Epinions Recent Reviews for madtheory

Jeanius - Jean Grae and 9th Wonder Rock the 180 Rap I.Q.

Sat, 1 Aug 2009 03:01:20 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - What the hell happened to all the female emcees? For most of Hip-Hop music's timeline there has been a significant feminine presence, often a respectable and necessary counterpoint to fierce, unchecked masculinity. With the exception of...

Afro Samurai for XBox 360: Nothing Personal. It’s Just Revenge.

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:47:00 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - The number one headband. In the universe of Takashi Okazaki's critically acclaimed manga and animated series Afro Samurai, the headband is both the greatest gift and the ultimate curse. The one who wears it is said to be bestowed with powers...

American Gangster - Jay-Z Hustles You Out of Fifteen Dollars

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 13:26:27 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - It’s not hard to comprehend why Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z felt enamored enough with celebrated criminal Frank Lucas to mirror his album, American Gangster, after the Denzel Washington / Russell Crowe biopic of the same name. ...

Then What Happened? - J-Live, Bloody but not Broken

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:42:33 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - It rsquo;s not so strange that in a world where the dominating archetype of the rap star is that of a hyper-masculine thug that neither fists nor firearms can defeat, NYC emcee J-Live< b> would choose to show himself knocked out cold on the cover...

Kingdom Come - Jay-Z's Second Coming, But Don't Kneel Just Yet...

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 14:33:20 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - Rappers do not retire. They fall off, get dropped, get shelved, or maybe even get shot, but people who have spent the majority of their lives fiending for the microphone never walk away from it willingly. At least not for very long...

Food & Liquor - Lupe Fiasco Grinds His Way Out of the Chicago Underground

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 13:24:58 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - Saying that there are high expectations for Chicago emcee Lupe Fiasco debut is a bit of an understatement. Some more attuned to the underground might have picked up on the burgeoning talent when he took Kanye West’s “Diamonds” single, and...

The Torture Papers - Army of the Pharaohs Needs a New Battle Plan

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 15:12:31 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - While the Army of the Pharaohs name may be unfamiliar to the uninitiated, most fans of underground Hip-Hop will recognize it as the loose artist collective that includes Jedi Mind Tricks, Outerspace, Juju Mob, 7L & Esoteric, Apathy, Celph Titled,...

The Waist Deep Original Soundtrack - Hope The Movie Is Better

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 18:56:34 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - Movie soundtracks. Once upon a time when songs composed for films were actually unique to a film, there was an actual reason to buy the soundtracks. Now that the vast majority of “original” soundtracks are comprised of either cast offs from...

Todd Smith -- For The 99% Of His Fans Who Wear High Heels

Tue, 13 Jun 2006 14:00:06 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - Ladies Love Cool James. Everyone else is sick of his sh*t. Guys who have attended an LL Cool J concert in the last few years or so know what I’m talking about. You buy your ticket and hit the front row waiting to see Uncle L rush the mic...

Beyond The Spectrum - The Creamy... [Remaster] - Digable Planets: Beyond The Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles – Reachin’ Back to the Digable Planets

Wed, 17 May 2006 16:18:57 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - In the mid 1990’s, music aficionados who were both jazz and Hip-Hop buffs were in absolute heaven. Hip-Hop music of this period was abundant with groups that created brilliant work celebrating the commingling of the two genres. Killer cuts from...

Blackalicious Has Truly Mastered The Craft

Fri, 7 Apr 2006 13:31:12 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - If somehow all the praise, press, and pub surrounding the Bay Area rap duo Blackalicious has managed to pass you by all these years, it’s definitely time to cop a late pass. For over a decade the duo of emcee Gift Of Gab and producer Chief Xcel...

Grandmasters - Bobby Fischer Couldn’t Rock Like This…

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 15:54:17 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - Although not international chess professionals, one can certainly make the case for awarding the ‘grandmaster’ title to Gza and DJ Muggs. One of the best emcees in the NYC-based Wu-Tang Clan rap collective and the premier producer for the...

Under The Circumstances -- Grand Agent and Oh No’s Turn to Team Up

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 13:29:21 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - Although once so fed up with the unethical American music industry that he took up residence in Germany, it seems that acclaimed Philly emcee Grand Agent is now prepared to square off with the beast once again – and this time he’s brought...

