Rap & Hip-Hop Music Reviews, News & Interviews

"The influence of early nineties New York hip-hop on Australian hip-hop is so pronounced that you can probably track down a Patient Zero who was the first one to start bringing over records by Gang Starr, the Wu-Tang Clan, Jeru The Damaja, and the D.I.T.C. crew from New York to Melbourne. From the Australian hip-hop albums I've heard, I get the sense that they never experienced the jiggy era, never got seduced by the slippery drawl of Southern rap, and haven't traded their MPC's for Fruit Loops yet. On his sophomore album "Zero," Melbourne MC Maundz keeps it true school, Aussie style.

Maundz is from the rowdy, shit-kicking school of MCs that include Vinnie Paz, M.O.P, and DMX. He yells his rhymes like threats, and seems just as likely to give rival MCs an actual beatdown as a verbal beatdown. The epitome of this is "Maundzilla," where he imagines himself as a Godzilla-sized rapper. While Maundz barking flow brings energy, it lacks finesse. Even on mellower, downtempo tracks like "Take It Back" he's still rapping at 11, sounding like he's about to rip someone's head off. The limitations to his style are made clear on "All Quotes" when Action Bronson shows up to give some Ghostface-inspired verses. Maundz rhymes are as complex as Action Bronsons, but the Australian rapper's delivery lacks the style of the former chef from Brooklyn. Of course, criticizing Maundz for lacking finesse might be like critizing a boxer for sucking at ballet. "

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_07_maundz-zero.html

Max Burgundy :: The Murder of Mark Fuhrman :: Oreos For Breakfast
as reviewed by Mike Baber

"Max Burgundy has perhaps the most intriguing back-story of any artist I've reviewed in recent memory. Born and raised in the Bronx, Burgundy's first major obstacle was the loss of his father, who was murdered right across the street from his home, causing his mother to move the family to Southern California. Torn between his love for basketball and the dangerous gang culture the pervaded the area, Burgundy took a somewhat lackadaisical approach toward high school and ended up pursuing his basketball career at a local community college. It was there that he discovered his interest in philosophy, and he ultimately parlayed this interest into an Ivy League education, which was unfortunately cut short by a drug distribution charge that led to his expulsion. With this in mind, I was interested to see what kind of persona Burgundy would take on as an emcee and, more specifically, whether he would stick to his East Coast roots or adopt more of a West Coast flow. It's clear from the beginning that Burgundy doesn't shy away from his troubled past, and his willingness to open up and vent his frustration allows the listener to better understand all the Burgundy has overcome thus far in life. The opening track, "Momma Tol Me," sees Burgundy spit about the pressure his mother put on him growing up to succeed and make money, and the lack of any percussion to accompany the crooning orchestral strings ensures the spotlight is centered on his lyricism."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_07_murderofmark.html

MellowHype :: BlackenedWhite :: Odd Future/Fat Possum Records
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon

"It was my original intention to review the free download version of MellowHype's "BlackenedWhite," but like so many of the links on their tumblr it seems to no longer exist. That's not entirely their fault as the federales seized MegaUpload for serving up free movies and pirated albums in limitless quantities, and even when alternate services are used the demand from Odd Future fans is so overwhelming it can cause the files to be pulled for violating TOS. So let's take it from the officially licensed version that came out on Fat Possum Records. As "64" was the lead single for the re-release it probably serves as well as a representative of this album as any track. Hodgy Beats lyrical style on both solo and group releases for the Wolf Gang is somewhat less macabre than Tyler, the Creator and not as intentionally graphic as Earl Sweatshirt, but does show tendencies of both on this song. Producer Left Brain emphasizes this feel with a dark and eerie beat that makes this a purposefully ODD choice for a single - it's not the kind of rap you can do a dance move to. There are certainly other songs you could bob your head or tap your feet to though such as "Rico" featuring Frank Ocean."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_07_blackenedwhite.html

