Nametag - The Soul System EP (2010)

6-song EP produced by Black Bethoven (any relation to West Coast producer Blaqtoven?). This is more of that Detroit shit. What the hell do they put in the water there? Must be because the D is like South Bronx in the late '70s.

01.) Time (Produced By Black Bethoven)
02.) Beast Mode (feat. Kopelli) (Produced By Black Bethoven)
03.) Can We Try (feat. Journey) (Produced By Black Bethoven)
04.) The Product (Produced By Black Bethoven)
05.) About You (Part 2) (Produced By Black Bethoven)
06.) Visionz (Produced By Black Bethoven)

HERE

Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx – The Exxecution [2010]

This is that angry Brooklyn hardcore hip-hop. No club songs, no conscious shit, pure hardcore. HEAT.

01. The Exxecution Intro (Feat. DJ Revolution) 02:41
02. Death Penalty (Feat. DJ Revolution) 03:40
03. Rearview 03:44
04. Take Money 03:56
(Feat Rock from Heltah Skeltah & Freddie Foxxx)
05. I Am on it 03:44
06. Lets Take A Sec (Feat Black Moon) 04:16
07. Bread on Ya Head 03:43
08. Wings on Your Back 03:19
09. Nobody 04:23
10. Fuckin Wit A Gangster (Feat Sean Price) 04:17
11. Watch Yo Step 04:46
12. You Cant Stop Me 04:07

HERE

Invincible - Shapeshifters (2008)

I'm just gonna let another blogger summarize this excellent album for me.

Shapeshifters provides modern urban literature at its finest.

Llana Weaver or Invincible as she has dubbed herself, acheives a sort of Woolfian androgyny that propels her work into a realm free of the patriarchal grips of a largely misogynistic art form. Stylistically, Invincible’s flow owes a lot to Talib Kweli in both tenor and speed and subject matter; however, lyrically she manages to top Kweli in both consistency and depth which speaks volumes about the weight of her lyrics because to call Kweli’s lyrics low in either of the afore mentioned categories is hip hop blasphemy. Shapeshifters is just that good.

Invincible is invincible due in part to her approach. Rather that taking the road most easily traveled for emcees – speaking about themselves – Invincible addresses people, more specifically the people of Detroit.

Detroit has long been the central scene of social dissolution, so it is only appropriate that Shapeshifters contain a sharp social critique. Invincible is the perfect voice to attack injustice from every aspect: class, sex, race, gender. It is an overwhelming discourse and the most amazing part is that Invincible manages the discussion without a hint of the peachiness that her topics inherently imply.

Shapeshifters isn’t just lyrics though; the beats here underscore the aural mentality of the message. With production credits from Black Milk, Waajeed, LabTechs, House Shoes and Belief, Ivincible is in good hands. Each producer lays unassuming working class beats that find strength in their spare, classically urban air. I still don’t claim to have my finger on the pulse of hip hop, but this is definitely the best hip hop album I have heard this year and worth a listen for anyone looking for substantial content in their hip hop rather than the standard bells, whistles and fluff.

1. State of Emergency
2. Looongawaited
3. Sledgehammer!
4. People Not Places (w/ Abeer)
5. Spacious Skies
6. No Easy Answers
7. Deuce/Ypsi (w/ Buff1, SUN, PL)
8. Recognize (w/ Finale)
9. Ransom Note (w/ ANOMOLIES)
10. Grace Shift interlude (featuring Grace Lee Boggs)
11. ShapeShifters
12. Ropes (w/ Tiombe Lockhart)
13. Keep Goin (w/ Wordsworth and Indeed)
14. In The Mourning

HERE

DJ Babu - The Beat Tape Volume 1 (2007)

This is self-explanatory. It's a beat tape from DJ Babu of Dilated Peoples fame. Some of these cuts have been used on albums, some have not (I think). Anyways, good instrumental hip-hop, which I'm always checkin' for, by the way (hint, hint).

1. Intro
2. Occult City
3. Tempreezy
4. Woodwork
5. Veetee
6. Ebbtide
7. Round And Round
8. Walkawalka
9. Love
10. Rockchuuch
11. Classix
12. Palms
13. Bug Guys
14. Pil 1
15. Lauralee
16. I Can't Go On
17. Leon Is Kool
18. Raggae Rabbit
19. Why Fair
20. Help
21. Be White
22. Head Games
23. Give U More
24. Two In The Dam
25. Sound Music
26. Dee On
27. Effeks
28. Muhreeuh
29. Crisscross
30. Uhreathu
31. Gobbler
32. Pimp Shit

HERE

Danny Brown - Detroit State of Mind 4 (2010)

If you know anything about my hip-hop tastes, you know I love pretty much anything that comes out of Detroit. I don't know what it is, but they are the perfect soundtrack for a man who smokes Newports, drinks malt liquor, wears Dickies and Carhart and works in factories/warehouses in the Midwest.

