!Exclaim.ca Reviews - Hip-Hop Reviews

Tona - Silverspring Crescent

editorial@exclaim.ca (Luke Fox) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:21:04 -0400

"The art is dead," Scarborough indie vet Tona laments on "Where the Love Go," frustrated and vacant. He says some women don't just fake orgasms, they fake entire relationships — and he sounds prepared to sever permanent ties with the mistress that is a middling rap career altogether. But that was before Tona dug deep into the compositions of friend and fellow Toronto artist Rich Kidd, who contributes all 12 beats to Silverspring Crescent, an LP that wisely rides that line between cohesive and diverse. As the record zips between rapid-fire introspection ("Lost"), social commentary...Read More

Quasimoto - Yessir Whatever

editorial@exclaim.ca (Aaron Matthews) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:35:15 -0400

Oxnard, CA beat sensei Madlib is hip-hop's most prolific enigma; amongst his experimental projects, the oddest persona has to be Quasimoto. The bad character allegedly came to life during a weekend lost to psilocybin mushrooms. Quasimoto is just Madlib's voice sped up to a squirrel pitch, gabbing about blunts, broads and catchin' wreck. It's been eight years since the last Quasimoto album, so odds-and-sods collection Yessir Whatever is a welcome return to trippy form. Dedicated Madlib heads will likely have some of these songs on twelve-inches or bootlegs, but having alternate versions...Read More

Statik Selektah - Extended Play

editorial@exclaim.ca (Mark Bozzer) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:29:15 -0400

Beantown's main man on the ones and twos is back with yet another star-studded slab of fresh rap, with Statik Selektah serving up a healthy dose of scratches, loops, soul samples and no-nonsense drums for his slew of guests to stretch out comfortably over. With everyone from Action Bronson, Black Thought, Joey Bada$$, Flatbush Zombies, Sean Price, et al. (the list is too long) stopping by to drop some gems over Statik's stellar production, Extended Play easily warrants repeated listens in the whip. Hands down, the best track is lead single "Bird's Eye View," which has the venerable...Read More

Mac Miller - Watching Movies with the Sound Off

editorial@exclaim.ca (Chayne Japal) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:27:06 -0400

Heart is no longer an expectation within the realms of contemporary music. Yet that's exactly what has allowed this fun-loving Jewish kid from Pittsburgh, Mac Miller, to create his exceptional sophomore album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off. He cleverly employs a credible list of guests, including Earl Sweatshirt and Jay Electronica, using them as the framework for something he's always been great at: rapping his ass off. On "Avian," his stream-of-consciousness verses can barely be spliced into lines, as he whizzes by possible punch lines ("naked walking in the garden and bird...Read More

J. Cole - Born Sinner

editorial@exclaim.ca (Erin Lowers) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:58:44 -0400

While his debut album didn't secure the stardom Roc Nation expected, J. Cole has returned with sophomore effort Born Sinner, an unabashed story of musical dedication and malicious hunger. Born Sinner opens up with "Villuminati," a choir-heavy cut that samples Notorious B.I.G.'s "Juice." While it acts as an introduction to the following 15 songs, by looping B.I.G.'s infamous line, "born sinner, the opposite of a winner," it's clear Cole recognizes his underdog status. The concept of progress and impeding urgency to rise to the top of both "the game" and his own become consistent...Read More

Kanye West - Yeezus

editorial@exclaim.ca (Vish Khanna) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:17:27 -0400

You wouldn't know it to hear Yeezus, but Kanye West is a kept man; he fell in love with Kim Kardashian, they just had a daughter and his non-committal good life is changing in so many ways. On Yeezus, West invites us to the decadent, bonkers bachelor party of his dreams; it's an all-id affair where his dick barely stays zipped up inside his black leather jeans. "One last announcement/no sports bra, let's keep it bouncing," he spits towards the end of scorching opener "On Sight," and it's one of many problematic objectifications of women West drops with a shit-eating grin. A...Read More

Action Bronson - SAAAB Stories

editorial@exclaim.ca (Chris Dart) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:01:28 -0400

