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#rewindreview: EarthGang ‘Royalty’ EP 2018

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    This was my first time giving the Atlanta G.A. duo a chance as their name had been buzzing for a few years leading up to this release. With co-signs from a few respectable veterans in HOP music as well as being apart of J. Cole’s Dreamville crew, the red carpet was laid for EarthGang. ‘Royalty’ is a twenty-five minute sample taste of the duo’s talent’s as rappers but even more importantly showing that even though they are from the land of “trap,” they provide more music than just the same drumkit and basic 808’s. The comparison was made early on that this was the closest to Outkast for a new generation. A description that I can easily understand people would make as a track like ‘Off The Lot’ featuring Mereba, feels like something birthed from Outkast’s third album ‘Aquemini.’ I believe the comparison’s do EarthGang more a disservice due to such big shoes to fill. Most acts post Outkast, that meant for their art to last have always instituted more live music and vibrant sounds. This is where this release truly shines as the music created by EarthGang along with, Like, Childish Major and Jones T provide a sonic atmosphere that leave listeners wanting more but indulging in a bit of nostalgia due to so much “basic” music associated with younger acts. EarthGang is different and I believe once their actual rapping voices are found and strengthened, they can truly create a lasting legacy. What did you think of the album? Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @

#rewindreview: Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs ‘Roxbury 02119’ 1993

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You might often wonder to yourself, who was the rapper that introduced a city to you. Some might say Common for Chicago, The Geto Boys for Houston or Too $hort for Oakland. For me the city of Boston was introduced by Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs after their smash hit ‘I Gots Ta Have It’ off the debut ‘Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto’ from 1991. A solid album that introduced the crew with some real themes and light hearted tracks. The sophomore release ‘Roxbury 02119’ is a lot more rougher and musically a lot more consistent. Unlike their debut, it’s not a smash hit on ‘Roxbury…’ but as a whole album it jams with limited songs that could be considered “filler.” From the opening track ‘Streets Of The Ghetto,’ Ed O.G. sets the tone of this release for the 1993 ears. ‘Bug-A-Boo’ is in the past and it’s time to feel the streets of Roxbury. This is not to be seen as a complete 180 degree turn from the lessons ‘Life Of A Kid…’ provided as tracks like ‘Love Comes And Goes’ remember those lives taken unexpectedly and ‘Less Than Zero’ touches on the mistrust of Police within inner-ctiy boundaries. Ed O.G. was always a good storyteller when it was time although on this album there is more “streams of thought” lyrics which could possibly be the reason it is often slept on over the years. Beats were provided by Joe Mansfield and Diamond D. to which both producers made such a cohesive record. This was at a time when Diamond D. was in a zone so much so that the beat for ‘Busted’ ended up being the same beat with a slight change in music for Tha Alkaholiks’ track ‘Next Level,’ off their ‘Coast II Coast’ album a couple of years later. Even “The Great Diamond” himself didn’t realize this when QUANTUM LEAP RADIO interviewed him a couple of years ago (https://fanlink.to/QLLEAP311/) This goes back to the mystery of why is ‘Roxbury 02119’ often forgotten and was it just an album that was caught in such a good year of HOP music releases or did the record label simply neglect a hidden gem? What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘Skinny Dip (got it goin’ on)’ & ‘Love Comes And Goes’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#rewindreview: Statik Selektah ‘Round Trip’ 2023

