Monday, November 30, 2009

Errelevant and Equivalent Exchange - Destroy and Rebuild

Errelevant and Equivalent Exchange - Destroy and Rebuild

When you hear about a free album the first thing I usually think about is low quality, because they are giving it away. Errelevent and Equivalent Exchange look to change that with this album right here as they both bring there A game to the table.

First off let me tell you this right off the bat, the beats are fantastic on this album and are better then alot of albums production that you gotta pay money for. Equivalent Exchange did all of the beats if im not mistaken and he does a great job on here, as every beat is slap worthy and not one bad or annoying beat on here.

The album starts off with Take You Higher which features Errelevant doing a great job on the hook as his flow is on point and his verses are nicely done aswell. Equivalent Exchange cooked up a hot beat that will have you nodding your head the whole way thru to.

Pull Up To The Front is crazy hot, with a ridicolous beat from Equivalent Exchange, that features some crazy voice samples that work really well. But its Livewire all star J-Stalin that steals the show on this song as he sounds right at home over the up tempo Equivalent Exchange production. Errelevant does a good job on the song aswell, as he seems to share the swagger and confidence that J-Stalin brought to the track. Not only one of my favorite songs on the album but this is one of my favorite tracks of the year and has been on repeat for awhile. Can we get a J-Stalin album produced by Equivalent Exchange please? Stalin rips this beat to peices on this song and leaves you asking for me.

Back At It has some good bass on the production and also has some hard hitting snares aswell. Errelevant once again does a very good job on the hook and you can really hear the chemistry between him and Equivalent Exchange. The change up on this beat is another highlight aswell, as Nick Pro continues his onslaught of hot beats.

Goin For Mine is one of the only tracks on this album that im not really feeling that much. The beat is well made and quality stuff but Errelevant seems to be forcing things a bit on the mic with this song. Not a terrible track at all, but just not up to par with the other tracks on this album in my honest opinion. Beat is still very good, but the rapping and hook im just not feelin.

Show Me What You Got has Errelevent spittin with a faster flow and pulls it off no questions asked. The beat is on some differnt shit from the rest of the album, but its still slappin as hell. Equivalent Exchange really shows his versatility with this beat as it sounds like some Grouch or Prince Paul type of producion, very unique and completely differnt then the other beats on this album. Errelevent also rocks another great hook on this song, hes very consistant with his hooks so far on this album.

Up In Here is another one of my favorite tracks on the album as San Jose mc Stik Gilatine jumps in and continues to show everyone that he is an mc to keep an eye on in the future. Another great beat from Equivalent Exchange and is also one of personal favorite beats on this album. I could see a video for this song aswell, as its got that party vibe but isnt on some watered down shit either. The song is dope as fuck and on top of that is a track that the ladies will enjoy aswell.

What Its Come To
features a crazy beat that has a violin in it, along with a well done voice sample aswell. This beat is seriously some ill shit, one of the years best beats to me personally. Errelevent kicks some fantastic lyrics on this song and for some reason reminds me of a more confident version of Slug from Atmosphere on this track. This track is in my top 3 favorites for this album aswell, from the beat to the lyrics and flow of Errelevent.

On Me has an addicting beat, especially when the hook comes on, straight slap! Errelevent brings us along for a day in his life and is another track that could be very party/radio friendly, but also has good lyrics and is enjoyable aswell. Its nice to have a radio friendly track that also has good lyrics to.

I Dont Mind
is another one of my favorite tracks on the album as we get yet another slappin beat that is on some Dr.Dre type shit and is dope as fuck from start to finish. Errelevent also does a great job on the mic here and might be his best rapping on the whole album.

Differnt Days
is a fantastic way to finish the album and is a track that ive been putting on durign smoke sessions alot aswell. The way Errelevent does the chorus is perfect and dont get me started on the beat, shit is perfection. It might not be a track just about smoking grapes but it is a song that sounds even better when you are high as fuck. The beat is really slick and I found myself adding this song to my smoke sessions, along side Luniz-5 On It, Ziggy Marley-One Good Spliff, The Jacka-Barney and Scarface-Mary Jane.

About a quarter of the way thru the album I was wondering if Errelevent could keep up with these amazing beats. But as the album moves along he continues to do a very good job with each track. He might not be the best lyricist around or be the best mc, but he proves on this shit that he can hold his own and that he knows how to make a song work. Its also worth to mention that dude does a GREAT job on the hooks on this album, to many times a chorus or hook will ruin a track for me, but Errelevent makes sure that each one that he has control over is up to par.

This album's order of tracks is also very well done and an underrated part of making an album. Some albums will have all the great songs at the begining or all at the end, but with this cd you get all the best tracks spread out and not all together.

Differnt Days, Pull Up To The Front, Up In here and I Dont Mind are all amazing tracks and my favorite on the album. The other tracks are good aswell, and while I wasnt feeling one or two songs (Polished and Goin For Mine), it doesnt take away from the overall consistency of this album right here.

Destroy and Rebuild has a good variety of underground, lyrical, party and slappin tracks that it really should have something for every kind of hiphop fan. I woudlnt go as far as saying this is the best album of the year, or top 3 for that matter, but its defiantly in my top 10 albums for all genres of this year... and its FREE!

