Deep In The Grooves -by Emcee Sick

The Inside Track On All The Brand New Underground Hip Hop Releases

Record Friends and Fiends,

Right back atcha again with the newest in underground hip hop releases! Jeru the Damaja is back with a real banger entitled Won’t Stop ft’g Js-1 and Dub-L, which the Snitch claims is doper than a KRS-One intro to a JUST-ICE song (dope!... dope!... †and so on....). There is no need to only focus in on the beat apart from the lyrics, or vice-versa… this is just an all-around dope joint! †Rich the Snitch even said it could be his favorite song of the year, even though the year has only just begun he says he may hold this opinion until the end of it. †

Despite that Ketchup has already serenaded this phenomenal album with a grand 5-tomato count, Madvillainy needs mention here as well, although on a more specific note. It is entirely strange to us at the show that Accordian was not one of the cuts that went to single, being that it really is the banger beat-wise off of this clever collaborative full-length. †And on a quite comedic sidenote: Dj Rich the Snitch, thanks to the conveniently typed out lyrics in the CD insert, can now stand in front of the mirror and pretend to be MF Doom using common kitchen accessories such as tin foil and cut up cereal-box cardboard.

An Evening With..., the hot new Sound Providers production album has definitely made a positive imprint on the beginning of our radio show with some real fresh jizzoints on, namely The Throwback featuring my menz and themz: Maspyke, and 5 Minutes featuring my otha main nizzles: Procussions. ††Both these joints come with jazzy feels, the Maspyke possessing more of a head-nod, while the Procussions venture a little farther off the beaten rhythm. This full-length also features tracks with Wee Bee Foolish, †††

To look closely on the local tip, Deepthinka Records recently released a compilation/sampler CD entitled Rebel Radio featuring a full line-up of Buffalo and Cleveland artists. The stand-out cut on RR is most definitely 3rd Son’s Deus Ex Machina for his lyrical rawness, relevant content and ill flow-patterns, however the drums are tinny-trebly and the bass is missing a bottom-end which leaves something to be desired. The Catastrophic Minds song called Coming of Age has a very fresh vibe and well-developed song structure lyric/composition-wise by Pastime and No Comp written on some ’92-feel steez. Same deal with this track as the 3rd Son one though… very dope besides for lacking low-bass and featuring over-mixed snares. Dj Cutler notably does his thing on this one. Track 07 entitled Finally Reallized appears as if it’s gonna be a real banger from the intro loop, but once the ruckus drums drop they don’t really connect. Grand Phee and Ajent O both do their thing lyrical/flow-wise as they’re known to so consistently. Their vocals are a mixed a bit loud however taking the head-nod out of their flow. Mind Composure features probably the illest beat on the the whole CD despite still having way too much snare and way too little low. Catastrophic come off fresh far as flow goes, being that this song is kind of just a roaming thought-association type thing. X-Now does his thing at end of CD dropping knowledge in his verse on Black Champion with Furious. Jeff Campise does his thing on the trumpet to very nice percussion work by T1X on Yeshua in the Darkness. Listening to Ketchup babbling like mad all over this CD is a treat I’m not sure if I recommend BEAST readers to partake in, but if you do partake, please do so in moderation!

The Ketchup Samurai

RECORD REVIEW

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Artist: Madvillain

Album: Madvillainy

It's here! Finally I, the Ketchup Samurai, am able to give an album review worthy of the ever so elusive perfect score. If you've been up on the latest Beast reviews I've done, you know that I really enjoyed Madvillain's latest 12" single "All Caps". Well, you can expect the same love on this album. It's almost like MF Doom and Madlib got together and said enough is enough, no more bullshit albums that are making the top ten by rappers who who couldn't out-rap a 12 year old Barney the dinosaur extra. This album...oops excuse me, masterpiece, is a must-have for the smart hip hop buyer. Come on, 22 tracks of beautiful Madlib production with a MF Doom twist? You better ask somebody! I'm sure my man Reginoff will agree. No doubt there will be those heads who don't even know who Madvillain is, but that is a mistake easily rectified with the purchase of this undeclared classic. Oh by the way, there's guest appearances by Medaphoar, Quasimoto, Wildchild, Stacy Epps, and ofcourse Viktor Vaugn (MF Doom), who lend their skills. Because I love this album so much it's hard to say what my favorite tracks are but here are a few. Let's see... there's "All Cap's," "Meat Grinder," "Hardcore Hustle," and "Shadows of Tomorrow" which is featuring Quasimoto. I can say no more, just run out and get this album. This album get's... (drum roll)... 5 Tomatoes!

