Jadakiss, Kiss of Death (2004) In press interviews for his new album, Kiss of Death, Jadakiss, a member of the Lox, has asserted that he…
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Category: Reviews
Slum Village, Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit)
Slum Village, Detroit Deli: A Taste of Detroit (2004) Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit) sounds like the latest in a series of diminishing returns…
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The Neptunes Present…Clones
The Neptunes Present…Clones (2003) With Clones, the Neptunes have made another world of glitter and glamour, love as lust and lust as an end unto…
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Chingy, Jackpot!
Chingy, Jackpot! (2003) Chingy’s debut album, Jackpot, rides into record stores on the strength of “Right Thurr,” an insanely catchy single full of chest-swelling keyboard…
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Missy Elliott, This Is Not a Test!
Missy Elliott, This Is Not a Test! (2003) It’s business as usual on This Is Not a Test! Appropriations of hip-hop and R&B classics abound,…
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Lifesavas, Spirit in Stone
Lifesavas, Spirit in Stone (2003) There is an austerity to the Lifesavas that some will find off-putting or atypical of underground hip-hop acts. One skit…
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Atmosphere, Seven’s Travels
Atmosphere, Seven’s Travels (2003) Ever since Atmosphere’s Ford One and Ford Two EPs were released in 2000, rapper Sean “Slug” Daley has enjoyed a surprisingly…
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C-Rayz Walz, Ravipops: The Substance
C-Rayz Walz, Ravipops: The Substance (2003) The production could be better. Save for a few standout tracks like Ste-lo’s melancholy “We Live,” most of the…
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50 Cent, Get Rich or Die Tryin’
50 Cent, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2003) In the CD booklet for Get Rich or Die Tryin’, 50 Cent plays up his bad-man image,…
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Joe Budden, Joe Budden
Joe Budden, Joe Budden (2003) Joe Budden’s self-titled debut comes to us courtesy of “Pump It Up,” a seemingly omnipresent club hit on which producer…
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