Aceyalone: Rappers, Rappers, Rappers 12 for 10 b/w Dilated People: Strength (Full Frequency)

Acey's one a damn rampage right now. Not only is this song, off of the *Strength Presents...the Subtext* compilation the bomb, but he's got two more butters off of Fat Jack's *Cater to the DJ * (Celestial) double-CD album. Anyways, "Rappers" nails Acey at his ego-boastin' best. Calling out every type of MC imaginable "kiddie rappers, big city rappers, five for fifty rappers, hello kitty rappers..." Acey lays the line and then walks it with deftness as Evidence pumps through another great piano track that lumbers along. The flipside finds Evidence striking again, this time with Dilated partner Iriscience as they drop the title track from the compilation. It may not be as good as "Sound Bombing" (is that sh*t ever going to come out?) but don't cry, Dilated dries your third eye.

If this sh*t wasn't from their first LP, I'll trade in my hip-hop credentials. "Fluid" and "40 Oz." totally work off the fresh, funky feel of the Beatnuts circa 1994, when they were still looping up jazz tracks and talkin' mad sh*t. Like Pepsi Riley says on the new joint, "I love it." "Fluid" is all that and then some, flexing a sweet loop from Cal Tjader's "Morning". Meanwhile, "40 Oz." borrows from Ronnie Foster's soul/jazz catalog (same raid that ATCQ pulled for "Electric Relaxation" and it makes for another sublime experience. "Sandwiches" is a slightly tweaked version of what was on the album, nothing too new there, but the two songs would have fit perfectly on that first LP. Lucky for you someone held onto the masters.

Common continues to exert magnetism as hip-hop's moral center (though his misionary work is dangerously running close to being a little overbearing). I just wish Jay Dee's minimalistic track of simple bass notes and a Rza-esque handclap beat was livelier. The gamble with much of the Ummah's sh*t is that it can lose its sonic edge with its organic bid. Mark, the 45 King, managed to keep sh*t simple but sweet for Common on "Car Horn" but Jay Dee just keeps it (too) somple for "Dooinit" (which ironically samples "Car Horn").

As solid as you can imagine with Evidence and Rev teaming up (again). These guys are ridiculously consistent together though I lived the big-bottom bounce on "Evolution" better than the track on "Revidence" which felt a bit dry and repetitive. Nonetheless, this 12" is some solid underground sh*t, guaranteed to liven up the mix-show circuit for a hot second at least.

Hands down, the best Latyrx track I've heard in ages, and that includes their stuff from the recent Quannum "Spectrum" album. Lyrically, it's not worlds different - it's still a thinking man's braggaodico with Lateef and Lyrics Born trading mics like Pokemon cards, but Herbaliser gives them a pair of great beats to rhyme over, especially version one which drifts between heaven and earth with ethereal bass drones and dirty, dusty drums. This 12" also includes the aggro "Who's the Realest".

It's criminally stoopid how consistently dope Premier manages to be. It seems like he's never been busy, doing production jobs for everyone nowadays (Limp Biskit was a mistake though) but damned if the Works of Mart don't come extra wicked for this Group Home beat. From the fantastic loop to just the small inclusion of the bell that kicks off each set of verses, it's a helluva piece of expert production. Plus, Lil Dap sounds better than ever and Guru holds his own as usual. Dope, dope single.

A VERY interesting song, not to the least of which is it's crazy switches in speed. The song kicks off around 100 BPM but when J starts to rhyme, it rockets up towards bounce-like velocity only to suddenly down-shift to 92 BPM in a brilliant piece of lyrical and musical work. The effect is quite impressive as you're totally twisted around but not as jarringly as you might think. It's a lot better than artists like Canibus or Tracey Lee have tried to pull off and just goes to show that J-Live is a different kind of MC. The song runs through one chorus and at the end of the next set of rhymes, begins its slow wind down to sub-80BPM, a loping, almost cataonic tromp that J slithers along with. And did I mention the lyrics are dope? But you knew that right? A head's dream, a DJ's nightmare.

