The Musik Lounge

Eight years ago Eminem was pissing everyone off. Today he is trying to do it again. We all know the story, he was at the top and fell off only to disappear from the public eye and then become a tabloid sensation, more so due to his exclusiveness. He lost his best friend which prompted some peace talks with another old friend (how about a Bad Meets Evil/Slaughterhouse collabo?) and went into the lab with the first person to see in him what we all did at one point in time. In a recent Vibe interview Shady stated that he is once again getting high off music again. While the depths of his addiction can be debated forever I will say that throughout Relapse it is clearly evident we are hearing a revitalized and energetic Eminem. Say what you will about his silly voices - I've hated plenty - they serve a purpose; no one wants to hear a story about young Marshall getting raped by his step father in a serious and somber tone, although I would have been fine not hearing the story at all. W...

With Hip Hop seeing an explosion of new artists (who are almost exclusively found throughout this here internet) and a shift in sound that is progressing with the times, artists from the previous era or two are looking to remain relevant and continue to deliver to their fans what they have come to expect. EPMD may have taken some time off, but with their recent reunification leading to the release of We Mean Business it seems Erik and Parrish are serious about continuing their legacy into a fourth decade – this year marks their twentieth year in the industry, spanning three decades. While the title is an obvious continuation from the always business minded pair , it suits the quick hitting album incredibly well. From the opening track Sermon never lets the beats mellow out as everything remains up tempo along with his trademark funk samples that knock hard. EPMD ft. Raekwon “Puttin’ Work In” Raekwon joins them for the opening cut “Puttin’ Work In” where they walk a line between discu...

Anyone from around here is going to be looking at this album with just a slightly different take, making me wish I could be talking with some people outside of the S-E-A about what they think of the debut offering from Jake One. The resident beat maker extraordinaire has been fudging the lines about what exactly “underground” and “mainstream” Hip Hop is for years now and to this end we see a diverse group of guests. From Young Buck and Busta Rhymes to MF Doom and a host of locally known emcees who will hopefully receive some much deserved attention after sharing grooves with the talent found herein. Now it could be my own bias but those tracks from the local emcees stand up incredibly well, to a point that I have to say I find them to be the best tracks on the album. From the D. Black solo “God Like” with it’s subdued beat (Blueprint esque? Shout to Crawford !) to the power trio of J Pinder, GMK and Spaceman on “Big Homie Style,” this is the hidden gem if you ask me. All three emcees h...