If you were hoping Action Bronson's major label debut, SAAAB Stories, would be another Blue Chips, you're going to be a little disappointed. Sure, he's still using food as a metaphor for just about everything and referencing obscure athletes, but his delivery is slower and more deliberate than on most of his previous outings. The lush instrumentals from Harry Fraud don't lend themselves to the sort of liquid wordplay present on Bronson's earlier efforts. Instead, the whole thing gets darker and more ominous; his threats and boasts take on a new edge. It's not that Bronson is...Read More

Prodigy & Alchemist - Albert Einstein

editorial@exclaim.ca (Peter Marrack) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:04:45 -0400

There are a couple of guys in hip-hop you just don't knock; Alchemist is one of them. Even the most ignorant of rap fans keep their mouths shut when it comes to the Chemist. The Cali producer has made beats relentlessly since the early '90s, inspired largely by the innovation and integrity of early mentor DJ Muggs. Albert Einstein (a collaboration with Long Island's Prodigy) fits seamlessly into his ever-expanding catalogue, but doesn't necessarily stand out. Like many NYC MCs, Prodigy is a master of talking slick, delivering gruff street tales as if he was on the corner jiving with...Read More

Shad & Skratch Bastid - The Spring Up

editorial@exclaim.ca (Del F. Cowie) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:36:28 -0400

While we wait for Shad to deliver an official follow-up to the critically-acclaimed, Polaris Prize-shortlisted TSOL, he's tiding us over with The Spring Up EP, a batch of tracks the Vancouver-based MC cooked up with one of Canada's finest DJs and turntablists, Skratch Bastid. The Spring Up was actually recorded after the sessions for Shad's upcoming Flying Colours full-length were completed, on which the duo collaborate extensively, and it finds Shad in freeform mode. On "Classic," the ever-modest Shad puffs his chest out just a little bit overtop Skratch Bastid's...Read More

The White Mandingos - The Ghetto Is Tryna Kill Me

editorial@exclaim.ca (Del F. Cowie) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:39:37 -0400

Composed of veteran MC Murs, legendary Bad Brains bassist Daryl Jenifer and renowned co-founder of the influential Ego Trip magazine, Sacha Jenkins SHR on guitar, the White Mandingos are a super-group, of sorts, with a history of challenging conventions. This collective effort stays true to the individual maverick paths they've each forged in the past. The Ghetto's Tryna to Kill Me is ostensibly a concept album of "hardcore hip-hop with some punk in it," centering upon Tyrone White, a rock band frontman from Harlem negotiating stereotypical notions of race and identity. From...Read More

Sir Michael Rocks - While You Wait…

editorial@exclaim.ca (Chayne Japal) — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:09:02 -0400

When the Cool Kids emerged in the summer of 2007, they signalled, or, at the very least, embodied a new culture of hip-hop lovers. The bike-riding, sneaker-collecting, videogame-playing duo related to a wide, young audience while garnering the respect of older heads for their pre-gangsta approach to rap. The pair have been doing their own thing for the last couple of years and, most recently, Sir Michael Rocks signed a solo deal with Curren$y's Jet Life imprint. This mixtape, While You Wait..., is aptly titled, as it's intended to hold you over until his debut. Mikey flexes his Chicago...Read More

Aries - A New Beginning

editorial@exclaim.ca (Thomas Quinlan) — Tue, 28 May 2013 17:03:52 -0400

It's been three years since Regina, SK producer Aries collected his songs, past and present, for debut album Now & Then. With his slate clean, he follows the same formula for A New Beginning. Why fix what isn't broken? Many of the same names pop up and the sound is similar, with thumping drums the common denominator on this chilled-out compilation, which is dominated primarily by mellow, contemplative tracks, plus a few big banging anthems. Out of those anthems, "OW" is a highlight, with Anacron's braggadocio and bouncing flow a fine fit for Aries's epic, horn-heavy beat....Read More

