Articles by R.H.S.
Wu-Tang Clan / Gravediggaz - Demos
These demo recordings strain the ears but reward our efforts with plenty of “oh shit!” moments.
Simply II Positive (Organized Konfusion) / O.C. - Demos
It is a genuine travesty that the corporate powers-that-be never took enough of a liking to Organized Konfusion or O.C. to give their material a fair and adequate push.
A Queens Lineage: Mobb Deep - The Infamous
In Mobb Deep's extended family, professional and musical expertise is ritually transmitted from one generation to the next.
The Pharcyde - Sold My Soul: The Remix and Rarity Collection
Many of the remixes are really re-recordings and as such feature vocals that are dramatically altered from their originals.
AZ - A.W.O.L.
Still, AZ falls far short of a consistent album once again, so much so in fact that its difficult to pinpoint why such a clearly talented emcee fails to make magic in the studio.
Count Bass D - BEGBORROWSTEAL
The Count’s music is respectfully evocative of the funk, soul, jazz, and rock genres that he pilfers, filters, tweaks, chops, and rearranges.
Cash Money & Marvelous - Where The Party At?
Both DJ and MC share the spotlight, and both place equal emphasis on technical ability and stage presence for the benefit of the crowd.
Sadat X - Experience & Education
Sadat X's latest release hearkens back to an earlier rap era in which rappers dipped into a rich pallette of emotions and rhyme styles to narrate a wide experiential range.
Strickly Roots - Begs No Friends
The duo play up their West Indian heritage, Bronx address, and Zulu Nation affiliations while censuring rappers who do not meet their puritanical expectations of rootsy realness.
Natural Elements - The EP
The NE sound best when they chop off domes with the thoughts that come out of their pineal glands over gutter tracks that sparkle just enough to garner the attention of hard rocks and party people alike.
Jemini The Gifted One - Scars And Pain EP
Jemini wraps his reflective yet anguished verse around the pulsing, urgent track and forces you to feel the vibe in real time.
Krown Rulers - Paper Chase
Paper Chase sounds very much like a record from the ’88 era: the drums are loud enough to wake up the dead and mixed way the fuck up front.
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud - Girls I Got 'Em Locked / Stezo - Crazy Noise
Both titles are grossly overlooked even in true school revivalist circles.
Show / D.I.T.C. - Street Talk
Party Arty emerges as the one potential star and steals the show with his deadpan delivery of hilarious punchlines
Money Boss Players - Ghetto Chronicle Daily
Haters foolish enough to dismiss the Players as a famous-for-not-being-famous “random rap” crew rank foremost among people who need to check this EP.
DJ Muggs Vs. GZA/ The Genius - Grandmasters
GZA comes across like a b-boy-inflected Vincent Price or a rappin’ Rod Serling.
Damage Ya Whole Era: 1992
Between scrubs strutting in lavender Cross Colours pantaloons and overly defensive wiggers traipsing around in billowy overalls, something’s gotta give.
Troubleneck Brothers - Fuck Y'all
Before unwittingly contributing to hip hop’s romanticist movement and doing a bid in major label purgatory, the Troubleneck Brothers put out an entirely independent tape-only album.
Trigger Tha Gambler - Life's a 50/50 Gamble
Trigger maintains his relentless Kool G Rap-derived rhyme style on every song regardless of mood or concept.
Ras Kass - Soul On Ice demo
Ras sounds more at home (and a bit less refined) over these muddy beats than he does on some of the lighter fare found on the official version of Soul On Ice.
Real Live - The Turnaround: A Long Awaited Drama
K-Def labors to nail down hip hop’s truly “classic” sound without surrendering to the temptation to give the people exactly what they want.
Line for line: Ice Cube - Jackin' For Beats
In Cube’s estimation, there is no funk without righteous rage, and there is no creative process without an explicit and deliberate critique of the status quo.
Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth - Rare Tracks
Even their b-side remixes and scrapped alternate takes tend to be magnificently produced, painstakingly textured, and lovingly executed rap songs.
Rakim - Unreleased Studio Set
I am inclined to believe the title and comfortably assume that it’s a demo, or maybe two demos, or at least a demo with some rarities tacked on, recorded in the early to mid-90s.
Lord Finesse - From The Crates To The Files ... The Lost Sessions
Few can deny that Finesse rips every almost all of his verses with unmatched tenacity and technique.
