DANNY BROWN – XXX
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DANNY BROWN – XXX

Danny Brown, the rapper with the towering shock of hair and broken teeth, has a bit of everything. Boom bap and weird rap. Drugged-out lyrics and “conscious” rap. Humor and seriousness. No track sounds quite like the next, and that is precisely what makes the Detroit rapper so compelling. A late bloomer at thirty, this seasoned veteran finally joins the big leagues with "XXX".
ABN – It Is What It Is
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ABN – It Is What It Is

Long before they came to blows, the so-called cousins Trae and Z-Ro worked together as a duo. This second Assholes By Nature album, in particular, is a real gem. The two Houston rappers unleash their tales of everyday crime at full throttle, with insolence, pride, and flash. Yet beneath the bravado, their warm voices and melodic, carefully crafted sounds also carry a hint of melancholy.
ADLIB – International Beats
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ADLIB – International Beats

After performing with Global Phlowtations - a collective within the extended Project Blowed family - Thavius Beck established himself first as one half of Labwaste, before earning further recognition through his solo work. His finest album, however, may well be this understated compilation of instrumental tracks, released only on CD-R and in digital format under his original alias, Adlib.
AWOL ONE & FACTOR – Only Death Can Kill You
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AWOL ONE & FACTOR – Only Death Can Kill You

In the 2000s, deep within the California underground that had emerged in the wake of Project Blowed, in that extraordinary world known only to a happy few, Awol One was almost a star. And yet it is not easy to single out one undisputed masterpiece in his catalogue. Unless it is this album - more consistent than most - released relatively later in his career with Canadian beatmaker Factor.
ANTIPOP CONSORTIUM – Tragic Epilogue
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ANTIPOP CONSORTIUM – Tragic Epilogue

After several years of activity around the Nuyorican Café and the Rap Meets Poetry movement, High Priest, Beans and M. Sayyid finally stretch out over a full-length album, accompanied by DJ E. Blaize’s electronic sounds and backed by a handful of underground hip-hop icons. True to their name, the Anti-Pop Consortium deliver a harsh, challenging brand of rap. But it’s absolutely brilliant.