Ugly Heroes - Ugly Heroes

editorial@exclaim.ca (Del F. Cowie) — Tue, 28 May 2013 11:36:32 -0400

Fresh off producing collaborative albums with fellow Detroit resident MC Guilty Simpson and revered veteran O.C., Apollo Brown keeps up his impressive work rate with this new group project, featuring emerging MCs Verbal Kent and Red Pill. Using Little Brother as a loose model, Apollo Brown and the two MCs deliver compelling everyman, blue-collar rhymes over gritty, pedantic soundscapes. The album's tone is set with the downcast allure of "Desperate," where Red Pill's frank vulnerability on the mental toll of poverty plays well against Verbal Kent's steely determination to overcome suicidal...Read More

Aceyalone - Leanin' On Slick

editorial@exclaim.ca (Thomas Quinlan) — Mon, 27 May 2013 16:10:00 -0400

Aceyalone is an L.A. underground rap legend, as a founding member of Freestyle Fellowship and later as a solo artist, and he's continued to keep a consistent release schedule, more so than any of the other members of FF, even if the quality isn't always up to expected standards. His latest, Leanin' On Slick, is by no means as classic as his lyrically potent debut, All Don't Bounce (1995), or his follow-up concept album, A Book of Human Language (1998), but it's some of his best work in years. This is due in part to the throwback vibe of BIONIK's production: a mix of...Read More

Sweatshop Union - Infinite

editorial@exclaim.ca (Thomas Quinlan) — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:30 -0400

Canadian collective — some might even say supergroup —Sweatshop Union drop another group effort, and on Infinite, they continue to experiment with the harder sounds they introduced on their award-winning Bill Murray EP and embraced on Pigeon Hole's recent sophomore album, Chimp Blood. The greater use of heavy drums and low-end synths, along with the influence of current electronic and urban music in the production, is a welcome direction that adds edge to their social and political lyrics. And it certainly doesn't hurt their few moments of braggadocio, as on...Read More

Frankie Payne - Clarity

editorial@exclaim.ca (Ryan B. Patrick) — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:22 -0400

It's an appropriate title, Clarity, for the latest LP from "underground" rapper Frankie Payne. Formerly known as Jugganot and currently of the Freedom Writers collective, the Toronto, ON-based artist from the much-maligned Jane-Finch neighbourhood has been a regular fixture in the local scene. Clarity sees Payne slow things down a bit for his most introspective and mature-sounding release to date. Tales of drug money and salacious street exploits abound, but are skewed towards weighty reflection. Aided by syrupy soul loops, leaning on production from names such as Rich Kidd,...Read More

Shady Blaze - The 5th Chapter

editorial@exclaim.ca (Peter Marrack) — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:17:24 -0400

Shady Blaze is chapter five of Green Ova Undergrounds, the fifth and final artist signed to Main Attrakionz' label. Inspired by the death of his son, The 5th Chapter speaks to a generation of plugged-in kids, encouraging them to think for themselves and be creative. It's a personal, inspired and technical album, the result of many hours in the studio. Mondre and Squadda (Main Attrakionz) kick things off with "Fucked Up," using Auto-Tune to help listeners better understand their brand of cloud rap. Blaze spits a single verse, introducing us to his relentless flow and conscious approach....Read More

Homeboy Sandman - Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent

editorial@exclaim.ca (Ryan B. Patrick) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:50:56 -0400

Don't call Homeboy Sandman slept on, call him super-prolific; he's so fast heads have trouble keeping up. The Queen, NY MC delivers Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent, which arrives hot on the heels of 2012's First of a Living Breed. Familiarity does not breed contempt in this case — by making this EP reverent to the god-level DJ, who parlayed a '70s era South Bronx sound into the template for contemporary hip-hop, Homeboy Sandman uses the eight tracks wisely. Sandman's measured intellect, coupled with an intense lyrical flow, bounces around metaphoric musings with wild abandon....Read More

Hermitofthewoods - Land of the Lotus Eaters

editorial@exclaim.ca (Thomas Quinlan) — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:15:06 -0400

With two self-produced albums behind him — his second, Love's Dark Season, was named one of the best local albums of 2009 by Halifax's The Coast magazine — Hermitofthewoods teams with producer Scott Da Ros for his third outing, and it's a fantastic match. Da Ros's unorthodox production — a hybrid of hip-hop, electronic music influences, glitch and white noise — holds the entire project together, offering a surprisingly unified sound to a varied album that opens with atmospheric, spacey instrumental "Once Upon A Time," which leads into nu-funk party jam...Read More

