Aceyalone: Accepted Eclectic/B-Boy, The Real McCoy (Project Blowed 2000)

Acey's one of those MCs who could easily coast by strictly on the strength of his reputation but he never seems to take the lazy way out. It's no secret that I'm a fan, but that's because every new song I hear him on, he's coming with some next sh*t. Take "Accepted Eclectic", the lead 12" to his upcoming LP by the same name - "I'm manic-depressant/ever since I was an adolescent/but I never panic in a session when I'm bustin'/cussin' like a sailor with a bottle full of Yagermeister/ready for whatever this world has to offer me." Join that with Nick Seil's campy, cooky loop and it has the words "classic" stamped all over it. Meanwhile, "B-Boy/The Real Mccoy" takes the sound back to "All Balls Don't Bounce" with its deep, needling basslines and Acey drops more gems for your melon. What you waiting for? Cop this.

Feels like a long time since I've heard an official All Natural 12". I've always been a fan of Vitamin D's rhymes - he could be mo' complex for certain but his baritone voice and distinctive flow scheme help balance things out towards the positive especially on the hard-hitting "Return of the Avenger.". I have no qualifications for Tone B. Nimble's tracks - "Elements of Style" is polished and jazzy with a tight swing appeal while "Return of the Avenger" takes the beat into darker territory with its dissonant guitar riff and whiny strings. Strongest All Nat 12" I've heard in the last year or two.

It occurs to me that what ABB really has going for it isn't so much its breadth or depth of overall talent (though they've shown very good taste these last few years) but really - having Evidence and Joey Chavez as resident producers. It's the same reason why Madlib is so central to Stonesthrow or why (back in the day), Da Beatminerz made or broke the fortunes of the B.C.C. This is probably some common sense sh*t to a lot of you out there, but a label with a good, anchoring producer (let alone two) is guaranteed to have appealing material for heads to bump, even when the quality of the MCs may rotate. In the case of Amad Jamal, he's a perfectly good MC but he also perfectly sounds like Defari's younger brother). The similarities in their flows is noticeably from the get though Jamal's voice is different and he seems to work the scheme even a little tighter than Herut but he also inherits some of the weaknesses too - like trying to force couplets that don't always go together. These are easy to overlook flaws (and relatively minor ones) given the strength of the production though. Ev hammers his signature piano chords all over "S2Finish" with some Primo-esque drum chops - strictly backbone-bustin'. Bravo's track for "Rhetoric" is s'okay - a little too minimalist and candidly, the song's the weakest of the trio. Here comes Joey Chavez to hold down the end of the line with another solid selection from his collection. Just between you, me and the hundreds who roll through this site, I'm feeling Chavez over a host of Left Coast trackmasters, even Ev (who's been much more consistent in the last two years). His sense of chopping rhythms and soundclash samples is on point like sewing needles and everything I've heard from him just screams to get thrown in the mix. I'd love to see him and Madlib face off in a soundclash. Amad Jamal and ABB churn out another banger.

Damn - I thought Apathy blew it up with "Smackdown" but "Just Begun" shows that he's no one hit wonder. "Just Begun", produced by DR Period, rocks another aggressive, funky guitar track and after Celph-Titled sets it off, Apathy hits - "professional works of art/spark exceptional words/short-circuit mics/and cause an electrical surge". Illmatic verses the whole way through. The B-side features two different mixes of "Chrome Depot Freestyle" (both, supposedly over Primo instrumentals but I only ID-ed the second track) feat. Celph and Apathy. The second mix is hotter, coming with some frenetic energy but I'm not mad at the first mix either with its jazzier vibe. More deadly venoms on the mic either way and they include the acapella for intrepid remixers out there. Fierce rhymes, fierce tracks typify this latest 12" and I'm shook at what he might come with next.

