The fall of the No Limit Records is often attributed to the rise of Cash Money which seems like an easy conclusion- young lions beat old ones.… Read more “Fiend – Life Behind The Limo Glass”

I pressed the play button and clutched the little speaker stand in my right hand. The volume is almost as loud as it can be, any louder… Read more “Mac Miller- Best Day Ever”

Regions erect icons so large that they leer and oppress the younger generation. Every new rap artist in Atlanta is held against Andre 3000, while New York… Read more “Pac Div – Mania”

Fabolous has always been two rappers, really. A snarling, battle rapper lacking the ability to say “No” to marketing execs, his discography has ended up as a… Read more “Fabolous- The S.O.U.L Tape”

On paper, Juicy J working with Lex Lugar doesn’t really come as a surprise.  In Lugar’s minimal, sometimes eerie, always bass heavy beats, it’s easy to hear… Read more “Juicy J & Lex Lugar- Rubba Band Business Vol 2.”

The Clipse have focused on drug metaphors the way TMZ.com focus on celebrity mishaps. It’s what made them: each track functioned as a one-two punch. Pusha T… Read more “Pusha T- Fear of God”

Every track on Curren$y’s new mixtape Covert Coup starts with short tight samples looped into deep, dark, sneaky music. It’s the same kind of beat that Alchemist… Read more “Curren$y & Alchemist- Covert Coup”

Nostalgia is a tricky thing. While it can be used as a reference point by artists to extend and offer their own ideas, it can also it… Read more “Elzhi’s- Elmatic”

Waka Flocka Flame is the quintessential Goon Rapper.  An incompetent lyricist with a simple flow, Flame is an unflappable hook machine with a decent ear for beats.… Read more “Waka Flocka Flame- Benjamin Flocka”

DJ’s try to bolster their reputation by building stables of emcees that they helped discover. This does two things, it increases their reputation by putting an important… Read more “Big K.R.I.T- Return 2 4eva”