Little Brother, Big Controversy

Little Brother had high hopes for their softmore effort in 2005. It was to be their breakout album into the circus that is mainstream rap music. It received mixed reviews, most notoriously from The Source magazine, which was originally to give it a 4 and a half mic rating, but was lowered due to internal disagreements. Unfortunately the group split with their producer 9th Wonder recently, most likely due to the disappointing sales and creative differences between the two parties.

Nonetheless, The Minstrel Show is a pleasurable concept album comparing modern day rappers to black-faced performers of the early 19th century, satisfying the populace with gang glorification, female exploitation and not to mention terrible lyrical delivery. Phonte's flow meshes well with 9th's choppy, lo-fi production while Big Pooh provides his two cents worth.

Lovin' It
Say It Again
All For You

A Bright Idea + some DJ abilities = Classic Material

I gotta represent with a post about a dope group from my hometown once in a while. Ever since Atmosphere blew up about four or five years ago, the majors have been stalking the Twin Cities for similar musicians to sign, but most artists here have stayed true to the independent scene that nurtured them.

One of my favorite DJ/MC duo outta St. Paul is Eyedea & Abilities. Both men are veterans of the battle arena (Eyedea's most notorious was winning HBO's Blaze Battle and Abilities has won DMC regionals) and breath fresh, relieving air into the hip hop game. Their debut album came out in 2001 which seems like so long ago when I reflect on it today, almost makes me feel old (*sob*). Seriously though, albums just aren't as stitched together and as cohesive as this one anymore. I love concept albums with a central theme and songs that weave together like a rug on a loom. This is how albums are supposed to be listened to! Back to back, no track skipping, no bullshit. Just beautiful music that evokes feelings you couldn't get any other way.

Music Music
Liquid Sovereignty
On This I Stand

Since We Last Spoke...

Wow. Where to begin with a guy who borrowed his stage name from the cute, lovable droid from Star Wars? RJD2, who was a record collecting DJ nerd out of Ohio, began his music career DJing parties and making beats for the infamous MegaHertz crew until he was signed to Def Jux while shopping beats to record labels. I'm sure you've heard at least one of his cuts off his debut 2002 instrumental album, Deadringer in about 10 different Wells Fargo commercials.

While I treasure my autographed copy of Deadringer, I have a much higher appreciation of his second, more experimental album, Since We Last Spoke. I mean, he's sampling 70's sludge-rock, 80's synth, and combining it with funky hip hop beats and it fucking mashes together like ice cream and peanut butter (mmm...)!

Fuck all these "indie rock" musicians. This is what the future of music should sound like.

Exotic Talk
1976
Through The Walls

Now Hear This

In my humble opinion, indie hip hop really took off at the dawn of the new millennium (Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples, Atmosphere, Aesop Rock, Slum Village, Reflections Eternal just too name a few). The Unspoken Heard released their debut LP Soon Come... in 2001 on 7Heads recording label (also home of J-Live) to much critical acclaim.

Asheru and Blue Black are two very educated rappers who have a fond love of hip hop. Blue Black produces most of the record with lots of chopped piano samples and groovy beats. Asheru has a solid delivery that never bores. You can definitely hear similarities to Pete Rock's sound on this record, which is probably why I like it so much :)

Truly Unique
Theme Music
Elevator Music

Lost And Found

After Pete Rock parted ways with CL Smooth in 1994, he jumped back on the boards and created a project with his brother Rob-O and rappers Grap Luva and Marco Polo. Leading with the single, "Fakin' Jax", INI: Center of Attention was supposed to be released by his label Elektra but was shelved for 7 years until BBE repackaged it into a double CD along with another project entitled Deda: Original Baby Pa.

Center of Attention is a little more laid back and underproduced than his previous productions with CL Smooth, but that is what gives it its charm. The lyrical vibe is very calm and mellowed-out, not very complex, but on point nonetheless. Similar to Digable Planets and Gangstarr, I would place this in the genre of elevator hip hop music.