Juelz Santana is Definitely NOT What The Game’s Been Missing!

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 19:34:35 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - What The Game’s Been Missing!? Hardly. To the contrary, rappers like Diplomats member Juelz Santana are exactly what the rap industry has had entirely too much of. Mainstream rap nowadays is awash with no-talent, non-rapping cats...

Right About Now -- Talib Kweli Still 'Struggling,' but in the Right Direction

Fri, 23 Dec 2005 14:51:00 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - Now working off of his own Blacksmith Music imprint through Koch, the once-underground Brooklyn rap phenom Talib Kweli is free once again to make Talib Kweli music without the pressure, hype, and gravity currently synonymous with a Talib...

The Black Rob Report [PA] - Black Rob: The Black Rob Report – File and Forget

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 19:22:04 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - One of the most mystifying things about Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy rap empire is why it even still exists. Aside from the occasional decent R&B artist, the label’s post-Biggie/Mase mission has been unswervingly dedicated to producing and...

Saul Williams - A Seed A Stranger Gave to Me and Planted on My Tongue…

Tue, 1 Nov 2005 15:32:28 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - While more and more rappers rush to dumb down lyrics and make their content irrelevant to appeal to their audience’s lowest common denominator, their spoken word poet cousins have thankfully remained closer to their roots. One of the most shining...

Enter The 36 Chambers, Outside the Box: TDM: Wu-Tang Meets Indie Culture

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 14:09:03 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - Once upon a time, the Wu-Tang Clan were poster boys for underground rap even amidst bum-rushing MTV stages. Now under the auspices of longtime affiliate-turned-A&R Dreddy Krueger, the legendary Shaolin collective and their infinite...

Chemistry – 9th Wonder and Buckshot’s Killer Formula

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 18:56:14 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - One of the best things about Hip-Hop music is the collaborative spirit shared amongst the majority of its artists. Its certainly true that a number of rap unions are more a product of effective marketing than shared artistic vision, but when rappers and...

The Minstrel Show - Little Brother Wipes Away The Blackface

Mon, 17 Oct 2005 15:23:03 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - As even the mass media outlets once dedicated to accurate representations of black life join in with the popular portrayal of Hip-Hop as an endless parade of less-than-musical pimps, hoes, gangstas, and thugs, (BET’s answer to The Apprentice?...

The Naked Truth By Lil Kim – The Queen Bee Wears No Clothes

Mon, 3 Oct 2005 15:59:42 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - As reprehensible as Hip-Hop’s obsession with incarceration as verification of the ubiquitous “street credibility,” there’s no denying it power in the rap industry. Just ask T.I., Beanie Sigel, and Lil Kim. Currently serving 366...

Star Trek Elite Force II -- Boldly Middling Where No Middle Has Middled Before

Tue, 27 Sep 2005 18:43:20 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - With Enterprise now officially over and done with, some Star Trek fans may be experiencing withdrawal from not being able to regularly partake in the weekly trials and tribulations of the brave men and women of Starfleet. For these sad...

The Hip-Hop Violinist by Miri Ben-Ari – Kanye West’s String Section Goes Solo?

Fri, 16 Sep 2005 18:29:06 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - Politics may make strange bedfellows, but lately Hip-Hop makes even stranger ones. Case in point: Miri Ben-Ari. An Israeli-born violin virtuoso, it didn’t take long for Hip-Hop music to get under her skin after moving to New York. Soon...

A.W.O.L. -- No Heroes’ Welcome for AZ’s Return

Wed, 14 Sep 2005 16:47:02 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - It was 1994 when Brooklyn rapper Anthony Cruz a.k.a. AZ electrified Hip-Hop with a sharp guest spot on “Life’s a B*tch” off Nas Illmatic debut, then followed up with his own critically acclaimed Doe Or Die. However,...

Thoughts of a Predicate Felon -- Tony Yayo Makes Up For Lost Time

Wed, 7 Sep 2005 15:11:31 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author madtheory - For most, being arrested a mere twelve hours after being released from prison would be embarrassing to say the least, but for thug rapper Tony Yayo, it’s only increased his stock. One of the original members of 50 Cent’s G-Unit clique...