TOMMY HAMPTON - PALOS VERDES BLUES

TOMMY HAMPTON

PALOS VERDES BLUES

2012

Up and coming for real, this dude hails from Regina, SK

and is sure to create a huge buzz. Dropping his debut album

with AK Productions and it is one hell of an album.

Tommy Hampton and AK have created something oh so

refreshing and unique, it's a blessing to the ear.

AK is so nice on the boards and Tommy got so much versatility

and talent under his fitted, it's ridiculous!


1. Intro
Sick opening even though after all this time i'm
still not keen on the beat. Tommy knocks it out the
gates though with some tight lyrics. 3.5/5
2. Ain't Coming Back
Solid track all around. Great verses and a bumping
beat beat make this what it is. The hook isn't bad
to say but feel like it could've been more 4/5
3. By Your Side
Awesome use of the sample. Great lil
song that should've been longer maybe. 4.5/5
4. Hard Luck
Even though Tommy is so sick on this and the
whole vibe is right up my alley, hard & grimey,
i still don't fully love this. Have to get use to the
whole song every time it starts, but when the hook 
comes in you're sold. Still, props on the whole thing,
using The Last Of The Mohicans for a sample. 4/5
5. Guess Who
Love the sample and whole beat. Tommy is perfect on
it and the whole track is pure gold. 5/5
6. Afraid To Love
Had to get used to it for a while, but once you
discover all the layers of this magnificent track,
you will love it. Tommy shows his versatilty here
singing and playing the guitar on top. 
The beat is crazy good aswell. 5/5
7. Walking Away
I love this one. When the sample
takes over it sucks you in. Just awesome.
Tommy's verses are hella dope. 5/5
8. Didn't I
My favourite hands down. Just love that sample
and mr. Hampton goes perfect with it. 5/5
9. Can't Stop
Another favourite. That beat along with
Tommy's bravado and flow, especially
on the hook is just bananas. 5/5
10. Burner ft. Tha G.T.
It just keeps coming. Another sick track that
ticks all the boxes: one dope ass beat,
one hell of a hook (one of my fav this year!)
and a great feature from Tha G.T. Sick! 5/5
11. Stick Up Kids
Great song overall but i'm still not that big 
on it compared to previous tracks. I can't put
my finger to it, but something about the beat
and hook i'm not feeling too much. Still... 3.5/5
12. Ceiling
Pushed as a single up in Regina and though
i get it, i don't. Very generic despite Tommy
doing more than his thing. Can't knock it. 3.5/5
13. Next Episode
Great intro and the whole joint just keeps
elevating to a crazy hook. Dope! 4/5
14. Sleep
Throwback feel and i love it. Tommy is
awesome here and the whole track 
deserves it's praise. 5/5
15. Outro
Rightfully appropriate last track.
Tommy's voice shows so much emotion and it
is a thing of beauty and a joy to listen to. 5/5


For any new artist to come out these days and provide with an 
overall truly great and complete album like Tommy has, 
is remarkable. AK providing the backdrop for Tommy's
incredible talent and backstory works like a charm. 
There's so much more to come here and i for one can't wait. 
I got my copy, go cop yours and enjoy true talent!
Here's the first video off the alb for Sleep:

Overall Score: 9/10

NEW & UPCOMING BAY AREA SLAPS

The Bay is knocking shit out the park!!

Here are some more releases out now or coming real soon!!

Wes' Wes' Y'all!

The Jacka's final album of his 3-part project

should be just as dope as the first two, The Indictment

and The Verdict. I can't wait to get it!

It's been a while since the last Yuk release,

and though this is a collabo album, i'll take it!

Always been a favourite of mine...this has

some real dope tracks on it and the west sound

is strong. Fuckin A! Love it!

A 3rd Cake & Ice Cream. I wasn't expecting it

and still need to check it out, but the first two,

especially the first one was straight dope!

Amp & Bossi are back with their second

Cop Heavy Gang (that was quick) and so far

it is sounding pretty similar with some tight

tracks and features...

Fresh out of incarceration and we can

expect a new P.S.D. album, Bullets & Bouquets.

I so can't wait. This dude is awesome!

DJ PAUL - FOR I HAVE SINNED

DJ PAUL

FOR I HAVE SINNED

2012

Had to do this one...it just murders yo speakers!!
At first i wasn't so sure that this would work
but this is prolly his best effort so far and if
his upcoming album is anything like this, it
will be sick as hell. A shame this one isn't retail
though cuz front to back it goes so hard without
stopping, and yet you can bump this whenever,
in the background, the whip, to just chill. Wherever.
On the surface most tracks might sound the same
but that's what sells the album too for what it is.
Some filler joints of course and the DJ tag
annoys the shit out of me, but overall a really
dope tape with some awesome joints:
Call Em Out, Rich Nigga Shit and the superb
Smokin & Fuckin! Fuckin A!

