Artist: Kon & AmirTitle: The CleaningRating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Sharpeye Washington<font face="verdana" size="2" Hip-hop started with the DJ. So if that course of events holds true, it’s safe to say that diggin’ for beats has been a major part of authentic hip-hop culture from its inception. Kon & Amir are world-renowned beat diggers, getting their fingers gritty for years while mining for vinyl jewels. Not just collecting records for the sake of possessing them, the duo showcases their superb selection as DJ’s on The Cleaning, the latest offering from the Uncle Junior’s Fish Fry series from those folks at Uncle Junior/7 Heads records. First and foremost, this is a record for beat heads. If are looking for a hot verse or some fine tuned turntable wizardry (as far as cuts and scratches) you will not find it here. Instead what your eardrums will prickle to hear is fresh soul, R&B, jazz and whatever other genres you can think of grooves for listening pleasure. On The Cleaning a healthy knowledge of James Brown breaks or Parliament funk samples just won’t cut it. De La Soul aficionados will be quickly able to place the charming synths of Mighty Riders’ “Evil Vibrations” since the Native Tonguers lifted them for their hit “Saturdays.” If there is a overall theme on this album, it’s a blending of…TK. This concept is exemplified on “Windy C” a minimal but silky smooth groove that if you were close your eyes while listening, you would picture hip cats in afros and bell bottoms slappin’ skin. Other songs of note, though they all are winners, include a luscious mix of soaring synth strings and mood base on “Sweet Power” by James Mason and the uplifting vocals and dreamy instrumentation “California” by the much-sampled Leon Ware. The obscure, as far as casual music listeners, artists like The Chosen Few, Ron Holden, Leo Sunshipp, will have pseudo beat diggers and casual listeners alike quickly trying to play catch up. The Cleaning is a well put together mix of consistently head nod inducing selections from various musical realms that come together under one very hip-hop roof. Hip-hop is about beats, rhymes and all that good stuff in between, but it’s a nice departure to just worry about the beats for about an hour and change.

Artist: Jedi Mind TricksTitle: Violent By DesignRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Matt Barone Heralded by underground heads and SoundScan ignorers as a classic when it originally dropped in 2000, Jedi Mind Tricks’ sophomore disc Violent By Design assaulted listeners with a clearly one-sided darkness that made commercial attention as likely as a Joe Budden and G-Unit collaboration. MCs Vinnie Paz and Jus Allah, backed by in-house producer and group member Stoupe, stormed out of the Philadelphia underworld to exercise their anti-conformist views with an uncompromising intensity. Now in 2004, Babygrande Records has re-mastered this infamous album, providing crisper sound quality and adding five bonus cuts in hopes of reaching previously unaware ears. Stoupe’s ability to craft multi-layered, rough-edged bangers is still evident, while the lyrical shortcomings of Paz and Allah unfortunately are even more noticeable. Opening with the DJ scratches and somber mood of “Retaliation”, this album never abandons its pitch-black nature, drenched with consistent gloom and topics ranging from vicious battle raps to cryptic references to Christianity. “Heavenly Divine” sports steady flute notes and boasts the strongest verses that Paz and Allah deliver on the whole album, while “Muerte” engages with a melancholy beat bringing to mind DJ Premier after reading nothing but Stephen King. With such an overall unpleasant atmosphere felt throughout Violent By Design, Paz and Allah’s presence begins to suffer from monotony rather fast. Even though their styles compliment Stoupe’s unrelentingly hardcore instrumentals nicely, their lyrical content tends to become a bit too heavy for their own good and slightly exploits their verbal shortcomings. Thankfully, skilled guest shots from Bahamadia, Tragedy Khadafi, Louis Logic, and Mr. Lif provide much-needed moments of relief. What has made this album such an applauded underground treasure is the flawless work presented by production wizard Stoupe. Putting together some of the most darkly intriguing beats ever heard on a rap album, Stoupe shines as the group’s crown jewel. The haunting vocal samples on “Exertions Remix” instantly hypnotize, and the militant ferocity felt on “Death March” could inspire even the softest of men to feel gully. “Gengis Khan” sounds as close to a battlefield that a song will ever bring you, while tracks like “Sacrifice” and “Trinity” captivate with arrangements combining everything from violins to pianos to eerie vocals, coming across like symphonies conducted by Lucifer himself. Jedi Mind Tricks released the follow-up Visions of Ghandi last year, but the daunting task of surpassing the focus and hunger of Violent By Design seems to be the group’s mission impossible. An album as action-packed and extreme as this comes along very rarely, warranting a listen whether you prefer Chingy or stick with Non Phixion. Yes, the lyrics from Vinnie Paz and Jus Allah may feed into the nonsensical and one-dimensional stereotypes of underground rappers, but the production capabilities of Stoupe demand recognition. With his skills still on point, as evidenced by his recent Jedi Mind Tricks beats and his critically acclaimed Canibus Rip The Jacker project, one can only hope that Stoupe reaps the benefits of Violent By Design’s newfound buzz.