The first single off of Black Thought's upcoming solo project emerges out of a murky cellar of sounds and then the Roots' front man rockets the vibe up through the roof. Mostly, his flow just hammers with the track, but he's actually playing with one too many punchlines and it's not as quotable as other work he's done, but for a bread n' butter braggadocio effort, it'll satisfy. Personally, I'm REAL curious to hear what the solo album's going to be like and I hope this both is and isn't indicative (great feel, but Thought's rhyming beneath his skill).

Do they have to pay royalties to KRS for boosting the "boom bap" title? Either way, this is a good 12" to pop in the mix, speaking well to Jake One's production on both sides. I'm only feeling one of the two MCs (the second one who rhymes on "The Trade") - better flow - though neither MC is coming with the brain-blowing content. Between the two songs, I'm definitely going with the snappy "The Trade" with its horn stabs and bouncin' basslines. "Writer's Guild" is a little more "hot" (more horns and a shuffling beat) but kind of bland to me. I've been hearing both sides blowing up the Wake-Up Show and I tend to trust DJ Revolution's tastes - consider doing the same and peep out the Boom Bap Project.

Apart from enjoying his cut on the "Cater to the DJ" record by Fat Jack, I saw Bus Driver just killing it the other week at the Concrete Jungle in L.A. He's one of the post-Freestyle Fellowshop progeny's and he's mastered the quick-spit, lyrical flood style of his mentors like Ab Rude and Aceyalone. This new 12" comes with mo' rhymes a minute, showering you in words as Bus Driver unloads his full load of lyrics. Plus, Fatjack's flute-y jazz track is butta butta and Ab Rude's hook assist works well too with his elastic baritone. Flipside is a send-up of Miami bass which is somewhere between parody and serious effort to spin out rhymes at 150 BPM. More of an acquired taste but for heads looking for some of that progressive hip-hop steez get on the bus.

I know Cage is trying to escape comparisons to Eminem, especially after their low profile beef, but he might want to consider trying a little harder. Em's dystopian themes and anti-social attitudes echo throughout Cage's "Suicidal Failure" but unlike Slim Shady's strength of personality (wanted or not), Cage's presence doesn't linger half as strong as rhymes about playing games with his own mortality after being scorned by a woman. As an MC, Cage's verse-writing is decent, even if does work in metaphors similar to El-P's but this doesn't quite come through on "The Weather Report", featuring Copywrite, and just barely ekes "Dust vs. Ecstacy" out as the 12"s best song (but that doesn't say much). Similarly disappointing are DJ Mighty Mi's anemic production. His track for "Suicidal Failure" fills the aural space with a big low end sound but the pacing is too slow and sluggish to be memorable. Same goes for the dull, piano-tinkling "The Weather Report". Only "Dust Vs. Ecstacy", with its chaotic, guitar ripping rhythms manages to hook your ear.

Don't call it a comeback. As one of the bright one-hit wonders of the late '90s, Camp Lo's blaxploited vocab and attitude had style to spare for days but you got the feeling that they could only tap that formula for about one album until it started playing themselves. Perhaps knowing that, Camp Lo switches up their steez on this new Stimulated 12" but in my opinion, it's for the worse. "Troubleman" is some weak rock n' rap sh*t and now Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede are trying to come thug-like in their delivery, trading in "Shaft"-like coolness for all the subtlety of Action Jackson. "Cookers" is a little more familiar, especially because Ski (who handled their first album) returns. It's no time-warp, the vibe is very contemporary, and the song fits well in the current hot sh*t sound - fierce drum programming, heated brass hits - and I can see this doing well in the clubs though it's nowhere near as infectiously funky and groovy as their older classics. Still, not a total disaster as Camp Lo tests the water for their return. Stick with "Cookers" and don't mess with "Troubleman."

