craig Miller aka Kam, rapper from South LA, cousin of Ice Cube who made his debut in the soundtrack of the movie "Boyz n the Hood" (1991), and then collaborated on Cube's second solo album in the same year.

Jay-Z & Linkin Park — Collision Course EP

Fascinated by the public response to Danger Mouse's "The Grey Album", mash-up of a cappella version of Jay-Z "The Black Album" and instrumentals from The Beatles' self-titled ninth album, known as "The White Album", MTV plans to create a mashup, or at most two tracks, between Jay-Z and another pop artist. Shawn Carter's choice is the group Linkin Park.

Poor Righteous Teachers — Black Business

Third studio album for the Poor Righteous Teachers, authors of the lyrics and most of the production, with a third of the album left in the hands of Tony D.

Bushwick Bill — Phantom of the Rapra

Bushwick Bill's second studio album, three years after the debut. Production is handled by Mike Dean, Clement "Mad" Burnette, John Bido, John "Swift" Catalon, CJ Mac and Freddie Young. The guests are CJ Mac, Sherm, Menace Clan and 3D. The lyricism of the rapper member of the Geto Boys addresses topics like gangsta, socio-conscious, sex, drugs, violence, misogyny, bravado, women, and thug, there's so much material that the MC offers with a technically clean and tidy rapping style, effortless, relaxed, slow, smooth and clear flow.

Brand Nubian — In God We Trust

Grand Puba leaves Brand Nubian and embarks on a career as a solo rapper, because he doesn't share the extremist lyricism of Sadat X and Lord Jamar. Puba is followed by DJ Alamo, who also leaves the group. Three years later, Sadat X and Lord Jamar release Brand Nubian's second studio album. The production is entirely carried out by the duo, except for the fifth track, produced by Rafeal & Sting International, for the sixth track, co-produced by DJ Sincere, and for the single "Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down", produced by Diamond D.

Jay-Z — MTV Unplugged

The Roots come to help Jay-Z as a live band for his MTV Unplugged. The idea wasn't evil, but its execution leaves something to be desired, overall. Obviously, Tariq is not there. Obviously, Questlove does a spectacular job and the original beats are basically identical. Almost all of the performance is extracted from "Blueprint", published a few months earlier.

Crusaders for Real Hip-Hop — Deja Vu - It's 82

Shortly after releasing his second studio album in three years, Tony D founded the hip-hop group Crusaders for Real Hip-Hop from Trenton, New Jersey, and signs with Profile. The group is composed by Anthony "Tony D" Depula aka Don Nots, Brooks "Mr. Law" Miller and David "Rahzii Hi-Power" Jones Jr. The tape is produced by Tony D. King Sun is the only guest credited.

Dark Sun Riders — Seeds of Evolution

Brother J forms a new group after the dissolution of X Clan and together with him there are Master China the Damu, Ultraman the Groove Tweeker and DJ M.A.T.E. the Do Dat Scientist.

Tuff Crew — Back to Wreck Shop

Supported by an amazing production, Tuff Crew's third effort is their best album and one of the best of 1989, by right. The Philadelphia scene holds a solid, coherent and honest album for fifteen tracks. Tuff Crew released two pretty good albums in previous years, but here they come back stronger than ever and surprise the scene with a gem album. The rapping is solid, but the group says nothing new from the point of view of the lyrics or the technique; instead, the music is superior to most of the hip hop records dropped in that period. Tuff Crew samples from Isaac Hayes, Bob James, Otis Redding, Kool & the Gang, Prince, JBs, Bill Conti, without neglecting James Brown and adapts the samples to the funky rhythms that return a fresh and crisp, clean, funky/jazzy sound. On this production, realized by themselves with LA Kidd, the group chooses a relaxing velvet delivery and at that point you can still stop paying attention to the lyrics and enjoy the relaxing vibes that this entire smooth fifty-minute project offers you. 8/10.

Professor X — Years of the 9, On the Blackhand Side

Lumumba "Professor X" Carson made his solo debut at the age of 35 years old. A couple of years ago he tries the success along with Claude "Paradise" Gray as the duo Unique and Dashan releasing "Black to the Future" LP through Warlock Records, disk fell flat and that was ignored by critics and fans alike. Son of an activist, technical shoulder of the X Clan, he tries to repeat the success that the group had had with the debut of the previous year, however it doesn't affect: his political, socio-conscious, philosophical and pro-black speeches are missing of verve, also due to an inadequate production.

X Clan — Xodus

Horrible fall for one of the most surprising hip-hop group of 1990. Typical sophomore jinx, the X Clan, Brooklyn group consisting of Brother J, Professor X, Paradise and Anthony Hardin, arrives two years after having published a semi-classic.

Ransom — Street Cinema

After leaving his group A-Team, Randy Jay "Ransom" Nicholls focuses on his solo artistic career in the rap game and in 2008 releases one of his first albums. The production is realized by True, Zurc, Jamie Cooley, Trackdealez Skizmuzik, Mayor, Loonatic, MoSS, Sev, DJ Trigga, Nel E Nel, Scram Jones, and Ransom himself. Stack Bundles, tied with the rap group A-Team, makes a posthumous appearance as the only credited guest.

DITC — Sessions

Tape pulled out directly from D.I.T.C. "Studios", with a few less songs and a mixed tracklist. Few additions: an AG solo ("A. Barnes", boom bap jazzy alternative decent and pounding), an OC solo ("Granted", a similar rhythm to the previous one), a Joe interlude, "Everytime I Touch the Mic" (jazzy tight, modern, glossy production with the rustle of vinyl in the background, beautiful; good deliveries of the first three), the original versions of "Connect 3" (tight jazzy beat, OC is superior to the others on these rhythms) and "Diggin' Number" (good boom bap jazzy soul, even here OC is the best clearly). Slightly lower than "Studios", not much changes compared to the other tape, where AG & OC are still the most employed rappers of the crew. 6/10.

DITC — D.I.T.C. Studios

Slice-of-Spice and DITC Ent. publish this new album by Diggin' in the Crates Crew. The set of rhythms is made by DJ Manipulator, Supa Ugly, Motif Alumni, Vinny Idol, Lord Finesse, DJ Premier, Diamond D, Buckwild and Showbiz. The guests are Tay Bell, Pharoahe Monch, A Bless and David Bars.

DITC — D.I.T.C. The Remix Project

2014. DITC returns six years after the failure of "The Movement" with a remix album that resonates in the mid-nineties, with jazzy, funky, often essential and dark rhythms. Behind the keyboards there are Alchemist, Bink, Apollo Brown, DJ Premier, 9th Wonder, Marco Polo and O Gee to throw down some mixes with the DITC. The guests are Big Pun, KRS-One and Party Arty.