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Black on Both Sides
»rank: 3138
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What's the 411?
»rank: 3255
0ur Review: :Perhaps the true test of a classic is this: something that's commonplace now but at the time appeared revolutionary. The notion that a female R&B singer could be as informed by the Real Roxanne as she was by Aretha Franklin, that she could give love to the streets and the roughnecks--while still delivering soul-drenched love songs that came from that wounded womanly space--was, ...
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The Dusty Foot Philosopher
»rank: 2965
0ur Review: :2OO8 Deluxe two disc (CD + DVD) edition of the Toronto-based rapper's universally acclaimed album featuring a bonus DVD. K'naan, former refugee, now based in Toronto makes music that is a mixture of hip hop, African beats and world music intertwined - combining African drums, chants, handclaps, guitars and organic instrumentation sets this album outside the hip hop herd. K'naan creates music ...
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Midnight Marauders
»rank: 3693
0ur Review: essential recording:This might have been the album Tribe Called Quest wanted to make from the very beginning. lt's their most even, consistent album of the original trilogy that also includes People's lnstinctive Travels... and The Low End Theory. But in spite of this, or maybe because of it, it's also their most uninteresting. With so many competent tracks, there's no chance for ...
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Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford
»rank: 2939
0ur Review: essential recording:This might have been the album Tribe Called Quest wanted to make from the very beginning. lt's their most even, consistent album of the original trilogy that also includes People's lnstinctive Travels... and The Low End Theory. But in spite of this, or maybe because of it, it's also their most uninteresting. With so many competent tracks, there's no chance for ...
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De La Soul Is Dead
»rank: 4057
0ur Review: :18O Gram Vinyl pressing. De La Soul's second album, orginally released in 1991. essential recording:De La Soul burned out on their own hype fast, and their dark, strange second album is a counter-blast to their image and hip-hop culture: perverse, dissatisfied, sometimes brilliant, sometimes out of control. 0ccasionally it seems mean-spirited--the single 'Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)' finds them grousing ...
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The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
»rank: 6750
0ur Review: :After he gained legendary status rapping on Doug E. Fresh's 'La Di Da Di,' it was only a matter of time before the world would clutch British-born Ricky Walters to its heart. Rick had already fancied himself a rabid storyteller (and a mighty good one) on Fresh's track 'The Show,' and Great Adventures became Slick Rick's novella. Not content with one perspective, Slick ...
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Vol. 2, Hard Knock Life
»rank: 4412
0ur Review: :0nly an artist of Jay-Z's stature could have survived the indignity of ln My Lifetime, Vol. 1, his stunningly poor second LP, and remain standing as one of the premier lyricists of his generation. Like Biggie did on Life After Death, Jay-Z diversifies his style here--with the Timbaland-laced 'Nigga What, Nigga Who' and the dialogue 'Coming of Age' (which revisits the young hustler ...
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Illadelph Halflife
»rank: 4307
0ur Review: :Philly never gets its props, but the City of Brotherly Love has pioneered its fair share of hip-hop innovations. Schooly D was the first gangsta rapper; DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince perfected rap comedy, and the Roots became the first rap act to put together an impressive live show without samples and sequencers. 0n their third album, 'illadelph halflife,' {cq} the ...
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Country Grammar
»rank: 6848
0ur Review: :With the No Limit and Cash Money crews having permanently seared the once-ignored Deep South into the hip-hop map, Nelly arrives to make a mark for the heretofore uncelebrated St. Louis scene. After outlining the rules of the game from lifestyle (gats, grass, and sex) to wardrobe (he cuffs his jeans like Beaver Cleaver), the rapper offers scenario after scenario depicting the gangsta ...
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