Eve - Lip Lock

editorial@exclaim.ca (Chayne Japal) — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:13:49 -0400

Every MC needs self-confidence. Some rappers do just fine with that alone. Unfortunately, Eve (a decade removed from her glory days as Ruff Ryders' first lady) doesn't possess as much as she once did on fourth album Lip Lock. While she's been able to sustain a healthy and seemingly happy lifestyle in the 11 years between this and her last album, both Interscope and EMI decided repeatedly she couldn't make a record worth releasing. That had to hurt. Now, she's gone the independent route and funded this comeback on her own dime. Sadly, instead of delivering a project that gives some...Read More

The Uncluded - Hokey Fright

editorial@exclaim.ca (Thomas Quinlan) — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:41:35 -0400

Having already tested the water with collaborations on each other's recent solo albums, rapper/producer Aesop Rock and anti-folk singer Kimya Dawson (the Moldy Peaches) have decided to take their musical experiment further as a duo. Aside from the drums on debut single "Delicate Cycle," which were handled by Yo La Tengo's James McNew, Aesop and Kimya wrote, performed and recorded the entire album in a variety of locations, and it shows. A few songs sound professional studio quality, but many have a lo-fi, bedroom studio feel that suits the Uncluded's ego-free combination of Kimya's quirky...Read More

4th Pyramid - The Sky Belongs To The Stars

editorial@exclaim.ca (Mark Bozzer) — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:47:54 -0400

Toronto, ON vet 4th Pyramid is back in the mix with his latest EP, The Sky Belongs To The Stars, which sees the long-time MC/producer demonstrating growth both musically and personally on this solid offering. In addition to his production, 4th links with Rich Kidd on opener "Stay Up High," which has him spitting bars over the grimy analog stutter the Kidd serves up. "Friday Nights," produced by Grandtheft, is a straight-up party record that wouldn't sound out of place on a little record (ahem…classic) I dusted off recently entitled Uptown Saturday Night. On "A Little Out...Read More

Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap

editorial@exclaim.ca (Erin Lowers) — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:11:50 -0400

Just over a year after releasing his debut mixtape, Chicago, IL native Chance the Rapper has returned with his unique, coming-of-age, 13-track narrative, Acid Rap. Opener "Pusha Man" revels in the drug odyssey that lays the backbone of this album, which is further supported by the hazy "Smoke Again" and the lows of "Lost." Chance reveals the softer side of his persona on the nostalgic "Cocoa Butter Kisses" and with the storytelling of "Acid Rain," two tracks that singlehandedly outline the purpose of this album: transitioning from childhood to adulthood. One thing this album doesn't...Read More

Havoc - 13

editorial@exclaim.ca (Luke Fox) — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:04:59 -0400

As rap artists age, too often they reach outside their comfort zone, or the zone their fans feel comfortable within, in order to bend new ears. For recent examples, look no further than the Rasta-fied Snoop Lion, 50 Cent's Adam Levine helicopter debacle or anything LL Cool J has done that hasn't involved beating down a home intruder. Fellow Queens, NY representative Havoc won't fall into that trap. From its gloomy, snare-popping beats and icily paranoid verses right down to the song titles ("Hear Dat," "Getting Mines") and guest drops (Raekwon, Royce da 5'9"), 13's aesthetic is vintage...Read More

The Extremities - Re:Fresh

editorial@exclaim.ca (Thomas Quinlan) — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:33:36 -0400

The Extremities tap friends and frequent collaborators in a bid to showcase their impressive production skills with this album of remixes. In the process, they pull in some big names that appeared as guests on the original tracks, which should be a big help in getting producer/MPC button smasher Fresh Kils and producer/DJ Uncle Fester a little more notice. For Re:Fresh, the duo take their remixes in very different directions than the originals, often adding energy and hype-ness to songs that were fairly laidback, in most cases even improving upon the originals. Another nice bonus is...Read More

