Guests include A$AP Rocky, Cee Lo Green, R. Kelly, Meek Mill, André 3000 and Lil Wayne, among others. Solid production comes from the likes of Pharrell, Jazze Pha, No I.D. and frequent T.I. collaborator DJ Toomp. Overall, Trouble Man is a pretty solid album. T.I. raps about his reputation as a troublemaker, but is largely […]
Ryan Querbach
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Big Boi — Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors
Perhaps the best part about this blend is that it never seems forced. Big Boi is able to show his versatility throughout, and he never seems uncomfortable, regardless of the song’s vibe. Big Boi did an excellent job of selecting features for this project. He welcomes rappers like T.I., Ludacris, Killer Mike, Kid Cudi, and […]
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The Game — Jesus Piece
Game is far from alone on this work, inviting more than 20 artists, mostly other rappers, to join him. In fact, he only flies solo on one song. Some of the features certainly wouldn’t be missed, but guest spots from great rappers like Kanye West, J. Cole, Common, Pusha T and Kendrick Lamar are refreshing. […]
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The Man with the Iron Fists — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
The compilation is packed with hip-hop heavyweights like Kanye West, Pusha T, Talib Kweli and Wiz Khalifa. Also making appearances are the remainder of the Wu-Tang Clan, R&B singers Corinne Bailey Rae and Mable John, and indie rock band The Black Keys. First things first: You can’t really go wrong with Wu-Tang, whether it’s a […]
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Kendrick Lamar — good kid, m.A.A.d City
The album, which Lamar labeled as a “short film,” tells the story of his life as a good kid in the mad city of Compton, Calif. He raps about trying to avoid temptations, including women, drugs, alcohol, violence and revenge. However, even the good kids succumb to temptation from time to time. The disc twists […]
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Macklemore & Ryan Lewis — The Heist
On The Heist, the duo’s chemistry is apparent as always, as they strike a perfect balance between fun and reality. Macklemore spits thought-provoking, honest lyrics about everything from thrift shopping and Cadillacs to sobriety and marriage equality. Throughout the project, the rapper exhibits great rhymes and outstanding flow, clearly showing his strong lyrical ability. Lewis […]
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Lupe Fiasco — Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1
Despite the album’s title, Lupe’s new effort is far from patriotic. Throughout, he speaks critically of America and the country’s past and present actions, or lack of action. Problems he raps about include world hunger, violence, poverty, questionable military action, child molestation, racism and more. He criticizes politicians, religious officials and even other rappers. The […]
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G.O.O.D. Music — Cruel Summer
With outstanding talent like Kanye, John Legend, Kid Cudi, Pusha T, Common and Mos Def on the G.O.O.D. label, there’s no reason that Cruel Summer shouldn’t be near-perfect, but that is far from the case. Too much input from 2 Chainz and Big Sean — each of whom has his bright points, but often comes […]
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Privaledge — JoeWorld
Having listened to Priv’s first two projects, Itz a Privaledge and The Playbook, I could immediately tell from JoeWorld that he’s grown as an artist. He seems more mature and much more comfortable on each track. He is able to match his smooth, laid-back flow with each beat, regardless of the sound. His lyrical technique […]
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Getting schooled
Justin Harlan Established in 1990 as a member of AmeriCorps, the organization places teachers, who commit to two years of service, in low-income areas. Now it has more than 9,300 corps members teaching more than 600,000 students nationwide. Henson Adams, who just finished his first year with the program, said he believes it has made […]