Overall Score: 8.8/10

Here's one of my fav joints.

MEEK MILL - DREAMCHASERS 2

MEEK MILL

DREAMCHASERS 2

2012

The wait is over! Finally Meek drops his 2nd installment 

of Dreamchasers and it doesn't disappoint at all.

Not sure yet how it compares to the first, but i gotta bump

some more to fully review this.

What i can say is "Lean Wit It" finally gives us that hardcore

thug rap feeling we so sorely missed the last couple of years

with pussies like Drake and Kid Cudi taking over the scene.

Cardiak also produced the still doper than dope

"Still Creeping" (and the rest of the alb) from Young Chris.

Look out for this one! And on top of that the official video 

for it is gangsta! I love it! Here it is:

1. Intro

Typical flow on the beat and Meek which all sound

a little too much of the same unless there's something 

in the beat or Meek's verses to give that some extra.

On the intro it's obviously not there. Solid, but nothing

noteworthy given the bangers that fill the alb later. 3.5/5

2. Ready Or Not

Bold man. Very bold to sample The Fugees. But boy

does it pay off here. The beat was done with respect

by All Star ( i like this dude) and provides some extra

and really is the eprfect backdrop for Meek who kills

the track. Sick track and a favourite! 5/5

3. Amen ft. Drake & Jeremih

Meek yes, Jeremih yes, Drake? Fuck no! And the beat

doesn't help either. Due to the big minus here (Drizzy),

it a skip for me halfway through. 2/5

4. Burn ft. Big Sean

C'mon man. Big Sean is such an idiot and ruins 

everything he fuckin touches. 

Fuck this shit... 1/5

5. A1 Everything ft. Kendrick Lamar

Seriously? After Drake & Big Sean a track with Lamar?

If i didn't know the rest of the album was tight i woulda

trashed this album with the speed of a thousand assholes. 

Beat is allright, but kinda annoying and when

Kendrick comes in i wanna stab my ears. Fuck him. 1/5

6. Use To Be

Thank god for the skip button and landing me on this

sweet track that makes me forget about all previous

decease-laced dumps. Very different but the hook, 

overall vibe and Meek going off makes this something

special. Wish the beat flipped halfway but oh well... 4/5

7. Flexing

Getting better, but pretty standard track from Meek that

doesn't offer much more. 3.5/5

8. I Get It ft. Travis Scott

Now we're talking. Although it's very apparent now

Meek has but one flow (which can get pretty dull).

But still, this track goes off also due to Travis' verse. 4/5

9. Everyday ft. Rick Ross

Vintage Maybach with the now signature hi-hats

(that are slowly getting played out i admit) and thumping bass. 

Ross is so so, but so is Meek. 3.5/5

10. Racked Up Shawty ft. Fabolous & French whateva

Same formula, doesn't provide much until you finish

the track and it's just the instrumental. Makes you go

back and listen again, but then again nothing new

thanks to all mediocre verses (the fuck Fab?) and 

fuck French Montana who sucks Drizzy dick. 3/5

11. Lean Wit It

First single and video and this one sure goes off.

Cardiak did his thing and almost got to 'Still Creeping'

heights. But Meek is no Young Chris. But still this is

a top notch track. Mean mug on ya face bitch! 5/5

12. Big Dreams

Nice switch-up from the previous track. Meek does

his thing (Wale-style though), but he pulls it off and

All Star provides here aswell. 4.5/5

13. Take U Home ft. Wale & Big Sean)

Big Sean again...fuck outta here...track overall is nice though 

but Sean ruins it once again. So so hook aswell. 2.5/5

14. The Ride

Quite annoying track. Don't know wether to enjoy this

or trash it...too close to a drake song i guess. 3/5

15. Face Down ft. Trey Songz & Wale

Not feeling the hook too but and overall its not bad. 3.5/5

16. Str8 Like That ft. 2 Chainz & Louie V

The simpleness grows on you. Not much more to it. 4/5

17. House Party (remix)

Still a bumpin track with some nice new feature verses 

like Fab's, but could've done without maybe. Still tight. 4/5

18. Real

Nice track but feels a little like filler...but it might

grow on me...not bad though. 3.5/5

19. On My Way

Sick track! Awesome beat and some great verses

from Meek. Definitely a favourite. 4.5/5

20. Outro

Forget that this is an 'outro', this is such a dope track

it shoulda had a name. Bumpin beat and melody 

and truly sick overall feeling. 5/5

In the end i think this one is below par compared to the

first Dreamchasers. That had some lesser tracks too, 

but it just went harder and more original i guess. Still

this tape is pretty solid with some dope tracks. I just hope the 

actual alb will be more like the Outro, Lean Wit It, 

Ready Or Not and On My Way and less Amen. Amen!