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This was an album that fell a bit under the radar in 2023. Statik Selektah’s ‘Round Trip’ is an assembly of some of the most “truskool” rappers who have earned a name for ACTUAL rapping in the last ten to twelve years. From Joey Bada$$, Rome Street, The Griselda crew, Ab-Soul and Ransom to name a few, “Statik” provides his signature sound to coalesce with these voices meant to carry the torch of HOP music. Although the track listing can look intimidating with twenty songs, this record is only an hour long. Statik Selektah works hard to make sure the album is not monotonous to the listener’s ears by having such a wide variety of rappers involved but also making sure his production provides a wide range of feeling while keeping the overall frequency consistent. ‘Round Trip’ not only provides the more recent collective of wordsmiths but notable veterans as well. Expect to hear the likes of A.Z., members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Bun B., Cormega, M.O.P. and Elzhi. One of the most important veterans on ‘Round Trip’ is Posdnous of De La Soul, as this would mark the first song and feature of the legend after the passing of group member Dave a.k.a. Plug 2. It was only right and with respect that Statik Selektah starts this ‘Round Trip’ off with a dedication to one of HOP music’s most important figures, who we all lost in the year 2023. What did you think of the album? Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#rewindreview: D.J. Quik & Problem ‘Rosecrans’ EP 2016

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  A small tidbit that was thrown out to the people on behalf of a West Coast legend and up and coming voice. D.J. Quik and Problem put together a solid collection of tracks that drop the listener in the middle of the Los Angeles neighborhood of Rosecrans. Without making the music sound like a throwback to the 1990’s, D.J. Quik and Problem instead showcase the nuisances that keep the region different from anywhere else in the world. Of course in terms of content that music breeds street life and telegraphed uses of words not meant for FCC regulations but a difference here is the rapping talent of Problem. D.J. Quik also gets behind the microphone for brief moments and the release also enlist the talent of some notable West Coast rappers too. Game, Bad Lucc and Wiz Khalifa are a few known acts that grace this EP giving it even more validity. For thirty minutes the audience is transported through the streets of Rosecrans and the mixing and mastering of this release does not sound rushed or cheap. “Quik” and Problem knew they had something and clearly threw the ‘Rosecrans’ EP out there as a taste test or warning as the two dropped a full length album of the same name the next year. What did you think of the album? Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#rewindreview: Horror City ‘Rose From The Crypt’ EP 2020

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  Superstar MC of Horror City did not allow the pandemic to stop his output of music nor from allowing the “Horror City” name to die. In 2020 he linked with the “remix king” MiLKCRATE, to produce a “headnoding” release ‘Rose Form The Crypt.’ This eight song release allows Superstar MC to get loose over some beats that don’t necessarily coincide with the very dark album cover the EP portrays. MiLKCRATE is known for his very vibrant tracks and they work well with Superstar MC’s voice. In keeping with the theme of “Horror City,” Superstar’s lyrics match the album cover and title with gritty tales and some dark themes. It is a safe release that doesn’t move the needle but also provides about thirty minutes in one’s day to vibe out. Where the release could be better is with Superstar MC, as his delivery of rhymes can seem jumbled and his vocals could have been mixed better, or a couple of takes to make sure words did not seem forced into certain bars. This can often happen to veterans who have been playing the game as long as Horror City but it’s a treat knowing there is still effort to provide “truschool” HOP music to an underserved demographic of listeners. What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘Vibin’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#rewindreview: Kool G. Rap & D.J. Polo ‘Road To The Riches’ 1989