Artist: Method ManTitle: Tical 0: The PrequelRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Matt Barone Branding his 2000 sophomore effort with the title Tical 2000: Judgement Day may have been a bit premature for Method Man. In actuality, the release of the long-delayed and heavily speculated Tical O: The Prequel is shaping up to be the true day of reckoning for Johnny Blaze. Wu-Tang Clan’s ever-loyal fan base has seen the Ticallion Stallion focus his pupils on director’s cameras rather than setting studio booths ablaze the past four years. It seems as if Meth’s back is against the wall these days, with many doubting if he will again be considered a full-fledged MC rather than simply a “hip-hop celebrity”. In a 2004 rap climate powered by both Southern rowdiness and the slow resurgence of consciousness, can Method Man’s current dosage of blunted rap successfully remind fans just who held the game in a “Def Jam Vendetta”-like chokehold not too long ago? The answer to this is unclear after listening to The Prequel. Ironically it feels as if Meth was aware of this question while crafting the disc’s 17 cuts. An eclectic mix consisting of radio-friendly tunes sprinkled with occasionally grimier moments has replaced both the overall blunted rawness of his 1994 solo debut Tical and apocalyptic ruggedness of the aforementioned Judgement Day. Loyal fans of Meth may not be as content with this creative decision as Def Jam Records would hope, especially after suffering through the album’s painfully contrived opener, the Missy Elliot and P. Diddy assisted “Say What”, a song reeking of “I need a hit” intentions. The Prequel does have it fair share of sure-fire winners, such as the sinister party-starter “What’s Happenin” featuring Busta Rhymes, and the hook-free lyrical barrage “The Show.” Nashiem Myrick supplies Meth with moody and pounding percussion on the album’s roughest entry, the battle-ready “The Motto.” This call-to-arms aimed at any skeptic doubting Johnny Blaze’s skill level should show that he still possesses the fire within to oppose his lyrical foes. Wu-Tang die-hards looking for reassurance that the Clan is still intact may be disappointed to find that Tical’s latest offering features a mere two Wu-associated collaborations. Labelmate and Shaolin brethren Ghostface goes back-and-forth with Meth on the uptempo “The Afterparty”, while Raekwon brings the ’94 out of our host on the no-frills “The Turn”. “The Turn” is vintage Killa Bee music, courtesy of the album’s lone RZA creation and Method Man bars like, “It’s the Wu Tang, 36 Chame, what you smokin’?/ Got you in the game chokin’, like Van Gundy is coachin’”. However, hen Meth aims for wider listening audiences The Prequel suffers from a lack of real structure and plays like a audio grab-bag rather than a cohesive listen delivered by a veteran MC. Ludacris joins the festivities on the gimmicky “Rodeo”, a bouncy yet awkward track where Meth sounds out-of-place alongside the rapid-fire spitting of Luda. “Never Hold Back” is a particularly uninspired selection, plagued by Gilla House’s blatant Erick Sermon-esque production, while the romantic taunts heard on “Baby Come On” impress even less than the annoying Kardinal Offishal-serviced hook. Even though Method Man’s apparent experimentation is successful in spots (Denaun Porter’s funky speaker-damager “We Some Dogs”, with Snoop Dogg and Redman, and the hypnotically seductive “Tease” are both worthy of repeat playing), an album as crucial to his future musical success as Tical 0: The Prequel should have been handled with better consistency. The overall satisfaction felt on his previous albums is not felt once Tical 0 comes to a close. While Meth does prove that he still has the lyrical chops to please, efforts to broaden his appeal unfortunately take away from the album’s scattered highlights. If this is “The Prequel” to what Method Man has done in the past, one can only hope that next time around he goes “back to the future” Marty McFly style in order to regain the anti-commercial attitude he once displayed.

