AltWeeklies Wire
Where Hip-hop Wentnew
Gold: New Jack Swing, a genre overview, and and What Does It All Mean?, the collected works of cut-up pioneer Steinski, tell the story of rap going beyond itself.
Baltimore City Paper |
Michaelangelo Matos |
06-24-2008 |
Reviews
KAZE Could Certainly Teach a Course in Agitpropnew
Block 2The Basement -- part of Rawkus Records' plan to release 50 albums by 50 relative unknowns -- perpetuates the image of KAZE as hip hop's selfless lensman, directing the attention away from any personal woes by focusing on the broader malaises of this hip-hop generation.
Immortal Technique Proves That Mindful Hip-Hop is Anything but Deadnew
The ever explosive, articulate and militant musician is leading the charge of this hidden side of contemporary hip-hop with his new album, The 3rd World.
New York Press |
Billy Jam |
06-19-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
N.E.R.D. Shows All Technique and No Soulnew
Human emotion cannot be created using ProTools.
Witness: Young Jeezy Received Kilos of BMF Cokenew
Testimony offered yesterday in the federal government's cocaine-conspiracy case against alleged Black Mafia Family member Fleming "Ill" Daniels revealed a stunning allegation: According to a witness, Atlanta hip-hop superstar Jay "Young Jeezy" Jenkins received kilos of cocaine from BMF.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Mara Shalhoup |
06-16-2008 |
Music
Rapper Buckshot Thinks, Talks and Records for Successnew
Few rappers give better interviews than Black Moon and Boot Camp Clik alum Buckshot.
SF Weekly |
Ben Westhoff |
06-11-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Hip-Hop is My Crazy Girlfriendnew
Like many young passionate relationships, as we got older, hip-hop and I drifted apart. My sensibilities remained progressive, my humor became more biting, and my patience for ignorance became shorter than ever. And hip-hop? Well, we all know what happened to hip-hop.
Baltimore City Paper |
Vincent Williams |
06-10-2008 |
Music
Chicago's 'Hipster Rap' Scene Attracts the Inevitable Backlashnew
Most criticism of hipster rap only goes clothes deep, and even for relatively philosophical haters like Unkut.com's Robbie Ettelson, the sight of a rapper in anything but baggy jeans and a hoodie seems to trigger homosexual panic.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
06-10-2008 |
Music
Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew are Pillaging for Beatsnew
The group's music, on all levels, is corny and ridiculous — almost carnival-like, like a scene out of a Hunter S. Thompson book. That didn't stop their MySpace.com friends from turning them into a sensation.
New Times Broward-Palm Beach |
Jonathan Cunningham |
06-03-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Erykah Badu Makes Statements, Not Singlesnew
"Artists work so hard to create these projects," she says. "They're not meant to be 99 cents per track. They're meant to be listened to back to back. That's how I create them."
Westword |
Michael Roberts |
06-03-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Atmosphere Explores Other Folks' Lives in First Personnew
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold is "dedicated to all dads," bracketed by the sounds from a child's music box, and focused on the lives of girls and women.
The Memphis Flyer |
Chris Herrington |
05-23-2008 |
Reviews
Chaucer Barnes Creates Big Expectationsnew
As he describes himself while fronting the live hip-hop band Copacrescent, on their new release So Selective, "Chaucer Barnes is the new truth."
The Portland Mercury |
Graham Barey |
05-23-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Roots Still Fight the Fightnew
The state of "conscious" rap is in serious flux right now, which is why the Roots' aggressive, disorienting Rising Down feels timely and urgent.
Jean Grae Says Peace Outnew
One of hip-hop's brightest MCs calls it quits. She says she means it.
Philadelphia Weekly |
Craig D. Lindsey |
05-19-2008 |
Music
The Roots Get Heavynew
Thematically, it's heavier than Jared Fogle before he realized how much money he could make crediting his weight loss to sandwiches.