You can download the album for free right here = http://www.spitzunlimited.com

SCORE = 8/10

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Krypto and S.B. - Run Wit Us


Krypto and S.B. - Run Wit Us


Got an early taste of the new work from Krypto and S.B. this weekend and if RUN WIT US is any indication of how this album will be, then this could be a greatway to start off 2010 for the bay area.

Two of the more consistant and underrated rappers out of the bay join forces and dont dissapoint over a hot beat from Snack Pack. The production is on some mob shit and is just what the docter ordered for SB and Krypto to spit over, dope drums and a sick westcoast synth that reminds me of the synth on Ice Cube's Ghetto Bird to some degree.

This is the first ive heard from Snack Pack on the boards and if he can continue to bring heat like this then I defiantly look forward to hearing more from him. Its not the most complex beat, but sometimes less is more when it comes to production, as is the case here as dude keeps it slappin and doesnt try to do to much or go overboard with the beat.

Now to the bosses on the mic, Krypto and SB are two mcs that can bring that mob/gangster shit as good as anyone on the mic. But at the same time both mcs are very versatile aswell. They can also do some deep and meaningful tracks to go along with that hard mob music.

Both mcs ride the beat on this song perfectly with great flow and good lyrics, as both SB and Krypto sound extremely confident and sure of the music they are putting forward here. The track is also mixed extremely well and sounds very professional which is always great to hear.

It seems like when you have high expectations for an album,movie or videogame its easy for it to be dissapointing and not live up to the high expectations you had for it. But from hearing this song, Im extremely confident that this album that Krypto and S.B. are working on will be top notch and well worth copping.

Vallejo vet Krypto and UNLV member S.B. are looking to keep the bay area rap scene moving foward in 2010 after a great finish to 2009.

SCORE = 9/10

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Homewrecka - Jefe De Jefes

Homewrecka - Jefe De Jefes

Homewrecka of The Click Clack Gang drops his album titled Jefe De Jefes and doesnt dissapoint.

The Intro has good production and features Silo reporting in from the Pen, but also has Homewrecka rapping on the song later on and he does a good job over this chill ass beat, spittin about his life.

I'm Eatin has a super dope beat that features some nicely placed keys and good drums. Homewrecka spits some great story telling shit on this song and also does a nice job on the chorus aswell. Nothing but Street tales on this song and it works perfectly over this kind of production.

Confetti features Lucci and Screl and is on some more intense mob shit then the first few songs. The beat is decent enough, but its the rapping of all 3 mc's that really shines on this track.

You's A Bad features Boo and Willie Hen on the mic and Messy Marv on the hook. The beat is slower paced and is about bad bitches and definatly works. I can see this song getting play in the strip clubs all around the world, the only thing missing is a cameo from Too $hort! A differnt type of vibe on this song then the rest of the album has but it also works.

Pay The Price is a Homewrecka solo track and features one of the better beats on the album. Homewrecka really rips this track apart with his rapping and his flow as he spits mob tales that honestly would be great on a soundtrack for something like Menace II Society or The Wire Its tracks like this that got me hooked on bay area music years ago, that real life music with dope lyrics and a slappin ass beat. Homewrecka on the hook almost reminds me of a hungry and young Cormega from back in the day. Are we seeing the rise of the bay areas version of Cormega? With his street life storytelling and versatility only time will tell. A fantatsic track that ive had on repeat since I got this album, worth copping the album just for this song in my honest opinion.

Nothin is another crazy hot track! It starts off with the great production and also features Mac Mall who rips the chorus apart and really makes the track come together nicely. Homewrecka and Boo both do a great job on the mic as they do the mic and hook from Mac Mall justice. Is it just me or does this kind of Mac Mall make me want to put Untouchable on and shake the house? Why coudlnt we get this kind of slap from Mac Mall on his last solo album? Probably my second favorite track on the album and a real heater!

Livin To The Max is a more up tempo type of track and features San Quinn lending a hand to Homewrecka. The hook is well done and perfect for this kind of song. Here is a sample of Homewrecka on this song:
"Never hesitate to put a punk in his place/If he dont run everything Im a shoot him in his face/
I murder like Mase, Rob like Bass, 6's felt small so now I ride on 8's/Club gone crack when ever Wreck in place/reach for my chain put the pepa to your face".

I dont know About You is some hard ass shit and features mob figgas member The Jacka who has been on fire lately. Blappin beat and one of my favorite tracks on the album because it really reminds me of some old school bay area mob shit or some 2pac shit. The hook is awesome and each rapper rips the mic apart, as the Jacka spits with energy:
"20 bricks on my hands, I cant juggle with that/I fuck around and get smothered for that/Yeah Block shit, something like Pac shit/You got the 9 but I doubt you ever rocked shit".

Stuntin is one of the few tracks on the album that I wasnt really into for what ever reason. The beat just doesnt do anything for me as it seems to basic and half done. Homewrecka does his part on the mic, but he production just is extremely average, especially when compared to the other beats on this album. Its a shame that the beat wasnt better either, becuse the hook is dope and the rapping and lyrics are on point. The beat really does ruin this song though in my honest opinion.

