Two Kings in a Cipher — From Pyramids to Projects

Deric "D.O.P." Angelettie and Ron "Noble Ahmen-Ra" Lawrence come together to form the Two Kings in a Cipher, an Afrocentric duo that releases a single album full of party and braggadocio tracks. The two future members of Puff Daddy's production team The Hitmen met at Howard University and formed the group.

Ice-T — VI: Return of the Real

Three years after it was extremely popular, gangsta rap is still dominant in mainstream hip-hop, on the other coast. And it's from here, from New York, that Ice-T collects the biggest ideas to design his album number six, which should be a sort of comeback album for him, after having seriously undertaken an acting career.

Flatlinerz — U.S.A.

Unique studio album released by the horrorcore group Flatlinerz, among the first artists to bring the subgenre to the East Coast and probably the first act to use the same term "horrorcore" as a musical genre, in a crasis between horror and hardcore hip-hop: the Brooklyn group consists of Jamel "Redrum" Simmons, Russell's nephew, Daniel "Gravedigger" Cunningham and Tempest. The three MCs provide the rap, while the production is mainly done by Tempest and Rockwilder, along with Crush, Kool Tee, D/R Period and Divine Campbell. The guests of the album are Rockwilder (credited without the "d"), Nora T., The Headless Horsemen and the group Tha Flatline Massive, consisting of Butter, Toss, Kool Tee, Gravemen, Mayhem and Omen (future member of the group).

Grand Daddy I.U. — Lead Pipe

Second studio album by Grand Daddy IU and third to last for Cold Chillin Records, which closed its doors the following year. Production is provided by Grand Daddy IU and Kay Cee, while Big Snow produces one track. Big Snow himself, Kid Capri and Taheim are credited as guests on one track.

 

Keith Murray — The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World

Debut album by Def Squad rapper Keith Murray, affiliated with Erick Sermon, native of Central Islip, Long Island. The production is entirely done by Erick Sermon, with two rhythms created together with Rod Kirkpatrick and one left to Busta Rhymes, while the guests are Jamal Phillips of Illegal, Erick Sermon, Redman, Hurricane G and Paul Hightower. Sermon's beats are simple: East Coast boom bap with hard thumping and tight midtempo drum, often light accessible and perfect, sometimes downtempo, and funk and soul samples.

Bassi Maestro — Furia Solista [demo]

Debut tape for the Italian underground hip-hop legend Bassi Maestro, from Milan. It's not a real studio album, this effort is a self-produced demo by the artist, active since 1988 as a DJ and who in his first years of activity had already made some rap songs in English.

Ray Luv — Forever Hustlin'

Three years after his first EP, Ray Tyson aka Ray Luv, rapper born in Santa Rosa, California, debuts with a studio album. The production is managed almost exclusively by Khayree, two rhythms are left respectively to Mike Mosley and Mopreme. Guests are Shima, Young Dre, Do Thangs, Ant DOG, Young Grin, Mopreme, Rated R, Mr. Gigalo, The Link Crew and Stephanie Miller.

 

Sinister — Mobbin 4 Life

Debut album for Los Angeles rapper Timothy "Sinister" Johnson. The record combines beatmakers and live instrumentalists: the record is produced entirely by Tony Pizarro, who also plays bass and keyboards together with Doug Grigsby and Rob Bacon, the latter also plays guitar. The record, personal, doesn't include guests, although Kim Armstrong provides the background in some cuts and a group credited as The Mobsters is everywhere on the record performing as background vocalists.

Heavy D & The Boyz — Blue Funk

Fourth effort for Dwight Myers & The Boyz, or Eddie Ferrell and Glen Parrish. The production of this album is diversified on several beatmakers, while the lyrics are written by Heavy D, and evolve from the positive mood of his previous tapes to a never explored wisdom, with some braggadocio deviations and on themes concerning girls, to whom he struggles to give up.

 

Beastie Boys — Ill Communication

After eight years the Beastie Boys return to the top of the Billboard 200 with their fourth effort, distributed by Capitol and their Grand Royal: in the rap chart it's preceded by a soundtrack, but in any case it's a global success driven by numerous hits like "Sabotage", "Get It Together" and "Sure Shot", and blessed by the critics, who for some obscure reason decides that white rap must not die, even if it's not rap, as in this case. Vanilla Ice is musically dead and also nearly physically dead, going close to suicide around the same time, 3rd Bass have disbanded, Everlast has been jumping around like a fool for years, only the Beastie Boys can still handle the game.

Illegal — The Untold Truth

Illegal was a short lived hip-hop duo between 1993 and 1995, consisting of Jamal Phillips (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and La Morris "Mr. Malik" Edwards (Holly Hill, South Carolina).