I know it's part of his act, but I could really do with D.V. rhyming more and singing less. It's just a matter of taste but I'm not feeling D.V.'s Nate Dogg impression. That being said, this is the first pair of songs feat. D.V. that I've gotten into, thanks to Maseo's rattling production on "Rejuvenation" and "Timeless" - serious neck-snapping energy on both sides, but especially "Timeless." Speaking of which, the cameo by Retsan (?) sets the song aflame: "breaking your barn/changing my physical into spawn/advice from me to you/you're better off gone." It's enough to leave you hype off the vapors and D.V. has to push himself to come off as nice. It's good to see that Plug 3's breaking out of just doing De La and becoming a solid tastemaker and this 12" should go a long way to promoting his Bear Mountain label.

The diversity of sound is nice, but I found the vast bulk of this seven cut EP kind of snoozy. "Say It Loud" might stimulate the mental and I appreciate the message it's trying to impart, but the beat is slow and rather dull, has very little punch to it as all. Same goes for the bulk of the lyrics (featuring eight different artists) - few of them manage to come off and often times, the slow tempo forces them into awkward flows. "Vision Time" is Drez' reggae song but it too lacks any real verve. If there's anything that's truly interesting on the EP, it's the intrumental song, "Live at Jazz Lake" which slips in some slick scatting and snappy drums. "LT's Whistle" isn't bad either - short but sweet and has a cool, smoky feel to it. Overall though, for a production-driven EP, I found this lacking.

Obviously I'm not getting out enough since this pair is from the O (Oakland that is) like myself but I can't seem to remember ever hearing either name. If it is a debut 12", it's a little standard but still decent. Sing's beats are a little sparse, or better said, simple - "Cheese & Butter" works off another interpolation of "People Make the World Go Around" and "Forthcoming" is similarly minimalistic but lacking punchy percussive effect that it needs to really carry the song on the skeleton track assembled (though Sing's got that low end Oakland boomin' bass down). Bukue One is s'okay - he spits that West Coast flow - deliberate and more punchy than fluid but with a touch of ambitious verbalizing. Maybe it's the presence of guests that pushes him to hit that "next level" sh*t on "Part Two", but Bukue sounds noticeably better with Fat Jon on the remix and the double-team of Aceyalone and Abstract Rude joining the party. Acey's cameo is decent though not as hot as he's come on recent efforts. Ab is cool though - I love his droopy, floppy vocal steez and he drops some nice lines: "too much cheese got all these suckas in magazines/but these fake jewelry-wearing fools get gangrene." A decent but not extraordinary 12".

While I'd love to give props to Beat Farm's nod to Cannonball Adderley on the title, his beat seems rather bland considering how deep his crates run (and from everything I know, his beats run way deep). Both sides are plain and uninteresting and even a cameo by Houston's K-Otix aren't enough to liven things up for their fellow Texan crew. Lyrics are too simplistic to be the attention-grabber either, lacking in both flow and content. Sorry to say, but this just doesn't seem like the best example to go off of.

Architect's one of hip-hop's hidden production talents - he's had his chances to shine with Encore and Grand but it's good to see him getting more work and potential exposure. This new 12", featuring Encore's crew (including Grand, Persevere, Turbin, Dave Dub and Halekost) is a strong posse effort (but I need a score card to figure out who's who). Architect's jazz guitar slips underneath with the slickness, warm like summer mornings. "Heat Wave" continues in the same vein, this time with a mix of singed strings and a touch of Rhodes and flute. Halekost holds it down solo but compared to the other members of the EXL, I'm not feeling him quite as much - his flow still feels too green for prime time but I liked his metaphoric choices, especially when he breaks out in basketball references on the last verses.

Grand Agent works with East and West on this one, bringing on the frenetic, kinetic beats of Kut Masta Kurt on for "Every Five Minutes" and then tapping the funky man himself, Lord Finesse, for "Know the Legend." I'm partial to the latter song myself - Finesse's minimalist beat of deep bass throbs, a cow bell bangin' breakbeat and the disonant background whine is simple but effective. "Every Five Minutes" isn't wack, but Kurt's beat sounds like more like a mediocre DJ Spinna clone than one of Kurt's better tracks. Agent performs admirably on both sides, throwing down the bravado with good execution and some decent lines. Finesse doesn't rhyme though - again, the promising cameo is underused as a here hook man. Worth checking.