Feels So Good has a dope voice sample, some hot kicks and overall very good production. Messy Marv is also on this song as he joins Boo and Homewrecka on this hot beat. The hook also works aswell and will have you pressing the repeat button more then likely aswell. Another good thing about this song is that not only the homeboys will be bumpin this song but the women can rock to this song to. As 2pac said, you gotta have a few tracks on your album that the women can bump aswell, the hard part to do it still make the song top notch and not sell out to some watered down crap. Messy Marv drops a great verse and makes me wish that The Click Clack Gang and Messy Marv would settle there differences and get back to doing songs together, because this song is a great track!

Run is crazy hot and features D-Lo, Animosity and Marvaless rapping over a hot ass beat. What a great way to finish an album, with this crazy beat and each mc spit extremely hard. Marvaless she shows that shes still one of the top female rappers in the rap game (if not the best) as she steals the show on this song with nothing but heat, can we get another solo Marvaless album? D-lo does a great job alongside Homewrecka on this song aswell. Another highlight on a very good album, this song is on some straight mob shit right here!

Homewrecka has dropped a gem of an independent album here, with great street tales and for the most part good production. Overall its an extremely good listen and worth your money if you enjoy that Mob shit like I do. Homewrecka not only spits that gangster shit extremely well, but he also shows that he can spit some deep/meaningful lyrics on top of the mob shit.

I cant front, dude really shows his versatility on this album, going from street anthems and gangster tales, to a few radio friendly tracks and also some deep/thoughtful tracks. He also shows that he doesnt need Messy Marv on every track to make a quality album, the features on here do a good job, but Homewrecka also holds his own on his solo tracks.

I really hope that this album gets the push it deserves and that all this beef with Messy Marv is worked out. I would hate to see this album not make it to stores because of some legal bullshit.
Besides a few beats I could do without, this album is excellent and has cracked my top 5 bay area albums of 2009.

SCORE = 8.5/10

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Telly Mac - Project Celebrity

Telly Mac - Project Celebrity

Its always great when an album really surprises you, weither its great production or
top notch lyrics. Telly Mac drops a very solid album with Project Celebrity and is well worth your money, no questions asked.

Pistol In The Club features bay area boss San Quinn and the hard workign Matt Blaque,
and features a slapper of a beat. This song really is a perfect way to start the album
off, good hook, both mcs rip the mic apart and the beat is enjoyable.


8 Times 3
is on some gangster shit and features Daz and Nefew over an uptempo beat that
has that down south feel to it and has some crazy hot snares on it. Telly Mac shines on
this track, as he spits hard gangster lyrics for the whole song.

Do Dat For Dre is a dedication to Mac Dre and features the always entertaining Dubee
and features another up tempo beat that im sure Mac Dre would have sounded great on
aswell. If you where a big Mac Dre fan like myself then this song will have you
pressing the repeat button a bunch of times.

Flawless is my second favorite song on the album and is hot as fuck. First off the hook
is on some Reggae type shit and it really fits perfectly right here on this song.
The name of the song is perfect really, as this song is nearly flawless to me personally.
Mac Mall joins Telly Mac and doesnt dissapoint as he sounds hungry and on point like he
did in his Untouchable days. The beat is also very well done to and is a perfect backbone
for the hot chorus and Telly Mac and Mac Mall's verses. I honestly really wish that more
westcoast/bay area mcs would use more Reggae type shit on there songs, especially for the
hooks. If you havnt heard this song and enjoy reggae music then please go cop this, straight
slappin song.

Trappin is back to that mobb/trappin music that got me into the bay area rap scene
back in the day. Click Clack Gang join Telly Mac on this song and do a fantastic job
over another hot beat. Here are some of the lyrics from this heater
"I make the Dowe move, my out of town dudes know that when I touch we gonna make
the snowplows move/I show em how to whip it, not today, I been watching DEA and the First 48/
Mothafuckas snitchin like the shit is ok". So much soft rap music these days, its a breath of
fresh air to hear this Telly Mac/Click Clack Gang shit right here. Can We get a Telly Mac/Click CLack gang album already?

Im So Real is my shit at the moment, not only the best song on this album but one of the
best songs ive heard this year, period. I listen to alot of rap music, jazz music and reggae music
and this song is one of the best out of any genre in 09. The hook has so much soul in it that it really makes me shake my head at alot of other hooks that are on rap songs these days. The song is basically on some real life shit that anyone can feel and relate to. I know there is a video for this song, but can we please get some push for this song and the video? How this song hasnt blown up on the air waves is beyond me. Radio Stations in the bay area need to stop playing non stop Jay-z and 50 cent songs and play a track like this. Dudes on the air waves complain that the bay doesnt have any hot or radio friednly songs, well here is a song that should be played!

Mow To The Crest is the first song on the album that im not feeling to be honest. Coolio and Reek Daddy are two of my favorite mcs, but this song just doesnt have the kind of production that I was hoping for. Each mc does a godo job on the mic, thats not the problem here, its the average beat and the annoying chorus that really doesnt cut it for me. When I saw that Coolio and Reek Daddy and Miami where on this song with Telly mac I was real excited, but the song kind of dissapointed me. Decent song but not on par with the other tracks on the album and with the heavy hitters featured on this song, I was hoping for more.
Pay The Price has some hot horns and sounds like it could be on a soundtrack for Fightnight or Fight Club. San Quinn and Seff Tha Gaffla hop on the track and do not dissapoint. San Quinn does a great job on the chorus with his deep voice, along with Seff and Telly Mac rapping with confidence and charizma. Another very good track on a very solid album.