At some point, we may actually get to hear a Jurassic 5 album, but in the meantime, I can live with this EP. The title track is s'okay - up-tempo and a lot of fun, but in the end equation, not better than "Concrete Schoolyard" or "In the Flesh." Speaking of the former, they have the we-can't-get-our-label-to-pay-for-sample-clearance-edit of "Concrete Schoolyard" which is still fairly fresh despite being ages old, but alas, no Part 2 on this. The real gem is "Concrete and Clay", a remix of "Schoolyard" that brings in a lively new piano track and pop-locking drums plus new lyrics. Yeaaaaah.

It might seem almost obligatory to rave about this 12", but in spite of whatever HIGH expectations I had for Mos Def's first single off the new LP, this meets and exceeds them. Sure, take that with a grain of salt if you want since it seems like everyone wants to jock the Mos Diggy but sh*t, this single's is bombing from both sides. "Ms. Fat Booty" left me a little disappointed in its subject matter - somewhere between "Silent Treatment" (which would have been tight) and any number of don't-trust-a-big-butt-and-a-smile tales which plague hip-hop. But the beat that Kool G hooks up is just doooooope. Mad, mad soulful and had me holdin' my head something crazy tight. And the flipside, both content and beat is on-point...it's not necessarily Primo's bestest sh*t at the moment ("Legacy" gets that nod) but Premier hardly disappoints and Mos just pours on the knowledge like suntan lotion, SPF 2000. Can I stop now? You know the deal - this is that sh*t.

If nothing else, Rasco is pretty f*ckin' consistent. Another head banger, "Bustin'" comes off the increasingly enormous catalog of M-Boogie and the Blackberry fam. Pretty hot sh*t, on par with any of Rasco's recent sh*t so you know the deal. Mix DJs will have lotsa fun on this one. Flipside has more beats from M-Boogie for instrumental hounds.

SDM stands for the Sanutayshun Department Muzick and I'm REALLY feeling this EP. It reminds me of the spirit of Bored Stiff's first EP...a Bay Area bred piece of hip-hop creativity that keeps it crunchy for the underground heads but with the right touch of meditative thought. My favorite off this is track 2 which has that head nod groove down pat even if the MC featured does sound a tad too much like the D-E-L (I'm not calling him a biter, but check the rhyme scheme and you tell me). Worth a spin.

Ice Cube still did it first (and best) but I give Fingaz ample credit for a hilarious bite on all the big shots in the business. Not only does he track snatch from folks like Jay Z, Nas, Ja Rule, Eve, even his own crew Onyx, but he also bites flows too, especially with his Juvenile imitation. You feeling this, ha?

Oakland's premier hip-hop/drum n' bass up-and-comers bring aboard fellow Oaktowner Planet Asia on "Critical" complete with Madlib remix, thus completing the Bay Area indie circle. Fans of Zion I's last 12" will find much to like with this new one, whether it's the head-crackin' A-side or the jazzy flip (plus drum n' bass remix of "Venus"). Zion I is impressing me wildly with their creativity, intelligence and quality of execution. Not knowing? Introduce yourself to the Zion I crew through this 12".

After a slightly soporific effort last time out, MHz blast out the gate wtih a hype braggadocio track, "Rocket Science." Dropping dis after dis over a nice country funk guitar beat, the MHz rattle on and on till it leaves *you* exhausted. "Magnetics" chills the mood out a bit, all basslines and calm keys. The spit-fire pace of their lyrics doesn't come off quite as clean on this song but as they slow down to finish off on "Absolutely Posolutely", their enunciation works well against the lazy vibes and rattling hi-hats. Altogether, a nice little 12" from Fondle 'Em.

Like most of the Blackberry material, this one's made for the DJs...nice, snappy beats with bottom kick. Lyrically thought, Mykill Miers (bad name, I'm sorry) doesn't really come off that distinctive...he sounds like any number of underground MCs trying to puff themselves up. In any case, if you want to go with the bump, throw on "The Illest". Bounce, bounce, bounce.