Talib Kweli - Prisoner of Conscious

editorial@exclaim.ca (Kevin Jones) — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:08:59 -0400

Some 15 years after helping to lead the Rawkus charge, quickly establishing himself as an underground hero of consciousness in the process, Talib Kweli has finally taken a solid shot at the "pay me" record he's hinted at here and there throughout his surprisingly consistent career. Saying as much just a couple tracks into Prisoner of Conscious with the "Paid In Full"-sampling "Turnt Up," Kweli lays out a record that, while clearly designed for maximum appeal, with guests like Miguel, Melanie Fiona, Kendrick Lamar, Busta Rhymes and Nelly, manages to feel entirely natural, for the most...Read More

Rittz - The Life and Times of Jonny Valiant

editorial@exclaim.ca (Peter Marrack) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:46:55 -0400

One of the few uplifting moments on Rittz's new album occurs when he's shouting out his homies in Toronto — Droppin' Knowledge booked Rittz for a spot date in late 2011, which contributed to the Atlanta, GA rapper's early buzz. The rest of the album is morose, a diatribe against commercial rap bloated with personal confessions. Rittz raps well, channelling Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and mentor Yelawolf, but he beats his content to death. "My Interview" is a creative, albeit embittered, criticism of rap journalism built upon the call-and-response between interviewer and interviewee. Rittz...Read More

LL Cool J - Authentic

editorial@exclaim.ca (Ryan B. Patrick) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:20:27 -0400

Circling the 14th studio album of one James Todd Smith, it's tempting to shift into full snark, especially in light of the fact that the original title for this project was "Authentic Hip-Hop." LL Cool J has reinvented himself as a television actor/award show host, but the attempts to appeal to his current conservative network television demographic, bringing in an ill-advised and incongruous coterie of genre artists like Eddie Van Halen, Snoop Dogg, Fatman Scoop and Travis Barker, fall flat. The overstuffed "Something About You" (with Earth, Wind & Fire, Charlie Wilson and ex-Pussycat Girl...Read More

Nametag & Nameless - For Namesake

editorial@exclaim.ca (Kevin Jones) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:47:56 -0400

After years spent just beyond the shadows of the MCs who've carried the torch for Detroit's legendary hip-hop scene over the past decade, feisty lyricist Nametag and beat-slinging cohort Nameless have declared it time to show and prove. For Namesake, the duo's first full-length go-around as a unit, features all of the unsettled grittiness and fractured, soul-laced beauty you'd expect from a record coming out of the D. The tough-as-concrete beats, dissonant, diced-up keyboard melodies and droning, digital bass lines of cuts like "How I Get," "Cease & Desist" and "May Day" are fairly par...Read More

Blades of Steel - Like a Calf in a Tubesock

editorial@exclaim.ca (Thomas Quinlan) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:31:25 -0400

Sports-obsessed rapper Ricca Razor Sharp joins with occasional collaborator SoLeo and a backing band to form live hip-hop group Blades of Steel, named after Konami's classic hockey videogame. Blades of Steel musicians Smokin Jay (drums), Jonny Vincent (guitar/vocals), Roopert El Toro (keys/production) and Al Caissie (bass/vocals) attempt to maintain the breakbeat style of hip-hop, but with a looser sound and the freedom to drop into solos. Their debut five-song EP opens with "403°," an homage to their hometown of Calgary, AB, heavy with hockey references and braggadocio. A groovy, upbeat...Read More

Styles P - Float

editorial@exclaim.ca (Peter Marrack) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:25:54 -0400

There's a telling skit that divides Styles P's new collaborative album with Scram Jones; it's called "Haze vs. Sour" and has Styles arguing with former the Lox bandmate Jadakiss about midafternoon strains. Jadakiss insists on the Haze, because it reminds him of the '90s and doesn't stink up his apartment's elevator. But Styles doesn't buy it; he wants the Sour, "that new shit." Float (the Yonkers, NY rapper's sixth studio album) explores new sonic territory, rooted in gangster rap, but branching into more experimental electronic production. Jones (who made a name for himself producing...Read More

Kid Cudi - Indicud

editorial@exclaim.ca (Chris Dart) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:14:25 -0400