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The debut album from Kool G. Rap & D.J. Polo is often forgotten when talking about the classic albums from the golden age of HOP music. Kool G. Rap has managed to stay relevant for almost 35 years among true HOP music fans and underground M.C.’s. That journey starts with the ‘Road To The Riches’ album. In a way Kool G. Rap was about six years ahead of the “pseudo-mafioso” era that ran HOP music from East to West Coast and all in between. On the only video single and title track for this album, we see “G. Rap” proclaiming street tales of a big time crime boss but at the end there is still repercussions of those actions. That song was clearly one of the later tracks recorded for this album as ‘Road To The Riches’ ironically can sound like “a demo.” The mix in quality of this album matches the time but the music on the majority of the songs are clearly before 1989 and match the mission of what producer Marley Marl has said for years. In an interview with QUANTUM LEAP RADIO in 2017 (https://www.mixcloud.com/QLRadio/quantum-leap-radio-leap-forty-two-wmarley-marl-grandmaster-dee-jun-24-2017/) “Marley” mentions how the early 80’s sounds of HOP music were not good to him and were going to phase out quickly. He in turn decided to use more sample based production for his artist and ‘Road To The Riches’ is an example of his transition in music. Kool G. Rap is the main star on this record and provides a lyrical painting of street knowledge, admiration for automobiles on ‘Cars,’ puppy love relationships and respecting the D.J. “The man with the cuts,” D.J. Polo accentuates the tracks on this album and makes songs like ‘It’s A Demo’ and ‘Poison’ stand the test of time. ‘Road To Riches’ also doesn’t get the credit it deserves for being such a hardcore record that didn’t lean on cursing to get its point across, as there are only two songs that contain vulgar words. An attribute usually awarded to only Rakim & Eric B.’s ‘Paid In Full.’ This was just the reality of rap music in it’s golden years, was to focus on a viable product that could always be one’s claim to fame when determining the acts worth. What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘It’s A Demo,’ ‘Poison’ & Road To The Riches’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#rewindreview: Moka Only ‘Road Life’ 2000

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  Yet another cog in the machine that is Moka Only’s almost one-hundred album discography; ‘Road Life’ is a collection of thoughts and beats from the Vancouver, British Columbia M.C. and producer. This was my second album from Moka Only after buying his album ‘Lime Green’ and one of the first albums I purchased online through the long standing Sandboxautomatic website. What I appreciated the most about ‘Road Life’ was how free it was in terms of “Moke’s” approach. Much like the album cover, the music feels like he is recording this while being nomadic and coming across unique experiences along the way. From this album one can ascertain that Moka Only’s influence are more Native Tongue than Deathrow records, but tracks like ‘Knockin’ Like This’ and ‘Madness’ still project a hint of the hardcore HOP music the M.C. has in him. For those not used to Moka Only, the length of this release might seem intimidating with twenty-five tracks at seventy-three minutes. It should be noted that during the days of purchasing physical albums that length felt like one was getting their money’s worth, especially if the album was consistent with what one wanted to hear. Moka Only has a vast discography and if looking to go down that rabbits hole, ‘Road Life’ is a good start but beware some ears may get caught in the habitat of the “Durable Mammal.” What did you think of the album? Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

ALBEE AL FOR 2024?!!!!! – EXCLUSIVE

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  In the realm of music, artists often use their creative prowess to explore and comment on various aspects of life, society, and the environments they are from. Albee Al, a renowned Hip Hop artist, has recently released a compelling album titled “Albee For President”. This musical endeavor serves as a platform for Albee Al to express his views on his Jersey City raising, stories of surviving jail, and societal dynamics he embraces daily. In this article, we delve into the essence of the album, exploring its themes, tracks, and the artist’s unique approach to conveying political commentary through music. Also, check out the exclusive in-person interview at his listening event:   The Album’s Title and Concept: “Albee For President” immediately captures attention with its bold and intriguing title. While it might not imply a literal run for office, the album signifies Albee Al’s desire to contribute to the masses of the Hip Hop culture with his art. The title serves as a metaphor for an artist taking a stand and using their influence to address pressing issues, as well as of his lyrical template that has him as one of the most watch artist projectively for 2024. The album encompasses a diverse range of themes that reflect Albee Al’s perspective. From systemic inequalities to the struggles of marginalized communities, each track serves as a lyrical canvas where the artist paints a vivid picture of the world as he sees it. Albee Al’s ability to blend a narrative and paint the picture with social commentary creates a compelling narrative that resonates with listeners. Key Tracks: **”Who Ya Big Homie”**: This track sets the tone for the entire album, and that “Boom-Bap” feel we needed!!! Also, featuring Mozzy with powerful lyrics that call for the energy that’s derived from his Jersey City roots. The gritty quality of the song makes it a standout piece that captures the essence of the album. **”Press Conference”**: In this track, which is the first track of the album in the beginning. Albee Al amplifies the voices of those often unheard. Addressing the challenges faced by urban communities, he sheds light on the realities that many face on a daily basis. **“El Presidente”**: Albee Al takes more of the uptempo approach, as well as most definitely a well produced music video!!! At the listening party in The Cult Lab, this track was one of the choice options to drink, and it definitely was a #ReemoApproved Musical Style and Production: Beyond its lyrical content, “Albee For President” showcases Albee Al’s musical versatility. The album seamlessly blends various styles of rap creating a dynamic listening experience. The production quality enhances the impact of the messages conveyed, with carefully crafted beats complementing the weighty themes. “Albee For President” stands as a testament to the power of music as a medium for social and diverse commentary. Albee Al’s ability to intertwine meaningful lyrics with captivating and vigorous energy creates an album that not only entertains but also challenges listeners to reflect on the world around them. In an era where artists are increasingly using their platforms to address societal issues, “Albee For President” is a noteworthy addition that adds depth to the musical landscape while encouraging dialogue on pressing matters. As per usual, ON TO THE NEXT #MyCreatives Follow Me On Social Media: www.instagram.com/reemomeerak_ www.twitter.com/reemomeerak_ WEBSITE: ⁠ReemoMeerak.com⁠ For a Feature, Review, want me to do coverage, and a write-up on your event: [email protected]  