This album...which probably will never come out as an album...has now spawned two volumes of vinyl, featuring most of the songs that were supposed to be on the actual project. All in all, I think it may not have been a bad idea to bury the album and just do it this way. The song selection was surprisingly weak despite Saukrates' well of talent. The tracks on these two volumes are unven, at best...better one's include the "Play Dis" remix on Vol 1., but "Keep It Movin" (w/ Xzibit, also on Vol 1). Vol 2 comes up shorter..."Da Professional" is nice, but it rips off the same Oliver Sain song that DITC, Puffy and god knows who else has already flipped. What's more startling is the amount of material that does NOT impress, such as "Innovations" feat. Pharoahe Monch (Vol 2) and a handful of songs from Vol 1. My final verdict recommends you pick these up - the amount of strong material is worth the cost - but don't expect to walk away with 14 songs like "Father Time" or "Action".

Friends o' 7L and Esoteric, the Skitzofreniks have an ok single on their hands...frankly, I'm not really feeling them lyrically - not enough vocal presence and cleverness ratio isn't banging either. The lead song is nice enough - but no radio version! (Gas face for denying DJs like me a chance to rock it on shows). "Super Hoe" is an uninspired attempt at jumping off of BDP's original and the flipside is the posse cut featuring 7L and Eso, plus Reks and Virtuoso.

This import 12" of two previously unreleased Gangstarr songs has to go down as the worst pair of Gangstarr tracks in existence. Apart from bad titling, ("I'm not Superman"?), the tracks are wick-wick wack. The credits say Primo but it ain't like any Works of Mart I've ever heard. Guru does ok - he's not really the main embarassment here, but the single feels more like some import hack job, trying to pass itself off to an unsuspecting public.

Johnny Doswell: Hostile Takeover/Ready, Ready (Total Impact)

Vaguely notable b/c the MC sounds a bit like Biggie (just more Brownsville than Bed-Stuy) and the track is a nice little Primo-knock-off. The flip-side is just about the same, just more Queensbridge now with a Havoc-esque track of strings and a hyperactive drum loop. But lyrically? Thugged out warfare baby.

From the Temple of Hip-Hop series, this isn't exactly horrible, but it doesn't bespeak well for the Temple's future. Bad R&B hook and lyrics that sound like they're by DMX's younger brother.

It's a gimmick song, to be sure, but at least it's enjoyable. 50 Cent's wholesale jacking of everyone in the hip-hop community is the ghetto gold version of the Last Emperor's underground ode, "Secret Wars". You gotta give ample credit to 50 Cent though - his sh* is mad clever at times and doesn't hold back much at all. Lose the Madd Rapper on the hook though...he sounds like he needs a shot of Primatine Mist with that annoying wheeze of his.

Two subpar Primo tracks and you realize, hey, Afu Ra really isn't that big of a deal.

Man, the DITC are on full press right now, with AG leading the charge. Not only is he on that new DJ Greyboy single (see below), the new DITC single but he's also warming up his own solo joint with "Rude Awakening." Andre is still lording over the track on "Mudslide", the B-side sleeper which I thought had the vastly superior production but as you can guess, I didn't find "Rude Awakening" to be all that eye-opening. Seriously though, AG is rather everywhere right now and he needs to be careful that he's not spreading himself too thin.

Comedy. But the radio edit sucks (no pun intended) the life out of the song.

While this wasn't as solid as his last single, "SayYesSayWord" is the joint, especially with its corn flake crunchy drum track lacing sh*t all up. And personally, I'm feeling Akrobatik as an MC - he's not mo' clever, but he's got good flow and a forceful presence. Unfortunately, "Militant Raw" felt overcooked and "Live" just wasn't. Stick with the A-side.

I don't know what it is...maybe it's that these MCs just exhaust me when I listen to them, but I can't get excited about their sh*t nowadays. That's not completely true: they have this dope new song called "Fat Laces" on the *Defenders of the Underground* (Battle Axe) compilation, but it ain't on their album and it certainly isn't on here. "Backdraft" is cool and all, but it's nothing you haven't heard from this crew before. Same goes for the flip.

I thougth Bobbito was going to pop up on this MF, but then it dawned on me: why would the owner of Fondle 'Em sign wtih Fat Beats? Duh... Anyway, it's a mediocore set of underground cats who might be from NY, might be from LA, but regardless the locale, they don't really go anywhere despite having E-Swift and Xzibit doing cameo work on "New Era."