Hardline features JT Tha Bigga Figga and D-Moe and is another hard ass track with an entertaining beat and nothing but that real life mobb talk. The way this song comes together is great, gangster story's over a dope beat, what more can you ask for if your a fan of mob music?

Other Side has a real soulfull beat to it and features a really well palced voice sample aswell. One of the better beats on this album in my opinion as its extremely smooth and full of soul for days. Telly Mac really does a great job on the mic on this song to as he spits powerful lyrics the whole song. I would like to hear Telly Mac rock more beats like this in the future.

I could have done without One Way Flight To Boston, mainly because of the average beat that is on the song. The lyrics and hook are good, but its the production that just doesnt do anything for me on this song. After so many great beats that this album has, the beat on this song just seems out of place to me personally.

Knockin At Yo Face
is another slapper with great production, that features San Quinn and Boo Banga on the mic. The beat really is addicting on this track, after the song is done playing I wanted to hear the shit again right away. Here is a little taste of some of the lyrics from Telly Mac and Boo Banga:
"I got a swagger baby, with or without the bling/I wont stagger baby its really in my genes"
and
"Mona Lisa flow with that picture getting painted/My niggas got money and no sense/"

Pistol In The Club Remix features one of my favorite old school bay area rappers, Rappin 4-Tay showing that hes still got it with that classic flow. Mac Mall, Homewrecka, Matt Blaque,San Quinn and the underrated Spice1 also show up on the track aswell.

Telly Mac has dropped a very good album with Project Celebrity, it features a good amount of slappin beats, excellent appearances and Telly Mac does a great job on the mic aswell. This album really surprised me to be 100% honest, its very consistant the whole way thru the cd, not many bad or skippable tracks on this album at all. Looking for an album that has great variety in its production and has tons of mob/gangster tales? Then do yourself a favor and cop a copy of this album right now.

I really enjoyed 14 out of 16 of the songs on this album, with Im So Real, Flawless, Knockin At Yo Face, Other Side and Trappin being my personal favorites. Another great album from the bay in the last few months of 09, this is a wonderful thing to hear so many quality albums towards the end of the year. Not the best album out of the bay this year, but a great addition to anyones cd collection.

SCORE = 8/10

Friday, November 20, 2009

Indecent The Slapmaster - Slapsinatra Vol.4

Indecent The Slapmaster - Slapsinatra Vol4 (Mixed by:DJ AMBIDEKSTRES)

Indecent has been one of the hardest working Bay Area producers for awhile now and is now releasing a 4 disc release. Each disc has a differnt bay area dj on it aswell which should give each disc a unique sound and feel.

Every song on all 4 of the albums is produced by Indecent The Slapmaster himself.
Volume 4 is mixed by DJ AMBIDEKSTRES and is the one I will be reviewing below.

Dragons is the first song after the intro and feautres bay area boss Yukmouth, The underrated Young Dru, Monsta Ganja and features a CRAZY beat from Indecent. Yukmouth and Young Dru both sound right at home over this slappin beat from Indo. Fantastic way to start off this cd, with two of the better rappers in the bay area, over a fantastic
head nodding/gangster beat.

What You Here For has a nice beat and Krypto steals the show with his confident flow and show that he has lyrics for days and day.

Rock Star is a harder beat from Indo that features youngster and freestyle animal Taj He Spits and Krypto on the mic. The production has some nicely placed drums on it along with some rock influence in there that works well also.

Dose Of The Real is really the only track im not feeling on the album, I dont really know what it is about it, I just have a need to skip the song when this song comes around each time I listen to this cd. The beat is pretty good, but its the rapping and hook that might be throwing me off.

How Far Will This Go really shows Indecent's versatility as a producer as female artist Maryann is on the R+b tip and it works extremely well over this chill, somewhat pop beat from Indecent.

Just Another Day is a crazy beat from Indecent and one of my favorite productions on the album. Enormus Tha Ox and Tony Streetz do a good job of rapping on this track aswell. The hook is also done really well aswell that will have you singing the hook over and over in your head after hearing it.

M.O.E is one of the best tracks on the album as it is on some real intense Mobsta shit. Indecent cooks up a real slapper here for Lee Majors and Young Dre, with some ridicolously hot Synths and some hard hitting drums and sick hi hats aswell.

No More Left is the best track on the album as Livewire kingpin Jstalin joins the late Mac Dre, Slim Face and Indecents right hand man the underappreciated Krypto. The beat is classic Indo, as he laces a dope beat that Mac Dre rides perfectly with lines like "You got no heart and dont want no parts of a real nigga, chump I kill niggas!" and "Beat niggas up like prince nazim/When the funk jump bet he gone hide/Scared he gone die, when we gone ride". I wish Mac Dre would have rocked over more beats from Indecent because this is a banging ass track right here that Mac Dre and J-Stalin both tear apart.