 

Kurious — A Constipated Monkey

After participating in several albums and making a name for himself on the streets by releasing a couple of singles, Jorge "Kurious" Alvarez signs with Columbia through the label of Bobbito Garcia and Pete Nice, former member of the 3rd Bass who has discovered him in the early nineties.

Sangue Misto — SXM

The debut of the group has its roots in the origins of hip-hop in Italy: from the initial contribution of writers and breakers, after the mid-eighties the DJs make their way, then the first hip-hop groups are formed, including the Fresh Press Crew (later, Radical Stuff) and Isola Posse All Stars.

Big Dank — The Hood Has Raised Me

Gangster rapper Big Dank from Little Rock, Arkansas, tells us without fear that the hood raised him and on the cover he seems to be able to walk on the waters (biblical reference) of the Arkansas River in front of what was at the time the city skyline, dressing flamboyantly in what could easily be a crystal-clear homage to the Grove Street gang, if it weren't an anachronism.

Mac Dre — Back n da Hood EP

Third EP in three years for Andre Hicks. It's historically essential, I believe it's the first hip hop effort entirely recorded in prison: Mac Dre is in the Fresno one when he records these six cuts with his cell phone, the production is entrusted to Khayree, who publishes the product through his Strictly Business label, while scratches are performed by DJ Cee. The EP has a duration of about twenty minutes, although on youtube you can find the posthumous version of 2005 published by Thizz, a label founded by the rapper himself, and containing the additional songs "I'm N Motion" and "Young Mac Dre" who lengthen the listening to half an hour, in a similar tracklist.

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony — E. 1999 Eternal

Two years after a poor debut, Eazy-E signs Bone Thugs-n-Harmony for his Ruthless Records and four months after his death, the group's second studio album is released. DJ U-Neek produces the entire album, co-produced by the group, together with Kenny McCloud and Tony C. The only guests are fellow citizens Poetic Hustla'z & Graveyard Shift who join the group in a dissing to Tha Dogg Pound which concludes the tape. The album is performed by Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Flesh-n-Bone.

Lil Gin — Tha Surpents Step Son

Second extended play made by Memphis rapper Lil Gin. Due to an unofficial cassette released in 1995 by Pure Erb Records and Gimi Sum Productions with a cover that pays tribute to the movie "Super Fly" (1972), the tape is also known with the title "Shake Junt".

Lil Gin — Junts We Choke II [maxi-single]

Debut album by Lil Gin, rapper from Memphis who produces this tape for Skinny Pimp's Gimisum. The latter is also the main guest at the rapping of the cassette, which is produced by DJ Paul.

Rappin' 4-Tay — Don't Fight the Feelin'

The second album is increasingly difficult in an artist's career, Rappin' 4-Tay clearly demonstrates this by reaching the sophomore three years after its debut. Seff the Gaffla of Get Low Playaz, Lil Fly and JT the Bigga Figga are the only guests on the album, while behind the keyboards are Cristopher Matthews aka Black C of RBL Posse, Franky J, Gigolo Gee, J-Mack, T.C., Fly, JT the Bigga Figga, Cyrus Esteban and Ant Banks credited as Anthony. I really have no idea who produces what and when, but it's not actually worthy of importance: this dozen guys create forgettable, bad and mediocre rhythms, trying to imitate, in vain, the sound of the Bay Area, and in general the mobb scene. The MC is from Frisco so everything is in the norm, if it weren't for the fact that it's one of the few mobb records that sounds incredibly bad, and disappoints from this point of view.

Mista D.J. Paul — Volume 16: 4 Da Summer of '94 [mixtape]

In 1994, DJ Paul released his volume number 16: the production is as skeletal as his best works, there are so many snare drums and so many dark and gloomy samples, that it's impossible for trap lovers not to appreciate it. It's DJ Paul, the guy knows how to choose samples and breaks, and lyrically, he wanders around the usual gangsta, raw and horrorcore themes, keeping clear Memphis vibes. Personally, I don't find too strong choices or slips that compromise its consistency, it's a solid and skeletal one-hour tape, even if not his finest ever. 7/10.

Too $hort — Cocktails

Too Short's ninth album is the moment he starts to fall off. Production is performed by Ant Banks, Too Short, Dangerous Crew, Shorty B, Pee-Wee, Spearhead X, L.A. Dre, B. Turner. Guests are Ant Banks, Baby D, Illegal, Dangerous Crew, 2Pac, Father Dom, MC Breed, Freddy B. The D.O.C. featured in the intro, uncredited, Pee-Wee performs under the name of Dangerous Crew alongside Ant Banks and MC Breed, also uncredited in the intro. Too Short maintains the exact same formula that led him to getting certifications, rankings, money, and notoriety: spittin' pimpin' bars on funky beats.

Big Daddy Kane — Looks Like a Job For...