Anyway, I was a little disappointed with this, but until today, I thought it was an album, but its just a mixtape. So I feel better about it now. It's decent. Danny Brown has absolutely killed guest spots on Dilla and Elzhi's shit, but I don't think he can carry 12 songs. Sounds like he's running out of steam.

However this got T3 and Guilty Simpson swoopin by as well as some tracks done by Black Milk and DJ Babu. Can't go wrong with that.

1. “D-Boyz” featuring T-3 of Slum Village produced by Waajeed
2. “Keep It 100″ featuring Trick Trick produced by Dj Babu
3. “Murder Game” featuring Guilty Simpson produced by Quelle
4. “Gametime” produced by Caz 1
5. “Black” produced by Black Milk
6. “L.O.L” produced by Black Milk
7. “On My $#!+” produced by Denmark Vessey
8. “Bag Back” produced by Mosel
9. “Contra” produced by Apollo Brown
10. “Fruit Cocktail” produced by Black Milk
11. “Counterfeit” produced by Danny!
12. “The Wizard” produced by Apollo Brown

HERE

Statik Selektah - 100 Proof (2010)

Statik is making a serious attempt to get go-to producer status. In a time where Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, The Alchemist, Just Blaze, Kanye West and J-Dilla (rip) are either slow to come out with anything, losing their touch, become wack or died, this is what we need.

01. Inside A Change (Intro)
02. So Close, So Far feat. Bun B, Wale & Colin Munroe
03. Critically Acclaimed feat. Lil Fame, Saigon & Sean Price
04. Night People feat. Freeway, Red Cafe & Masspike Miles
05. Follow We feat. Smif-N-Wessun
06. Do It 2 Death feat. Lil Fame, Havoc & Kool G Rap
07. Come Around feat. Termanology & Royce Da 5'9
08. Drunken Nights feat. Reks, Joe Scudda & J.F.K.
09. Life Is Short feat. Consequence
10. 100 Proof (Interlude) feat. J.F.K.
11. The Thrill Is Gone feat. Styles P & Talib Kweli
12. Get Out feat. Skyzoo, Rapper Big Pooh, Torae & Lee Wilson
13. Laughin feat. Souls Of Mischief
14. The Coast feat. Evidence, Fashawn & Kali
15. Fake Love (Yes Men) feat. Reks, Kali, Termanology & Good Brotha
16. Eighty-Two feat. Termanology
17. Walking Away feat. Kali & Novel

HERE

Reks - In Between the Lines Mixtape (2010)

Can't wait until that R.E.K.S. album drops, but this mixtape will have to hold me over until them. Best MC outta Boston.

01. Green Lantern Intro
02. Self Titled (off R.E.K.S. album) (prod. by Statik Selektah)
03. I Don’t Play (LFHQ DJ Premier Exclusive)
04. Understand (prod. by Lee Bannon)
05. Rap-a-nomics feat. Slaine & Torae (prod. by Statik Selektah)
06. Count If Off feat. CurT@ins (prod. by Statik Selektah)
07. 2012 (prod. by Statik Selektah)
08. God Damn! feat. Freddie Gibbs (prod. by Statik Selektah)
09. I Too, America (prod. by Statik Selektah)
10. 7am feat. Termanology, Steven King, J-Status & JFK (prod. by Statik Selektah)
11. That’s What’s Up feat. Bossman (prod. by Statik Selektah)
12. Hennessy (prod. by Statik Selektah)
13. Henny @ Halftime feat. Ron artest (prod. by Statik Selektah)
14. Dangerous (Showoff) feat. JFK, Statik Selektah & Kali (prod. by Statik Selektah)
15. 21st Century Rap (prod. by Anthem)
16. Banner City feat. Termanology & Easy Money (off DJ Deadeye album, prod. by MGI)
17. Diesel feat. Chi Knox & Lucky Dice (prod. by Rain)
18. City Night Stories feat. Nature, Soul Theory & G Huff (prod. by Soul Theory)
19. Down Like That (Lawtown) (prod. by Statik Selektah)
20. Evil That Men Do feat. JV (prod. by DEMOBeats)
21. Problem feat. LMS & Saheed (prod. by OZNY)
22. In Between The Lines Freestyle (prod. by Infinite Archetype)
23. Lucky Man (prod. by Statik Selektah)
24. International feat. El Da Sensei & Insight (prod. by Insight)
25. Something From Nothing feat. Mr M.O.E. & B.R. (ATL) (prod. by S-Type)
26. Jena Side (prod. by 1914)
27. Invasion Outro

HERE

Freeway and Jake One - The Stimulus Package (2010)

Both these cats are seriously underrated and hopefully this album moves towards changing this. I know for me, I'll be payin' more attention to anything Jake One is a part of.