Get Off Me is on some high tempo Hyphy shit and features the up and coming mc Acktup. This is hyphy shit at its best in my opinion, a slappin ass beat with slappin drums and an mc that spits with high energy. The hook is great to "GET OFF ME GET OFF ME! IM TO SAUCY!". Im not a huge fan of Hyphy tracks, but this song is Hyphy done right no doubt.

Shill Mac is one of the better rappers on the come up in the bay area and he gets a fantastic beat from Indo on this one. Nice bass and some slick keys produced by Indecent which equal a great track. Not to mention the chorus is also done very well by Shill Macc, here are a few line from Shill Macc "Pull Lime, sip henesey, lie is what I dont do/You can look a nigga in his eye and see he on to/Riding in an old school, feelin like im fresh and new"

Deltrice is a nice layed back track from Deltrice, who always blows me away with her chill and beautiful voice. She really deserves to blow up, she has as good a voice as any other female singer and has a very unique style to her, no watered down shit from her, period. The beat is a nice layed back chill ebat from Indo that has some fantastic synths or keys in it and some nice quick kicks in there aswell.

The album ends with a slappin track that has ridicolous bass in it and is on some gangster/mob shit to the fullest. Willie Joe, Krypto and Slim Face do a good job on the mic and do this slappin beat from Indo justice.

Overall its a very good listen this album with only one song that I wasnt feeling. Volume 4 realy shows Indecents versatility as a producer and a taste of what hes done over the years in the bay. In my opinion there is not manyproducer in the bay at the moment with Indecent the Slapmaster's work ethic. Indecent's best beats are the mob/gangster beats in my opinion, but he shows that he can make any kind of beat really.

DJ AMBIDEKSTRES also does a solid job as the dj on this aswell, he doesnt toss a whole bunch of annoying gun shots or police sirens playing over the music and keeps it basic and enjoyable.

Looking forward to hearing Volumes 1,2 and 3! You can get this set on cdbaby and soon ITUNES and Amazon.com

SCORE: 8/10

Boss Hogg - King Creepa


Boss Hogg - King Creepa


First off let me say that Ive always enjoyed Boss Hogg as far as his flow and lyrics go. With this album "King Creepa" Boss Hogg tries his hardest to make a good album with below average production, which is usually a dman near impossible thing to do.

"He Dumb" features Lil Cuddie and has a decent beat, but nothing special or that will have you putting it on repeat. This song is that hyphy shit that alot of the Thizz Ent artists do, which I dont mind when Keak Da Sneak and others are doing it, but this song here is a very average hyphy track, it just doesn't have that energy or production needed to make a good hyphy track in my opinion.

"Cant See Me But Can Hear Me" Is much better, the beat is good and the lyrics are better aswell. Boss Hogg brings his creative flow and charizma on this track. The difference between the first song on this album and this 2nd song is crazy, as far as quality goes. In the end, this song works, and the first one didnt.

"Shut Up" Is one of my favorite songs on the album, which features Mac Mall on the track and has an addicting beat that has some nice bass on it. Both Boss Hogg and Mac Mall spit with energy and style over one of the better beats on the album. Not the best beat, but for what they are doing on this song, it does a very good job. Song reminds me of something Mac Dre would spit on if he was still around.

"Keep it Lit" Is a boring track with a beat that sounds like it was made by someone who has never made a beat in there life and is trying an mpc or a keyboard for the first time. Hate to say it but this song
was giving me a headache while I was listening to it.

"In My Eyes" Is another good track on this album, which features Vallejo boss J-Diggs and a slappin slower paced beat that does Boss Hogg and J-Diggs justice. This is when hyphy music is at its best, good beat, enjoyable hook, with lyrics and slang that fits the track. J-Diggs steals the show on this song with his deep voice and gangster lyrics that hes been doing for many a moons as he spits "Rare breed with a need for speed/ and i gotta have weed like I need to breath"

"Ay Bitch" Is annoying as hell, the song features Holly Roc and has a beat that will have you shaking your head in discust. Not much more to say other then I hated this song, period.

"Cutthoat World" has Boss Hogg spittin some dope lines with a very nice flow, but the hook and beat once again dont do his verses justice at all. The beat sounds like some playgorund, lulaby type shit, very boring.

"I Go" is a up tempo track that sounds like Keak Da Sneak would rip apart. Boss Hogg flows very well over this beat that sounds like some Down South type production. Shigady joins the song and doesnt dissapoint with a nice appearance. Another song on this album that really works, hyphy music done the right way.

"Twist" is lame as hell, dont get me started on this song, on to the next song, period.

"Knock in the trunk" is a slapper and one of the better tracks on the album, with a slappin beat
and a great hook. This is the type of song that you want to hear from Boss Hogg. As you listen to this song you cant help but think that Too $hort should be on this song, sounds like his type of song. This song had me saying the chorus over and over long after the song was done, very enjoyable hyphy track.

"Gorgeous" is nothing special at all and is another skippable track on this un-even album.

"Untouchable 09" is the last track on the album and one of the best aswell. Once again it features Mac Mall, who sounds better then he did on his whole last album. The beat is not that great, but the two mcs rip the mic to peices on this track, along with Mac Mall coming thru with a fantastic hook!

