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 Amad-Jamal
Barely Hangin On
ABB Records | 2010
'Long-awaited', 'finally' and 'at last'; the words that appear when you Google this album, couldn’t define the record’s release much better. From the city of LA, Amad-Jamal –but not on the piano- finally releases his debut album on ABB Records. A long-time affiliate of Dilated Peoples and Defari, and considered the next best thing from the LA under... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 06-25-2010 | rated: mighty phat
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 Murs & 9th Wonder
Fornever
SMC | 2010
With an ode to Roscoe’s, Vietnamese women with a little feminine fat, and salad days, Murs once again slides smoothly over 9th Wonder beats. Like he’s chillin on a ghetto street corner with a cup with a little rhum in it, the Californian MC raps with much comfort, coolness and flair. Clearly feeling at ease with the North Carolina producer’s Left C... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 06-22-2010 | rated: mighty phat
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 The Heart & The Brain
MbodiMent
Domination Rec | 2010
Floridian duo The Heart & The Brain is the musical brainchild of producer TzariZM aka The Heart, and heart-driven lyricist Vis Major, aka the Brain. Both link thoughtful lyrics with passionate production on their first full length, following their 'MbodiMeNT EP’ from 2007. Not an instant classic, but a measured mixture of soul and consciousness.... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 06-21-2010 | rated: phat
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 Eulorhythmics
Green St & Avers
All Natural Inc | 2010
Eulorhythmics, not to be confused with Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox’s group, might be not the most known group off the All Natural Inc roster, but after ten years of making music together, Chicagoans Kenny Keys and MC Adad are still getting the best out of each other. Slowly gaining popularity amongst underground heads, both artists know how to ma... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 04-24-2010 | rated: phat
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 Ron Contour & Factor
Saffron
Fake Four Records | 2010
When knots blossom, bee’s milk flowers and the sun sets later, summer is behind the corner. If you’re a music adept, you then tend to hold on to the sounds of a mellow, fine-tuned album. Remove the dust from your outdoor music installation and take the garden chair out of the attic, because 'Saffron' might be that record accompanying you through th... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 04-11-2010 | rated: mighty phat
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 Strong Arm Steady
In Search of Stoney Jackson
Stones Throw | 2010
Which rapper or rap group wouldn’t be glad to receive a couple of hundred beats from a brilliant loop digger like Madlib to pick from for a new album? The Oxnard resident slash versatile production genius entered the game with the quirky and highly blunted beats of the Lootpack and Quasimoto LP’s and moved forward to visionary and hard-hitting prod... [ READ
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posted by: peejay | 03-14-2010 | rated: phat
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 The Grouch
Three Eyes Off The Time
Legendary | 2009
The Grouch, the Living Legend who has turned 'being a father' into 'the new cool', returns with a 10-track album, produced by DJ Fresh. Have you ever heard an MC rappin more cooler about raising a daughter? Have you ever heard an MC spittin about responsibility with more flair? Chances are slim. However The Grouch must be one of the few emcees who ... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 02-19-2010 | rated: mighty phat
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 Beatmonstas
Bomb Til We Hit Em
Beatmonstas Ent | 2009
The Chicago collective of Therapy, Noble Dru, Phashara, Sense and Rahfiki returns, after four years, with a sophomore album that clearly shows an evolution during the last few years.
The great choice of samples, the effective scratches, the nice guest features and the crew's solid flowin, really appeal. Check out 'Rippin To The Last Bar' ... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 02-18-2010 | rated: mighty phat
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 Edan
Echo Party
Five Day Weekend | 2009
What happens when Edan (The Deejay) gets the chance to mess around with Traffic Entertainment’s back catalogue, consisting of long-gone but treasured labels such as Magic Records, Chocolate Star and P&P? Cheer madness occurs. Super-ecstatically mixed together, breaks collide with bleeps, and kazoos clinch with cuts while a flinch of familiar party ... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 12-12-2009 | rated: mighty phat
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 DJ Spinna
Sonic Smash
High Water | 2009
No Eminem (featured on Spinna’s ‘Heavy Beats vol. 1’) this time, but make sure to buckle up, get ready for DJ Spinna’s newest ‘Sonic Smash’. It’s a showcase of hungry young lions, rapping like every rhyme will feed them an antelope, and household stagers, whose verse delivery is more advanced than an experienced midwife’s, combined with a productio... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 10-07-2009 | rated: topnotch
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 D.Black
Ali'Yah
MYX Music | 2009
A dedication to moving on in the best way, to grow up, to deal with responisbilities, D.Black’s newest album seemed like a complicated task for a lyricist of that young age (22), but amazingly the Seattle rapper really did an admirable job. Without one time getting too preachery, 'Ali'Yah' (Hebrew for 'to ascend') is a testimony of life expercience... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 10-07-2009 | rated: mightyphat
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 Breakestra
Dusk Till Dawn
Strut | 2009
Break fiends, 70’s funk afficionados beware, because Breakestra is back after a five years’ break. With the first listening we had some problems with our time orientation, as the music totally pulls you back thirty years earlier. At the same time, we were very surprised with the group's ability to even be able to reproduce some of that era’s best f... [ READ
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posted by: engelbert humperfunk | 10-06-2009 | rated: phat
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 Aarophat & Illastrate
The Black Noise LP
IllSevenz/Working Class | 2009
How long does it take for an emcee and a producer to click and build chemistry? Aarophat, an MC reppin Youngstown, Ohio, and Illastrate, a producer holding it down for Atlanta, only needed 14 hours. In 14 tracks, the MC’s raw, waterproof flow and Illastrate’s dirty drums with dusty soul sampling match seamlessly.
'Th... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 09-15-2009 | rated: mighty phat
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 Us3
Run.stop.think
- | 2009
Over fifteen years ago, Us3’s 'Cantaloop' became a smash hit single and made 'Hand On The Torch', the album it appeared on, Blue Note’s first platinum selling album in the US. The single still remains essential regarding the impact the album had on hip-hop. A hip-hop record went platinum on an essential jazz label and for the first time, there was ... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 06-25-2009 | rated: mighty phat
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 Moka Only
Lowdown Suite 2 - The Box
Feelin Music | 2009
When it comes down to Moka Only and releases one could easily loose track (better say 'album'). When one is announced another album comes along already. Later this year, the self-proclaimed 'hungry hippo' will release a full length album together with Pharcyde's Bootie Brown and (hopefully) the Mister Mister project with Mr. Brady. Now it's time fo... [ READ
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posted by: cpf | 06-06-2009 | rated: mighty phat
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