Dark Sun Riders Featuring Brother J - Seeds of Evolution
The mysterious Dark Sun Riders are fiercely dedicated to making that ol’ boom-bap sparkle without sacrificing its menacing funk.
Digable Planets - Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles
The nimble and determined flows of Butterfly, Mecca, and Ish are finally rendered appropriately audible and thus consonant with the spacey and dynamic funk.
Soldiering on through Bucktown
On Dah Shinin', Smif n Wessun portrayed their home streets as the battleground for two similarly militaristic forces: Hoods and Pigs.
Sean Price - Monkey Barz
Though he rarely falters on the mic, Sean simply sounds his best when he schools amateur rappers and speaks plainly about grown folk struggles.
Akinyele - Vagina Diner
Although the title and packaging of this album foreshadow his later reliance on smut raps, Diner is long on heart and short on shock.
Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito - 89.9FM New York 11/11/93
The number of rap careers that were essentially spearheaded on 89.9 FM is staggering and includes everyone from DMX to Godfather Don.
Joe Fatal, Folk Hero
Contrary to popular belief, somebody dared to rap after Nas on "Live At the BBQ."
The Future Sound-The Whole Shabang, Vol. 1
The Future Sound implore the party people to let the music take control and yet remain open enough to digest the heady lyrics.
PHD (Poet & Hot Day) - Without Warning
With the unsmiling, measured coldness of Parrish Smith and the colloquial clarity of rival KRS-One, Poet obliterates lesser emcees, corrupt cops, and damn near all of his detractors.
Queen Latifah and the Original Flavor Unit
DJ Mark the 45 King’s signature hard-bop, arguably New Jeruz’s greatest contribution to hip-hop, seeps into every second of this compilation, including the two songs that are not officially credited to him.
Scientifik - Criminal
On the mic Scientifik operates correctly, dropping jewelz and relating crime sagas in a soldierly, commanding voice that flexes just enough to reveal his famished intensity.
YZ - The Ghetto's Been Good To Me
Trenton, NJ native YZ is known for his unpretentious articulation of 5%er wisdom.
Siah and Yeshua - The Visualz EP
All vinyl nerd matters aside, the EP is a solid, ambitious, and highly enjoyable piece of music. It is not, however, the major coup that many have made it out to be.
Ed O.G. - Dedicated EP
Dedicated lies at the intersection of major label aspiration and indie self-assertion, forged out of Ed O.G.’s inevitable and wise entry into the burgeoning vinyl-only underground scene.
Homeliss Derelix - Fraudulent EP
Rapper Grand Visitor winds his syrupy yet thoughtful flows over and around piano riffs, understated bass, and all breeds of minor-key sounds.
Def Jef - Soul Food / Funkytown Pros - Reachin' A Level Of Assassination
In keeping with tradition, both Def Jef and The Grand Verbalizer seem to share a common stylistic ancestor in Kool Moe Dee’s resonant and righteous articulation.
Hard Knocks - School of Hard Knocks
Musically, the Hard Knocks are indebted to DJ Mark the 45 King’s indelible horns and Marley Marl’s powerful snares. Their lyrical influences include Rakim and Chuck D, whose timely vocals are respectfully cut into the mix.
Rumpletilskinz- What Is a Rumpletilskin? / The Legion - Theme + Echo = Krill
The early 90s saw hungry clans and cliques land impossible big label deals, drop mixshow favorites on 12” wax, shoot zero-budget fiery trash can videos, hit #1 on the bootleg charts … only to fall the fuck off the map.
Positive K - The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills
Positive K.’s 1992 full-length effort is strictly underground funk in spirit, form, and practice.
Anttex - Suburban Etiquette
Anttex hails from a non-descript middle-class neighborhood in southeastern Queens and wears this association ironically but not without a little pride.
Three Times Dope - Original Stylin’
E.S.T. is a vintage emcee’s emcee of the late ‘80s, a garrulous mic controller with a gift for straight wrecking shit.
Aceyalone - All Balls Don't Bounce
Aceyalone leads us through bizarre streams of consciousness, punctuating his darkest verses with playful left-field pop culture allusions.
How Digable Planets Straight New Yorked You
"The defined mission is to speak perfect slang and emulate the chillest villains of Blaxploitation, to be slick yet gutter, to look fresh but remain largely unseen."R.H.S. takes a look back at Blowout Comb.
