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Artist:
Lil Wayne
Who would have thought back in the Hot Boys' early days that it'd be Lil Wayne who not simply survived his older peers like Juvenile, but ended up thriving by the time he reached Tha Carter, vol. 2, Weezy’s fourth album. He sounds more confident as an MC--but more importantly, he wields a genuinely impressive array of different styles (as opposed to countless one-note rappers), from the chattering, thuggish "Fireman" and the languid style of "Oh No" to the emotional, introspective "Feel Me." In some ways, he actually bears a resemblance to rap's other major "Carter" (Jay-Z), not just in his increasingly effortless flow but in his assertiveness as a leader. In other words, he's matured in all the right ways as an artist. His album is still longer than it needs to be--22 tracks, 77 minutes--but even the filler is listenable while the best songs, like "Receipt," "Shooter," and "Hustler Musik" help establish this as one of 2005's last great albums. --Oliver Wang
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Artist:
Jay-Z
Jay-Z's classic debut is a compelling reflection on his life as a hustler. It's invested with an uncommon complexity and candor that has noticeably faded in his later material. Armed with clever phrasing and sly deadpan wit, Jay-Z navigates indulgent romps ("Can't Knock the Hustle"), thought-provoking introspection ("Regrets"), and devastating street-corner soliloquies ("Friend or Foe") with savvy composure. The beats on Reasonable Doubt, provided by the likes of DJ Premier & Ski, are as irresistibly slick as his persona. "Brooklyn's Finest," his mic-passing session with his friend Notorious B.I.G., takes on a torch-passing significance in the wake of Biggie's death. That song, and the entire album, foreshadows Jay-Z's subsequent ascension to kingpin status. --Del. F. Cowie
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Our Price: $8.57 |
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Artist:
Various
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Artist:
Soulja Boy Tell'em
Soulja Boy Tellem's highly anticipated follow-up to Souljboytellem.com (Collipark Music/Interscope). Soulja Boy Tell'em hit the ground running promoting his debut album which led to record setting performances for ringtones (more than 5.3 million downloads), YouTube views (over 300,000,000 views) and an incredible seven-week run at the top of the "Hot 100" chart with the Grammy-nominated single "Crank That (Soulja Boy).Such staggering stats easily made Soulja Boy Tell'em the top new artist of 2008. Soulja Boy Tell'em follows this mega success with the highly anticipated iSouljaboytellem, produced by Soulja Boy Tell'em, with assistance from super-producer Mr. Collipark (Young Jeezy, Yin Yang Twins, Pitbull) and Polow Da Don (Ludacris, Fergie, Jamie Foxx, Ciara). The first single, "Birdwalk," follows the successful formula mined by "Crank That (Soulja Boy)," with another sure-fire infectious sing-along chant. "Birdwalk" hits the airwaves this week, with the accompanying video scheduled to debut shortly thereafter. Other stand-out tracks include "Yamaha Mama" (produced by fellow Atlanta native Polow Da Don), featuring Sean Kingston, and the street anthem "Turn My Swag On" which w...
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Artist:
Slim
'Love's Crazy' is chock full of the sensual sounds fans have come to know and love from Slim. With an aesthetic that takes all the best elements of hip hop and R&B and combines a present day mainstream appeal, 'Love's Crazy' is filled with hits that will re-direct the focus of popular R&B back to a time of immense quality.
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Our Price: $12.96 |
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Artist:
Family Force 5
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Artist:
Calle 13
As one of the most innovative and sought after groups in the Latin music industry, Calle 13 return with their third album Los De Atr s Vienen Conmigo. This album is a bit more colorful than the previous, although dark humor continues to be the tone. The album has a fusion of rhythms the band discovered during their visits to several countries. They fuse rhythms of 'cumbia villera' native to Argentina, and rhythms of 'volcanic' music, native to Russia. This album includes important collaborations with Ruben Blades and Caf‚ Tacvba to name a few. The concept behind Calle 13 has been uniform throughout all their albums, irreverent lyrics, experimental musical fusions, and rhythms that move the masses.
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Our Price: $9.97 |
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Artist:
e-40
A West Coast phenomenon whose previous seven albums reached the R&B/Hip Hop top 10, E-40- rap pioneer in the hyphy movement- made his gold major label debut in 2006 with 'My Ghetto Report Card.' Suddenly, E-40 became a sensation as the album debuted #3 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip Hop and went platinum. Now the innovative E-40 returns with his most polished product to date, the imaginatively titled 'The Ball Street Journal,' featuring superstar guests from Snoop Dog and Ice T to The Game and Akon. This is the parental advisory edition
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Artist:
Lupe Fiasco
The name of Lupe Fiasco's sophomore set sounds like a Kanye-ism, and that's fitting: The Cool spills over with Mr. West-style urgency, and it's just about as smart as anything Fiasco's more flamboyant mentor has issued. It could even land Lupe a little too close to the top of the hip-hop heap for Kanye's comfort. The Cool is cool not only for its sober, clear-headed vibe -- Fiasco ponders everything from the apocalypse to poverty to the weight of worldly possessions in these songs, some of them produced with a level of sensitivity uncommon among studio tracks by Soundtrakk -- but also for its potential. Songs like "Dumb It Down," about the music industry's insistence on the same old sorry themes, burn with relatability and realness. But others go deeper. "Little Weapon," produced by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump, and "Intruder Alert" shape-shift customary hip-hop dialogue to let the issues of the day come sharply into focus. They make you think. Overall, The Cool is fevered, fierce, and at times furious, but so is Lupe Fiasco, and the album easily earns its spot as one of the top 10 CDs of 2007. --Tammy La Gorce
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Artist:
Michael Franti and Spearhead
In 2004, Franti and his team traveled to the core of the red-zoned, war torn neighborhoods of Baghdad, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip with his guitar, video cameras, and the intent to experience first hand the human cost of war. Out of this journey, he created a compelling documentary ("I Know I'm Not Alone") and a searing, reflective album of original songs. "Yell Fire!" is his most compelling, engaged collection of songs, fired by a fury at the injustice of war, and a rediscovery of the love and community that supports those doing the fighting. It embraces reggae, blues, folk, hip-hop, and the anthemic politics of rock artists like U2 and Springsteen. With massive grooves and soaring choruses, Franti and Spearhead have produced an album to inspire and ignite. More from Michael Franti ...
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