Written and hosted by Phillip “The Jogging Blogger” Mlynar.

June 18th was a monumental date in hip-hop history — it was the day when all the Yeezus reviews came out. They involved lots of great commentary on the parameters of genius and musings about just how much of a genius Kanye West is. Unfortunately, they were also all really wrong. So the Unkut braintrust decided to review Yeezus in the only scientifically accurate way possible – in the form of a pub quiz.
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My latest contribution to the fine tradition of Rap List Trolling, with a piece that’s certain to upset everybody. Which may be the point…

Complex Presents: 15 Horrible Songs on Classic Rap Albums

Marco Polo just dropped this free album to keep things rolling until Port Authority 2 in July.

“The Newport Authority 2 album was inspired by politics & industry bullsh*t that prevented this material from being included on PA2: The Director’s Cut. Shylow and I went in and created a separate album to hold people over until PA2 drops in July. Attached with Intro, interludes and fully mixed & mastered by Joe Nardone. With confidence I can say this is not a mix tape. It will also be available on vinyl LP via Fat Beats for the heads that appreciate physical product, because I still do. I’ve included songs I recorded with legends such as Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Tragedy Khadafi, Lil Fame and The Artifacts. But, I’ve also got joints on here with some talented up and comers such as First Division, MidaZ and Big Gutta. Plus the sh*t is free – so enjoy!”

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Like many of you, the first time I heard Nasty Nas was through his stirring performance on Main Source’s seminal “Live At The BBQ”, but it was initial exposure to “Halftime” on a local radio show that really got me amped. I was so impressed with the track that I eventually went on to describe it as “The Best Brag Rap Song of The 90’s”: “The lyrics are a ‘Good Combination’ of declarations of poetic superiority, explanations of his daily operations, product name checks, witty punchlines, casual blasphemy and a healthy dose of Eff The Police sentiment. What more could a rap fan ask for?”
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Here’s a run-down of narrative-driven rap albums. A case could have been made to include Kendrick’s last LP but shorty said nah, pulled the trigger and stepped. R.I.P. GURU.

No Country For Old (Rap) Men: The Art of Storytelling

Although I ignore pretty much everything that turns up randomly in my email, the notes for this album caught my eye:

“Shoutout to New York for giving me my entire style of production that I essentially ripped off from producers much better than myself. Shoutout to my worthless deadbeat of a father for abandoning my mother but leaving me well over 2000 records to sample from because you had no means to take them.”

Turns out the album was a good listen, so I reached out to it’s producer and had a quick talk to him to find out his story.
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Preview the new Doppelgangaz album Hark, and pre-order here if you fux with it. Black Cloak lifestyle continues, although I’m still waiting for my Dapper Dan Gucci cloak to arrive.

Check out this new LP from Unkut fam LEX and Polarity (aka Debonair P). The vinyl is already sold out (only 100 were pressed), but you can grab a digital version here.

Debonair P: Way back in 2005 I sent a beat CD to a talented MC from Queens NY named LEX. Over the following few years I spent thousands of hours on the songs we recorded for an album called ‘Hennessy and 76th’ (the street names we lived on in Melbourne and NY at the time.) While the album was finished in 2009, I am really happy to finally be making this material available to the public on wax.

I was going to review this but since it’s available to listen to before you buy, I’ll let the music speak for itself. Suffice to say, this is Conservative Rap Coalition approved! Now available on iTunes and hopefully on CD/LP in the near future

Rock-It Science is the debut album from Queens, NY duo Timeless Truth (SuperBad Solace and OPrime39). The album is entirely produced by Rthentic RTNC and features guest appearances from Sean Price, Roc Marciano, and Action Bronson, as well as cameos by Meyhem Lauren and Large Professor. The Rock-It Science LP was mixed by Superstar Dave Dar and mastered by Ricardo Gutierrez at Stadium Red in New York City.

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There goes another in year in rap. As Weirdo Rap and EDM Rap takes hold of the youf, it’s getting a little more difficult to pick-out 40 great examples of non-progressive rap that Mitt Romney would approve of. Neo-Con Hip-Hop to some. East-Coast Elitist music to others. We are the Conservative Rap Coalition, and we are legion. Sit back, grab a beer (or something stronger), and let this tape transport you back to a time when rap didn’t suck as much, and when drums mattered, loops were important and rapping about how awesome you were was still cutting-edge.

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Not sure why I bothered reviewing this since it’s actually a free album…

[insert food pun here]
a) Chow down!
b) Stick a fork in it!
c) Bon appetit!
d) Keep feeding you, and feeding you, and feeding you…
e) Brunch is served!
etc.
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While Self Induced Illness and Clarified Butter had some great songs on them, it wasn’t until this years Respect The Fly Shit that Meyhem Lauren really hit his stride as far as establishing a comprehensive sound, courtesy of Harry Fraud and Tommy Mas. With a wider range of tempos, Meyhem was able to break out of that ‘stuck in one gear’ flow that sometimes induced fatigue in the listener in his earlier work.
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More list action:

Complex Presents: 50 Best Debut Albums In Rap History

Here are the direct links to the blurbs I penned for all you time-poor types:
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More Drum-Free Rap from the guy that Ghostface Stan’s love to hate. Produced by Alchemist, who has developed a strong distaste for snares in recent times.

Action Bronson – Rare Chandeliers

Two years after Marcberg, and Roc Marciano has been commissioned for more guest spots than I can keep track of, remarkably without playing himself out. Reloaded offers everything that Roc’s debut brought to the table – stream-of-consciousness rhyme flow, an abundance of food references, minimal guests and a unique beat science – but with a crispy new sheen.
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