The Life I Live
Fakin' Jax
Grown Man Sport

Houblon de Hanche

While almost all Americans stick with home-brewed hip hop, they're missing out on a large, untapped reservoir of foreign made music. One of France's premier hip hop instrumentalists is DJ Cam, who began recording jazzy downtempo music in the mid-nineties. His major label debut, The Beat Assassinated is a fusion of minimalist and dub reggae vibes combined with east coast, sample-driven production featuring guest vocals from dubber Otis and NY rap group Channel Live.


Broadcasting Live (featuring Channel Live)
L'invasion (feat. Dadou from KDD)

Swing It Babees

When House of Pain ruled the singles chart with "Jump Around", Da Bush Babees snuck in through the back door and generated buzz with their own anthem, "Swing It". This NY trio consisted of Jamaican refugees Kaos, Mister Man and toaster Y-Tee. These guys featured some of the who's-who of producers on their debut album Ambushed including Jermaine Dupri and A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed.

One of my favorite hip hop cuts of all time, "We Run Things" evokes a nostalgic feeling of the days when hip hop stressed realness over sales every time I hear it.

Swing It
Just Can't Stand It
We Run Things (It's Like Dat)

A pair of Juggaknots

Another amazing duo who entered the hip hop game at the wrong time, Bronx producer Buddy Slim and emcee Breezy Brewin' make up the Juggaknots. After being put on the shelf by Elektra, they eventually released Clear Blue Skies EP on Fondle'Em Records back in 1996 which was criminally overlooked. This is a beefed up re-release of album featuring a bunch of new songs and remixes. They have a moody style similiar to their independent counterparts Company Flow and Darc Mind.

Take two No-Doz and don't sleep.

Trouble Man
Clear Blue Skies

You Blockhead!

Aesop Rock's producer Blockhead crafted this beauty of an album in 2004 showing off his composition skills. Straight outta Manhattan, Block utilizes obscure string samples and old drum breaks to create a melancholy orchestration. It's inevitable that I compare him to RJD2 and DJ Shadow since there are so very few instrumental hip hop artists that garner as much attention as them, but he has an ear for melodies and harmonies that few possess. This is one of my favorite chill albums, especially on a rainy day or a dreary winter night.

Enjoy.

You've Got Maelstrom
Sunday Seance
Insomniac Olympics

It's like dat...huh? Ya know!

This was a re-release of producer Jay Dee's (AKA J Dilla, R.I.P.) first successful group consisting of emcees T3 and Baatin. Originally released in 1996, it was a small sample to what would become the Detroit sound.

(Little known fact: The cut 'Players' was a battle song aimed at Eminem's posse D12)

The Look of Love
Players

Our Ghetto Pop Lives

Before Dangermouse blew up on the pop scene, he made a fantastic album with NY rapper Jemini the Gifted One. Jemini suffered the disappointment that so many up and coming emcees face in the mid-nineties after the deaths of 2Pac and Biggie, having his debut album shelved by the record companies who wanted more dumbed down, gangster-image dance records.

But as luck would have it, London-based producer Dangermouse was a fan of his work and contacted Jemini to show him some of his beats and offered to collaborate on a project. Their product was one of the best throw back albums of the 2000 era. Jemini features a high pitched voice with infectious hooks while Dangermouse layers the grittiest, chopped up drum breaks over lush, orchestrated samples.

Ghetto Pop Life
Medieval ft The Pharcyde

Diggin' up an Artifact

Although graffiti is one of the four elements of hip hop, it always tends to be at the bottom of the list of rapper's song topics just below "party joint" and "chicken heads".

Enter the Artifacts, a dynamic group who wrote THE definitive hit song about getting up in the brick city. Hailing from New Jersey, Emcees El da Sensai and Tame One have unique styles that reflect off their affiliates EPMD and Redman (who also produced half the album), carving their own niche in hip hop's golden age. Their debut album, Between a Rock and a Hard Place is littered with heavy drum loops, dissonant jazz samples and complex rhyming verses.

Wrong Side of da Tracks
Whayback