The music - spacey and bouncy - is classic Puba but why is he trying to rhyme jiggy style? His flow was one of the most distinctive in hip-hop and all of the sudden, he's trying to bite some gun clap flow sh*t from his lesser NY brethren. On the flipside, this is clearly a club cut so maybe he's not looking to blaze the mental but there are practically no notable quotables. Worth a listen, but take with reservation.

While I haven't been the biggest fan of Boot Camp Click material of late, Ruck and Rock (w/ an impressive assist from Blahzay Blahzay's PF Cuttin) bring back some of the bombastic, banging flavor that the BCC used to be known for. "The Crab Inn" bounces along with PF's old school inspired track as the R&R flex a two-man rhyme weave with a humorous story about a double date gone wrong. Flipside finds Heltah Skeltah putting down their smack hands on the weak as PF combines a sharp violin melody with stone-smashing drums for another hardcore head nodda. Peep Rock's politically incorrect rhymes: "I rip shows/with flows/blown out of proprotion/wanna battle baby?/I take nigg*s out like abortion." Daaaamn. A nice little surprise from the R&R duo.

I'm just glad that Game's recent 12"s have been quite as janky as their cover girls. "Keep It Street's" simple, bassline bouncy beat works perfectly for Ilacoin's straightforward lyricism - punchline heavy and to the point like an exacto, example: "hot for days/years to come/those who slept got a lot to say/but I ain't hearin' them". Sadat X gets cameo credit but just for hook duty - no verses. "The Spirit" was on some weird Zapp-vox sh*t and frankly, I could have done without this anemic attempt at West Coast love...DJ Stiches is no Fredwreck Nassar. And Easy Mo Bee tries to pull off yet another DJ Premier imitation and does fairly well by biting Primo's drum break from Nas' "NY State of Mind". Lyrically, Ilacoin tries to come a little more sophisticato but doesn't walk away with any notable quotables. I mean, "blow 'em up like the World Trade basement"? Why not just rhyme "trigger" with "bigger", "figure" and "n*gga"? Jeez...

The talented hepcat behind the sounds of Lone Catalysts comes with another slick solo 12" with back-up from partner J. Sands, Grap Luva, Apani, Mr. Complex and Mass Influence. "Check the Clock's" beat is understated - smooth with its filtered melody but not extraordinary (the same of which can be said of J. Sands' rhymes though Grap Luva impresses me again...he may be Pete Rock's younger bro, but he rhymes better than his brethren for damn sure). "Far Away" works on a more soulful tip and I like the melody better here...soft but beatific - plus I'm a big, big fan of Apani B. Fly Emcee and she sounds great on this one. Even Mr. Complex drops flavor (in his own awkward sort of way). "High Life" returns back to the middle-of-the-road with another filtered track (Rawls' overuses this sound a little too much on the 12"), though Mass Influence's keen chemistry helps rally the song's final impression. I'd still stick with "Far Away" but for those who need something with a little more punch, either of the other cuts should get the job done.

As the underground's most lauded producer for the new '00 decade, Jay Dee's star seems to rise on the daily. I've never quite understood what the huge attraction is - he sounds great but he's not doing anything that Pete Rock, DJ Premier and Diamond D didn't figure out a decade ago. Then again, considering the paucity of strong, sample-based production these days, I should be damn happy that any beatmaker continues to come with work as consistent as JD. These two 12"s on Fat Beats should only improve his track record, especially with the throbbing funk feel of "Everybody Get Up" and the languid vibe of "Love". Compared to his more organic and mechanic work for Common and Q-Tip respectively, Jay Dee's tracks here are stripped down to the basics of crackling breakbeats and sampler-stretched loops. The problem is that Jay Dee still seems to have bad taste in MCs. Frank N' Dank, plus Phat Kat and Jay Dee himself turn in a quartet of uninspired, stuttering verses that are as awkward as most of the Slum Village album. I mean, what are you supposed to do with: "right now drop your top/floss your rocks/I'm a switch a few lanes/while she give me brains"? Which JD are we talking about here? Jermaine Dupri or Jay Dee? "Everybody Get Up" is at least effective as a party anthem but the other three songs leave little to be desired for save the instrumentals.