01 Stimulus Intro Ft. Beanie Sigel
02 Throw Your Hands Up
03 One Foot In
04 She Makes Me Feel Alright
05 Never Gonna Change
06 One Thing Ft. Raekwon
07 No What I Mean
08 The Product
09 Microphone Killa Ft. Young Chris
10 Follow My Moves Ft. Birdman
11 Sho' Nuff Ft. Bun B
12 Freekin' The Beat Ft. Latoiya
13 Money Ft. Omilio Sparks / Mr. Porter
14 Free People
15 Stimulus Outro

HERE

Gang Starr - Daily Operation (1992)

It took me a while to appreciate the older Gang Starr stuff. To be honest, early to mid 90s East Coast hip-hop was something I couldn't stand in my early days. However, I eventually came to recognize this as a classic.

01 Daily Operation 0:27
02 The Place Where We Dwell 2:27
03 Flip The Script 4:02
04 Ex Girl To The Next Girl 4:39
05 Soliloquy Of Chaos 3:14
06 I'm The Man 4:04
07 92 Interlude 0:29
08 Take It Personal 3:10
09 2 Deep 3:39
10 24 7 365 0:24
11 No Shame In My Game 3:56
12 Conspiracy 2:48
13 The Illest Brother 4:44
14 Hardcore Composer 3:16
15 BYS 3:06
16 Much Too Much 3:30
17 Take Two And Pass 3:18
18 Stay Tuned 2:32

HERE

R.I.P. Guru

Guru of Gang Starr fame just recently died of cancer at the age of 48. There's been a swirl of controversy surrounding the whole situation with accusations being leveled at 'Superproducer' Solar (his DJ) by Guru's fan, Bumpy Knuckles and fans. Shit is pretty easy to find if you look around, so I ain't gonna get into it too much.

Here is more or less something I posted on SOHH.

"rest in peace. this is depressing news. I remember seeing "The Militia" video on Yo! MTV Raps back when I was like 14. This was when I was really gettin' into hip-hop hard and it blew my mind. I recorded it off the TV with a microphone and shitty recorder and played it on my Walkman, thinkin I was big shit. I also remember when the rest of the cats I hung with discovered "Mass Appeal" (this was in probably 1999 or 2000 in the midwest), that was played nonstop.

A lot of Gang Starr cuts are just like this. Memory packed. When music is so intertwined with your actual life like this, it makes losing one of the artists that much worse."

Madlib/Guilty Simpson - Medicine Show No 1: Before The Verdict (2010)

| 1. Arrangement (Intro) 2:22 |
| 2. Ode To The Ghetto (OJ Simpson Remix) 3:05 |
| 3. Yikes (OJ Simpson Remix) 4:16 |
| 4. Further 1:50 |
| 5. Lucky Guy 6:07 |
| 6. Pigs (OJ Simpson Remix) 3:14 |
| 7. Life Goes By 3:45 |
| 8. Get *****es (OJ Simpson Remix) 3:09 |
| 9. The Exclusive Feat. Med 2:11 |
| 10. Robbery (OJ Simpson Remix) 4:11 |
| 11. Kill 'Em (OJ Simpson Remix) 3:35 |
| 12. The Paper 1:28 |
| 13. I Must Love You (OJ Simpson Remix) 5:54 |
| 14. Looking For Trouble 4:22 |
| 15. Young Guns Feat. J Dilla 2:48 |
| 16. My Moment (OJ Simpson Remix) 2:56 |
| 17. American Dream & Future (OJ Simpson Remix) 4:02 |

HERE

JR & PH7 - The Standard (2009)