Overall the album is hard to rate because there are some horrible songs but then some good enjoyable tracks aswell. Its not like the album is all bad or all good, its pretty much even with slappin songs and terrible songs. The problem on this album isnt the lyrics or flow of Boss Hogg, its just that he didnt get very good production on this cd. If there was better beats the cd woulda been ALOT better.


RATING = 6/10

Thursday, November 19, 2009


AP.9 - Reality Check


Like most careers, being a musician is all about improving and growing. AP9 has been improving with every album and with Reality Check, he has not only dropped his best solo album yet but has also dropped one of the year's most consistent albums. Reality Check has no skits and no filler whatsoever. Every song is worth listening to and none are skippable, in my opinion. Of course there are the gangster tracks that we have come to expect from AP9 and the Mob Figaz, but that's not all he's got this time.

Streets starts the album off perfectly with a slappin' beat that AP9 completely rips to peices. This a good way to start the album, gangster tales and street raps done the way they are suppose to be. I'm That Nigga, which features Bobby Valentino, is just asking to be on TV and on the radio with a fantastic chorus. The Jacka and Fed-X from the Mob Figaz also join in on this one to lend a helping hand.

Tonight has AP9 spitting double time with an extremely fast flow that we have not really heard from him. This beat really has to be heard to understand how well put toegether it is. Jallah Beats is an up and coming producer to keep an eye out for. This beat here is simply a thing of beauty. The title track is my personal favorite song on the album, as AP9 gives the listener a view into some of the things hes been through in his past. He talks about being in the hospital for long periods after being shot. It's a very personal track where he speaks on his weight going from 165 pounds to 95 pounds and the doctors saying he had a 20% chance of living. For those that have gone through a lot of health issues and lost a lot of weight or been in hospitals for long periods, this song will really hit home. It hit me hard. It's rare that you get a musician (especially a rapper) opening up this much.

What It Is, which features Aaron Carter, is a song that you would never expect from AP9. Aaron Carter produced the track and sings on the hook as well. AP sounds good on this type of beat, which features some nice key work and tight drums. I was not expecting to enjoy this track, but when I listened to it a few times, I couldn't hate. AP9 is spreading his wings.

Wit That Shit features Goldie, Marvelless, T-Nutty and west coast mafia vet Killa Tay. This is that mob shit at its best right here. Killa Tay and Goldie sound right at home along side AP9 on this gangster-ass beat. Goldie says it best as he spits, "Now picture me needing radio play/ I'm from the era of C-Bo, Mac Dre, 2Pac and Killa Tay/ IT'S THE BAY!" This track right here reminds me of when the Bay was on top back in the '90s. The bass on The Afterlife was shaking my house when I had it playing on my system. One word to describe this track...SLAP! Down features Clyde Carson and Lee Majors and has a ridicolously sick beat that would make Dr. Dre proud.

Good Die Young is another deep track. It's about AP9's cousin who died at 19 years-old in the hospital. It is always sad when someone dies too young and AP9 does a fitting dedication to his little homie. This track would make anyone proud, you can almost feel his soul hurting during this track.

Overall this is a dope album and is worth your scrill. Top 5 Album of the Year for me. AP9 has made his most complete album and one of the year's best from any coast. To be honest, if you woulda told me that there was one classic rap album this year that had NO bad songs, I wouldn't have guessed it was the new AP9.


SCORE = 9.5/10

The Jacka And Berner - Drought Season 2

The Jacka & Berner - Drought Season 2

Berner has really improved on the mic since we first heard him. The dude is putting out tons of music and has a fantastic ear for great beats. As for the Jacka, you already know about him. Drought Season 2 has a bunch of bangers produced by Bay Area beast Cozmo, which really give this album a nice overall feel. The rapping is mainly about drugs, trafficking and that gangster life. There's some great appearances from the likes of Messy Marv, Lee Majors, Killa Tay, Cellski, Fed-X and AP9.

17708 is has a ridicolous beat that will have your head nodding. Jacka just destroys the mic, as he has been doing consistently lately. Prey On The Weak has a crazy beat that will have you lookin' for your bag of green to get your smoke on. Killa Tay rips the hook apart on this track. Tay also does the last verse on this song too and is definitely the highlight of this track.

Live By It, Die By It has a nice beat as well, as Berner spits with confidence: "You can't afford my weed/ I got them 54's, I dont sell them 43's/ and fuck the radio we do this shit for the streets/ I'm pushing more than trees, more than E, more than keys, I got that music shit poppin' up over seas."

Colder Blood is another great track with Fam Syrk sounding like Mike Marshall on the hook. J-Stalin has the best verse on the track as he sounds perfect over this slappin' beat. Not Tha Same has The Jacka spitting his laidback, addictive flow on the hook and features Mob Figaz member Fed-X.

Ain't A Game and O's are my least favorite songs on here, as the beats just sound out of place. If you listen to the songs without the rest of the album, they are not bad by any means.

Circles is a nice finish to the album as Bay Area boss Cellski jumps in the studio to put down a verse with Berner, The Jacka and Fed-X. The Jacka does the damn thang on this album and while Berner might not be the best rapper in the world, or your favorite rapper, you just can't front on his hustle. I can't wait to hear that Blow album with Messy Marv and Berner out in December.

