The Honorable Shyne
The Honorable Shyne may not exactly convince us of Shyne’s musical importance, but it unfurls his improbable story with aplomb.
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Bars for Gaza
Over a year after the Israel-Hamas war began, numerous rap songs have appeared that address the ongoing conflict.
Blu & Exile, Love (the) Ominous World
Blu’s third album of 2024 revolve around familiar concerns: fulfilling his hip-hop ambitions, and trying to find spiritual sustenance.
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Rise of a Killah: My Life in the Wu-Tang by Ghostface Killah
Not quite a full autobiography, Rise of a Killah compiles interviews with Ghostface Killah that tend to be impressionistic in details.
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Ol’ Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys
A Tale of Two Dirtys strains to show us that the much-missed Wu-Tang star was a compelling artist, not a holy fool.
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The 100 Best Rap Singles of 2004
As rap teetered between pop corporatism, brilliance and malaise, the eccentric MF DOOM as well as exotic Southern sounds offered redemption.
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Boldy James & Conductor Williams, Across the Tracks
On Across the Tracks, Boldy James illustrates a drug hustler’s lifestyle in colorful language, not thematic exposition or narrative tension.
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Your Old Droog, Movie
Your Old Droog’s “Movie” isn’t quite a God-tier film, but it’s a solid excursion with quality production and “nutty bars.”
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ShrapKnel & Controller 7, Nobody Planning to Leave
“Nobody Planning to Leave,” a collaboration between ShrapKnel and producer Controller 7 unfolds as a kind of fragmented tapestry.
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The 125 Best Rap Singles of 1994
By 1994, hip-hop had clearly evolved into a generational movement. But its innocent sensibility was lost in the process.
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The 60 Best Rap Singles of 1984
Hip-hop in 1984 brought Fresh Fest superstars Run-DMC and Whodini, Melle Mel’s breakout year, and the beginning of the Roxanne wars.
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Kings from Queens: The Run DMC Story
Kings from Queens: The Run DMC Story gives testimony about a history that most fans of a certain age will know by heart.
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