DJ Sound Presents Frayser Click — Volume 11: Broken Halo

Frayser Click, hip-hop collective from Memphis, files a heavy document in the mid-nineties. On a deeply obscure production of DJ Sound, which puts a fresh, skeletal drum and wraps it in esoteric cultic loops of pure evil that seem to go on and on until they subjugate the listener, the guys of the crew and their friends rapping gangsta and horrorcore arguments for seventy minutes. Gangsta Gold, MC Money, Nigga Creep and Dirty Red stand out, DJ Sound confirms himself as one of the best producers of the period. A must for Memphis scene stans. 8/10.

Xzibit — At the Speed of Life

Debut album by Alvin "Xzibit" Joiner, affiliated with the Likwit Crew. The production is handled by E-Swift, Thayod Ausar, Craig Sherrad, DJ Muggs, Saafir, Diamond D e DJ Pen One. The guests are King Tee, Hurricane Gee, J-Ro, Catashtraphe, Ras Kass and Saafir.

Big Hill — Management [bootleg]

Eldridge Hill Jr. is the brother of Chris "AK" and Derrick "Kingpin Skinny Pimp" Hill, all Memphis rappers. The boy made his debut with his own cassette in 1994 made by Gimisum Productions, using Big Hill as a moniker.

 

Al Kapone — Da Resurrection

Fourth album in three years for Al Kapone, Alkatraz Productions handles the beats, mixing is handled by Brian Smith, Jason Latshaw and Neal Jones, and there are several live instrumentalists, such as Brian Smith on bass, Bobby "G", J- Dogge, E-Rokk and Dr. Jay on keyboards, Diz, Lil Pat, E-Rokk and Dr. Jay on drums.

Main One — Birth of the Ghetto Child

Unique studio album published by Ruben "Main One" Rivera, rapper from The Bronx, New York. The production is created by Madman Scheme, Domingo, Ski Beatz, Buckwild, Donald D., Silver D and Tic. The MC boasts guests like Fat Joe, Joe Fatal, Kurious, Prince Power, Big Jam, Red Hot Lover Tone and A.J.

 

Crucifix — Da Clouds in Me [mixtape]

Crucifix's tape debut may not go down as one of the most memorable in the super-crowded Memphis scene of the mid-90s, nonetheless, the tape has its moments. DJ Big TIm and Dirty D realize a raw production that accompanies the rap of the interpreter in a concrete way for these forty minutes, for a total of nine songs that you can also find under different titles. These are cleaned up: "For You Hoes" is "Bitch Suck My Dick", "Loading Up The 9 Gloc" becomes "Nine Glock" and the sensationally bleak "Late Nite as I Cruise" is "Late Nights". Also, "Blow A Shotgun Thru My Nose" becomes "From Clouds in Me", "You'z a Bitch Ass Nigga" is "You's a Bitch Nigga" and "Dis a Robbery" changes to "This Is a Robbery". The tape is worth it if you can find it somewhere, but don't expect the hidden gem of the year, because this is something else. 6.5/10.

AAVV — New Jersey Drive Vol. 2

Second soundtrack of the film of the same name, released two weeks after the previous one. I don't know what exactly happened, it almost seems like Tommy Boy decided to put together and release discarded songs from the original soundtrack.

AAVV — New Jersey Drive Vol. 1

Soundtrack of the film of the same name, the title suggests that it could be built around the best rappers in New Jersey, instead, there's a little bit of everything. The performers come mainly from New Jersey (Queen Latifah, Redman, Lords of the Underground, Total) from New York (Ill Al Skratch, The Notorious BIG, Keith Murray, Heavy D) and from the West Coast (Young Lay, Mac Mall, Ray Luv, MC Eiht, Coolio). Also participating are Black Panta, Poets of Darkness, Sabelle, UndaCova, OutKast, Maze and Smooth.

Sun Risers — Real Off the Block EP

In 1995, the hip-hop crew Sun Risers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, releases a debut EP composed of four tracks plus two remixes, for a total of two CDs. This version is the four-track cassette. The group is formed by three guys, I guess, and the production is credited to Sunrisers (except for "Represent", realized by Sulaiman), Rick Young, and Vincent Moore.

