Lordz of Brooklyn — All in the Family

First studio album of Lordz of Brooklyn aka LOB aka The Lordz, crossover hip-hop / rock group composed of mostly Irish American and Italian American descent from Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The original line-up consisted of brothers Adam "Ad Money" & Michael "MC Kaves" McLeer, Scotty Edge, Dino "Dino Bottz" Cerillo, and Paulie "Paulie 2Times" Nugent. They evolved from an earlier rap / graffiti crew called Verrazano Boyz and their passion for art stands out both on the cover and in the content of their songs. Formed in 1992, the group signs with American Recordings, the label of Rick Rubin, and Ventrue Entertainment, publishing the LP in 1995.

Jayo Felony — Take a Ride

Debut album by James "Jayo Felony" Savage, rapper born in Portsmouth, Virginia, based in San Diego, California. The production is mainly handled by Jam Master Jay and Randy Allen, along with Prodagee Productions, Marlin Wiggins, Nate Motlety, Anthony Pearyer, and Jayo Felony himself.

Crimeapple — Jaguar on Palisade EP

Album number six for Crimeapple, first in 2020. Cheap cover that should be analyzed, there are many elements, but I don't think I have the time or motivation to do it.

Street Poets — Street Poets

Very little is known about Street Poets and their only album, released in 1995. The minimal cover adds little, with the group name in graffiti style and a figure in the center. Discogs gives the album as "Untitled", while the album is eponymous, as stated by the Street Poets themselves.

The Cenubites — The Cenubites EP

As a joke, Bobbito Garcia founded Fondle 'Em, which soon became one of the most important labels for the underground hip-hop circuit of the New York scene.

San Quinn — Live n Direct

Second studio album realized by Quincy Brooks aka San Quinn, rapper born in Oakland who grows up since childhood in San Francisco. Guests are JT the Bigga Figga, Mac Mall, Willie D, D-Moe, Playa P Dog, Seff Tha Gaffla, Chuy Gomez e B Double O. The 17-years-old MC is a member of Get Low Playaz and the record is distributed by Get Low Recordz. The production is entirely entrusted to JT the Bigga Figga, who also takes care of most of the live instrumentation, helped, among others, by G-Man Stan, who creates the beat for "A Tight Lacin'".

C-Bo — Tales From the Crypt

C-Bo is easily at its finest on its second studio album, released two years after the debut and a year after its previous effort, an EP. Production is handled by Mobboss Production, Mike Mosley & Sam Bostic, along with DJ Daryl, also helped by D-Wiz, Troy-B, and Rodney. Guests are Marvaless, Snap, Tuna Bug and Mississippi.

Jeru the Damaja — The Sun Rises in the East

Kendrick Davis has been passionate about hip-hop since childhood, grows up in East New York, Brooklyn, and meets DJ Premier and Guru, soon becoming an affiliate of the Gang Starr Foundation. Davis initially performed with the monikers D. Original and Dirty Rotten Scoundrel, also proposed during the listening, finally moving on to the definitive Jeru the Damaja, with which he made his debut in the Gang Starr album of '92. His first effort is entirely produced by DJ Premier, while Afu-Ra, another member of the collective, is the only guest.

Lil E — Playa 4 Life

Eric "LIl E" Gates debut tape, produced entirely by Blackout. Published by independent, it features several Playa Posse guests, including Lil Slim, Terror and Peanut, as well as Wako, II Black, Stout Pimp and Blackout.

Big Pun — Endangered Species

In 2001 is released this compilation album of Big Pun. The production is realized by Irv Gotti, The Hitmen (Younglord, Rashad Smith, EZ Elpee, Sean Cane), Trackmasters, Dr. Dre, Tru Stylze, Knobody, The Beatnuts, Swizz Beatz, Buckwild, The Alchemist, Ski Beatz, V.I.C, Mike Heron, Showbiz, K-Cut, DJ Clue? and Duro. The guests are Ashanti, Joe, Cuban Link, Beatnuts, Noreaga, Cam'Ron, Jadakiss, Styles P, Nature, Tony Sunshine, Nas, Raekwon, Sheek Louch, Brandy, Ricky Martin, Armageddon, B-Real and Kool G Rap.