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Artist: Cassidy

Album: Split Personality

Okay people, who knows the name of the mad scientist who recreated Fabulous? Cassidy is this self proclaimed battle rapper from Philadelphia who's gonna go platinum by sounding like everybody else in today's rap game. But you already knew that right? Do you believe that this album actually got 3 out of 4 stars in USA Today? Tracks like "Real Talk," "Can I Talk to You," featuring Jadakiss, and the quote unquote hit single "Hotel" with R. Kelly, make this album dope? Bullshit!

Trying to convince true hip hop heads this is a hot album is like me trying to convince the Board the Education that the R. Kelly sex tape should be used in high school Sex Ed. classes. Yeah, I'm sure 'Golden Showers 101' will be a huge hit. Now I know what you’re thinking.."Ketchup is a hater," and rightfully so. I think I have the right to hate on rappers who pay no dues but enjoy the riches and a nice spot on MTV Cribs. The album is not for everyone, and there will be those who say it is a good album, and who can blame them. An album like this with hardcore raps, radio jams, and thug love songs sounds like a winner to me. Boooo to all of you. 1 Tomato... a rotten one.

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Artist: Bumpy Knuckes aka Freddie Foxxx

Album: Teach the Children

Bumpy Knucks hit's you hard with his harsh but serious knowledge over a dope DJ Premier beat that gives you plenty to nod your head to. Every time you hear a Bumpy Knucks and Premo track you're guaranteed to get good track. The track "Teach the Children" is a nice mellow display of Freddie Foxxx in his 'nice guy' role as opposed to the usual vigilante punisher some are use to. I liked the message he was sending out to youth of today who seem to think the only way to live is smoking blunts and waiting for the next phony rapper to show off on Crap... I mean Rap City. This single does, however, have a sub par B side called "Turn Up the Mic" featuring Nas, which made me think to myself "Nas rips it but the beat is boring" and that's enough for me to give this single 2.5 tomatoes. Sorry Bumpy. I hope this doesn't discourage you from dissing me on your next album.

The Emcee Sick and DJ LoPro Show

ft’g DJ Rich the Snitch

91.3FM WBNY Every Sunday Night from 9pm-12am

Charts for Sunday 3.21.04 Top 30

ths wk. (lst wk.) artist. title. label.

1 †7 †word association been down right exact ††

2 †3 †asheru black moses 7heads

3 †17 †chops b-girl anthem f/bahamadia goodvibe records

4 †12 †kenn starr f/ asheru, talib kweli if halftooth records

5 †8 †j-live/wordsworth/soulive bosoms seven heads

6 †16 †murs & 9th wonder 3:16 definitive jux

7 10 †phat kat destiny barak records

8 †9 †haysoos exclusive hazmatic records ††††††

9 †6 †aesop rock numb (to the guns) nature sounds

10 1 †mr roam system choice cut

11 5 †non-phixion caught between worlds uncle howie

12 25 †peverted monks backtodacrib groove attack

13 add †royce hip hop koch-in the paint

14 14 †jaylib mcnasty filth stones throw

15 2 †athletic mic league feel it! barak records

16 15 †sound providers an evening with... abb

17 26 †dwele f/ kanye west hold on virgin

18 11 †mass hysteria it aint safe rhymesayers

19 †4 †madvillian the illest villian stones throw

20 †add †cool taj ghostown pennacle ent

21 †24 †dj js-1 & dub-l f/ jeru tha damaja won't stop echelon

22 †23 †droop capone generation epps black love

23 †18 †snuff countdown kru records

24 †27 †procussions celebration basementalism-traffic ent

25 †13 †organic thoughts the purest form blaze the world ent

26 †21 †juggaknots she loves me not matic

27 †19 †cashmere the pro grown man b.i. freshchest records

28 †20 †last emperor f/ cocoa brovaz the block party raptivism

29 †add †critically acclaimed ftg phonte road trip td harry music group

30 †add †lions of the desert top of my dome commonwealth ent.