Reviews | REUP Spot // Raw Hip-Hop Dope

Posted on February 18, 2010 - by Antoinette

REVIEW: Young Scolla - Escaping Reality

Young Scolla is in a perfect position to carry the torch for Common, Kanye and others who did their work but have come to the point where they have staff payrolls and major bills to pay, and are focusing on more commercial projects. Hopefully, those that come after Young Scolla will take up the banner and run it with the same skill, depth and character his work displays. All that’s left is for the rest of the world to take notice.

Posted on February 11, 2010 - by Antoinette

REVIEW: Mike Dreams - Dreamer’s Poetry

Mike Dreams masters the art of fusing poetry, sampling (including the high speed sample, which can be wack if it’s not handled properly), and good-old fashioned story-telling to make cuts that you actually want to hear. Musically and lyrically, Dreams seems much older than his 21 years, which is a key component when making grown up music for grown up listeners. We can only hope that the world is ready for what he’s bringing.

Posted on February 11, 2010 - by Antoinette

REVIEW: DJ Kay Slay - More Than Just a DJ

Ghetto-fabulous album cover aside, DJ Kay Slay’s More Than Just a DJ (in stores on February 9 on Streetsweepers/E1 Music) is a nice collection of hip hop joints that (in the label-loving, logo-wearing DJ’s own words) “doesn’t disappoint”.

Posted on February 11, 2010 - by Antoinette

REVIEW: B.O.B. - May 25th

Chain blunt smoking Atlanta rap-singer B.o.B- aka Bobby Ray recently released May 25th, his mixtape project with DJ Drama and DJ Sense which, coincidentally, promotes the release date of his first solo album- B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray (Grand Hustle Records).

Posted on February 11, 2010 - by Antoinette

REVIEW: TREAZON - Breathe Life 2

Evidently, Cleveland rapper TreaZon had some things he needed to get off his chest. The result is the mixtape- Breathe Life 2 (presented by IM King Clothing) the follow-up to the Mike Boogie presented Breathe Life.

Posted on January 27, 2010 - by Antoinette

Review: Styles P & DJ Green Lantern - The Green Ghost Project

If hip hop had been left unpolluted and non-diluted and allowed to naturally mutate- as living things do, the result would be The Green Ghost Project. Set for release February 2 (Invasion/The Orchard), the project from one-third of the L.O.X, Styles P “The Ghost” and “The Evil Genius” DJ Green Lantern, is heavy with beats that dare you not to nod your head and lyrics that will have you hitting the back arrow to make sure you heard them right.

Posted on January 18, 2010 - by Antoinette

Review: Omarion - Ollusion

Ok…so I know this isn’t exactly hip hop- per se, but try to cut me some slack. Tell you what- the title of track number 10 is “I Think My Girl Is Bi”. There-that should hold your attention long enough for me to finish the review. (by the way- will explain why it has anything to do with hip hop after the jump)

Posted on January 7, 2010 - by Antoinette

Review: Jae Millz - The Flood Warning

After spending the better part of the last decade tangled up in label politics and dealing with the frustration of an unreleased solo LP with Warner Brother’s Records and virtually no promotion with Universal- Harlem emcee Jae Millz singed a deal with Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment in 2008.

Posted on January 4, 2010 - by Antoinette

Review: Charles Hamilton - Normalcy

Ok- it’s a new year, so I’ll tell the truth: until I downloaded Charles Hamilton’s Normalcy, the most I knew about the Cleveland, Ohio-born, Harlem, New York-raised rapper was his 2008 single “Brooklyn Girls”, which was cute, but hardly ground-breaking.

Posted on January 4, 2010 - by Antoinette

Review: Hurricane Chris- Unleashed

Let me just say- right up front- that I am not at all a fan of Hurricane Chris. I will also say though, that he seems to have plenty of them, judging by the success of his 2007 debut- 51/50 Ratchet, which spawned the hit single “A Bay Bay”. The 20 year-old Shreveport, LA rapper recently released his sophomore CD- Unleashed