Top Hip Hop Groups Pt. 1 – Public Enemy

A legendary rap group made up of the following members
-Chuck D
-Flava Flav
-Terminator X
-DJ Lord
-DJ Johnny Juice
-Brian Hardgroove
-Professor Griff

They are a Hip Hop group from Long Island, New York. They are known for their political lyrics & media criticism. Public Enemy revolutionized Hip Hop with Political Rap & Terminator X’s scratching techniques in some of their songs.
Public Enemy was also the first rap group to do world tours.

Here are some of the albums I recommend…

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back: 5/5 (excellent album)

Fear of a Black Planet: 5/5 (another classic)

*Click Titles For Download*

Underground Artist Review: MF DOOM

MF DOOM is one of the most respected & most active underground artist around. He goes by a lot of names like Zev Love X, King Geedorah, Metal Fingers, Viktor Vaughn. He has a discography full of gems. He is truly the undergrounds finest. MF DOOM is known for his mask, he is rarely seen without it.

He doesn’t talk about his personal life he did say on his myspace that he is married with 2 kids.

He is also known for using “fakes” at live performances
here an example on youtube.

MF is known for his eccentric wordplay & is influenced by American comic books especially Fantastic Four. He is also renowned for bringing comedy back into the sometimes overly serious world of rap lyrics and a unique, sample-heavy production style.

Here are some of MF DOOM’s Best Albums

1. Madvillainy

2. MM…Food

3. Operation: Doomsday

Click Titles for download

Album of The Week: Clin D’oeil by Jazz Liberatorz

Lets start off this “Album of the week” with a great one. This one is a is a foreign one it was French Produced but all the lyrics are in English, it’s a foreign buy so it’s pretty expensive for a Hip Hop album but it is definitely worth the buy. The album is one of those you can listen with your Grandma. It has no explicit labels & they don’t cuss once, obviously it’s not for everyone but if you like lade back cool lyrics with smooth Jazzy beats then this album is for you. The one flaw that I personally didn’t like is that at the last minute of every song the rappers reflect on their past & talk about their favorite rappers. Some of the songs have an old school feel to them.

1. Clin d’Oeil – Jazz Liberatorz
2. Easy My Mind – Fatlip, Tré Hardson, Jazz Liberatorz, Omni
3. I Am Hip Hop – Asheru, Jazz Liberatorz
4. When the Clock Ticks – Jazz Liberatorz, J. Sands
5. Genius at Work – Fatlip, Jazz Liberatorz, T-Love
6. Indonesia – Jazz Liberatorz, Tableek
7. Process – Apani B Fly Emcee, Jazz Liberatorz
8. Return – Jazz Liberatorz, Sadat X
9. U Do – Stacy Epps, Jazz Liberatorz
10. Cool Down – Raashan Ahmad, Jazz Liberatorz
11. Take a Time – Buckshot, Jazz Liberatorz
12. Vacation – J-Live, Jazz Liberatorz
13. Speak the Language – Lizz Fields, Jazz Liberatorz
14. Qidar – Jazz Liberatorz, The Soul Clan
15. Outro/Jazz Liberatorz

If you are willing to give this album a try click
Clin D’oeil

Final Rating

News: Another 2Pac album?

He’s been dead for almost 12 years and he has more posthumous albums then any dead rapper…guess who it is? 2Pac of course. It’s rumored that there might be a 7th posthumous album, it is just a rumor but it most likely true because when Suge & Death Row were sold for a mere 24 million dollars & guess what Susan Berg found…20 unreleased 2Pac songs. The album might be released this year, though I doubt it, it will most likely be released in 2009.

“That “new” Tupac album could see the light of day as early as this year”
-MTC

Source 1

Source 2

Album Review: Pro Tools – GZA

Since the beginning of Wu-Tang’s blazing introduction into the world of Hip Hop, the GZA is a member of the esteemed clan who has always sounded otherworldly and light years ahead in the lyrics department. In 1995, he gave obsessive Wu fiends something to brag about with the release of his brilliant second full-length, entitled Liquid Swords. At a time when most rap records were mafioso-minded and/or focused on materialistic pleasure, this particular album contained a masterful display of esoteric knowledge, intellectual lucidity and witty bravado, further influencing the imminent rise of other mysterious Hip Hop icons to come.

