Capitol Eye/"Mood Swingz" 77 Records

If you're looking for right the sound to go along with those moments when your chemical makeup is mostly adrenaline, Capitol Eye's got something for you, Mood Swingz. I-Man (lead vocals) tells the stories by weaving lyrics that will have you laughing, remembering and wondering. Songs like, Amnesia and What My Eyes Have Seen, need rewinding, to hear again, before even making it through the album the first time. Using sound, energy and well chosen language they'll have your head nodding by the second song, "Let's go", which will do just that, get you going. Dame Dog (drums) uses the energy from the ground beneath him to pound madness into your veins. Hell Naw (turntables) adds necessary Hip-Hop elements at a furious rate. Mike Long (bass) will seduce your heartbeat into thumping to whatever rhythm he chooses. Sauce (guitar) has been possessed by his guitar and it plays itself through him. Collectively they harmoniously balance Hip-Hop and Punk. It's Hip-Core It's impossible to not turn up the volume while listening and when it's over you'll ask if there's another.

at the drive-in/ "relationship of command" grand royal records.

By: Angie Bright

so it's been a while since grand royal's been brought up in conversation and i'm not completely convinced at the drive-in should be the voice you hear. "relationship of command", the band's third college radio album and first grand royal release, is a catch-22 every which way i look at it. just when i've decided it's punk, i think emo, then change my mind to hardcore, before considering alterna-rock before throwing it out the fucking window and then changing my mind to go retrieve it and put it on again. the problem is, the band throws out a heavy line with the beginning of this cd and then struggles to reel it back in with a less than exciting ending to the album. in between all this, the group establishes a mean little game of trying to figure out who the hell it is they sound like. the album results in a crazy dual between nostalgia and annoyance, bringing forth all those memories of being 16, listening to minor threat and fugazi on the way to sd, confused with whatever the "hardcore" kroq band of the lunch hour is calling themselves- slipknot, incubus, system of a whatever. the first track, and probably my favorite, "arc of arsenal" automatically assumes "command" because it establishes the next three songs as extended versions of itself. essentially, the first time i listened to this album, i had forgotten it was on until i realized i was tired of listening to the same damn song when in actuality i was already at track four. the catch here is that it's a pretty good song, I just don't need to hear the 20 minute version of it masked as the first half of the album. fortunately, or not, the flow is finally uprooted by the blatant radiohead sounding intro to track five, "invalid litter dept", a sort of spoken-word verse that escalates into a faster chorus meant to confuse all the earlier softness of the song. the rest of the cd utilizes this theme of fast chorus, slow verse tempo and just sort of floats off into "i forgot i was listening to this" again. but that's what college (and college radio) is all about- confusion and experimentation, so in that case, i guess atdi succeeds.

Que D./"Quite Delicious" Fat Beats Records.

By: DJ ICE

Que D sets it off with a funky guitar riff reminiscing of the JB's with an old school feel. This tracks lives up to its name, "Supa Sh*t" featuring Jay Dee, on vocals for a change.Just completing projects for Slum Village Fantastic Vol. 2 and tracks on the Bahamadia release BBQueen. The man who brought back the hand clap.  Is behind the boards on this release. Not to sleep on Que D, this cat can flow. His soft-spoken b-boy delivery with a wide range thesaurus vocabulary. Que D brings it, no hooks like a written freestyle.

"Rock Box" comes in where the last track left off. "Ever since '87 I knew I would achieve it, Rock - box non - stop" Again this brotha needs no hook, straight flow.  Last but not least, "Cash Flow" feat. Frank. Another tight funky megatherium piano bounce by Jay Dee. "Let my money stack" cut in on the hook.  Que D. has such a deep voice, with a rhythmic flow only as if he's talking to you. You can clearly hear what this cat is saying. Stacking his cash, kicking his flows, B-boy finesse.  Frank grabs the mic on this track surprising Jeru sound to his voice "I keep them brotha's last place/We're moving fast-pace/them brotha's ain't getting' money/They get the gas face!"  No Gas Face here! I'm rockin' this joint! For the dj there's an acapella to CA$HFLOW.

Shiite/îPitiome #5î

Stronger than a locomotive.  faster than a speeding bullet.  And with mix tapes that will rock any club, house party, or radio show.  DJ SHIITE is keeping your head bobbin with PITIOME #5.  SHIITE"S mix tapes are always top notch.  With a usual cameo performance on his intros by top selling artist, shiite is definitely one of the Tightest DJ's on the scene.  With crisp mixes and smooth delivery shiite keeps it rockin.  Sometimes I hear remixes that he freaks and I wonder Man is that the original or did he freak that?  Shiites tapes can be found in stores nation wide.  His style is always true underground hip hop.  With a strong influence on east coast beats, Shiite also features west coast lyricists.  Shiite has been rocking the scene for over 15 years.  It makes me feel good to see a brother so focused continue to climb and represent hip hop so lovely.  His tapes are never wack.  Each month I like thousands of others can't wait to get a copy of the latest mix tape.   This tape is a bargain like all of his past tapes. PITTOME #5 is stuffed with almost 30 jams.  Always along with the good music is wonderful original hip hop art work.  Shiite usually adopts a theme that is current or reflects his life and has a mural done on the tape cover.  Check out the music section on GuerrillaOne.com for all the covers.  Their fat yall.  If you havenít heard his tapes before pick one up next time your are at the store.  I see Shiite Rockin the scene for years to come.  Don't be suprised when he's producing your favorite single.

