ABOVE THE LAW...[Tommy Boy]
100 Spokes-88 bpm

-the guys from Pamona are back with a nice Southern Cali style jam that'll definitely have your head bobbin'..as is the case with some many groups they got someone singing the hook... The song comes off nice...It's good to see ATL back on track....GRADE=B

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AL'TARIQ...[Correct]
Do Yo' Thang-92 bpm
Spectacular

-Do Ya..is the bomb ...fun song to mix and scratch..has an east coast sound..w/ piano riffs.. this song is off the hook..a must have record...GRADE=A

-Spectecular....is an ok song..it is by no means as dope as its a-side song..Do Ya...GRADE=C

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MC BREED w/ Erick Sermon...[Ichiban]
To Da Beat Ch'all-90 bpm

-This is a laid back yet funky song that I think is a great combination of Breed and the Funk Lord Erick Sermon..It's definitely cool out ride around type material...Cool track..with just a bit of vocal harmonizing...GRADE=B

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BLAZAH BLAZAH..... [Mercury]
Pain I Feel-95 bpm
Dirty Cop -90 bpm

Pain I Feel-.. song is ok..with guitar..twang-cowboy feel..as a driving beat...song is not as strong as Danger which was his big hit...GRADE=B-

Dirty Cop...the b-side wins again..talks about street life in his hood..and how the cops go on doing their day to day..kinda has the Wu-Tang...GRADE=B

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BUSTA RHYMES
w/ Tribe Called Quest....[Elektra]
Ill Vibe-92 bpm

-Busta Rhymes throws down with Tribe Called Quest on this jazzy flavored xylaphone-slow rollin' head bobbin' groove.. I like this joint a lot... it's funky and something to cool out with while riding the town...GRADE=A-

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BUSTA RHYMES w/Zhane..[Elektra] It's A Party-88 bpm

-Busta comes through with this head bobbin' radio friendly song that features Zhane... Although it has a commercial feel..expect to hear this jam at all sorts of underground parties.. It's on hit.. GRADE=B+

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CHINO XL...[American]
Thousands-91 bpm/
Freestyle Rhymes-88 bpm

-Chino XL..the master of metaphors and similies hits with this song Thousands...It has an east coast feel...it has jazzy yet hitting beat....cool song..GRADE=B-

-Freestyle Rhymes..gets its strength from Chino's dope rhymes...He's on point...adding to this is the hook that's sung by some woman who's name I don't know...GRADE=B

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FACEMOB...[Noo-Trybe]
Otherwise-79 bpm
Bank Robbery-82 bpm

-Otherside is some Texas style..[Houston] hip hop... The song is about being on the otherside of the law.. If you like Scarface and Geto Boys type of music..check for this...GRADE=C

-Bank Robbery...this song is about robbing a bank.. it's that gangsta style.. Houston funk rap...slow raps and ominous beats... GRADE=C-

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HOUSE OF PAIN... [Tommy Boy]
Pass The Jinn-95 bpm
Heart Full Of Sorrow w/ Sadat X-90 bpm

-Pass the Jinn is an energetic..NY style groove that features someone busting raggamuffin style rhymes...It sounds like House Of Pain.. It'll make some headz bob.. It won't be a huge hit.. GRDAE=B-

-Heart Full Of Sorrow..I simply don't feel this track.. It may have to grow on me.. but even with Sadat this track and it's unenergetic beat doesn't hit me.. GRADE=C-

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HYENAS IN THE DESERT...[SlamJams]
Concubinez-91 bpm

-This is song is the debut track off of Chuck D's new label...It's a slow groove that is very different then what is currently out there right now... Chuck and company have always been innovative... and I think this new song is a way to test the waters...It's not a song I'm playing every show...GRADE=C+

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Ice T...[Priority]
'Pimp Anthem'

-This song is a reworking of the Junior Mafia smash 'Player's Anthem'. It's a cross between that and Colors from a few years back.. A driving baseline, menacing lyrics..and a bit of flava..opens the door for Ice T's return to the hip hop arena. Last time I spoke with him, he told me that he's tired of being a spokesperson for everything. He wants to just get in the studio and be a dope artist... If Pimp Anthem is any indication of the music to come..Ice T may be doing just that...
GRADE=A