Overal Score: 8.5/10

FIEND - IRON CHEF

FIEND

IRON CHEF

2012

I don't really care for Cookin Soul per se, but they delivered 

some dope production for this latest (oh no not another one)-mixtape

from the allmighty one and only Fiend, Mr. International Jones.

The entire joint is pure gold with Fiend & Homies going

off on every track with the greatest of ease and smooth.

Very impressive is the track with Curren$y, "Champagne".

That track is just killer. Flawless hook and sound.

"Nobody Rides" with Daz & Kurupt is such a dope fuckin collabo!!

Awesome to see this happen..."Streetplayer" is another fire cut.

Basically nothing wrong here at all except it's fuckin short,

c'mon y'all...please don't be stingy with adding more

pepper & salt to the pot...oh well...

For whatever it is, like with Fiend's previous tape,

it's nothing but that goody good shit! Whomp whomp!!

Overall Score: 9.2/10

MAC MALL - THE REBELLION AGAINST ...

MAC MALL

THE REBELLION AGAINST ALL THERE IS

2012

Ah man, I love Mac Meezy! He just stays true to his self yo.

Seeing this album got released just made my day.

Mac's flow and delivery is still as dope as it ever was.

And on top the whole album is produced by Khayree who's
worked with Mall before and other's including the 
great Mac Dre (r.i.p.). Together they are flat out
doper than dope! Fuckin love it!

1. Mac Manifesto
'how the fuck we go from tupac to this pussy pop disco
cornball crossover shit that they claimin hip-hop'
On the fuckin money yo!! Mac Meezy goes off on the
intro and just says it like it really is. I'm so 
glad there's still true hip-hop artists that share my
sentiments exactly. Sick intro all around. 5/5
2. Dayz Like This
Incredible first track. The beat is just bananas!
Mall got his lyrical game on beginning to end.
Flawless! 5/5
3. My Room
Wow man, uptempo like hell, but what a combo
between these two. Again, the musical vibe and
Mall's lyrics & delivery is so on point. 5/5
4. The Rebellion Against... ft. Ray Luv
Another dope beat with a great Mall and equal
Ray Luv who bring meaningful lyrics to life. 5/5
5. Izm
Initially my least favourite track, but it has grown
on me. Pretty sweet to have that ol' skool gangsta 
vibe like this. Damn dope really but when the track
does a 180 halfway through, it turns into some
crazy shit. Musically sick! 4.5/5
6. War Drum Intro
7. War Drum
Crazy ass drums and instrumentation. The hook is
pretty crazy too and might have to get used to
but overall everything makes sense. 4.5/5
8. Get It In ft. Shima
Fuck me running! You would not expect an ol' skool
uptempo pop-rnb ballad type beat like a Kandi jam,
but man do i love it. Mac Mall on this is just 
awesome and Shima's hook and solo thing is
so damn tight and brings me back to the 90's. 5/5
9. Dre Mobbin
This one might seem like your everyday 
run-of -the-mill thizz type joint, but really it's
so much more. The whole beat
changes a quarter in, again props to Kayree,
and we're off to another unique piece of musical
genius that keeps on evolving. 
Damn this track kills it yo! My goodness! 5/5
10. From Tha Top (interlude)
11. Everythang
On a more slow tip, but shit it's beautiful. 5/5
12. For Love ft. Latriece Love
Keeping it more on the rnb side of things, this
is another dope track that shows another side from
both rapper and producer. They can do no wrong! 4.5/5
13. Round Here
Another solid track but feels less due to the
brilliance of the rest of the alb. Still, the whole flip
when the hook drops, is crazy. 4.5/5
14. Ain't Gonna Say Shit (interlude)
15. Country Ran By Thieves
Just like the album opened, the album ends with
sheer dopeness. This is by far one of the sickest
songs i heard in the last decade. 
The lyrics are so powerful and brought flawlessly by
Mac who just kills it with his flow and delivery.
The production is insane and together Mall & Khayree
delivered a true gem. That ending aswell...boy oh boy.
I had to add the audio for this one! Enjoy! 5/5

What more can i say. This album is simply insane.
Too bad not many people even know about Mac Mall and
how truly great this dude really is. And he has been doing
this shit since 1993 when he first dropped Illegal Business!!
Overlooked and underrated for real. 
But again, this album, i can't praise it enough.
Nuff said! Now fucking check it out already!
(also check out the even better 'Thizziana Stoned 
And The Temple Of Shrooms' album from 2006!)
Overall Score: 9.8/10

2012's Finest TECH N9NE - AWKWARD

2012's Finest BERNER - ON THESE STREETS

2012's Finest MESSY MARV - YOU GOTTA PAY ME

2012's Finest MESSY MARV - 2 STEPPIN