Checkmate, Choclair, Kardinal Offishall, Rascalz, Thrust "Northern Touch"-BMG Canada

From north of the 49th parallel, comes this Canadian mc collaboration. The track is just blazing because of the beat, provided by Kemo from Rascalz. Basically, everybody except Checkmate has had experience in the indie 12" scene, so you should know what type of steez these kids are on. One drawback, Kardinal only comes in for the chorus, although I wished he dropped a verse. He seems to have a knack to bring a new energy level to a track, sort of like Busta. Good luck on trying to find the 12" though, so far it's promo only. Grade: B+

Holy fraggasnapps, this is some ill stuff. Basically James Lavelle pressed up some white labels of selected DJ Shadow instrumentals. He then gave them to Q and simply told him to F it up. Well he listened because this is hella dope. Only drawback is the fact MoWax priced this as an album, so it's really expensive considering it's only 24 minutes. Plus the fact that this it's an import on wax means that you'll have to shell out some nice change to get it. An alternative is to buy "Pre-Emptive Strike" because it comes with "Camel..." as a second bonus cd. But for the vinyl heads like you and I, there's not much we can do. Grade:A

Aimed for the American masses, this collection of non-Entroducing material is lackluster. Why you might ask? It's because there's a whole bunch of stuff (ie.Solesides/Zimbabwe Legit/Lifers Group) that MoWax left out. Instead, they decide to include High Noon/Organ Donor rmx., which was a single that was just released several months back. What's also included on this compilation is Influx/Hindsight, Shadow's big UK hit in 93, and his "What Does Your Soul Look Like" ep. Overall, the tracks are dope, but MoWax should have included his rarer works. Grade: B

Why? It's the beat yo, it's the beat. Obviously, the "Son, I'm moving keys across seas but my phone is tapped so I gotta hit you on the StarTac" rhymes ain't really moving me. But give me this hella nice Dre instrumental and I'm a happy man. The flip fits the generic formula for today's rap records as they jack "Roxanne Roxanne" for the remix. Boring. Grade: C

"GangStarr has got to be the sure shot". This memorable Greg Nice line from "DWYCK" gets cut up on the chorus, but only barely because Jodeci decides to drop in on the hook. I must admit, I really thought that this track would be hella wack, but to my suprise, Primo pulled it off. By no means does this track sound r&b ish, it's actually dope all throughout except for maybe the ending when Jodeci gets a little bit too carried away on the vocal tip. The album looks yummy if this indicates anything. Grade: B+ (In retrospect, this cut ain't too dope, it gets a B-)

Nothing to run home and tell your moms about, especially with the "Clack Clack" mentality. But overall an okay 12" because this is one of the few groups that can pull off that yelling thug ish convincingly. The main selling point to this single is the work of DJ Premier, who's beats always guarantee high 12" sales but not high cd sales. After a few listens, I realized that Primo could've come tighter than this, I've seen him do better. Grade: C+

Beatnuts "Fluid/40oz./Sandwiches"- White Label

This joint is worth its weight in ghetto gold as the drunks from Corona lace us with some banging product for the diehard Beatnut fans. Recorded in the 94/95 era, this meant that Fashion was still the 3rd of the trio and he defintely shows why he has the best flow in the group. On "Fluid", they vibe to a fast yet mellow xylophone track that sounds like it should be on the "Street Level" lp. They emphatically "Crack the 40oz" on the b-side over the same loop Tribe used for "Stir It Up/Steve Bilko" but flipped in a slighty different way. Then we got the unreleased full version of "Sandwiches" and it includes a verse from JuJu that was chopped off the minute and change album version. You could tell he was piss drunk in the studio and was just messing around freestyling on that verse. Maybe that's why they left it out on the lp. Grade:A

Dammit another Beatnuts white label, nothing wrong with that. This one is a helluva lot harder to find than the first one, at least for me because I still can't track a copy down. However, look out for the yellow label record with not a damn word printed on it. "Hass" is defintely my favourite Beatnuts track of the moment as it has a dope as fack guitar/horn loop that's constantly in my mind. This one's also recorded around the 94/95 timespan, so you know it's the complete Beatnuts crew. What makes the song for me is the dope chorus, with a Roxanne Shante scratching hook. Turn the reocrd around and you'll find the previously promo only "Hellraiser rmx.". Nothing drastically different from the original except it uses an interlude loop that was on the "Street Level" lp for the beat. Grade:A+

The BDI mc's remix of "Follow Me" has been circulating on the dl for a while, now it finally sees the light of day on vinyl. The mastering on this cut was so so, giving it a dungy sound. But nonetheless, I really like the beat, which I've heard is produced by Sway & Tech of "The Wake Up Show" fame. Bascially, the lyrics remain unchanged but the flow is a little bit different. Good Bootcamp stuff after the let down of their recent lp. Grade: B

The Cenobites, consisting of Godfather Don and Kool Keith, have dropped what is considered to be the holy grail of independent vinyl. Originally pressed up in 96 as the first release off Bobbito's Fondle Em label, it had an extremely limited press run. Now reissued with two extra tracks, those who slept before (me) will get another chance to redeem themselves. Only drawback to this ep is the inconsisitent flow of Bobbito, albeit we know that he doesn't claim to be an mc. But I gotta give it up to him though, I really respect the man. Peace Bobbito. Grade:A-