After a couple of above-average solo albums, the man otherwise known as the Genius returns to top form in 2008 with his brand spankin’ new LP, Pro Tools. This particular release is surprisingly free of awful gimmicks and untainted by the rise of more dance-oriented rap music that is obviously catchy as hell but sorely lacking in verbal content. In other words, this product is a true reflection of the seasoned veteran’s state of mind and his unflinching desire to raise the bar rather than stay on the sidelines or watch the creative aspects of this art form go down the drain by joining in the “dumbing down” of Hip Hop.

On Pro Tools, the GZA continually upholds the album’s title by injecting his laid-back verses with a nonstop dose of random references, 5% teachings and the wordsmith’s unique storytelling abilities. For example, “Alphabets” is a whirlwind of a track that is reminiscent of the golden days of the Wu-Tang Clan. Furthermore, the skills that are displayed by the G.O.D. throughout the joint makes other articulate rappers who have a similar ability to combine colorful wordplay and street wisdom sound less technical and amateurish. Also, check the utter brilliance of “Path of Destruction.” Over a hypnotic Soul sample, he masterfully breaks down social injustices by utilizing a sad tale as a veil to capture the imagination of the listener. Last but not least, the GZA finds a complementary match in True Master on “Columbian Ties,” with the verbal heavyweight putting forth elusive metaphors and vivid descriptions while his Wu brother provides the chilling hook.

The only low point of the album (if any) is the intelligent rhymesayer’s need to explain himself to those fickle fans who are too stubborn or close-minded to see what he and the rest of the Wu have brought to the genre of rap by discussing the rivalry between him and 50 Cent. On “Interlude,” the Genius talks about an overzealous fan who has tattooed his face with the emblematic Wu-Tang logo and compares the amount of love his clan receives as being genuine compared to G-Unit’s rise in popularity. He furthers the argument with blazing intensity on “Paper Plate” [click to listen]. Although brilliant, the aforementioned song sounds out-of-place because the validation-seeking (i.e., whether it is okay for him to target the more commercially successful group or not) is too hard to miss. Truth be told, this is highly unnecessary and the more astute Hip Hop listeners would be quick to side with the Wu than they will with 50’s camp, especially when it comes to which of the teams has produced better art thus far.

Many might say that the Wu-Tang Clan no longer captures the hearts, minds and (most of all) creativity of current Hip Hop fans. Fortunately, the GZA’s new album is a surefire way of dismissing such feeble arguments. Chock full of intelligent musings, creative literary devices and cinematic explication, Pro Tools is a definitely a much needed sonic relief for the more discriminating listener who is sick and tired of hearing mindless rap music permeating the airwaves. Although the talented emcee adds a needless beef with the more commercially-viable Unit that neither validates the Wu’s crowning achievements nor prove his unmistakable relevance in Hip Hop, the majority of the Genius’ newest full-length is more than enough proof that, when it comes to the art of rhyming, he “ain’t nothin’ ta fuck wit.”

1. Intromental
Produced by: Dreddy Kruger

2. Pencil Feat. Masta Killa & RZA
Produced by: Mathematics

3. Alphabets
Produced by: True Master

4. Groundbreaking Feat. Justice Kareem
Produced by: Bronze Nazareth

5. 7 Pounds
Produced by: Black Milk
Intro Produced by: Preservation for Preserved Productions, LLC

6. 0% Finance
Produced by: Jose “Choco” Reynoso

7. Short Race Feat. Rock Marcy
Produced by: Arabian Knight

8. Interlude

9. Paper Plate
Produced by: RZA

10. Columbian Ties Feat. True Master
Produced by: Bronze Nazareth

11. Firehouse Feat. Ka
Produced by: Rock Marcy

12. Path of Destruction
Produced by: Jay Waxx Garfield

13. Cinema Feat. Justice Kareem
Produced by: Arabian Knight

14. Intermission (Drive In Movie)

15. Life Is A Movie Feat. RZA & Irfane Khan-Acito (of Outlines)
Produced by: RZA
(Bonus Live Performance)

16. Elastic Audio
Live Performance @ The Parish in Austin, TX
5/31/2007 Featuring FYRE Department & Dreddy Kruger

My Rating

Click Here for Download

Recommended Album: The Cold Vein by Cannibal Ox

From the first few bars, this album grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go.