Bassi Maestro — Contro gli estimatori

Primo album ufficiale solista di Bassi Maestro, rapper ventenne di Milano che si avvicina all'hip-hop da adolescente e apre la strada a tutti in Italia anche grazie a questo disco. L'album segue due EP, "Furia Solista" (1992) e "Bastian Contrario" (1993), ed è pubblicato dalla Mix Men, etichetta fondata da Bassi stesso assieme agli Otierre, gruppo dal quale provengono anche gli ospiti Esa e La Pina, oltre a Tormento dei Sottotono, fratello di Esa.

Mad Flava — From tha Ground Unda

Unique studio album released by hip-hop group Mad Flava from Dallas, Texas, consisting of Chris "Cold Chris The Soulman" Parker, J. "The Don Kasaan" Pimentel, George "DJ Baby G the Cut Selectah" Garza, and Erich "Hype Dawg" Krause, all rapping performers.

S.S.C. Presents Murder Squad — Nationwide

This collaborative project by the South Central Cartel crew is a kind of collective party with gunshots and various gangsterisms. The goal was originally to launch Havikk's new group, Murder Squad, also made up of Hot Dolla, Powerlord Jell and Mr. Wesside, nevertheless, the end isn't successful, so much so that the title is believed to be "Murder Squad Nationwide", instead of the correct "Nationwide".

Queen Latifah — Black Reign

Queen Latifah's third studio album, released two years after the last. Like some New York rappers, after attempting mainstream success with a commercial radio-oriented effort, the artist abandons pop sounds and returns hardcore with a redeeming comeback album.

Tommy Wright III — Runnin - n - Gunnin

I was on my way to write a couple of lines on this Tommy Wright III album, when I saw that no one really explained who this guy is and why his tapes need to be listened to. On the internet you read "pioneer", "legend", all these bold titles, and there is no one to explain to you why all this. Almost no one.

 

Public Enemy — What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down?

2020 will go down in history. What a year! Also, from a musical point of view, it'll not be forgotten. Hip-hop has seen several great albums and several disappointing ones: in particular, Public Enemy have released two studio albums, and they both sucks, unbelievable to say.

Casual — Fear Itself

Debut album by John "Casual" Owens, rapper from Oaktown, member of the Hieroglyphics, on which the whole CD is based. Domino is the lead producer with eight rhythms, followed by Casual with six, then Del tha Funky Homosapien and Jay-Biz make one beat each. The guests are all members of the crew: A-Plus, Tajai and Phesto of Souls of Mischief, Pep Love, Extra Prolific, the affiliate Saafir and Del tha Funky Homosapien, the main guest of the disc with three appearances.

South Circle — Anotha Day Anotha Balla

First and only studio album released by the Houston group South Circle, consisting of Mike "Mr. Mike" Walls & Rex "Thorough" Robeson. The production is made by Smoke One Productions which mixes typical drums of the southern scene with the g-funk sounds of the West Coast: the soundscape he paints is less mundane than usual, and is the main reason a g-funk fan should give this project a couple of spins. He puts on the table beats composed by a drum that is often dry and poor, falls downtempo, by squeaky and raw synths, and by very solid samples: the vibe of the record is much more soulful than you might expect from a common southern gangsta rap album, and the music comes close to ballad, although it also features some funky and dark loops.

Tha Alkaholiks — Coast II Coast

Second studio album by LA hip-hop group Tha Alkaholiks. Production is handled almost exclusively by E-Swift, along with Diamond D and Madlib, most notably the latter being at his first solo beat after producing a track on Liks' previous record under his group name Lootpack. Guests are Lootpack, Declaime, King Tee, Q-Tip, Xzibit, Les July, The Baby Bubbas and Diamond D.

 

Blackout — Dreamworld

Blackout releases this cassette in 1995, the music is made exclusively by him, while on the mic he's joined by Lil E and Lil Coop, credited respectively on four and two tracks, and both present in "Dim da Lights".

 

Lou X — A volte ritorno

Luigi "Lou X" Martelli è stato uno dei migliori interpreti della scena nazionale per anni, durante quella che è considerata la "golden age italiana". È considerato uno dei migliori di sempre in Italia, il suo lavoro e la sua figura sono un punto di riferimento per l'hip-hop, anche a distanza di 25 anni dal suo ritiro dalle scene.

