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The good Doctor steps out from behind the boards and knocks out a soda commercial. Methinks Detox is coming soon.

“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” How did a quote from the Dark Knight end up in this rap review? Well as I sit and think about the Smile, the EP by A.K.A. , I think about the mountain that he has erected for himself to overcome with this first project. I think about the classic debut albums which we have seen in the game before this one that go on to represent an artist throughout his career as the unrepeatable height of their greatness. The passion, hunger, and connectedness to the artists roots that is present on albums like Doggystyle, Reasonable Doubt, Only Built for Cuban Linx, The Documentary, and the revered Illmatic come to mind when listening to this power-packed project set to be released on May 23^rd. With that said, the biggest question that remains is whether this artist will be able to repeat this offering the next time around. Read more…

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: The second installment of the latest Cam’ron album, Crime Pays…

Crime pays intro – The classic Cam’ron sound is back. Unapologetic Cam extolling his achievements that began with Crime. Tells a story to explain his thought process regarding entering the criminal enterprise in New York. Read more…

If Jimmy Hendrix was mounted by Allen Iverson in Richard Pryor’s rec room the result would be Katt Williams. Well, if that’s the case, then if Boogie Down Productions got their freak on with Slick Rick in Eric B. & Rakim’s pool house the result would be The Cool Kids.

Simplistic even in the group’s name, The Cool Kids are musical transplants. Inspired by acts from hip-hop’s golden age, this duo comprising of Antoine Reed (Mikey Rocks) and Evan Ingersoll (Chuck Inglish), have got the stripped down, minimalistic production style a la BDP, the looks of Rick The Ruler (gold rope chain and all) and a retro flow mirroring Rakim himself. Their latest release, Gone Fishing, is nothing more than a time machine taking the listener back to the age of the boom-bap. Read more…

Cam is back. That’s the good news. From there it’s a bit of a mixed blessing, so let’s not all get our hopes too far up. Crime Pays is the latest offering by the former leader of the Dipset/Birdgang crew (that still exists?) and if you can read the cover, you should feel free to judge the book. The project appears to be an American Gangster-esque side by side concept album inspired by a movie that has yet to be released. You might call this album a fictitious biopic in which Cameron Giles steps into the shoes of a man who rose to power in the New York drug game and lived happily ever after as a foul-mouthed womanizer and ardent believer in the efficacy of social deviance. The constant glorification of his street lifestyle on this album rises to new heights that approach delusional. Read more…