AltWeeklies Wire
Hip-Hop Ex-Pat Wafeek Celebrates Paradoxes with New Albumnew
How does he reconcile the fact that he's backhanding the hype machine with one hand while hitting up one of the best-known hip-hop blogs for some cross-promotional buzz with the other?
Riverfront Times |
Keegan Hamilton |
12-05-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Life's Not Fair: Kanye West 2.0new
A post-grad Kanye finally leaves his boastful, aggressive comfort zone in 808s and Heartbreak.
North Bay Bohemian |
David Sason |
12-04-2008 |
Reviews
Wu-Tang's Raekwon Discusses Reuniting and Reconnecting with Fansnew
The individual members of Wu-Tang are involved in so many projects, some of them might not even be aware of each other's work. For instance, Raekwon said he wasn't aware of the latest album billed to Wu-Tang: Soundtracks From the Shaolin Temple, which was released Oct. 7, even though he appears on it.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
12-04-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Minneapolis Hip-Hop Heavies Heiruspecs End Their Hiatusnew
Just four years ago, riding high on the national release of A Tiger Dancing, Heiruspecs were on the fast track to being the biggest band to come out of Minneapolis in the new millennium. By the end of 2005, however, it all came crashing down -- literally.
City Pages (Twin Cities) |
Andrea Swensson |
12-03-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Kanye's Latest is a Singular Testament to Indescribable Sufferingnew
Thematically, 808s and Heartbreak plunges deeper into West's usual neuroses (insecurity, spiritual unease, and the difficulties of celebrity). The death of his mother and a relationship fissure have brought these concerns into sharper focus.
Exit the 36 Chambers: Choose Your Own Wu-Tang Clan Adventurenew
Something happened on the way to becoming untouchable hip-hop legends. At best, they've reached an artistic cul de sac with their last album, 2007's 8 Diagrams. At worst, they're irrelevant. To find out why, you'll have to choose your own adventure.
San Diego CityBeat |
Nathan Dinsdale |
12-03-2008 |
Music
Kanye West Experiences '808s and Heartbreak'new
West's major achievement here is not in the moments of significant pop-song creativity, but rather the response he's able to get from his listener, the lasting effect that, if previously pondered, seemed a substantially distant possibility.
Chicago Newcity |
Tom Lynch |
12-03-2008 |
Reviews
Ace Hood: From Broward County to the Worldnew
The 20-year-old flame-throwing MC is in the midst of his official career launch to the world, and it appears he's getting cosigns galore.
New Times Broward-Palm Beach |
Jonathan Cunningham |
12-02-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
'Paper Trail' Shows T.I.'s Troubles with the Law Have Benefitted His Artnew
While other top MCs have had to create their own bogeymen to battle -- Kanye has his ego, Eminem had ex-wife Kim, Lil Wayne has those cough-syrup Martians -- T.I.'s got real problems.
Houston Press |
Ben Westhoff |
12-02-2008 |
Reviews
Dallas Hip-Hop: Swagger Like Usnew
Local artists make waves with D-Town Boogie, but the real test comes in 14 months.
Dallas Observer |
Pete Freedman |
12-01-2008 |
Music
'President' is Easily Murs' Best Release to Datenew
Released a year behind schedule but at a timely moment nonetheless, Murs for President retains the qualities of backpacker hip-hop, despite its new Warner Bros. patina.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
11-19-2008 |
Reviews
Los Rakas Puts a New Spin on Barrio Hip-Hopnew
The group's forthcoming mixtape, La Tanda del Bus, takes its name from the "Diablo Rojo" buses in Panama, which are known for their splashy paintjobs and for the dancehall mixes that bump on their stereos. A follow-up to 2006's Panabay Twist, it's a distinctly Latino spin on the "yellow bus" motif that's been ubiquitous in Bay Area hip-hop.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
11-19-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Knux: From Street Warfare to Soirees with Socialitesnew
Krispy Kream and his brother Rah Al Milio have morphed from Cajun survivalists to Hollywood up-and-comers, becoming the toast of the underground rap scene in only a few years.
SF Weekly |
Ben Westhoff |
11-13-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Longtime Portland MC Mic Censhaw Finally Makes a Solo Standnew
Sure, his name is in the liner notes for experimental hip-hop projects Hungry Mob and Suckapunch, and more traditional beats-and-ryhmes duo the Cleveland Steamers, but Thinking Out Loud is the first full-length album the MC has ever released under his own name.
Willamette Week |
Casey Jarman |
11-12-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Will Black Milk Become the Latest Rap Superstar from Detroit?new
On street corners and message boards around the world, rap fans have hailed 2008 as the year that Michigan's underground hip-hop scene went "overground." It's producer-emcee Black Milk (born Curtis Cross), who stands at the forefront of this movement.
Metro Times |
William E. Ketchum III |
11-11-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