Saying a Kid Cudi album is weird is like saying water is wet; it's just kind of a given. His new record, Indicud, is almost certainly the only album to ever feature guest spots from Michael Bolton and Too $hort. It's also a smart, fun, eclectic record full of psychedelic influences and great, massive choruses. "Just What I Am" is a classic Cudi stoner anthem with a strong, molasses-slow, pitched down hook that sticks with you for days. The rock-y "Young Lady," a collaboration with Father John Misty, picks up where Cudi's WZRD project left off. "Afterwards (Bring Your Friends)" is the...Read More

Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge - Twelve Reasons to Die

editorial@exclaim.ca (Del F. Cowie) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:01:19 -0400

Ghostface Killah's rep for vivid, cinematic street narratives is well established, but in recent years the potency of his gritty yarns has been diluted by the spotty quality of his output. Twelve Reasons to Die marks a return to form and co-collaborator Adrian Younge is the primary reason why. A multi-instrumentalist and producer who came to create classic soul after knocking beats out on samplers, Younge is an apt foil for Ghostface's rhymes, which have always liberally cribbed from sweeping '70s orchestral soul. Twelve Reasons to Die is an album-length fictional narrative...Read More

Papoose - Nacirema Dream

editorial@exclaim.ca (Del F. Cowie) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:00:48 -0400

At one point in time, armed with a record deal worth over a million dollars, Brooklyn, NY MC Papoose was heralded as the future of NYC street rap. But then industry red tape meant the momentum he built with a mountainous slew of mixtapes dried up, and then his wife, fellow MC Remy Ma, was incarcerated. Papoose's profile virtually slipped into the ether. Now, seven years after it was first supposed to surface The Nacirema Dream is finally here, putting Papoose in an unenviable position. Without listening to a beat, you already know the record cannot meet the initial hype due to the long...Read More

DL Incognito - Someday is Less than a Second Away

editorial@exclaim.ca (Chayne Japal) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:00:48 -0400

Respected Ottawa-bred, Toronto-based hip-hop journeyman DL Incognito isn't necessarily the pay-the-bills type; he raps because he has to. His recent efforts have resulted in a fifth album, Someday is Less than a Second Away, a tight, potent record that utilizes his and his collaborators' strengths. He again relies on underrated counterpart Tech Twelve for the majority of his backing tracks. They complement each other well, both taking a traditional approach to hip-hop; Tech serves chopped-up soul samples while DL confidently tears into them with his witty boasts, and it's evident...Read More

Slaine - The Boston Project

editorial@exclaim.ca (Peter Marrack) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:00:39 -0400

This release is for the fans that have been with Slaine (or the genre) since the beginning, satisfying expectations while still pushing them. Stepping away from the comic book fiction and witchcraft imagery common to his group, La Coka Nostra. Slaine spins tangible, realistic yarns of addiction, grief, defeat and, occasionally, triumph. He draws as equally from the street folk tales of the Boston projects as his life and career. On "Loyalty," Slaine skips from bar to bar, schizophrenically arranging vignettes of hustler etiquette, with Kali twisting up a soulful melody for a hook about riding...Read More

Checkmate & Concise - Love & War

editorial@exclaim.ca (Thomas Quinlan) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:59:50 -0400

Vancouver rappers Checkmate and Concise are back with another album, but they've dropped Defenders of the Faith in favour of their names. Aside from that, it's business as usual. The beats are the highlights, featuring a nice variety of sounds, from trap ("Space Odyssey") and dubstep ("Cosmic Luv") to funky, banging hip-hop beats ("Big Time") and downtempo rap ballads ("Congratulations"). Lyrically, Love & War remains true to the title — a mix of positive and negative. For "love," "Congratulations" celebrates success, as well as the family and friends whose support was integral...Read More

Tyga - Hotel California

editorial@exclaim.ca (Chayne Japal) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:54:21 -0400

