Rap & Hip-Hop Music Reviews, News & Interviews

2 Chainz :: Based On a T.R.U. Story
Def Jam
Author: Jesal 'Jay Soul' Padania

"Albums like "Based On a T.R.U. Story" really make you wonder just how they even come about to existence. Record labels make talented artists jump through hoops to even get signed, let alone get through the development process unscathed. Getting a single released is a miracle; an album launch is simply blue moon territory. Then along comes a talentless hack like 2 Chainz. On what can only be described as a one-man crusade to provide ammunition to everyone that hates hip hop, including hip hop fans, the rapper from Georgia (formerly known as Tity Boy) reduces every single topic to its very base level. There are absolutely no redeeming aspects to his own performance, and BOATS is in no way, shape or form worth your time or money. A decent supporting cast providing their B game beats handles the production, and it makes for an average enough background listen. Bangladesh turns up, as does The-Dream, and there are features from Lil Wayne, Drake, Kanye, Nicki Minaj, Scarface, Chris Brown and a few others. It's all very typically Def Jam '12, but then along comes the star of the show to destroy the myth that he's "one to watch this year." He is, rather, one to spot, avoid like the plague, and ignore forever more. "

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_08F_TRUstory.html

"Dreams Don't Sleep" has a funky and fresh feel from the very beginning. Maybe it's the album cover, which features three of the four group members wearing animal masks, or maybe it's their usage of the term "electronic soul" to describe their music, but 40Love has a noticeable edginess that grabs the listener right off the bat. Consisting of lead producer Mikos, emcees Miss Haze and G-OFF, and DJ Whooligan, the four-man group hailing from San Francisco isn't afraid the stretch the boundaries of traditional hip-hop. Of course, any group can claim to blend together hip-hop and other genres of music, but not all of them can do it effectively, and thus I went into "Dreams Don't Sleep" with a cautiously optimistic attitude. In particular, although I had high hopes for the fusion hip-hop sound that 40Love promised to deliver, I wondered whether the lyricism would keep up throughout the album. After just a couple songs, the impressive range of sounds that 40Love brings to the table is already clear. "Infinite Potential, Pt. 1" has a spacy feel, with a set of dreamy synths meshing with a head-bobbing drum loop to create a hypnotic instrumental, and Miss Haze and G-OFF spit back to back verses to kick off the album. The very next song, though, "Infinite Potential, Pt. 2," has a completely different sound, as Haze and G-OFF switch their style up to match the dubstep-influenced track. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of the recent dubstep movement, as I can't help but think that a handful of the songs sound almost like pure noise."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_08_dreamsdontsleep.html

Big Beat Bronson :: May Contain Nuts EP :: BurnBlockBeats
as reviewed by Emanuel Wallace

"Earlier this year, Baron Von Alias and MistaBreeze released "Brace for the Impact" which both Steve 'Flash' Juon and myself agreed it was destined to be a hit at the dance clubs, but not really anywhere else. He respected the project for what it was, but in short, it was not his cup of tea. Fast forward to August and now we have Big Beat Bronson, a collective made up of Baron Von Alias, MistaBreeze, Eliza Lawson and DJ LKP. To be honest, in some ways the collaborative effort reminds me of The Electric which consists of DJ Vadim, Pugs Atomz and Sabrina Jade. The "May Contain Nuts EP" has been in the works for awhile and has finally seen the light of day. We're presented with six tracks spanning nearly 22 minutes in length that come in a variety of flavors as we begin the taste test. The opening track "Move With It" switches back and forth between having a pop feel to it to something more industrial in nature. "Action Man" is a fun track filled with braggadocio and not to mention a reference to the late, great 'Macho Man' Randy Savage that Steve Juon would undoubtedly appreciate. In fact, the video features a would-be Randy Savage impersonator that comes complete with a championship belt and looks like a life-sized version of the popular Wrestling Buddies from the 80s. Eliza Lawson finally gets more of the spotlight on "Nothing" and "Sorry." "

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_08_maycontainnuts.html

GZA :: Liquid Swords - The Chess Box :: Get On Down/Geffen
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon

"In some ways nothing has changed since I reviewed "Liquid Swords" for a Back to the Lab feature over 10 years ago. Fancy new packaging or not, this album is still essentially the same as it was in 1995. It is the raw and fiercely untempered lyricism of a man whose crew had for all intents and purposes taken over the East coast (or at least the New York area) and captured the imagination of rap fans across the United States and around the world. So now we have a brand new "Liquid Swords" for a brand new era, and if we're all being honest, there is a LOT that has changed in the last 10 years. Aside from a post 9/11 downturn, the economy had a solid run for a few years there in the 2000's, and hip-hop still seemed to be the predominant driving force behind pop culture. The irony is that the recession should have brought rap to the forefront in an even greater degree, given its birth is well acknowledged as the voice of the disenfranchised using technology in previously unenvisioned ways to make their feelings known. That didn't happen. As rappers continued to flaunt an increasingly dishonest extravagance, even the most ardent supporters of the arts had to admit the musical aspect of the culture seemed out of step with day to day reality. While a small minority had the balls to say "it ain't all good" the mainstream that for so many years tried to ignore rap forcefed us all the least redeeming parts of it. "

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_08_thechessbox.html

Kottonmouth Kings :: Mile High :: Suburban Noize Records
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon

