Hip Hop and Breakz

This is the fourth studio album by Non Phixion member Ill Bill and is the follow up to the 2008 Hour of Reprisal.  Ill Bill has always been a hardcore underground emcee with impecable taste in producers and this album does not vary from that route.  In fact the album’s production credits could read as a who’s who Hardcore Hip-Hop’s best producers; DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, El-P, Psycho Les of the Beatnuts and DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill.  The list of guests is pretty impressive too; Lil Fame of M.O.P., Jedi Mind Tricks, O.C., Cormega, Shabazz the Disciple and A-Trak. A small point though before I progress on with the review if you are easily offended by bad language, conspiracy theory’s and or hardcore Hip-hop beats then this album is not for you. The album kicks off with the Ill Bill produced intro, “What does it all mean?”.  This is very a typical Hip-Hop intro with vocal samples from government info records, old radio shows an...

Pete Rock , Smiff N Wessun – Monumental Pete Rock is a legend in Hip Hop circles; trained by Marley Marl and second only to DJ premier when it comes to production skills. Rarely does he produce entire albums for artists, in fact his last was 2004’s ‘My Own Worst Enemy’ with Edo G and even that wasn’t entirely Pete Rock produced. However 2011 brings us Pete’s collaborative effort with Smiff N Wessun, Monumental which is released on BCC’s Duck Down label. Fourteen tracks entirely produced by Pete Rock and featuring such guests as; Raekwon, Rock, Sean Price, Buckshot, Styles P., Bun B., Memphis Bleek, Freeway and former Hit Squad member Hurricane G. The album starts off with a pretty unmemorable intro and then jumps into the title track Monumental which features lyrics from Pete Rock and a a nice albeit simple horns loop over a plodding drumbeat. This wasn’t too bad until the poorly sung hook comes in sung by newcomer Tyler Woods. The singing adds nothing whatsoever to track in fact...