Fourteen months after the release of his surprisingly tolerable last album, Careless World, Tyga follows up with Hotel California. The turnaround might have been even quicker if failed attempts to clear a handful of 2Pac samples used for a hodgepodge verse on "Hit 'Em Up" (named after a Pac diss track, but a Tyga original, sort of) didn't slow things down. It's a shame the verse didn't make it through, as it would have been a perfect fit on this ridiculous big-budget train wreck. Lead single "Dope" is a pretty cool flip of Dr. Dre's classic "Deep Cover," but it ultimately...Read More

Big K.R.I.T. - King Remembered In Time

editorial@exclaim.ca (Luke Fox) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:17:02 -0400

It's funny how the smart ones have more questions than answers. "I apologize for what I didn't know," confesses Big K.R.I.T. on the sort-of self-titled King Remembered In Time (the acronym K.R.I.T. expanded), yet another worthy addition to his disparate collection of trunk-rattlers and thoughtful blues. The Mississippi artist is hot off batting cleanup on A$ap Rocky's "1 Train," clinching the best verse on the year's preeminent posse cut, but those familiar with K.R.I.T.'s "mixtapes" know to expect something that plumbs deeper than hot 16s and scattered guests. From its fully formed...Read More

Art Vandelay - Eye 8 The Crow

editorial@exclaim.ca (Thomas Quinlan) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:44:44 -0400

While the duo's moniker is borrowed from Seinfeld and the title of their third album is a quote from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, there's no sitcom humour here. Like their previous two releases, Eye 8 The Crow is gritty, dark and edgy. Rapper Ricky Pharoe has a pretty bleak outlook on life; he's on one hand self-deprecating, but on the other, he's still better than you — "humbly arrogant" he calls it on "Emilio Estevez." A recurring theme throughout is the challenges of success, but whether he's rapping about the music business, suicidal thoughts, smoking...Read More

Tyler, the Creator - Wolf

editorial@exclaim.ca (Chris Dart) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:34:35 -0400

If you're looking for more over-the-top, inflammatory for the sake of shock rap from Tyler, the Creator, you'll be fairly pleased with his third solo album, Wolf. If, on the other hand, you're kind of over the Odd Future frontman's horror rap shtick, Wolf will pleasantly surprise you beyond your wildest dreams. Songs like "Jamba," "Domo23" and "Pigs" have enough hooliganism and cartoon violence to satisfy Tyler's core fanbase of feral 15-year olds. The rest of the album, however, is deep, dark, intensely personally and occasionally downright beautiful. On "Answer," Tyler...Read More

Blu - York

editorial@exclaim.ca (Erin Lowers) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:21:11 -0400

Since the success of his collaboration with producer Exile, Below the Heavens, Blu has steadily maintained his place in hip-hop with several independently released projects. Indeed, York was originally leaked on the Internet a couple of years back and never saw its intended major label release. This is the L.A. MC's deluxe version of the project, embracing Blu's undeniable desire to push hip-hop to its limits. York boasts a nostalgic feel, featuring a jazz-infused skeleton, electric funk samples and experimental blends throughout the 14 tracks. Laced with artists likes...Read More

Durag Dynasty - 360 Waves

editorial@exclaim.ca (Mark Bozzer) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:38:18 -0400

Rap's current production workhorse, Alchemist, is back with yet another project. Fresh off the heels of dope collaborations with Currensy, Odd Future's Domo Genesis and Bronsolino, Alc is back with a fresh batch of beats for West coast vet and perennially underappreciated MC Planet Asia and his two Gold Chain Military cohorts, Killer Ben and Tristate, to spit knowledge over. With assists from Evidence, Phil the Agony, Chace Infinite, Prodigy, Imam Thug and the Big Twins, Durag Dynasty's got next, serving up no-nonsense rhymes over "obviously it's gonna be dope; it's Alchemist" sound beds....Read More

Lil Wayne - I Am Not A Human Being II

editorial@exclaim.ca (Kevin Jones) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:37:44 -0400

Tha Carter III and the year Weezy was king are starting to feel like distant memories given the middling output the Young Money chief's been dropping on the world in the time since. New record I Am Not A Human Being II does little to break Lil Wayne's lengthy streak of mediocrity, and much of that is due to the man's increasing limited lyrical scope. The problem with reducing nearly every spoken phrase to an unrelenting string of rap metaphors (three quarters of which are explicitly sexual) is that very few MCs — let alone this one — have ever been that consistently...Read More