This Toronto mc has really dramatically improved in each outing. Now he's dropped a 6 track/1 interlude ep that I've been bumping on the regular in my walkman. All indie labels should learn from this man as he releases the ep on two slabs of wax, one with vocals and the other with instrumentals. Saves me some change from buying doubles so I gotta give props to Frank for looking out for the low budget dj like me. Joints I'm feeling are "Quiet Storm", "Rocksumish", and "Sparkin' Intellect", which sounds mad ill with that Mobb Deep hook. In my opinion, Frank's beats have that simple yet head nodding quality that Primo has mastered. I really think that this is one of the best indie releases this year. Grade:A

Once again, the b-side wins again, at least in my opinion. "Open Mic Night" is cool, but wait till you hear the horns come in on "The Meaning" and then you'll know what I mean. Although the subject matter of dissing jiggyness is sort of played, it's better than hearing actual jiggy joints. Mr.Eon's menacing flow sounds really intimidating and he really does seem vexed as he's venting out his frustrations about hiphop, but that's not what the song is all about. There's also a nice scratching chorus which chops up Brand Nubian and Cypress. And in the end, the High & Mighty crew pay homage to their hiphop idols. Grade: B+

Word, now this is what a classic white label is all about. Pete flips the same loop Ski used for Camp Lo's "Sparkel", but in a barely recognizable way and much tighter way. Although INI isn't exactly hitting you over the head with lyrics, at least they're not on the "Group Home" level. Obviously, what makes this 12" is the guest appearances, including a superb verse from Large Pro. Turn the wax over 180� and you get the funky "Step Up". Pete puts his usual work in, throws in a verse and adds some simple yet hypnotic cuts to the chorus. I've been saying "Step, step up up up up up now!" while taking the subway too many times. Hope no one takes it the wrong way and actually steps up to me. :) Grade:A+

Although nowhere near the dopeness level of the 1st white label, this 12" is still definitely worth picking up. Pressed by the same dudes that did the 1st joint, the audio quality is really horrible. Sounds like they actually pressed it off a tape that someone leaked out of the studio. I hope Pete and INI are presssing this up themselves and not some shiesty mofo. Anyways, "Think Twice" is about the 10th song to rock the Special Ed hook on the chorus, but it still sounds cool . All in all, pick it up cause you can't go wrong. Grade:B

Originally released on a white label a while back with a Consequence joint on the back, it now resurrects on Wallis (never heard of them). Probably produced by Q-Tip himself, he rocks an alias on the label evasion tip (educated guess). Anyways, the track is standard Tribe material, along the lines of the last lp, but nowhere near any of their classics. It's still worth the loot though. Grade: B-

Still not pressed up yet, but the track has been leaking around because of the heavy anticipation for the Lyricist Lounge project. Shawn J. Period joins this collaboration, but cooks up a rather bland beat. Nothing equating to the intensity of the lineup, thus making this a slight dissapointment. However, Mos Def defintely shines through as he drops another lyrical jewel, henceforth increasing expectations for his lp. Kweli, who's scheduled to drop an ep with Mos, does his share of work on the b-side too. Actually, I like the Kweli track better than the hyped up a-side. Grade:B

For once, an r&b chorus that works because of its soulfulness. I wonder who the girl on the hook is because she sounds sweet. The mellow guitar/bassline, no doubt probably cooked up by the Ummah, makes this one a nice jammy to pump in your car. Plus, Phife goes on the offensive to defend males, and you can't argue with that, unless you're a girl. Grade:B+

How the heck did Wreck manage to sign another hiphop act with their shiesty reputation. Oh well, all I know is that this indie super group (Shabaaam Sahdeeq, Apani B, Fly Emcee & Mr. Complex) all are pretty ordinary on the mic. Actually, I should correct that, Apani B is mad nice, she's really hot, one of the best females out. So what makes this cut dope? DJ Spinna. Do I need to explain anymore? I don't think so. Grade: B

From the Makin' mansion comes the first solo joint. Pumpkinhead has a weird off beat on beat flow that takes getting used to, but he does rock that hard braggadocio style. "It's Dynamic" sports this insane backwards horn loop produced by Run Run Shaw (What What on the dl tip) that reminds me of the Beastie Boys' "Paul Revere". The b-side, produced by Overtime, is somewhat average. So bank all your loot on the a-side. Peace to Nach and all her fellow ninjas. Grade: B

Jeru The Damaja "East NY Stalks/Friend or Foe"- White Label

Uninspired production by someone other than Premier really shows the weaknesses of Jeru. Both trac ks sound really monotnous and Jeru dosen't really kick any interesting lyrics. Albeit I heard this one is really difficult to find because it was imported only to Japan and Europe. I also heard Payday didn't want to release it so Jeru pressed it up himself. Pick it up, only if you're a diehard Jeru fan.

What happened to the dope Killah Preist that was on "BIBLE"? Now he's mutated into an Onyx/RA The Rugged Man (we'll get to him later) hybrid. I don't know about this one, especially since Tru Master drops another generic wannabe RZA beat. Even Genius and INS can't really save this one. Don't make the same mistake as me, avoid this at all cost.

SPEW!

Hey, if whiny, annoying, psychopathic mc's are your cup of tea, then go ahead, pick this up. Actually, buy my copy. Intersting cover though.

Yeah, we've seen our fair share of Rakim white labels and they've all been generally dope. This one, however, swerves too close to his weak r&b material on his lp. Although not as weak as those cuts, this ain't no "Mahagony" or "What's Goin' On" either. I understand the economics of the rap game, but why can't you drop an r&b influenced club track that is as dope as the ones you did before?