Artist: Okay Player:Title: True Notes, Vol. 1Rating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Martin A. Berrios There is a point in time during an artist’s career where recording and performing isn’t enough. Ownership is now a necessity for longevity in today’s music industry, and The Roots have followed suit. With the recent formation of their label OkayPlayer Records, the Philadelphia collective wastes no time in bringing us True Notes Vol. #1. Executive produced by ?uestlove, the compilation features some of the biggest names in indie Hip-Hop. Aceyalone sets it off nicely with “KO Player.” Madlib steps out of his comfort zone with this distorted bass driven track. Acey rides the beat efficiently as he drags the last syllable of each last word of his bars. The L.A. rhyme veteran also uses “doubles” to further accentuate his delivery. Lil’ Brother continues the great vibe with “On & On.” Producer de jour 9th Wonder cooks up a soulful platform for Big Pooh and Phonte to speak on their day to day lives as rappers. Phonte provides a perfect visual with these lines: “They wanna know 9th and wanna know Pooh/but they ain’t trying to know the crazy s### they go through/like 4 am in the booth recording vocals/or at the club watching fake n##### approach you.” With all of the artists featured on True Notes Vol. #1, it is Skillz who steals the show. “Take It Back” instantly catches the listener’s attention. The hook is catchy but far from gimmicky. His signature cocky demeanor compliments the bouncy track excellently. As his recent year-end wrap-ups showed us all, Skillz’ light shines brightest when his creative juices flow. On the humorous “Pastor Skillz,” we find our favorite Virginian stepping into the role of a quick-tongued church deacon who has no problem on dropping dimes on the mis-doings of his clergy. Dialated Peoples (“Okay”) and Jean Grae (“Keep Living”) also make noteworthy contributions. The problem with this compilation lies within the nature of these types of releases. The wide array of vibes from the featured artists hinder True Notes from being the stellar project that reads so well on paper. When listening to Dice Raw’s “I Do What I Like” (produced by RJD2), you tend to wonder if crew love is a bigger priority than quality music. Truck and Mack’s “Bang Bang” and The Chapter’s “For The Wreckord” also add into the album’s dull moments. Even The Roots’ “Yall Know Who” is quite dated (it first appeared on The Wood Soundtrack in 1999), leaving their hardcore fans disappointed. With Skillz and Jean Grae anchoring the project, surely some heads will still find True Notes enjoyable. Unfortunately, the inconsistencies make the first release on OkayPlayer Records just “Okay” (pun Intended).

Artist: TajaiTitle: Power MovementRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Boudreaux The Love Child It’s been 11 years since Tajai Massey and his crew of energetic brothers in rhyme, that would be Souls of Mischief (SOM), released their classic debut 93 til’ Infinity and helped showcase Cali’s burgeoning freestyle/battle rap culture on a national level. With that in mind, Tajai’s solo debut Power Movement is incredible late. But as he states on “Who Got It”: “It’s been a long time coming, yet I remain hungry.” Good things come to those who wait and the part time school-teacher and full time supa emcee hold up his end of the bargain by delivering a well rounded debut. Tajai hasn’t been on some lazy ish. Helping to run the Hieroglyphics empire businesswise as well as contributing to all of their releases whether on SOM and Hieroglyphics group projects, solo member projects (Del, Pep Love) and not to mention the occasional cameo. With all that experience Mr. Massey knows how to put a song together. On “Do Not Touch” Tajai is in full control of his vocals while trading bars with Pep Love over gurgling static. “Scientific Method” finds him contemplating the working of the world in a series of rhetorical questions relayed on the hook, “The scientic method, you hypothesize carefully test it, observe analyze, ask the right questions, the answers will arise…”–likely an ode to his undergrad days as a pre-med student at Stanford University. A talented lyricist, the album embodies facets of his personality without sounding forced. Chicks get bagged on “Do It”, an explicit Slick Rick like tale is kicked on “Raunch, Rogue, S####” and the importance of a keen business acumen is described on the mellow “Multiple Choice,” all with ease. The albums production is provided by family members Casual, A-Plus and Domino as well Amp Fiddler, Fakts One, et al. When the production is tight, Tajai shines. On the aggressive title track Tajai kicks fierce battles raps over intense horns and aggressive percussion provided by Skitzo. But there are a few instance where the beats don’t adequately supplement Tajai’s lyrics, as on the non-descript groove of “Quality, Equality” Eleven plus years, and that’s just as a professional, pretty much makes discussions about Tajai’s ability a mute point. After all, what else do you expect from a Hiero crew member? Power Movement is a quality album that finds the Oakland rapper surging forward.

