stefanoneder Album, Album Reviews

Locksmith – Labyrinth (2012)

Artist: Locksmith

Album: Labyrinth

Source: Artist

Tracklisting:

1. Life Is Beautiful
2. Outta Reach (ft. Ceek)
3. My Character (ft. GLC)
4. Smile
5. On My Own (ft. Allen Ritter)
6. The Pit
7. Halleluja
8. I Hate Rabbits
9. Little Bunny Rabbit
10. Gone Tomorrow (ft. Fallon)
11. Take Me Away (ft. Fallon)
12. A.D.D.
13. Slight Disgust
14. Illuminati
15. Labyrinth

Note:

There are a lot of artists scratching and clawing for recognition.  Many of these artists are gifted.  Many artists we cover on HHD possess some of the qualities that are important to being a great emcee.  Locksmith, however,  has all of those qualities.  He is the consummate lyricist.  He has total control of his delivery.  He can give it to you uptempo or down.  He can flip this or that beat.   It doesn’t matter.  He is intelligent.  As an emcee, there is not a chink in the armor.  But that alone does not make a great album.  We’ve all seen lyricists come and go and never really reach their musical potential.

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stefanoneder Album, Album Reviews

Of Mice And Musicians – Bottles & Bones (2012)

Artist: Of Mice And Musicians

Album: Bottles and Bones

Source: Artist

Track listing:

  1. Living Right
  2. Magic Johnson Swanson
  3. Black Key
  4. Sorry My Mom Called
  5. Chicken Legs And Deviled Eggs
  6. Faces
  7. Raw Shack
  8. Don’t Hate
  9. No Pen When I Write
  10. Logic and the Lion
  11. Sound of Falling Down
  12. Hello, Father
  13. Ain’t Done Yet

Note:

I became familiar with Benjamin Miles when he hit me off with his collaborative release with Eddie Logix last year, Play It Forward. I was really impressed with his skill and his sincerity. I felt a lot of emotion and introspection in his lyrics.

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stefanoneder Album Reviews, EP

Serge Severe x Terminill – Service Without A Smile (2012)

Artist: Serge Severe x Terminill

Album: Service Without A Smile

Source: Artist

Tracklisting:

1. Monstrosity
2. Rare Flow (ft. Jon Belz)
3. Words In Motion
4. Service Without A Smile
5. Switch It Up
6. Grey Area
7. Thoughts In My Head
8. Know The Truth (ft. Luck One)

Note:

I am not a hard man to impress.  I like good hip hop music.  Is that too hard to ask?  Can I get some good hip hop music sent my way? Well, someone in the greater north west heard my beckon call.  Serge Severe and Terminill are certain to make  a statement with their latest release, Service Without A Smile.

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stefanoneder Album Reviews

Fatal Lucciauno – Respect (2012)

Artist: Fatal Lucciauno

Album: Respect

Source: Bandcamp

Tracklisting:

1. Larry Mizzel Jr. (Intro)
2. War
3. Big Bro
4. Gotta Go (ft. Marissa)
5. Interlude To Get her In The Mood
6. Doctor Love (ft. I Am)
7. Black Hoodie Rap (ft. Spac3man)
8. Amazing (ft. J. Pinder)
9. Cocaine (I Cry) (ft. Joe King and I Am)
10. Random Coo Guy
11. Better Than You (ft. Thaddeus David and Grynch)
12. Adolf Hitler
13. Pushin (ft. Parker)
14. Reflection (ft. The Good Sin)
15. I’m Gone (Outro)
16. One Love One Purpose (ft. Lucc and Cease)

Note:

In general I think people sleep heavily on the scene in the Pacific North West.  But if the truth be told, that area is a hot bed for up and coming hip hop talent.  Even though, Fatal Lucciauno has been in the game a minute people still may not know who he is but I think this is an album that should get the foot in the door or the music in the headphones as it were..

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stefanoneder Album Reviews

Kyle Hubbard – You’re Not That Special (2012)

Artist: Kyle Hubbard

Album: You’re Not That Special

Source: Artist

Tracklisting:

1. Just Breathe
2. Even Though It Shines
3. Around The Way
4. A Little Infidelity
5. One Time, Two Times (ft. Roosh Williams)
6. Official High
7. A Brief Intermission…
8. It’s Burning
9. Don’t Ask
10. It’s Making Sense
11. Fly Or Die
12. I’ll Be Vindicated

Note:

Kyle Hubbard’s 2010 project, Tomorrow In Retrospect, garnered my attention in early 2011.  I didn’t know who he was but somehow I caught wind of the release and I found a whole lot of respect for this Houston emcee and his music.  Hubbard just goes about things differently.  He may live in Houston but his sound embodies  a more global view of hip hop.