It’s a little abstract, and might take a few listens to grow on you, but it’s the perfect meld of classic hip-hop beats and robot-march production. After this album, El-P’s tracks got a little distracting, to me at least, but “The Cold Vein” blends seamlessly.

The lyrical tag-team work of Vast Aire and Vordul is also something to marvel at. Dense, dense poetics, with metaphors and symbolism crammed into every verse; they often sound like they’re cursing, even though they’re not.

In the first cut, “Iron Galaxy,” Vast paints a bleak picture of New York that sets the gritty tone for the rest of the album: “Let’s talk in laymen’s terms/rotten apples and big worms/early birds and poachers/New York is evil at its core/So those who have more than them/Prepare to be victims/Ate up by vultures/Politicians in a dog-eat-dog culture/That’ll sic ’em.”

Throughout the album, a dark, violent undercurrent runs through each song, from the syncopated “Vein” to the angelic stomp “A B-Boy’s Alpha” to the brilliant closer, “Pigeon.”

Of course, it’s not for everybody. There is not one club-ready beat on the whole LP, and those who are going from the window to the wall will probably miss a lot of the clever one-liners and metaphors, but real heads recognize, and “The Cold Vein” is something a lot of MC’s could learn from.

1. Iron Galaxy
2. Ox Out the Cage
3. Atom (with Alaska & Cryptic Of Atoms)
4. A B-Boys Alpha
5. Raspberry Fields
6. Straight Off The D.I.C.
7. Vein
8. The F-Word
9. Stress Rap
10. Battle For Asgard (with L.I.F.E. Long & C-Rayz Walz Of Stronghold)
11. Real Earth
12. Ridiculoid (with el-P)
13. Painkillers
14. Pigeon

Click Here For Download

Recommended Album: Reks – Grey Hairs

An underground emcee from Boston on his second studio album. He’s been making music from around 2001. He’s been making noise on some mixtapes and compilation albums (most notably, Statik Selektah’s Spell My Name Right (The Album)) and finally dropped his album.

 Where do I start with this? REKS is a very strong lyricist, with a powerful voice and the ability to change his style many times and still sound great (see “All In One”). He has much knowledge to drop, about the government, the state of hip hop today (he has a lot to say on the bonus track, hip hop gets a reality check), life in general, paying tribute to fallen legends, battle style rhymes, the list goes on. Basically, the man is a monster on the mic.

 The production… DJ Premier, Statik Selektah, Large Professor, Soul Theory, 1914, Blaze P, and some other fine producers; to me that equals a top contender for best produced album of the year, if not THE best. Statik Selektah impresses me more and more every single time he has a new project.

He also grows as a producer very rapidly, and is becoming one of the best producers in the game. The guest appearances include: Lil’ Fame (of M.O.P.), Skyzoo, Big Shug, John Hope, Lucky Dice, Termanology (one of my favorites, and also the best guest spot on the album IMO), Consequence, Paula Campell, and Krumbsnatcha. Niether Big Shug nor Lil’ Fame have lyrical verses, more just talking. Skyzoo, Termanology, Consequence, and Krumbsnatcha all have very memorable verses. 

This album is turning out to be easily top five of the year. In fact, I’d recommend this over just about every other release of 2008. Seriously, go buy this. Now. Drop what you’re doing and order it. At least listen to the samples, then try to not buy it.