Fifth studio album for Big Daddy Kane, author of two classic records and two crossover flop efforts, in the four albums he previously released. Two years after public and critics agreed on how bad his latest record was, the Juice Crew MC returns to make a comeback album à la LL Cool J. Behind the keyboards are Trackmasterz, DJ Clash, Robert Brown, Cool V, Mister Cee, Spark Boogie, Large Professor, Bomb Squad's Hank Shocklee, Gary G-Wiz and Easy Mo Bee, both of whom will join the Bomb Squad the following year. Daddy Kane has some of the best producers on the East Coast scene, but still decides he wants to self-produce more beats than anyone else, making four tracks.

38 Spesh & Benny the Butcher — Stabbed & Shot

Collaborative album between Benny the Butcher & 38 Spesh. The duo have already collaborated profitably nine years earlier, in the tape "Cocaine Cowboys", despite the critics ignored it due to the really high number of tapes released in the year 2009.

Cuban Link — Chain Reaction

Second effort by Felix "Cuban Link" Delgado, but appears as the debut solo album. He comes from the experience in the Terror Squad founded by Fat Joe and Big Punisher, but following the death of the second, Joe decided that it was better to eliminate the Full-A-Clips, that is, he decided that Pun's friends had to leave the group first, and then the hip-hop circuit itself. It wasn't easy, but Joe had enough friends and connections in Hip Hop to make it slip away and thus block the Cuban Link debut, "24-K". Even Triple Seis had difficulty in releasing his only album in 2004, as an independent.

LUV NY — LUV NY

In 2012 is formed the hip-hop supergroup LUV NY, composed by Roc Marciano, Kool Keith, Kurious, Dave Dar, AG & OC of DITC. The tape is entirely produced by Ray West, except for "The Ritual" produced and performed by Sean G. The cover presents the name of the supergroup, moon at the left, the skyline of New York City, at the center the members of the group, clockwise starting from the left with Roc Marciano, AG, Dave Dar, Kool Keith, Ray West, Kurious, and OC.

Ice-T — Home Invasion

Fifth album for Tracy Marrow, marks the fall of one of the greatest rappers of the time, Ice-T. The boy arrives at the album after releasing "Cop Killer", a cut made with Body Count, which raises a very high fuss of controversy that sweeps the Nation: the release of this LP is initially scheduled to be released in 1992 under the blessing of Warner Bros., which defends the freedom of speech of Ice-T after the release of that single, then the release is postponed to early 1993. The label changes its mind and no longer supports the artist who, in turn, leaves the Warner and agrees with Priority.

Marley Marl — In Control Volume II: For Your Steering Pleasure

Marley Marl's sophomore arrives three years after his debut and is a typical sophomore jinx. The Juice Crew in 1991 practically no longer exists and here Marl relies on a battleship of different artists, including many unknown underground faces who spit random bars.

Chuck D — Autobiography of Mistachuck

Carlton "Chuck D" Ridenhour was born on Long Island, New York, and grew up listening to Motown records. At Adelphi University he met William "Flavor Flav" Drayton Jr., then with him Ridenhour creates the hip-hop group Public Enemy in 1985. After releasing five LP and a compilation album, around 1996 Chuck D deals with Mercury and publishes is soloist debut album.

MC Shan — Play It Again Shan

On his third album, MC Shan shows up with a self-produced project without the help of his friend Marley Marl, which leave after the producer advised him not to continue dissing with KRS-One and his group, letting him win the battle. Behind the keyboards, Marl is replaced by John Ficarrotta. The absence of decent samples is immediately felt, unfortunately it's not only that the only problem of Shan's last effort.

LL Cool J — Mr. Smith

His previous effort is undoubtedly one of the few hardcore records of the first half of the nineties not to have been appreciated by critics and fans. Two years later, LL Cool J decides to give up and move on to pop rap, soft rap, his rap, the most authentic one for him, the one for girls. For his fifth studio album, the rapper recruits Trackmasterz, Rashad Smith, Easy Mo Bee, Chyskillz and Chad Eliott into production. Guests are Boyz II Men, LeShaun, Terri & Monica, Keith Murray, Prodigy, Fat Joe and Foxy Brown.

Fat Joe & DJ Drama — What Would Big Do 2021

Album number thirteen for veteran Bronx-born rapper Fat Joe. The decision to entrust the production entirely to Cool & Dre is fortunate and intelligent: the boys create dynamic and relaxed rhythms, pop mainstream rhythms, summer melodic boom baps, with glossy, alternative touches, jazz and soul samples.

Kam — Made in America

Second studio album by Kam, rapper from Willowbrook, California. The production is provided by Big Jessie, DJ Battlecat, EA-Ski & CMT, DJ Quik, Cold 187um, Mad Scientists & Rashad, The Glove and Warren G. Guests are MC Ren, Dresta, D-Dope, K-Mac and Solo.