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stefanoneder Album Reviews

Copywrite: God Save The King (2012)

Artist: Copywrite

Album: God Save The King

Source: iTunes

Tracklisting:

01 Post-Apocalyptic Request Box
02 Love (Feat. Tage Future)
03 Swaggot Killaz (Feat. Jakki Da Motamouth)
04 Sorrow (Feat. Illogic & Don Jaga)
05 Man Made (Feat. Rockness Monstah)
06 J.O.Y (Feat. Jason Rose & Torae)
07 Union Rights (Feat. Mhz)
08 Yo! MTV Raps (Feat. Jason Rose)
09 Blue Ribbon
10 Miracle
11 Gsk
12 Workahol
13 White Democrats (Feat. Mac Lethal)
14 Golden State of Mind (Feat. Casual, Evidence & Roc Marciano)
15 Synesthesia
16 Got to Make it (Feat. Tage Future)
17 A Talk with Jesus

Note:

This is my first time ever reviewing one of Copywrite’s releases.  He has made a lot of good music in the past ten years and he has been in a few different places in his life during that time. You can hear that in his music.  His most current station in life seems to have brought him a certain sense of peace of mind.  Copywrite has recently engaged more actively with his Creator and you can see a changed person even though I have never met the man personally.  Through his online interactions, he seems…content.

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stefanoneder Album, Album Reviews

Rome Cee – Grey Area (2012)

Artist: Rome Cee

Album: Grey Area

Source: Artist

Tracklisting:

1. The Dual
2. Nightfall (ft. Jay Mastermind)
3. For The People
4. Black Ring
5. Double Think (ft. R.A.H.)
6. Illusion Love (ft. Wisdom and R.A.H.)
7. Bout To Blow (ft. Rickie Jacobs and Scarlette)
8. Makes Me High (ft. 810)
9. Moment To Sine (ft. Boy Blesst)
10. Virtue
11. Cold World
12. Something Beyond
13. Koole (ft. Pascal and Jay Mastermind)

Note:

Sometimes you just happen to wander into a gem.  And that’s really how I came across Rome Cee…by musically wandering.  I first caught wind of him on UllNevaNo’s project, The Color Brown Part II.  Then after that, I would see these videos pop up, after that I knew this artist was making the music that I like.  He is an intelligent lyricist, with a good turn of phrase, and he surrounded himself with some other very talented individuals.

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stefanoneder Album Reviews, EP

UllNevaNo – I’m Thru With Love (2012)

Artist: UllNevaNo

Album: I’m Thru With Love

Source: Artist

Tracklisting:

1. i’m thru with love
2. that’s what she said
3. pick up lines
4. jean, eternia, boog
5. move on remix (ft. VerBs)
6. she’s got beauty

Note:

I am an anti-Valentine’s day guy.  I know, what a downer.  But I don’t need to use one day in particular to treat my lady right, you heard?  Well, with that being said, B’more artist, UllNevaNo, shot this EP over to me on Valentine’s Day and it just sat in my hard drive for a while.  I’m just not fond of the Valentine’s Day musical motif.  I finally got around to listening to it, and  it wasn’t the typical fluff that you usually get in the inbox on February 14th.   I should have trusted that UllNevaNo wasn’t going to send us some of the same ol’, same ol’.  So because I am a jaded asshole, you all are hearing about this dope release weeks late…sorry.

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stefanoneder Album, Album Reviews, Mixtapes

Big O – The Delegation

Artist: Big O

Album: The Delegation

Source: Artist

Tracklisting:

1. Grand Entrance
2. Signal Your Team
3. I Rep Myself
4. AnyThing Goes
5. Love Ain’t The Same
6. Class By Myself
7. Let’s Go
8. Make Music 4
9. No Compassion
10. On My Mind
11. Gotta Keep At It
12. 24-7-365

Note:

The best part about running this blog is putting people on to new and under appreciated talent.  That segues perfectly into introducing you all (once again) to Big O.  He’s repping out of Cleveland, Ohio  and really giving the city a face for it’s contribution to the independent hip hop scene.

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stefanoneder Album Reviews, EP

Mister x Dr. B – Just So You Know (2012)

Artist: Mister x Dr. B

Album: Just So You Know

Source: Artist

Tracklisting:

1. That That
2. Food For Thought
3. Relationship Blues (ft. Elusive)
4. Just So You Know Part 2
5. What I Do

Note:

When I first heard Passalacqua’s first project (Mister, Blaksmith, and Dr. B’s collaborative effort) I was instantly drawn to  something unique.  The two emcees, with their diverse styles, coupled with Dr. B’s easy going and jazzy production combined for  one of the most incredible EPs of 2011.

Continue reading “Mister x Dr. B – Just So You Know (2012)” →