Rosco :: The Album :: Wide World The Label
as reviewed by Matt Jost

"Where is Tupac? No seriously. Where is he? After the icon's death in 1996 rappers scrambled to take his place, among them a number of straight impostors. While there was no apparent heir to his throne, some managed to approximate the fervor and passion - particularly DMX and Eminem. Every year since the media discusses the legacy he left behind. But despite one of the genre's biggest stars hollering something about 'Tupac back' only last year, newcomers seem content with inking their body in Pac fashion and largely ignore the artistic templates he set. Instead we get startingly unimaginative releases like Rosco's "The Album." Not to be confused with Kurupt's younger brother Roscoe, or Star Trak affiliate Rosco P. Coldchain, or Roscoe Dash of "All the Way Turnt Up" fame, or even Cali vet Rasco, Rosco seems to be located in Atlanta, GA, but that's pretty much all I can tell you about him. Apart from him being a ladies man, at least that's to be concluded from several songs. But besides that? Let's take "Why I Grind." Seems like a potentially informative track, right? "I take a look at my past (...) it remind me why I grind," he begins, but then completely forgets to share what he sees when he looks back. He's quite right when he observes, "Things you achieved, can't nobody erase 'em," but again he keeps those achievements all to himself. "

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_07_roscothealbum.html

Vell Bakardy :: Genuine Liqua Hits :: Wild West/American Records
** RapReviews "Back to the Lab" series **
as reviewed by Matt Jost

"By the time he made his national debut in 1995, Lavell Franklin was already a veteran of the Kansas City rap scene. Having made the rounds as DRV (Def Rhyme Vocalist) in the later '80s, at one point he hooked up with local DJ/producer Joc Max, with whom he recorded the song "Bust a Move," which was pressed up and distributed by L.A. label Macola in 1989. Later still, now known as Vell Bakardy, he formed Tha Drunx with partner in rhyme Zeno Vellie. While living in Los Angeles, around 1993 he scored a solo deal with Wild West, who was in a partnership with Rick Rubin's American Recordings, providing Vell Bakardy with national exposure. Although "Genuine Liqua Hits" had a West Coast-leaning sound and featured AMG twice, the album was ostensibly the product of Kansas City, MO. Tres-nueve would be 39th Street, one of the city's main streets and frequently referenced location ("the Nine") on "Genuine Liqua Hits." Vell's portrayal of KC isn't particularly flattering. In the "Intro" he laments that "ain't nowhere else to go but to the liquor store, sit on the side of the building and get drunk, you know - Kansas City, Missouri." Consequently, the lead single was called "Drink Wit' Me," and it too stressed the apparent importance of alcohol in 39th Street's social life. By the time Bakardy admits that the morning after he hears voices saying, "Vell, come back to the liquor store," you know he has a problem. "

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/BTTL_vellgenuine.html

Young Zee & Mr. Green :: One Crazy Weekend :: Ruff Cutz Media/Green Music Group
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon

"Inevitably when discussing "One Crazy Weekend" the subject of "Musical Meltdown" is going to come up, so let's just address it right now. Over 15 years ago now, somewhere between his star making appearance on The Fugees' track "Cowboys" and the EP he released with the Outsidaz crew, Zee recorded an entire album for Perspective Records that for unknown reasons never got released. Complicating matters is the fact that Perspective had a very short shelf life as a label, not even lasting a whole decade, and whatever was left of the imprint was absorbed into A&M Records in 1999, and they in turn were absorbed into the Universal Music Group, and... well I think you get the idea. You either own a bootleg of "Musical Meltdown" or you don't, because at this point the original masters might as well not exist. There's never going to be an official release because there's no financial incentive for anybody at Universal to sort out the legal quagmire of who owns what, let alone press up and issue a rap album that no matter how critically acclaimed would sound dated compared to hip-hop in 2012 and would not move major units. I'm a cynical bastard when it comes to labels profiting off artists and even I will admit they couldn't turn a dime on "Musical Meltdown" at this point. "

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_07_onecrazyweekend.html