Yo, wasn't Jo-Ell like Superman's half-cousin, once removed or some sh*t? I don't know if this is supposed to be one guy or two but there's definitely two MCs on this joint and from the subtitle of the lead track ("from PA to BK") I'm assuming one reps Philly, the other the Planet. The key difference on making this 12" hotter would have been better production on "How They Do". The verses ain't bad - though the first MC to take the mic rocks a Last Emperor-esque flow. But the second MC is slicker this year, "Quik is too hot/my lyrics is sick/every word need a flu shot/before you throw it in your boombox." Not mo' sophisticato, but I wasn't reaching for the stop button either. But the production is blandiose - recycling those goddamn Al Green rimshots again ("Tried by 12" should have officially ended the practice, if not "Paper Thin"). "Real Recognize" is a tad better - generic NY beats (sparse, sparse, sparse) but the vocals are on some "I'm a bigger thug than you" sh*t. Yaaawn.

If there's any doubt left that a Primo beat can make the mundane into magnificent, just peep this remix of Kool G's "First Nigga." The original sounded tired, as if G Rap was trying to hard to recapture old glory (think Run DMC, you know?) and should have retired like Jordan. But with Primo's track blastin' off in the background, just drum snaps and a sliver of soul, G Rap sounds reborn like the second f*ckin' coming. It's not necessarily one of Primo's most intricate and original beats - it clicks to his now familiar formula - but who cares? The sh*t rocks harder than Seattle quakes.

Ok, despair now. KRS proves that his new calling card might be mediocrity with a flat pair of songs on a 12" that'd be forgotten in a New York minute if it wasn't for the Blastmaster's name cred. Maybe the fatal flaw with "Hot" is that KRS' self-produced beat is flatter than Utah salt fields but his lyrics pack far more bark than bite: "they not hot/all they do is talk a lot/that's not hot/where's your respect on the block/that's hot/not 'cause you're friends with the cops/that's not hot/a real MC you're not." "Get Yourself Up" (produced by Grand Daddy I.U. of all people) sounds fairly generic too but at least the bass bounce feels like some classic Kenny Parker sh*t and KRS comes a touch slicker in his lyricism. But neither side is anywhere close to where KRS has been - and could be. He's calling himself the light at the end of the tunnel but with ever new 12", he seems to be getting dimmer all the time.

True to their geographic name placement, L.A. Symphony seem to absorb all the key influences of the Left Coast hip-hop scence from the '90s - Pharcyde, Fellowship, Nonce, Hieros, etc. - and then push the whole agenda a league step forward. I don't know if the NY hardcore will swing with the Symphony's tongue-in-cheek casual manner but for the rest of y'all, don't sleep on this 12"...it's some of the most fun I've had in a long, long time. "Broken Tape Decks" sparkles with J-Beits' video game-influenced track, all electronic blips and bleeps and when the MCs hit the mic, they melt over it like butter on a biscuit. One of the rappers (Pigeon John?) sounds a lot like whashisname from Extra Prolific - slick drawl and all - but both have great energy and enthusiasm on this playful braggadocio. B-side brings on Fat Lip who lights the session by telling us, "I got paid $2000 to do this verse, first $400 I bought the pair of shoes I'm wearing right now." C-o-m-e-d-y. Someone give this guy an album to entertain us with. Anyway, the track hits harder, coming with darting verses from all MCs involved and if "Broken Tape Decks" tickled you, "What You Say" is looking to smack instead. Solid, solid pair of songs - get your tickets now for the Symphony.

Add another solid cut to your Ill Boogie collection. Yeah, yeah, his tracks still sound like Primo's but once your head is snapping along, you'll hardly care. Buckshot makes the lyrical delivery on here some breathlessly easy and DJ Revolution's cuts are as sharp as ever. While the remix isn't massively different from the original, it's strong kicks and minimalist appeal make it the better cut to rock doubles to.