For those who remember, this one came out for a brief, brief spell back about a year or two ago and then promptly vanished off the map. Now it's finally back out of the ether though honestly, now listening to it...I sort of wonder what the big deal was to begin with. Don't get me wrong - it's a good single and I really liked the Basement Khemists' sh*t off that Beyond Real compilation that came out in Japan, but it's not like an unsung classic or anything on the level of Erule's "Listen Up" or Labtekwon's "I Am Here." A very solid 12", worth having, but don't stress if you don't end up with it.

Another fine Beastie Boys outing, this time revisitng the backwards looping last heard on "Paul Revere" with much more uptempo. Nice drum loop too. This would have fit pretty nicely on their last LP though it's a little more lo-fi in its approach. I'm feeling it. As my man JD would say, "it's just big beat", but ah, what good big beat.

Dead boring is more like it. Yo - can producers puh-leaze stop using the Al Green/Paperthin rimshot? If Biggie's rhyming from beyond the grave, he apparently is stuck in some dull ass limbo because compared to "Hypnotize" or "Juicy" (his last two lead-off singles), this one really does seem like some vault sh*t that Bad Boy didn't want to drop the first time around. At least "Real N*ggaz" comes with a touch more pizzaz, featuring Lil Kim (among others) on the cameo tip.

Good lord, is it me or this just a horrible single from all sides? Bad beats, rhymes and energy. Bad omen ya'll.

He's already confronted several critics on this same charge, but to me, Choclair is a talented MC who wastes his gifts on one-track concepts. Usually sex (witness the flipside) and more sex, though "Let's Ride" is more of a holla-at-me type joint. Not bad sh*t really, but it tires quickly despite good production and a cameo on the flip by Saukrates.

It's no Crooklyn Dodgers, but Primo does pop up to honor his studio of choice. The line-up is pretty B-list, or at least minorleague: Krumbsnatcha, Tef, Starang Wondah, Afu Ra, Fat Cat Kareem and Jane Blaze though QNC's presence sort of elevates it beyond the average underground street soljah mentality (strong island represent!). Nothing to write home about but another Primo beat to slip into the mix if you're so inclined.

"Get Yours" feels like it's just trying to capitalize on the Big L bandwagon...the mixing is piss poor and the track is wack. The B-side is more like it with Joey Crack sweeping in at the get go over a much nicer beat. Non-essential though.

With "Thick" DITC meet up with Primo...I know some think this joint is the bomb and then some...I'm cool with it...it's nice sh*t though not the most banging Primo track I've heard...and lose the female vocals on the chorus while you're at it. Big L represents (surprise, surprise) along with AG and OC.

Surprisingly, the "Hidden Crate" remix with AG is garbage...I really didn't find anything compelling at all. And equally surprisingly, I liked I.C.'s "Cathy" which at least had decent production behind it and better-than-average rhymes to back it up.

The beats are decent but the MCs on this MF just ain't doing sh*t for me. If I had to play a cut at gun point, I'd go with "Psychological Profiles" but this felt prety mediocore to me. Grand Royal takes a mis-step.

I'm not sure if this is worth getting for the remix - which is ok, just not that much of an improvement or difference. Maybe a good item for the Wu collector, but for the rest of the hip-hop world, if you never hear the remix, you're life will go on unimpaired.

Even more 12"s from DJ Revolution's recent *R2K*...Insane Poetry are a'ight, but while "Let 'Em Know" hits hard, I wasn't won over by their other two songs. Not my type o' flows personally.

To quote Mos Def: "I ain't tryin' dis/but I ain't tryin' to f*ck with Limp Biskit." Message to Meth and Primo: heed the word of the brother.

Not to be mean, but Pharaoh seems to have gotten the better end of the deal when Organized broke up. Po's two singles post-Organized have been lackluster and uninspired, partly b/c his self-production is lagging, but conceptually, Po is coming more for the verbal pugalism than any wig-splitting wisdom. I'm not trying to pigeonhole Prince Po and his former partner's smash "Simon Says" attests to the fact that you can balane a party track and some cerebral sh*t but Po doesn't seem to be succeeding at either. The Fat Beats 12" is ok, but the Hydra 12" is horrendous - brainless lyrics with zero flow control. "Shine" is ok beat-wise

Again, history will likely prove me wrong, but if I had any concerns with "Vivrant Thing", "Breath and Stop" only deepens them. Hey, I don't want to try Q-Tip in Tribe-esque bohemia, but this new single sounds like "Vivrant Thing" part three - same basic beat patterns, rhyme schemes and such. I expect Cash Money to follow formula, not the 'Tipster. Abstract no more, eh?