Lyrics- 10/10
Production- 10/10
Guest Appearances- 9.5/10
Overall Sound- 10/10

1. Grey Hairs [Prod. by Blaze P]
2. The One [Prod. by Statik Selektah]
3. Say Goodnight [Prod. by DJ Premier]
4. How Can It Be [Prod. by Statik Selektah]
5. Stages [Prod. by Large Professor]
6. All In One (5 Mics) (w/ Lil’ Fame) [Prod. by Blaze P]
7. Next 2 Me [Prod. by DC The Midi Alien]
8. Money On The Ave (w/ Skyzoo) [Prod. by Soul Theory]
9. Black Cream (w/ Big Shug) [Prod. by Statik Selektah]
10. Love Sweet Misery [Prod. by Statik Selektah]
11. Rise [Prod. by Statik Selektah]
12. Telescope (w/ Jon Hope & Lucky Dice) [Prod. by Statik Selektah]
13. Day 2 [Prod. by Statik Selektah]
14. Premonition (w/ Termanology & Consequence) [Prod. by Statik Selektah]
15. My Life (w/ Paula Cambell) [Prod. by Blaze P]
16. Cry Baby [Prod. by Statik Selektah]
17. Long While [Prod. by 1914]
18. Big Dreamers (Lawtown Remix w/ Termanology & Krumb Snatcha) [Prod. by Statik Selektah]
19. Isiah [Prod. by Demo]
20. Pray For Me [Prod. by Statik Selektah]

Click Here for download
My Source

If Rap Was A Game Who’d Be M.V.P

I posted a thread on the Yahoo! hip hop forums a while back & I thought I’d share the answers with all our blog viewers. It’s a good tool to figure out what albums you want from a good rapper, anyway here’s the List…

1980: Kurtis Blow
1981: KK Rockwell
1982: Melle Mel
1983: Run Dmc
1984: Run Dmc
1985: LL Cool J
1986: Just-Ice
1987: Chuck D
1988: Rakim
1989: Slick Rick
1990: Ice Cube
1991: Posdnuos
1992: Dr. Dre
1993: Snoop Dogg
1994: B.I.G.
1995: GZA
1996: Tupac
1997: B.I.G.
1998: Jay-Z
1999: Eminem
2000: Eminem
2001: Scarface
2002: Nas
2003: Jay-Z
2004: Kanye West
2005: The Game
2006: Nas
2007: Common

Credit to Big L for inspiring my question

Classic Album – Paid In Full

Paid in Full is the debut album by hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, released in 1987 on 4th & B’way Records. Eric B. & Rakim produced the album, except for two tracks, which were produced by Marley Marl. An artistic and commercial benchmark, Paid in Full has sold over a million copies. It was also the first full-length album on an Island Records subsidiary that was distributed independently before its acquisition by PolyGram Records in 1992.

This is a must have in a Classic Hip Hop collection, It is by Eric B. & Rakim one of the best duets in the history of Hip Hop. Paid in Full is one of the greatest if not the greatest Hip Hop album of All Time.

MTV Rated it the Greatest Hip Hop Album of All Time in 2006
This album is 10 tracks of Genius.

1. “I Ain’t No Joke” – 3:56
2. “Eric B. Is on the Cut” – 3:54
3. “My Melody” (produced by Marley Marl) – 6:50
4. “I Know You Got Soul” – 4:47
5. “Move the Crowd” – 3:50
6. “Paid in Full” – 3:46
7. “As the Rhyme Goes On” – 4:04
8. “Chinese Arithmetic” – 4:12
9. “Eric B. Is President” (produced by Marley Marl) – 6:17
10. “Extended Beat” – 3:49

Click Here to Download Paid in Full

Recommended Album – The Don Killuminati

Just as y’all suspected, I had to throw in a 2Pac post anyway back to subject.
The Don Killuminati is my personal favorite 2Pac album, considered a classic by some or damn near one.
My Review is: 9.5/10

2Pac threw his heart & soul into this album which is his best work lyrically though production could have used some help it is still a damn good album.

The Don Killuminati Click Here
Intro / Bomb First: 4/5
Hail Mary: 5/5
Toss It Up: 4/5
To Live & Die in L.A: 5/5
Blasphemy: 5/5
Life of an Outlaw: 3.5/5
Just Like Daddy: 4/5
Krazy: 5/5
White Man’z World: 4/5
Me and My Girlfriend: 5/5
Hold Ya Head: 4.5/5
Against All Odds: 5/5

Facts
-The lyrics were written and recorded in only three days and mixing took an additional four days
-The album made its debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 and sold 663,000 copies in the first week
-Tupac was the first rapper to have 2 #1 albums in the same year
-The Don Killuminati is the best selling Hip Hop album of all time (world sales)
with over 28 million sold