A. L. Friedman

Reviews

Various Artists: Hyphy Hitz

The latest from the Bay Area bureau of rap tourism. [25 January 2007]

Ghostface Killah: More Fish

More Fishscale, more or less. [19 December 2006]

Kidz in the Hall: School Was My Hustle

A nice piece of unassuming true school hip-hop. [18 December 2006]

Jim Jones: Hustlers P.O.M.E. (Product Of My Environment)

At its core, Dipset is about quantity over quality. When Jim Jones raps, it's more quantity than quality. [12 December 2006]

AG: Get Dirty Radio

Still enough of a giant. [7 December 2006]

Mobb Deep: Life of the Infamous [DVD]

They got you stuck off the realness. And then what? [30 November 2006]

Beck

Beck and his band are upstaged by stylized facsimiles of themselves, but, puppets aside, other parts of the show also divert attention from its star. Is the great "Loser" getting tired of himself? [22 November 2006]

El Michels Affair: The PJs

Chef Raekwon gets the live treatment. [21 November 2006]

Too Short: Blow the Whistle

There's nothing new or surprising here, but album number 15 is good enough to justify album number 20. Beeeitch! [14 November 2006]

The Juggaknots: Use Your Confusion

Ten years later, 10 years older, but still as fresh as ever. [30 October 2006]

Various Artists: Underground Hip-Hop Volume 4

A compilation whose name says everything (and nothing). [16 October 2006]

DJ Kayslay and Greg Street: The Champions: The North Meets The South

This tape is weak, but Shaq is back! [11 October 2006]

DJ Kurupt: Koch Records: Summer Heat - The Mixtape

Good things on the horizon from rap's refugee camp. [5 October 2006]

Motion Man: Pablitos Way

Motion Man excels by expanding his boundaries without throwing them out entirely. [4 October 2006]

J.R. Writer: History in the Making

The second generation of Dipset goes official. [3 October 2006]

DJ Khaled: Listennn… the Album

Heavyweight Miami DJ gets his hometown the attention it deserves. [7 September 2006]

Rick Ross: Port of Miami

Miami rapper channels your local multiplex. [23 August 2006]

Da Muzicianz: Da Muzicianz

Booty-centric rap side project actually worth a listen. [1 August 2006]

Purple City: The Purple Album

For rappers this bad to sell that much, somebody had to work their ass off. [28 July 2006]