Great production on this 3-cut 12" but I'm honestly not really feeling Canada's Moka Only on the rhymes. The rhyme always falls on the end of the bar, a style which seems antiquated by today's standards and there's not enough other mic flourish to fill in the gaps. On the flipside, I really liked the post-Native Tongues production, especially on the lovely Rhodes-infused "Been There". For those who've liked Moka's older material, than I think you'll really dig on this - for those who still aren't convinced on the artist this probably won't move you any closer to 'em.

It's been a minute since we've heard from Mr. Khaliyl, aka Mr. Manne from the Bush Babees. In fact, hasn't it been since "Fortified Live"? Anyway, Mr. Khaliyl's coming back, sounding gruffer than ever, reworking his previous slick flow with a thuggish touch that I'm not completely down with but at least he's not trying to sound like Ruff Ryders. Even so, I was left a little underwhelmed by "Wages" even with the Talib Kweli cameo. Sh*t was just kind of bland - the flows seemed like sh*t I've already heard a dozen times on comps like "Lyricist Lounge" and Khaliyl's track is blip-happy but dull. But redemption comes with the flip of the 12". "Street Team", featuring DCQ from Medina Green plus Pharaoh is on some dumb hot sh*t tip. The bouncin' beat reminds me a lot of "Vivrant Thing's" herky-jerky kinetic power and I can see this one blowing up the club scene with a stick of dyno. Verbally, hard to mess with this trio though I'm still having trouble warming up to Khaliyl's gun clap chatter. Bump it anyway.

After initially debuting on a cut with Oakland's The B.U.M.S. back in 1995, Mystic disappeared for the next half decade. She put out a handful of singles (maybe 2 tops) plus popped up on some comps but for the most part, she's been in incognito. Well, finally, the LP's on its way and she leads with a new 12". The Mountain Brothers' Chops handles beat duties for "Current Events" with a likable, but unextraordinary beat (plays well enough but doesn't stick in your ears). Revolution's cuts are a sharp as ever and she helps heat up the hooks. Mystic herself is ok but not quite as dope as I've heard her before - her flows seems more tepid and less sparkling. Flipside is another partnership with her frequent collabo partner Angel. Spooky, spacey production and surprisingly it hits better than the A-side even though Angel's doesn't usually churn out head-nodder anthems. Liked Mystic better on here, partly for her conscious content but she sounds more sinister coming over Angel's demonic stylistics. Worth a peep - I think this sista's got mad talent...let's just see what she can do with it.

Push Button Objects (aka Edgar Farnias) is probably better known to fans in the electronic music world than amongst hip-hop circles but his tri-coastal collabo with Boston's Mr. Lif, Oakland's Del and fellow Miamian DJ Craze should serve to put heads on notice. A simple, but effective funk loop powers the track as Lif creeps in with his ill baritone, complemented well by Del's own loopy verses as the two tag team through 48 bars of lyrical wizardry. Meanwhile Craze gets his scratch on for the hooks and Farnias randomly splices in video game samples and spacey swooshes to fill in the remaining gaps. Hype sh*t, check this one out.

Edgar Farinas, aka Mr. Push Button Object himself, is probably better known to fans in the electronic music world than amongst hip-hop circles but his tri-coastal collabo with Boston's Mr. Lif, Oakland's Del and fellow Miamian DJ Craze should serve to put heads on notice. A simple, but effective funk loop powers the track as Lif creeps in with his illistic baritone: "the new era/brings terror/you wish the quality of life was better?/peep the dilemma" and Del's own low end vocals adds to the strong team effort. DJ Craze gets his scratch on for the hooks and Farnias randomly splices in video game samples and space swooshes to fill in the remaining gaps. Hype.