Call me nutty, but is it weird that I'm not jazzed on this single, either side? Compared to his older sh*t, this feels pretty cookie-cutter Wu Tang without much distinguishing juice to it. It's not wack certainly, but Deck's set of 12"s make this seem pretty bland and Deck's sh*t wasn't even that tight. Why is the post-Rza Wu Tang era looking more dubious every album?

"Hostyle" might be the only song I'm significantly feeling off this new album by Screwball...mostly b/c the production is hot (which is more than I can say for the rest of the LP). It's an ill beat though Hostyle himself doens't necessarily do it justice in my opinion...just a touch too thuggish when what's needed is more mic finesse (MOP, are you listening?).

For all my initial fervor over this compilation, it's cooled down considerably for me. Aceyalone's "Rappers, Rappers, Rappers 12 for 10" is still the shizniz and Dilated Peoples' "Strength" cranks it up well too, but for the most part, I found a lot of the songs unappealing, despite the big (well, big in the underground) names attached to them. Worth checkingincludes Divine Styler's "Ghetto Supreme Being" (decent, but pales in comparison to his song on *Funky Precedent*). Too many skits bog down the rest of the LP...only a true Strength Mag. fan could (or would want to) appreciate.

Not a bad pair of remixes (done by Kut Masta Kurt on "Spies Like Us" and the Dust Bros. on "Winnetka Exit") but why these two songs? And why now? Don't get me wrong, I love Styles of Beyond, but the original "Spies Like Us" came out well over a year ago and the remix doesn't outdo the original. If Mammoth really wants to push this re-release, they gotta throw some new joints at us, or at least new remixes that totally improve on the originals.

I was surprised at this single given Supherb's older material that seemed stuck somewhere between the Alkaholiks and Meen Green. Instead, with help from the Nonce, he's evidently worked on his lyrical and conceptual skills and comes with a decent - though not outstanding - single. Check out "Backstreet Biographies" (either mix) and you'll find a MC willing to play the "keep it real" card but without all the usual posturing about.

Straight outta...Halifax? Dropping down out of Canada is this LP by the oddly-named Tachichi along with DJ Moves and includes cameos by under-underground MCs like Buck 65, Knowself and Kunga219. A mix between dirt style beats and super-cerebral rhymelistics, this reminded me of some Anticon, "advanced" sh*t. Pop accessibility is NOT the aim here so strap your thinking caps on as you plug this LP in.

The Basement Khemists' Mr. Akil shows up for the kinetically furious "How MCs Do It", blazing away with its high energy horn hits (courtesy DJ Spinna). Not a bad track, probably one of the better ones from the not-really-released-in-the-US *Beyond Real Experience* LP. The flip is just so-so...decent enough, but you won't remember it two months from now.

By any other standard, this would probably be considered a pretty cool song - not that pop-oriented, good musical values, strong lyrical performance, etc. But by the Roots' standards...I dunno...this feels a lot like an attempt to repeat "You Got Me" like success and while I'm not adverse to them banking on their talents, I have that queasy feeling that short-sighted heads like me always seem to get when we think our hometown heroes are going for the big leagues.

Part 1 originally came out over a year ago and I'm not sure what took 'em so long to get this out as a full single but unfortunately, it may not have been worth the wait. Don't get me wrong...I really liked "Emcee" but Part II takes a sophomoric slide into mediocrity and Part I is just too old for me to get excited about it a second time. Thrust is capable of more, so why isn't he doing it?

Whew, Primo really is turning in crazy production work of late. He already did a cut for Truck last time out and splits a deuce for this new single. First of all, I give more Truck this time around I did last time...his hyperactive flow (which he acknowledges) sort of feels like a triumph of style over substance, but beneath it is an MC with some potential. Primo does his share on "Breaker One", though his scratch intro is unmixable (Primo's never been the scratch master). The beat isn't one of his better ones, but it's decent. The flipside was rather dull though and KRS' infusion just doesn't add the spice of life needed to elevate the song higher.