| The Saga Concludes: The Best of Late-Era Wu-Tang | July 10, 2024 |
Pete Hunt digs thru the ill-conceived collaborations to highlight the best cuts from the Wu-Tang dynasty's late and possibly final era – highlighting the gems that capture the magic of past hits.
| Two Or Three Things I Know About Banks and Steelz | September 14, 2016 |
Drew Millard takes an honest look at the Banks and Steelz album by breaking down its merits in list form.
| Shades of Blues and Blakroc: Hanni El Khatib’s “Moonlight” | November 11, 2014 |
Max Bell is looking for a spoonful. Hanni El Khatib likes hip-hop. See his website for the pictures of Outkast and vintage Mac Dre album covers. For aural evidence, listen to his latest single, “Moonlight.” The title track of his next album — out via Innovative Leisure in January of 2015 –“Moonlight” sounds as if it […]
| Spring Mix – Has-Lo | May 28, 2014 |
Has-Lo is hordeable, sportable, and totally affordable Spring is my favorite time of year. It’s not as hot as summer. Not as brutally cold as winter. Full of anticipation. Everything spreads out in front of us, waiting to be experienced. Once it got warm, you know school is coming to a close for the year. […]
| Black Supaman: RZA & Christian Rich Connect | October 21, 2013 |
Evan Nabavian invented grape Kool-Aid. The other day my boss said something like, “Let’s review your report tomorrow?” “Bong bong,” I said. A pause. “Indeed.” Read any RZA interview in the past ten years and you’ll get the “Wu-Tang Forever” spiel about the influence of the Wu in the world today. Drake echoed those sentiments […]
| Shaq Attaq in the Mix: A Look Back at Shaq’s Rap Career | April 19, 2013 |
Max Bell always preferred Allen Iverson. Today marks the re-release of Shaquille O’Neal’s rookie-season Reeboks shoes, The Shaq Attaq. If I had some disposable income—$160, plus tax—I’d be outside of Footlocker with my lawn chair and G-Pen like all of the other sneaker heads. Instead, I’ve settled for DJ Goulet’s (that one) commemorative Shaq Attaq mix, which […]
Nothing incites crisis quite like the favorite group of your teenage years slumping into middle-aged stasis. Have I ever mentioned that I love Wu-Tang? Maybe once or twice. I have learned more from Tony Starks than all teachers. Rae taught me to politick until I dittoed. GZA once explained the importance of water to me. […]
| 360 Degrees to Make the Cypher Complete: Rating The 2012 BET Cyphers | October 11, 2012 |
Max Bell finds the revulsion invigorating. Another year. Another BET awards. Another round of ciphers. I give you my thoughts off the top of the dome. But really though, off the top of the dome. Seriously, I didn’t write this, look at it, think about it, and then try to make it sound better or […]
| Method Man ft. Freddie Gibbs & Streetlife – “Built for This” | August 24, 2012 |
You read that title right. Rejoice. The first single from The Man With the Iron Fists soundtrack. Last week, I interviewed the RZA about the film and asked him about the difficulties inherent in fusing together his audio and visual aesthetics into a coherent narrative that made sense on the big-screen. He responded: “It’s a […]
| RZA & Boy Jones – Just Can’t Get Right | August 23, 2012 |
Max Bell wrote this on a self-destructing memo. RZA is Sergio Leone. And the son of Big Baby Jesus, Boy Jones, has been cast as the man with no name. There is a blue sky with eyes that see ‘the pussiness in all the tender loving business guys’ in the rap game set against red […]
