Heather Grey "Black Snow" (EP Stream)

Heather Grey is a producer/musician from SLC, Utah. For his latest 6-track offering, he taps Fly Anakin, Oliver the 2nd, Tha God Fahim, Koncept Jack$on, The Lunch Lady and Huey Briss to bless his beats. I believe this is the first of his projects that I've been hip to, so I'll have to dig into his back catalog, but for now, his Black Snow EP is a solid release, check it out below! Click HERE for more.

O.C. "Next" Feature in Vibe Magazine (September, 1999)

O.C.'s debut album, Word...Life, is full of surreal compositions, optimistic arguments, and mature production by DJ Buckwild (from the Diggin' in the Crates crew). There will be complaints that O.C.'s beats aren't as aggressively hyped-up, but that's the point: The rhythms are primitively full yet uncluttered, creating the perfect backdrop for O.C.'s lyrics. On his first single, "Time's Up," he says, "My album will manifest many things that I saw, did, I heard about / Or saw firsthand / Never word of mouth." His voice masterfully grasps the progressively looped beat and rocks you to the sampled Slick Rick chorus: "There time's limited / Hard rocks too." Originally aimed at the underground, the release of this single last fall sent shock waves through the hip hop nation and raised the ante for pretenders posing in a "B-boy stance" without rhyming. O.C. is no longer in the shadows of his "lyrical sparring partners," Organized Konfusion (he costarred on their 1992 single "Fudge Pudge" and freestyles with them frequently). Now he's out in front. And the image O.C. projects in his lyrics is the same one he maintains in his daily travels: straight-up soul power and an aura of strength fortified with knowledge. But who could be a true artist without the experience of pain? The song "Born 2 Live," dedicated to O.C.'s deceased friend Mike Boogie, offers a view of how children come to perceive death. Other songs range from avoiding stupid troublemakers ("Let It Slide") to the self-explanatory "Ma Dukes," which features his mother flexing her strong voice. Well-expressed emotions and a whole slew of funky musical elements help make O.C.'s album a treat for those who appreciate the real." - Next, Vibe Magazine (February, 1995). Listen to Word...Life below...

Tony Touch "Hip Hop 61: Comin Of Da Storm" (Mixtape, 1999)

Still' revisiting these classic mix tapes from Tony Touch... this is 1999's Hip Hop 61 aka Comin Of Da Storm, released through Tape Kingz. The tape features joints from Gang Starr, GZA, Lord Have Mercy, Kardinal Offishal, Constant Deviants, Afu-Ra, Screwball, O.C., Terror Squad, Snoop Dogg, The Mad Rapper, Rah Digga, Group Home, Mobb Deep, Noreaga, EPMD, The Beatnuts, DMX, Lootpack, Choclair, Thirstin Howl III, O.G.C., Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, Ja Rule, Flipmode Squad, Lil' Cease, Slick Rick and the game-shifting classic from 50 Cent, "How To Rob." Dig into Tony Touch's Hip Hop 61 below...

Common "Like Water For Chocolate" (Vibe Magazine, 2000)

"When I create music, I wanna affect people's lives," explains Rashid Lynn, better known as Common (and formerly known as Common Sense). For the past eight years, Common, 28, has been feeding his audience soul food for thought. Any avid followers of the rap phenom will remember his poignant commentary on hip-hop's frequent evolution, "I Used to Love H.E.R.," and the scathing dis record "The Bitch In You." Throughout his first three albums, Can I Borrow A Dollar?, Resurrection, and One Day It'll All Make Sense, Common's messages of enlightenment and armor-piercing freestyles have been borderline brilliant -- touching on heartfelt subjects that range from his own experiences with abortion to the need for black liberation. But while flashier artists have bubbled up with platinum sales and crossover credentials, Common -- who has worked with Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, Q-Tip, and Mos Def -- has been spreading his word throughout the underground. And that's just fine with him. "For whatever reasons, the masses don't always grab onto the most profound things," explains the Chi-towner turned New Yorker. "I've been making good music, but everything has its time." And with the release of what is arguably his best album, the galvanizing MCA release Like Water For Chocolate, Common's time is now. - Vibe Magazine (5/00). Listen below...

Children Of Zeus "Slow Down / All Night" (EP Stream)

First Word Records is very proud to present the triumphant return of the UK's finest Hip Hop Soul duo, Children of Zeus, with a double-header of brand new material. Children of Zeus exemplify the heart and soul of Manchester, UK's now-movement - but don't get it twisted - the vibe is universal, and they definitely ain't new to this. Two decades on from the inception of Broke'N'£nglish and Hoodman, Tyler and Konny have consistently, persistently held their corner, stayed true to the music they love and nurtured their own unique sound. Catch that 90s Bad Boy era vibe with "All Night."

Kendrick Lamar "The Damn. Chronic" (Mixtape)

DJ Critical Hype presents The Damn. Chronic: a blend tape of Kendrick Lamar vocals over Dr. Dre's production. This is a really well done, tightly blended mixtape. I could say a whole lot more, but this is one of the most popular mixes on the net right now, and it definitely sells itself as a must-listen all the way through, so ... click play now! While you're here, dig into the archives for other mixes from DJ Critical Hype, which include an earlier blend tape for Kendrick Lamar, Guru of Gang Starr, and I may have even thrown up the promo tape he did for the Barrel Brothers, Skyzoo and Torae? If not, do a quick Google search and grab that as well. Back to the music, listen to the mix below...

Casual "Fear Itself" (Vibe Magazine, 2008)

Boasting about one-night stands with taken women, walking the streets armed, smacking up haters - these aren't the kinds of things you expect to hear from a member of Oakland underground crew Hieroglyphics. But they are talking points on Casual's 1994 Fear Itself, an impressive debut filled with aggressively slick lyricism that holds its own against -- and often trumps -- better-known Hiero albums like Souls Of Mischief's '93 'til Infinity (Jive, 1993). Hiero often wanted to prove how much smarter they were than other rappers -- Casual knows better. The smartest guy in the room never says so. - Vibe Magazine (August, 2008) For context, this article was released in 2008, because it was listed by Vibe as one of the 24 "Lost Rap Classics." Where do you rank Casual's Fear Itself - is it a lost classic? Either way, revisit the album below, with production from Domino, Del The Funkee Homosapien, Casual, Jay-Biz and features from A-Plus, Saafir, Del, and Pep Love.

Vibe Magazine's album review for Casual's Fear Itself...

Daniel Son & FutureWave "Pressure Cooker" (Album Stream)

A fierce collaboration between Toronto MC Daniel Son & producer FutureWave entitled "Pressure Cooker." A rugged sound throughout with fitting features from Crimeapple, Saipher Soze, and more. The winters up in Toronto grow more unforgiving each year, and the darker, colder side comes out in Daniel Son's content as well. The 12-track "Pressure Cooker" is probably his best effort to date and with the sound in the underground the last few years, he fits along with the best of today's gritty spitters. I'm glad the audience for it continues to grow as well, music was getting too soft for a while there. Dig into "Pressure Cooker" below! CDs and Vinyl available via OfficialCratesMusic.