The B.U.M.S. (Brothas Unda Madness) — Lyfe 'n' Tyme

First, only and last album by The BUMS, acronym for Brothas Unda Madness, duo from Oakland, Bay Area, formed by D'Angelo "D'Wyze" Smith and Evol "Evocalist" Alexander. The name is assigned to them by King Tech, while D'Wyze makes up the meaning behind the acronym. Production is handled by Joe Quixx, Fredwreck Nassar, Baka Boyz and King Tech. Andro and King Tech take care of the mixing, while the singer Mystic is the only guest of the project.

Junior M.A.F.I.A. — Conspiracy

Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace attempts to lift his childhood friends out of poverty by taking them into the music industry, hoping they will follow his success. The supergroup of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Junior M.A.F.I.A., is born, acronym for "Junior Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes", a sort of union of intentions between adolescent boys, the oldest is the same Notorious BIG, who's just over twenty years old. It's made up of the groups The 6s (James "Lil' Cease" Lloyd, Chico and Nino Brown; rappers Bugsy and Capone aren't included in the Junior MAFIA) and The Snakes (Antoine "Larceny" Spain and Rashaun "Trife" Spain), and by solo artists Terrence "Klepto" Harding, Cheek Del Vec, and Kimberly "Lil' Kim" Jones aka The Big Momma, the only female artist of the group and who has the role of "lieutenant" in function of the "godfather" Biggie Smalls.

Ultramagnetic MC's — Funk Your Head Up

Four years after the debut, Ultramagnetic MC's led by Kool Keith are back to release a studio album: while "Critical Beatdown" would have been one of the best albums in 1992 as well, its sequel wouldn't have been good even in 1988.

Diamond D — The Diam Piece 2

DITC artist Diamond D's sixth solo album is a sequel to his previous record, released five years earlier. Unlike the first chapter, the artist decides to release an album producer dedicating himself almost exclusively to the rhythms and leaving the rapping to the guests, spitting a few bars every now and then in the middle of Boot Camp Clik, Organized Konfusion, EPMD, Mobb Deep, Slum Village, DITC, Wu-Tang Clan, LOX and Black Star. 36 guests collaborate on the effort, including Buckshot, Steele, Rock, Pharoahe Monch, Snoop Dogg, Erick Sermon, Havoc, Elzhi, OC, Fat Joe, Fred the Godson, Raekwon, David Banner, Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz, Styles P, Xzibit, Raheem DeVaughn, Tony Touch, Termanology, Talib Kweli, A-F-R-O and Twista.

Griselda — WWCD

About five years after struggling into the underground every day spitting raw bars in everyone's face and bringing out a series of acts among the best of the period in hip-hop, especially in the East Coast gangsta/mafia and hardcore undergrowth, in 2017 the Griselda trio signs a contract with Eminem's Shady Records.

Celph TItled & Buckwild — Nineteen Ninety More

For this sequel of "Nineteen Ninety Now", Buckwild brings out five more tracks on which to unleash Celph Titled (all pretty good, gloomy/deep dark mood, with a nice tribute to Big L and "Put It On" in "Buck's Four Course Meal"), and he borrow three from "Presents...". So, he places for us over 40 instrumentals, practically all of them work and they are excellent beats with some high notes ("Interlude 1" and "Interlude 5": the latter is a gem, light, relaxing, flawless jazzy boom bap. [Among] his finest) and excellent jazzy instrumentals accompanied from the classic Christmas bells by Buckwild, his trademark ("Interlude 2"; "Interlude 3" winks at J Dilla; "Bonus Beat 1", "2" & "4"). On what appears to be an extended play of Buckwild & Celph Titled album praised by fans and critics, the guests are Laws, Outerspace, Cella Dwellas, Lord Digga, Rise, Sadat X, Grand Puba, AG, OC, Diamond D and Kwest tha Madd Lad. The material is similar to the previous effort and lacks of very strong tracks, ultimately falling below the previous year's album. Recommended for fans. 7/10.