I love Quasi's sh*t but I don't always think of his songs as being "singles" in the conventional sense. His sh*t is his mind-bending vocal and aural alchemy - purely for the bugged but I don't know if I'd be hot to trot to slide this into the mix. Perhaps predicting that kind of reservation, Quasi comes with two unreleased tracks on the flipside to add to your collection. "B.S." features both Quasi and Madlib going back in forth in a "Fight Club" like mono/dialogue. Bangin' track (this is what a single sounds like) and cool scratches on the chorus. "Dinosaur Brain Beat" is cool too - a playful track of jangling drumbreaks and a upwardly sliding three-note bassline. Simple but slinky.

Where is Rawkus headed right now? Far be it from me to be the arbitrator of what's considered quality underground material but lately, they've really seemed to be churning out the same kind of generic NY sh*t that every other indie label in Gotham is guilty of. Not that Brooklyn's Rise and Shine are wack, but frankly, they're not dropping any lyrical sh*t that you couldn't find on a dozen other 12"s in your local Fat Beats. That plus the beats are absolutely bloodless on all three cuts. Can the return of the Rose Family be far behind?

While his flow reminds me a lot of Mad Skillz, I'm feeling Rise's approach - mad accessible with a nice touch of cleverness. Request though: can MCs stop referring to themselves in the third person? I can't stand it when professional athletes do it and I'm not really feeling MCs doing the same (exceptions made if you're spelling out your name since that's strictly old school classic material). Where was I? Oh yeah, Spinna's track is nice, vintage but not generic and I love the hook he came up with for "Do You Know Him?". I took a pass on "Cheater", nice attempt at storytelling but reminded me too much of something Mr. Complex would do. That brings us to "Memories" which caught my ear with DJ Static's whimsical track and another superior hook. I just wish Rise would fine that next level of rhyme skills - he's cool where he's at but could be better.

While there's not necessarily any circumstantial evidence connecting these two sets of artists, what they share in common is how both slide smoothly into a growing trend of retro-focused, forward-looking hip-hoppers. Of course, one might argue that this kind of reverence for the times of yore never went away but it's hard to ignore how obvious this days of future past pretense works for a host of groups from LA like J5, Dilated Peoples, PUTS, and Ugly Duckling. Rubix and Schools of Thought are from Brooklyn and Philly respectively but both work on the same kind of vibe: nuveo-jazzadelic beats and clever rhyme schemes that aren't next school so much as new school remixed. Rubix is most obvious, sounding like Mos Def's younger brother, teaming up with J-Rawls, De La protégé Truth Enola, Talib Kweli and Ge-ology. Now if that isn't a blue print for "independent hip-hop" I'm not sure what is. That all being said, Rubix performs well though unremarkably. His rhymes are fine - very likable and accessible but he's just a notch or two shy from really being clever (rather than merely competent) - sounding like Mos Def isn't the same as sounding like Mos Def if you follow (and this point becomes really clear when he teams with Kweli for "Terra Firma". Lesser ears might think it's a new Black Star song). What's beyond question is the quality of the tracks. Gorgeously, laid back jazzy fare on all three songs - J. Rawls and Ge-ology have already proven their potency but keep your ear for relative newcomer R-Thentik who does a nice number with "Terra Firma." I think Rubix (who I'm guessing is Chinese American from the surname - not that this really matters, but it does to me) could be one to watch out for in the future, but he's not realizing his potential yet. Then again, it's also his first 12" (that I know about) and the Illadelph's Schoolz of Thought are up to their third so the expectations should be higher. "World Wide MCs" recalls - for multiple reasons - traces of West Coast groups like the Nonce and Pharcyde as well as the lyrical interplay of the Arsonists (circa-"The Session"). The song's a whole lotta fun, not the least of which is because of the bouncy guitar licks on the beat. Verse-wise - decent stuff, but it falls somewhere in the same lyrical camp as Lone Catalysts and Unspoken Heard - friendly underground but only mildly steaming vs. all out smoking. The flipside is similarly relaxed in its lounge feel and compared to the mild party vibe of "World Wide MCs", "These Things..." is more deep cipher - bobbed heads pointed floorward as the lines roll forward. Both 12"s are well worth checking out and contribute to an interesting moment in hip-hop's history where the sense of time has now been thrown into disarray as '01 sounding more and more like '91.