Big L/îThe Big Picture 1974-2000î Rawkus Records/Flamboyant Entertainment   

By: Ice

I first heard Big L back in 92'. Featured on a Lord Finesse track "Yes You May (Remix)". He was so ill! The story is Finesse heard L behind a 125th St. record store which eventually led to Big L's debut and later played a role as L became a member of the D.I.T.C. Crew.  Big L did release his debut on Columbia Records "Lifestyles of the Poor & Dangerous" in 95' with the classic track "Devil Son". As a member of the D.I.T.C. crew, L was also featured on "Day One b/w The Enemy" single & D.I.T.C. full-length cd. I was reading in an old Kronick (LA indie) Hip Hop zine L was interviewed in, he stated he vision owning his own label by the year 2000. Eventually releasing the street slang "Ebonics" on his own Flamboyant Ent./Fat Beats label.  His vision was right on, but just wasn't here to witness his 2nd full length cd.  Big L tragically was shot on Feb. 15th, 1999 on the very streets he called "the Dangerzone" in Harlem. Another Hip Hop lyrical soldier taken down to ignorant violence. Which leads us to The Big Picture in 2000. The Big Picture 1974-1999 is a collection of 16 slammin' tracks from the late great Lamont Colemen.  On his own label Flamboyant Entertainment with Rawkus Records taking on the extra duties.  This is Hip Hop in its rawest form. Big L delivers street oriented thoughts and metaphoric lyrics that paints you picture with songs like "Size'em up", & "Deadly Combination" feat. 2Pac. Ron Browz has beats!  It was also no thing for the likes of Premo (The Enemy feat Fat Joe, Platinum Plus feat. Big Daddy Kane), and Pete Rock (Holdin' It Down & Who You Slidin' Wit) to bless a few tracks.  Don't sleep on "Games" feat Sadat X and Guru. From top to bottom this album is a classic. This release is a must add to your collection. For the Dj buy one more and keep it sealed.  RIP to Big L "Put them L's up".

Various Artists/ìWild Pitch Classicsî Wild Pitch Records  

By: Owen Taylor

Recently I was shopping at a used CD store and came across this CD.  Right away I was captivated by the cover a almost identical match to the Original WILD STYLE MOVIE LOGO.  When I flipped the CD and read the songs on the back I felt like I had travelled back in time.

With sixteen tracks I found myself rushing home and popping this cd in.  The cd which is a WILD PITCH RECORDS compilation is full of all the jams I used to bump back in the day. This CD is full of popular Chart busting tracks from the late 80's and early 90's.  Most rewarding to hear again because my record is now scratched was the Main Source songs.  LIVE AT THE BARBEQUE, FAKIN THE FUNK, and LOOKING AT THE FRONT DOOR. 

Skarhead/ìKings At Crimeî Victory Records

By, Ed Feilds 

ìTheir all in check when they see our crewî. Thatís for sure. These cats are not pretending or on some make believe shit. "Kings at crime," for some reason when you listen to their shit you believe them. This album is heavy and hard and its definitely not a good idea to get caught out their in Brooklyn or Queens cause ì Brooklyn and Queens canít be stopped cause every time your going to get droppedî. I love it. I can not stop listening to the shit. My lady is getting a little tired of me ignoring her and being mean but she will get over it. ìFighting and drinking on Saturday nightî thatís sounds like my kind of party.

Large Professor/"It's about that time b/w LiveGuy Saga" Matador Records 2000

By: Dj Ice

Muggs Presents/ìSoul Assassins IIî Ruff Life Records

By, Ed Fields

A Poet Named Life/îPrinciple Statesî

by Owen Taylor

Have you ever heard one of those jams that you just can't put down.  Your friends tell you to stop playing that song. Every time you play it they tell you that's the last time.  This is what might happen to you if you listen to a young brother named LIFE.   About a year ago  I had a chance to catch BLOOD OF ABRAHAM Laying some tracks for their new album.  While in the studio I was fascinated  with this little Asian kid who was freaking the drum machine.  The beats were so crisp and clear.

With a up tempo rhythm and positive lyrics A POET NAMED LIFE IS bringing hip hop back to it's roots.  Recently at a party I ran into LIFE who broke me off a copy of his new twelve inch PRINCIPLE STATES.  The track is a jazzy trippy song filled with funky keyboards, reverbs, and array of strings and pounding bass.  This song will keep your head bouncing.  The sound is hard to explain I have never heard anything like it.  It will keep you going and going.  I kept playing the instrumental over and over. Side B is filled with a couple of house tracks.  I thought the production on those were pretty good.  I don't know  what kind of drum machine LIFE uses but it's cracking.  It would be interesting to see if and when LIFE drops an album.