A Long Hot Summer/Masta Ace
How many emcees do you know who have done a concept album? How many emcees do you know who have done a follow-up concept album that is a prequel? Masta Ace first appeared in 1988 with Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, and Craig G on Marley Marl's posse cut "The Symphony" and followed-up with three albums before 1995. His 2001 concept album, Disposable Arts, introduced Ace as a newly released ex-con who left the hood for school. The follow-up, A Long Hot Summer, says why he went to jail in the first place. Punch & Words, Strick, and Jean Grae reappear as guest stars while Apocalypse, Big Noyd, Leschea, Edo.G and The Beatnuts and Rahzel drop bars for their debut contribution to the show. Michael Rappaport even puts in his efforts playing Ace's cellmate. Summer is a great standalone effort, but the two-disc combo makes it a collector's set. -mastaace.com
Smoove/DJ Neil Armstrong
I never got the first two (Sweeet, BitterSweeet) in this series by the 5th Platoon-er. If this throwback/mash-up/slow-jam tape is any example, then my missing tapes are unquestionably as dope. This 34-tracked love-inducer shows off some less thought of (but nice) blends. For example you'll catch some nice stuff like Full Force's "Tender Love," Prince's "Girlfriend," and Lisa Lisa's "Can You Feel the Beat" with Sleepy Brown's "I Can't Wait," Led Zeppelin's "All of My Love," and Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up." You'd expect smoother and cleaner transitions from the Platoon, but it really isn't about that type of quality. It's about the quality of the selection and how they strangely come together to create the optimum climate for chillin' out. If you close your eyes, the mixing makes you feel like you are actually at a lounge. That's a big plus for a mental getaway.-5thplatoon.com
Platinum Production Series Vols 1, 2, & 3/Guerrilla Funk Recordings
Here's a three-disk set that can make any Kanye West wannabes into semi-pro producers. Pop any one of the discs into your laptop, pick a couple loops and run with it. There are literally over 150 classic beats and breaks to choose from and over 96 sound effects to accent your masterpiece. Guerilla Funk makes it easy for computer users by having a second disk ready and packed with the same beats in an aiff file format. You can totally replicate Kanye's magic. Okay, not really. But this set gets you started with confidence.-guerillafunk.com
The Tipping Point/The Roots
I know you've got this one already. The mumble-hooked track "Don't say Nuthin'" was the initial radio hit, but the other nine get your funky ass up and dancing. Don't worry about the lack of tracks (10 in all)-today's standard of releasing a bazillion songs on one album sucks when you only get 10 good songs anyway. The Roots' latest, The Tipping Point, pushes the hip hop envelope, and the quality and style equal the last. The nods will come for this album, and I wouldn't be surprised if a nomination nod was among them. -okayplayer.com
A Job Ain't Nothin But Work/J-Zone
When funny-ass shit is delivered by a real emcee over his own production it makes the lyrics that much more injurious. I guess after a few years and a few albums you have to keep finding ways to develop inspiration. On this album, J-Zone's flavor is bitter-filled dissing. It's so nice. He's better known for his production than his writing, but that didn't keep him from working with people like Biz Markie, King-T, J-Ro, Masta Ace, Casual, Prince Po and others. On his fifth album he shows why he is "Captain Backslap," the "2004 Bobby Brown" and the "Tom Jones of rap."-zonesite.net