Artist: CormegaTitle: Legal HustleRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Matt Barone Having endured a dramatic career worthy of reality television, Queensbridge native Cormega has comfortably positioned himself in rap’s underground scene. After being neglected and eventually dropped by Def Jam, quietly pushed out of rap super-group The Firm, and engaging in long-term verbal combat versus former associate Nas, Mega went the independent route to release two top-quality, yet unfairly low-profile, albums. 2001’s The Realness and 2002’s The True Meaning were clear exhibitions of this NYC MC’s skills, matching nearly flawless production to his vivid narratives and seasoned street talk. Already having proven that he can easily hold down a full-length on his own, Cormega has invited a slew of guests to participate in his 2004 Legal Hustle. Consider it Mega’s version of The Chronic, as he collaborates with his new rookie talent and some of the game’s most respected names to create a surprisingly cohesive and fluid release that bangs along consistently, track after track. Adding to the record’s unique appeal is that all beat-making duties are handled by either newcomers or Cormega himself, keeping the soundtrack pure and devoid of ‘been there, done that’ sounds. Beginning with The Feil Brothers’ triple beat changes on “Intro”, Legal Hustle wastes no time in bringing the audio heat. Promising production novice Emile supplies the steady bass and militant whistles heard on “Let It Go” as M.O.P. bring out the grimier side of Cormega, while lyrical wizard Ghostface checks in with a sick sequence of bars on the soulful and cinematic “Tony / Montana”, as Mega’s verse equally impresses. “Deep Blue Seas” finds our host traveling to Cali to team-up with Kurupt and Jayo Felony, effortlessly blurring the line between the East and West Coasts and crafting a universal heater. Emile’s laidback pianos and violins beautifully surround Mega and former Firm brethren AZ on the blazing “Redemption”, displaying the duo’s obvious chemistry and inducing newfound anger in all those that felt disappointment in The Firm’s Mega-less album. Hip-hop veteran Large Professor even joins in Mega’s hustle, checking in on the oh-so-smooth “Sugar Ray and Hearns”. Being an MC with significant abilities, it’s only right that Cormega’s fresh-voiced friends possess the necessary gifts to justify inclusion on Legal Hustle. This is thankfully the case here, with ferocious female rapper Dona shining above the rest. Flaunting a voice similar to Foxy Brown’s but coming off harder than the Ill Na Na ever has, Dona laces each of her songs with rough-edged words that should instantly inject fear into any estrogen-filled rapper. Ax [Tha Bull]’s emotionally powerful backdrop on “The Bond” is attacked brutally by Dona, as she and Cormega pledge their allegiances to each other with winning results. The familiar “Realms of Junior M.A.F.I.A.” sampled beat of “Hoody” is made engaging by this woman’s vicious vocab, while “The Machine” benefits from a haunting Ax [Tha Bull] creation and hungry verses courtesy of Cormega, Dona, and fellow freshman Miz. Simply put, Dona’s contributions on Legal Hustle make her a breakout talent, as she emerges as an MC to watch and a potential contender for toughest female in the game. While all of these featured artists strengthen this disc, the true star of the show is Cormega, and he lets this be known throughout Legal Hustle. Riding the same piano laden beat of Mary J. Blige’s “I Love You”, Mega celebrates his skills on “Beautiful Mind”, coming off more aware than conceited. “Stay Up” conveys the softer facets of the QB MC, with a melodically funky and self-produced instrumental allowing Cormega to address his inner emotions, and his flow is rhythmically on-point as reggae crew Vybz Kartel bless the dancehall-inspired “Dangerous”. The real showcase of Cormega’s criminally slept-on capabilities is “Bring It Back”, a track calling for a resurgence of real hip-hop music. A steady vocal sample flipped by Ayatollah serves as a fitting foundation for Mega to deliver both a musical history lesson and admirable rant on how the essence of the culture has been lost in recent years. Though not a picture perfect album, with some of the beats sounding similar at times, Legal Hustle is a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience aimed at those that like their rap music genuine and gimmick-free. Hopefully, Cormega will remain below the major-label radar, because as he long as he continues to deliver focused releases as strong as this, his discography will be hot enough to rival any heavyweight rapper. If you are one of the ignorant few that dismiss Cormega based on what Nas says or for his commercial avoidance, give this record a listen and see if your mind isn’t changed. Cormega is one of the best MCs MTV audiences haven’t heard of, and this tight album further solidifies his self-anointed ‘urban legend’ status.