German producers take on hip-hop

1 - JR Intro
2 - Rock For Yall ft. Supastition & J-Scienide
3 - Fast Lane Speedin ft. Oddisee
4 - Summer Chill ft Edgar Allen Floe
5 - Interlude
6 - Take It To The Streets ft. Planet Asia & Rakaa Iriscience
7 - Top Rank ft. Guilty Simpson & Black Milk
8 - Lets Move ft. Skyzoo
9 - Aint Seen This ft. 20/20
10 - Best Flow ft. Pumpkinhead
11 - Hip Hop Lives ft. Edo.G
12 - The World Keeps Turnin ft. Larissa Sirah
13 - Dreams ft. Kev Brown, Emskee & Sean Boog
14 - I Keep On Movin ft. Kaze & Edgar Allen Floe
15 - I Dont Know Why ft. Oddisee
16 - Zone To Da Nightlife ft. Median
17 - The End Is Near ft. The Good People & Larissa Sirah
18 - New York ft. Access Immortal (hidden track)

HERE

Talib Kweli & Hi Tek - The Re: Union (2009)

Oh shit! While I was havin' a shitty New Year's Eve, this leaked!

01. Intro
02. Revolutions Per Minutes
03. In This World
04. Hip-Hop
05. Back Again
06. Wishing On a Black Star
07. Just Begun ft. Jay Electronica, J. Cole, & Mos Def
08. Come Around ft. Termanology & Royce da 5'9 (produced by Statik Selektah)
09. Internet Connection
10. Let It Go ft. Dion
11. Testify ft. Styles P
12. Time
13. The Thrill Is Gone ft Styles P (produced by Statik Selektah)
14. Can We Go Back
15. Fortified Live ft Mos Def & Mr Man
16. Chaos ft Bahamadia
17. Express
18. Respiration ft. Mos Def & Common
19. Definition ft. Mos Def
20. RE:Definition ft. Mos Def
21. Move Something
22. Ghetto Afterlife ft Kool G Rap
23. The Blast RMX ft Erykah Badu
24. Good To You (produced by Kanye West)
25. Get By RMX ft Mos Def, Jay-Z, Kanye West & Busta (produced by Kanye)
26. Back Up Offa Me
27. Piano ft. Ghostface
28. Music for Life ft. Nas
29. Hang Ups
30. Outro

HERE

K-Os - Yes! (2009)

"a genuine neo-crossover rap n’ roller who’s music, much like your Ipod, might speak to hipster club kidz, pop chart gazers, Canadian indie rockers, dirty south electronic rap renegades, or reggae rude boys simultaneously"

01. Zambony ( 3:46)
02. Astronaut ( 3:14)
03. Burning Bridges ( 3:32)
04. Uptown Girl ( 3:38)
05. I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman ( 3:10)
06. 4 3 2 1 ( 3:54)
07. Eye Know Something ( 3:36)
08. The Aviator ( 3:27)
09. FUN! ( 5:27)
10. Mr. Telephone Man ( 6:06)
11. WhipC.R.E.A.M. ( 2:56)
12. The Avenue ( 9:23)

HERE

Best Of Hip-Hop 2009 Part One

Another year down and now it's time to reflect and remember what came out and if it was any good. Here's Part 1 (of 3?) of what I think you shoulda caught in 2009.



1. Jay Electronica "Exhibit C [Radio Rip] (Produced by Just Blaze)"

2. Twista "Alright (Feat. Kanye West) (Produced by Kanye West)"

3. Nipsey Hussle "The Hustle Way"

4. La Coka Nostra "Get You By (Produced by DJ Lethal)"

5. Cam'ron "My Job (Produced by Skitzo House)"

6. Saigon & Statik Selektah "The Rules (Produced by Statik Selektah)"

7. Cormega "The Other Side (Prod. By Fizzy Womack)"

8. Marco Polo & Torae "Liftime (Feat. DJ Revolution) (Produced by Marco Polo)"

9. Reks "System (Produced By DJ GI Joe)"

10. Blame One "Disturbed (Feat. Sean Price) (Produced By Exile)"

11. Capone-N-Noreaga "Grand Royal (Produced by DJ Premier)"

12. Zion I "Caged Bird Pt. 1 (Feat. Brother Ali) (Produced by Amp Live)"

13. Big Twins "Bacon And Cheese (Feat. Prodigy) (Produced by Sid Roams)"

14. DJ Paul "Jook (Feat. Lord Infamous) (Produced by DJ Paul)"

15. Souls of Mischief "Postal (Produced by Opio)"

16. Jay ARE "Know U (Feat. Invizible Handz) (Produced by J Rawls)"

17. Cunninglinquists "The Park (Remix) (Produced by Blue Sky Black Death)"

18. DJ Quik & Kurupt "Ohh! (Produced by DJ Quik)"

19. Guilty Simpson "Stress (Produced by J-Dilla)"

20. Crooked I "U Shoulda Made A Phone Call (Feat. K-young) (Produced by Frequency)"

HERE