Enemy Radio — Loud Is Not Enough

Chuck D, Torman Jahi and DJ Lord are Enemy Radio. The group plays at a Bernie Sanders rally, which Flavor Flav opposes by refusing to appear at the show, in his view, due to the misuse of Public Enemy's name on the show, where they should be introduced as Public Enemy Radio. For this reason, Chuck D fires him from the group, then claims that it was an April Fool anticipation of the group's new album; the hype-man himself claims he was not part of any joke, Chuck D remedies by explaining that Flavor Flav's dismissal was his hoax to show the malignancy of the media: it was therefore all a premeditated fiction to attract attention and promote the release of the new Public Enemy album. Yes, it's difficult to understand something for a normal person.

Public Enemy — Nothing Is Quick in the Desert

Fourteenth Public Enemy album, two years after the last one. The cover takes us to a desert with a pile of damaged, broken and abandoned technological junk, surrounded by candles, the devastation of the desert has spared boom bax and computer, there's a full sun lighting up the scene.

MonGotti — Solo Tape

It's effectively one of the myriad hidden gems in the mid-nineties Memphis scene. On spotify you can find it as a tape of the same name by Mongotti. His fast hardcore rap and violent themes are similar to many other performers of that scene and that period, the guests do a good job, while the thing that helps differentiate it from most of Bluff City's generic cassettes is the production, which appears to be handled exclusively by Blackout. Downtempo drums, ethereal loops, perpetually dark and bleek mood, the music is sublime and allows the tape to retain an excellent replay value. One of the best moments comes when the guys pay homage to "Scarface" and Blackout directly brings out Moroder's beat for "No Evidence", with those magical synths that form the backdrop to Mongotti's rap. Recommended. 7/10.

Lil Noid — Paranoid Funk

Tape released in 1995 whose structure is pretty controversial: it's presented as a tape made by Lil Noid and produced entirely by Blackout, however, the first three tracks are extracted from the tape "Test My Nutz", which Lo Key released in 1994. "2 Lo Key" becomes "Introlude", the cut that is hidden under the name "Criminalistic Knowledge" is actually the classic "Test My Nutz", and "Hoe Call" doesn't change its name. They're all performed by Lo Key and produced by MDB, someone took them and put them in the cassette. Six cuts of Lil Noid follow, these yes, produced by Blackout.

Scientifik — Criminal

Second studio album by Dinitry "Scientifik" Behrmann, rapper from Flastbush, Brooklyn, who grew up in Lawrence, Massachusetts. A fan of hip-hop, he makes his way locally with the moniker MC D-1, and in 1990 he meets the Boston rapper Edo G and a couple of years later he makes the demo-tape "The Most Blunted", which is not released officially until 1998. This record comes out in 1994 exclusively on vinyl and the label with which the rapper signed, Definite, fails: Scientifik receives practically no promotion for his project and is forced to sell copies from the trunk of his car.

JT the Bigga Figga — Dwellin' in tha Labb

Studio album number three for Joseph "JT the Bigga Figga" Tom, rapper from San Fran, Cali. Lyrically, the MC devotes himself to thug themes, and almost totally realizes the production, leaving a beat to Stan Keith ("Ain't Something Wrong").

Organized Konfusion — Stress: The Extinction Agenda

Three years after their debut, Organized Konfusion released their second studio album. The duo produces almost the entire project leaving some beats to Buckwild and Rockwilder, while O-Cee and Q-Tip are the only guests.

Run-DMC — Down with the King

The unanimous negative response from both the public and critics to their latest album didn't help an already volatile situation within Run-DMC, and things didn't improve after its release. DMC's alcohol problems worsened, and Jam Master Jay faced several life-threatening incidents, surviving two gunshot wounds after an accident and being involved in a near-fatal car crash. Furthermore, Run began to experience legal troubles. The group's chaotic and confusing situation convinced the boys to rediscover religion, taking a break from music for a while. While the seminal group was on hiatus, the game continued to shift and change without giving the boys time to update and keep up, yet Run-DMC prepared to return in 1993.