SCORE = 8/10

Saturday, November 14, 2009

(MUSIC REVIEW) Danked Out - We On Some Other Shit

Danked Out - We On Some Other Shit (fea.Krypto and Indecent)







Up and coming emcee Danked Out seems to be the next big thing from Mac Dre's hometown of Vallejo. This single We On Some Other Shit has a dope beat on it hooked up by Scandal. The rapping on here is top notch too.

Krypto always brings heat with his verses, but its Danked Out who steals the show with a perfect flow and great lyrics. He sounds extremely hungry and reminds me of Turf Talk when he first came into the game, spitting nothing but fire. I've had this song for about a month and it's been on repeat the whole time. This is the type of Vallejo rap music that I've been waiting for. Lemme leave you with a couple ill lines from Danked Out: "Load em up, the fam is with me/ the grams is sticky/ I'm chiefin' like Kansas City" and "I'm knocking shit down, yall better let him in/ top spot, lookin' down like a pelican/ and never give it up like I'm celibate."

SCORE = 8.5/10
http://www.myspace.com/dankedout707

NBA2k10 (Videogame Review)





2K is back again this year with the king of basketball video games. Last year they delivered a great game, but it also had its share of issues. This year they have made the gameplay a lot more realistic, with more emphasis on defense and teamwork.

There is a new mode that is called My Player, which is amazingly well done. You start off by making your player, getting drafted and trying out for NBA teams. If you don't make the cut, you will be in the farm league trying to earn your way into the NBA. You really have to work as a good teammate to do well in My Player mode. I was trying to earn a spot on the Detriot Pistons with My Player and I was going up against Stuckey and Bynum trying to show I deserved a spot on their roster. Very addicting and really well designed.

The presentation this year is also vastly improved. The main improvement for me is the announcing; if you hit a game winning shot, the announcer will go crazy. What if you make a boneheaded play? Yes, they will mock you about it. This might be the best announcing in a sports game ever. The animation of the players is also very well done. The graphics are not all that changed, but there are some little improvements that you will notice.

The only issues the game has are a few server problems and some people are having some framerate problems in some select arenas when doing moves in the paint. Nothing game-breaking by any means, and 2K has said they are already hard at work on some updates that will fix the few small issues that the game has. Also, thankfully 2K took out the cheap things people would do online last year and have made the online a hell of a lot better. The Association mode is also a huge improvement this year compared to last year; it's a lot deeper this year in every way possible. NBA 2K10 has defended its belt and continues to be champ of b-ball games this year. Go cop it now!


SCORE = 9/10




Balance and Big Rich - Good As Money (MUSIC REVIEW)

Balance and Big Rich - Good As Money
















Balance and Big Rich are at it again with this new album called "Good As Money". Balance has been hard grinding the last few years, he had a very good debut album, dropped some great mixtapes, been in the studio with Dr.Dre working on Dre's new album and now here dropping this new colab album with Big Rich.


The first thing that needs to be said about this album is that it sounds
very professional, its been mastered and edited extremely well.
The beats are great and the recording quality sounds very well done.

The album starts off with the fantastic, head nodding "Bay Loco", which has
Balance and Big Rich spittin nothing but fire over a slappin beat, great way to
start off the album.hehe,


"On My Shit" is one of the years best tracks with production that sounds like a Dr.Dre type of beat with its well placed drums and is extremely addicting. Glasses Malone also does a great job of teaming up with Balance and Big Rich on this song and shows why hes one of the best upcoming rappers in the game at the moment.

"Yay'd out" is a track about the bay area, which features CMT on the beat and The Teams Ka Kyzah on the mic and doesnt dissapoint at all. Another amazing beat that sounds like it was meant for a 50 cent or Dr.Dre album.

Balance steals the show on this song with lines like:
"Catch me in LA with Bishop and Doc Dre/Catch me on the ave with dope, I got Yay/
Talkin cds, you cant fuck with me/Every single city I go the bay with me!"
and
"Im buzzin in La and im good in teh streets/I rock a A's fitted, Im in your city/
I hop off a plane lookin fresh like Ditty".

"Im Back" is another great track and its Big Rich on this song that shines the most, yet another very good beat with a very well done hook that is enjoyable instead of annoyign like alot of rap hooks these days.

"In These Streets" features Sik Wit It vet Turf Talk and is straight bay area perfection. Great lyrics, amazing beat and yet again a great hook. Balance spits slick lines like "Im the bays quick sand yall sinkin beneath".

Another addicting song is "Friday Night" which will have you wishing it was Friday Night and pay day. This song needs a video for it ASAP. Messy Marv is featured and comes with his usual gangster flow and street lyrics, Balance and Big Rich also bring there A game on this track aswell. This is a song that really has the potential to be BIG.

"Fresh" is another extremely good song that has a hard beat and features Ya Boy. This is that gangster/mob shit that the old bay is known for. On this dboy anthem Big Rich spits
"I can make a million dollars making rap songs/Or I can hit the fuckin block and get my trap on"

After hearing this song a few times you will either wanna go cop some new kicks and get ya fresh on or knock someone the fuck out because of the hard beat.
An odd combination yes, but this song is nothing but slap.