GQ - Death Threats and Love Notes: The Prelude

editorial@exclaim.ca (Erin Lowers) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:00:45 -0400

As the latest artist to sign with Grammy-winning producer 9th Wonder's Jamla label, California rapper GQ is a former NCAA Champion, and was en route to the NBA before releasing his first record in 2010. Today, as he prepares to release his debut album, GQ has given listeners something to hold onto in the meantime with mixtape Death Threats and Love Notes: The Prelude. Primarily over 9th Wonder and Eric G. production, GQ manages to bring the West coast, laid-back style, with poignant storytelling deliveries. He spits, "paint the perfect picture, then live in it," and that's exactly what...Read More

The Antiheroes - Modern Day Riot

editorial@exclaim.ca (Del F. Cowie) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:00:28 -0400

While the title, artwork and group name may suggest you'd be in for a session of uncompromising agitprop rap, Toronto, ON hip-hip duo the Antiheroes do a good job bucking expectations on this free release. That isn't to say there isn't a rebellious attitude underneath the music, it's just that the Antiheroes like to serve up some cheese with their broccoli. MCs Flex and Sha Prince's mission statement of going against what mainstream hip-hop is delivering is apparent and actualized from the moment you hit play. This sentiment is most evident on the minimalist "Blow Up," featuring D-Sisive,...Read More

Swollen Members - Beautiful Death Machine

editorial@exclaim.ca (Chris Dart) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:23:36 -0400

There's much to like on Beautiful Death Machine, Swollen Members' eighth studio album: the production is dark, ominous and heavy, while Mad Child and Prevail's delivery sounds crisper than ever. Unfortunately, there is also one fairly glaring shortcoming: there's entirely too much rapping about rap. Fully two-thirds of Beautiful Death Machine is dedicated to the Members talking about how good they are at rap. This would be totally acceptable from some young cats dropping their first couple mixtapes, but for rap game veterans in their 30s, it feels kind of weak. At this point, it...Read More

Yelawolf - Trunk Muzik Returns

editorial@exclaim.ca (Peter Marrack) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:51:25 -0400

Yelawolf talks about his Trunk Muzik sequel like it's some sort of rebirth, like he's saying goodbye to Hollywood without ever getting there. Radioactive (Yela's studio debut from 2011) lost him a fair share of fans as soon as they saw Fefe Dobson on the credits. Here, Yela reassures us he's done trying to make radio hits. Technically, his bars sound sharp as ever; even to a critical listener the double-timed, crisp-as-a-typewriter flows sail over your head. "Manager wants me to do a song for the whole place, without a microphone, DJ and no stage," raps Yela on "Fame," detailing...Read More

Torae - Admission of Guilt

editorial@exclaim.ca (Del F. Cowie) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:43:09 -0400

Torae has cultivated an identity over the years as being a quintessential underground NYC MC, one schooled on classic, gritty '90s hip-hop, who steadily issues solid head-nodding material. On the undeniable DJ Premier-scored 2007 "Get It Done/Click" twelve-inch with fellow underground denizen Skyzoo, Double Barrel (his collaborative album with Toronto, ON-born producer Marco Polo) or 2011's For the Record full-lengh, this served the Young vet well. But it's apparent on Admission of Guilt that Torae feels a little constrained. Simply put: Torae wants to make money. That...Read More

Kaleidoscope Jukebox - Infinite Reflection

editorial@exclaim.ca (Thomas Quinlan) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:36:51 -0400

Having cut his teeth with a series of EPs, work that includes a winning remix for Thievery Corporation and a few interesting "rebuilds" or covers of classic rock songs, producer/multi-instrumentalist Clint Carty (aka Kaleidoscope Jukebox) finally releases his first full-length. His EPs have been themed after certain sample sources — soul for This Is That Soulful Way Out Sound, swing for Symmetric Swing Theory and Indian music for Songs of Samadhi — and the singles show an even greater diversity in his sample selections. But with Infinite Reflection,...Read More