"With remarkable consistency the Kottonmouth Kings release a new album almost every year like clockwork. This keeps a worldwide legion of stoned fans puffing on their latest hit, while keeping the Kings themselves chronically on tour supporting their releases. "Mile High" is the latest of these releases to spread like ditch weed, but I must confess that at times the whole thing can seem incredibly insular. You either know the Kings or you don't - you either see them on tour or you don't. This is something the Kings acknowledge themselves on "Kottonmouth Bitch" - the fact that (1.) their music doesn't crossover much and (2.) they don't care. After nearly 20 years of making rap music they are entitled to this attitude. Their albums have been successful despite only occasionally drawing mainstream acclaim, and any critics who have derided their obsession with pot have only made their more popular with a loyal stoner audience. As they say on "Kottonmouth Bitch" that "could be one of the reasons why we stay underground." The other would be that their rip-rock psychedelic hip-hop doesn't necessarily translate well to other contexts; furthermore there really isn't anybody else in rap who can do that style and get away with it. If this is your first exposure to the Kings, don't expect warm soulful R&B samples, funk synth loops, AutoTune or Alchemist. Their sound is closer to Nine Inch Nails and Skrillex than Nas and Snoop Dogg."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_08_milehigh.html

Random a/k/a Mega Ran :: Language Arts Volume 1 :: MegaRan Music
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon

"In the interest of full disclosure you need to be aware of the following fact: I have been actively involved in the promotion of Random's album "Language Arts Volume 1," having actually been given advance access to promotional materials from it and allowed to use them to create a video showing off what you get along with music for your purchase - a video game styled after the Mega Man classics of days gone by. Now I was intimately aware of the potential for bias on my part reviewing an album I was actually licensed to promote, so initially I ceded coverage of this release to a fellow staffer. That proved to be problematic as a major laptop meltdown left him unable to contribute write-ups until a new computer could be procured, and difficult to reassign given I had already given all of the rest of the crew their own promos to do. As such the album bounced back to me, and an understandably curious Random wondering "Is there a review coming? I'm just about ready to drop Volume 2 on the masses. Sooner would be better!" He didn't use those exact words, but nevertheless I promised him I'd put my potential bias aside with a pre-review disclaimer and attempt to get it done myself. There are multiple layers to "Language Arts Volume 1" once you start peeling, but on the surface Random is a mild-mannered teacher by day and champion of the microphone by night. He discovers that his students are becoming addicted to a video game which has the dangerous side effect of turning them into mindless zombies, capable of horrific acts of violence without knowledge of their actions, and he vows to fight this scourge by any means necessary. "

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_08_random-lav1.html

Serengeti :: C.A.R. :: anticon
as reviewed by Zach 'Goose' Gase

"Try and imagine listening to a completely unique artist, with no expectations and knowing nothing about his before hand. The first time you heard a rapper like MF Doom, you probably heard about how brilliant, albeit off kilter he was. Being an eccentric rapper is a bit of a double-edged sword. My first interaction with Serengeti came a little over a year ago when I was assigned to review his album "Family & Friends." Having never heard of him prior to covering his album, I was took for quite a surprise when I heard his deadpan delivery and unique flows. I commended him for his acute attention to detail and loved the production, but ultimately I deemed the album a less-than-average piece of work from a rapper who didn't fully grasp the technical aspects of a professional emcee. A year later I am still listening to "Family and Friends" and am constantly checking for new Serengeti projects. I would like to take this time to admit I was wrong, but in my defense Serengeti is the type of artist that you're probably going to have to listen to for more than a week to fully understand what he's all about. Geti's latest album, "C.A.R." is his third project of 2012, following "Break & Claw" (with indie rock hero, Sufjan Stevens and Son Lox) and "Kenny Dennis EP." But "C.A.R." is the true follow up to his excellent 2011 "Family & Friends," and features production from Odd Nosdam and Jel. "C.A.R." is packed with very dark subject matter, and bizarre stories that only Serengeti can come up with."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_08_serengeti-CAR.html

Solo For Dolo :: Self Titled :: {self-released}
as reviewed by Patrick Taylor

"Solo For Dolo is an emcee from Asbury Park, New Jersey who has been rapping since before anyone had heard of Marshal Mathers. He released his first album "The Truth for the Youth" in 2009. "Self-Titled" is his follow-up. When you think of New Jersey, you probably think of Bruce Springsteen and guys who spend all their time tanning and working out. Dolo is here to show you that there is more to Jersey besides the Boss and Jersey Shore. Solo is an underground rapper who divides his time between cutting down other rappers and lamenting his own state of affairs. On "Quarter Water Kids" he manages to both brag about being an amazing rapper and complain about being broke. Dolo's combination of self-confidence and self-effacing humor works for him. He's got confidence to not come off as pathetic, but is also able to poke fun at himself. "Talking That Bullshit" features a guest spot by producer Domingo talking shit about Dolo while Dolo asks "what's in the water that's got you acting cocky for no reason?" Dolo is solid on the mic, and he's helped out by equally solid production. Maker lays down some funky grooves on "Asbury Rising" and "Delilah's Den." Dolo himself provides some melancholy beats on "Virgo" and "Fallen." Domingo supplies the strongest beats here, from the bluesy "Homecoming" to the soulful "Last Call" to the jazzy "Aerosol." The latter is the strongest track on the album, and Dolo matches the intensity of the beats with his rhymes. "

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_08_solofordolo.html