As Ya Boy says: "Bout to slide thru the Rich and pick up my Bay work/ All in a days work/Nigga i feind for bucks been on teh move since I was 2 and still I havnt seen enough/
Just left LA, shut the whole strip down, fresh out the toilet, Ya boy is the shit clown"

Yukmouth joins the action on "Why You Mad At Me" and like usual he brings heat on the mic. The beat is another slapper and has more of a down south type of feel to it. This is another stand out track on an overall very special album.

"Switchin Lanes" has up and coming westcoast monster Nio The GIft spitin fire over a good beat. Not the best song on the album, but still very good, as Balance and Big Rich really mesh well with Nio The Gift on the mic, hope to hear more from these 3 together in the future.

Overall this is an extremely good album, with 12 out of the 13 songs being top notch bay area slap. The only song that I could do without is Runaway girl, which isnt terrible by any means, but just feels a little out of place when played after the other songs which could be classics downt the road.

This is a cd that really surprised me, I know both these mcs got heat and that they work well together from past work. But the quality of the beats and especially the recording/engineering/mixing is top notch and a thing of beauty.

The hooks are also very well done aswell, it just goes to show that you can have someone singing on a hook and make it good and noy annoying. With all the Autotune and Akon type of artists doing annoying hooks these days, its good to hear an album that does all of its hooks well, on some Mike Marshall type stuff instead of another Akon or T-Pain clone.

Not only one of the top 3 cds from the bay this year, but one of the years best cds from any coast and any genre. No skits, no filler, just great music from front to back. GO COP THIS ASAP!


SCORE = 8/10

Mac Mall - Mac To The Future (MUSIC REVIEW)

Mac Mall - Mac To The Future




Mac Mall dropped one of the best rap albums ever in my opinion with "Untouchable". It had great production from Khayree and Mac Mall had great lyrics and that perfect flow.

Sometimes its hard to make another album as good as your first or best one, Mac Mall has had some good releases since then but Mac To The Future is not one of them.
Even the underrated, enjoyable DA US OPEN with Mac Dre was extremely good and
looked like Mac Mall was going back to his great raps, I guess that was just him teasing us.

Its sad to see that so much talent is making an album this bad. The production is some of the worst of this year, with only two good beats on the whole cd.

Mac Malls flow is still just as good as ever, but his lyrics have taken a nosedive for the worse on this album. Instead of some of the best inner city stories and tales that rap has heard, we get a watered down Mac Mall, talking about bullshit for the most part.

There are a few songs that I enjoyed, such Sawyer Street and Fire Remix, but 2 decent songs out of 13 is not acceptable, especially from someone as good as Mac Mall.

Nuthin Bout Thizz is garbage, Cutthroat Life is extremely hard to even finish listening to, Hubble High is annoying as hell, Pimpasistic is terrible, For Real makes your ears hurt and Tell Dem is one of the worst songs of the year. Alley Oop and I Dont Get Mad are decent, but still
nothing to write home about.

Such a dissapointing cd after his good work on DA US OPEN and all of his previous albums. I really hope Mac Mall starts to put out quality music again, because hes got so much talent and such a great flow that its sad to see him on this Mac To The Future bullshit.

Stay Away from this album at all costs, if you do get it, then do like i did with Nas - Nastrodamus and toss it in the fish tank at ya girls house.

Mac Mall and Thizz entertainment have both put out MUCH better music then this. The production is horrible, while Mac Malls lyrics are not terrible, they are not nearly as good as he is capable of.

SCORE = 4/10

"Dragon Age" - VIDEOGAME REVIEW


DRAGON AGE Review

These days it seems like RPGs are not as good as they should be. Either the story is cliche or characters are annoying. Dragon Age: Origins is the latest RPG from Bioware, who have made some of the best roleplaying games of all time, such as KOTOR, Mass Effect, Jade Empire and Baldur's Gate. It's a fantasy RPG that is basically a more mature/adult version of Lord Of The Rings.

It might have the best story I've seen in a video game! Usually it is in a good novel or foreign film where you find a story this amazing, not a video game. One word describes this game - EPIC. As the game unfolds you cannot help but say the words "epic" and "amazing" to yourself over and over again. You also get alot of choices in this game (ie: whether to kill someone or help them out), doing good or bad things not only effects your character in the game, but the world and story as well.

Bioware really has crafted an amazing game with so much depth that it's scary. You can just run through the main questline if you want, or you can do tons of side quests in each city, which really adds to the game. As you level up, you get to pick new moves and such for your characters. You not only control your main character but you control three others too. When you go into combat you can pause the game and set-up your moves, or you can just jump in and fight in real time. The combat is not just hack and slash fighting, it's a combination of realtime and turn based action.

This is Bioware's best game since Baldur's Gate and KOTOR, and in my opinion the best RPG in the last five years or so. It's very rare that a game like this pulls me like this, I literally felt like a young kid while playing. It is very well crafted and has a high fun factor. If you want a big adventure this winter that can last you anywhere from 30 to 70 hours, then please do yourself a favour and pick this up.


Not only the game of the year so far in 2009, but the best RPG this generation for videogames, simply an amazing game that everyone should try out.


SCORE = 9.5/10
Developer = Bioware Publisher = EA