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LUCIANA w/Jungle Brothers.... [Island]
Who Could It Be-84 bpm

-song uses the same beat as Goodie Mobb's Cell Therapy..Luciano sings pretty cool.. JB's start off the song with a rap about busting caps.....song is very reggaeish... I'm not sure if I would play thius on my show....GRADE=C-

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MEXAKINZ... [Wild West]
Burnin' Hot-93 bpm
Headz Or Taylz-88 bpm

-Burnin' borrows from some familiar song I can't recall.. It's made for radio... cool song.....GRADE=C+

-Headz..is a dope song for the hip hop heads..it has an east coast feel although these guys are from Cali...Too bad the song ain't clean.. I like it better then the a-side track...Good lyrical flow and nice hook...GRADE=B

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NAS.....[Columbia]
If I Ruled The World-89 bpm

-This song utilizes...Whodini's riff from the song 'Friends'..dope song It's a great song to mix...features vocals from Lauryn of The Fugees...GRADE=A+

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OUTKAST....[LaFace]
Elevator-84 bpm

-this is some more of that Southern fried funk...that one would expect from Outkast... It's slow..it's laid back..it's on hit...I'm not sure if it's gonna be a huge hit..but it's a solid song...GRADE=B-

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PMD......[Boondock]
Rugged N Raw-90 bpm

-This track has that EPMD style funk sound with a refrain that sounds very church like..because of its high pitch and monastery like chanting... It's a cool song..something that the headz will probably enjoy...GRADE=B

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RAPPIN' 4TAY... [EMI]
A Lil Some 'Em Some 'Em-90 bpm

-This song is pretty damn good as it's a hip hop remake of the classic jam..';Smiling Faces'...Here 4Tay is tight and his lyrics flow as he speaks about what he would like to do with a particular woman...Song she hit big once it starts getting promoted...GRADE=B+

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ROXANNE SHANTE.....[Cold Chillin']
Queen Pin-88 bpm

-This cut has a definte underground feel coupled with Shante lettin' loose on the mic about her dopeness... It is one of my personal favorites.. It's a fun record to put in the mix.. and it has a nice feel.. The chorus is a little corny..but the song still works.. I'm not sure where Shante is gonna find her love.. she's not a west coast attraction and she hasn't been getting her props in her native New York....GRADE=A-

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SKINDEEP.... [Loose Cannon]
Everybody-96 bpm
No More Games-90 bpm

-Everybody has an R&B feel....it samples from an old classic groove..it will make a great club song....GRADE=C+

-No More Games..has a NY rap sound..that is coupled with some cool harmonizing..It too is a good club song and it features..Keith Murray and Miss Jones on vocals...GRADE=C+

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SMOOTH DA HUSTLER...[Profile]
My Brother My Ace-90 bpm

-song features Trigga Tha Hustler..it reminds me of Broken Language..but not as funky....song is ok...if you like Smooth..this should be enjoyable...GRADE=C+

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WISE INTELLIGENT....[Echo]
Never Kill Again-86 bpm
Freestyle-94 bpm

-Never Kill Again-is a dope ass song that has the same bassline as Shinehead's classic cut 'Who The Cap Fits'.. Wise is from Poor Righteous Teachers and he's dropping some nice lyrics..Guaranteed to make your head bob...Special guest on the song is Foxxy Brown....GRADE=B+

-Freestyle-is ok.. the beat is just ok.. the strength here are the lyrics....GRADE=C

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WU-TANG CLAN.. .[East West]
America-86 bpm

-the piano riffs...the bomb ass beat and of course Wu rappin on point about AIDS takes this song onto another level... Folks may not yet be up on the America Is Dying Slowly project.. I think Wu makes this message effective because of their lyrical presentation... The song hits....Definitely check for it.. For Wu fans it's not as hardcore as they normally get.... but the song still works...GRADE=B+

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