So here's a funny story - apparently, Sauna thought I already reviewed this 12" and dissed it. The only problem is that I hadn't even gotten the 12" yet when he thought I was writing smack about it. Frankly, I was looking forward to dissing the 12" just on the strength of the false rumor (why not confirm it?) but alas, I found myself liking it. And believe me, I was disappointed for it (that's a joke y'all, please don't start new rumors). The B-side is the better of the two songs, especially with how Oh No (part of Kaliwild and Epitome, not to mention Madlib's younger bro) programs in static into the loop (very ill). Not sure who "The Infamous MC" is supposed to be (unless of course, that's his real name) but both he and Sauna came with some rapid rhymes for your rewind. Sauna in particular has the same kind of quick-spit appeal of Redman or the Alkaholiks and shows a strong presence on mic for "Orchestrated Heat".

Damn, who are these kids? Rattling off lyrics like they're going head-to-head with Rakim circa '88, the Scum team of Insight and T-Ruckus bombard you with verses and a blaxploitated funk guitar loop on "Scum Live". "Slugfest" continues the verbal attack, this time over a driving, horn loop that's as frenetic as Scum's lyric pacing. And just for good measure, they deliver the coup de grace with the sinister, midtempo "Takin No Shorts": "bendin' 'em and sendin' 'em/to a level/the devil can't touch/my eyes clutch/roll with sick cats that smoke dutch." One of the illest 12" in recent memory.

Not to be mean and all, but Smut Peddlers was a good idea for about one single and that's all the lifespan the gimmick should have had. Not that I'm hating on Cage + Eon together, but neither really impresses me with their lyrical talents though I am thankful that this Smut Peddlers' 12" is a little lighter on their profane side of topics. As with many underground artists, the 12" lives or dies on the strength of the beats and this one ain't bad. "Medicated Minutes" gets the solid thumbs-up for revamping the James Bond theme to nice effect and the blaxploitation funk on "That Smut" should get some solid spins in the mix. But about those lyrics..."I'm unrippable like the Knicks tickets?" Um...not exactly the most scorching analogy I've heard especially b/c the Knicks just ain't blazing up their conference (but let's not get into too much sports chatter).

Not everyone was feeling their debut album of perverted irreverence, "Golden Shower Hour", but I'm still keeping my ear out for Third Sight. MC Jihad simply comes with some of the illest metaphors out there, dropping a slow burning rhyme style that's reminiscent of Company Flow, complete with the lumbering breakbeat science. On this EP, "Murderdeathkill" starts with the title track, an ill, minimalist beat of screaming vocals and stuttering beat blasts that Dufunk deserves full credit for. The rhymes are some random word play tip, probably sounding better than its actual content, but unlike other MCs who fall short in their superscientifical endeavors, Jihad's baritone breath makes it come across all the more serious: "I'll take 50 MCs/put 'em on a train/send them to my chateau of pain/clear the lane/never appear to be the same." The problem is that Jihad recycles the same lyrical style on "Solo Vega", "Dr. Douche Powder" and "Wild Willie's Western" which isn't a terrible thing (the latter two songs pound your ears into sonic submission) but Jihad's range is fairly one-note. Even so, I think the EP has some dope ass listening for those into sinister verbals and while you may not want to imagine an album for off this, a four-cut EP measures out to be just the right dosage.

The lyrics on this joint are pretty NY-standard issue (nothing you ain't heard on every other Guesswhyld release if you knawmean) but I was feeling the vibe of it - Tommy Tee's brass heavy, cinematic track hits with 'nuff force and the various MCs [Pizzo - I need you to fill in the blank on this for me] sounds fairly good together. Not a blazer, but it'll warm the room for a minute.