#rewindreview: Walkin’ Large ‘Riverside Pictures’ 1995

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The internet has allowed for more acceptance of international HOP music in the last 25 years but before that it was much harder for the same music to be heard or let alone respected. Walkin’ Large was an act from Capetown, South Africa and linked with producer Roe Beardie in Germany to create a bumping album, fresh for the year of 1995. ‘Riverside Pictures’ is the debut album from Walkin’ Large who consist of rapper Ono and D.J. Ara. I first heard this group listening to college radio in 1997 with a track called ‘Listen To This’ featuring Black Thought. Of course I had no real idea of who they were until I purchased a used copy of a compilation album called ‘International Griots.’ The group had two songs on ‘International Griots’ and one featured Jeru the Damaja called ‘When I Flow.’ Upon hearing the broken English accent of Ono, I realized this was the same group from ‘Listen To This’ and it was apparent that the influence of “truskool hip-hop” was with Walkin’ Large. I didn’t get to hear this album until 2017 but what is here is curated for the listener who loved and appreciated the sound of mid-1990’s HOP music. Walkin’ Large will remind you of Digable Planets with a bit more hardcore sound but that is mainly due to Ono’s aggressive delivery at times. D.J. Ara provides the cuts and ‘No Time For Weakness’ is one of the D.J.’s finest moments on this record. ‘Riverside Pictures’ is more about the vibes and atmosphere the music was created in. Lyrically there will not be an impressive amount of quotes but this album feels like a journey to another land in another time. What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘Reachin’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

#rewindreview: The Roots ‘Rising Down’ 2008

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  ‘Rising Down’ is the eighth full length album for The Roots who by 2008 had proven that as a collective, a fan base would always be present for anything they do. Their celebrity had grown by hit songs they made, touring they had done and collaborations with everyone from Dave Chappelle to Jay-Z and everyone in between. This album seemed to be something different just from the cover art and as it contrasted to the first single off this record ‘Rising Up.’ The song was very upbeat and fit the true Roots sound while being assisted by the R&B vocals of Chrisette Michelle and continuing a Roots tradition of putting on upcoming rappers who would be bigger stars, with Wale. The album begins with an “eye-catching” audio clip of Black Thought and ?uestlove arguing over the direction of the group at some period during The Roots career. The album title and album art start to make sense but will this be the start of the last album for The Roots? The title track welcomes listeners back to a Roots experience with Mos Def and Styles P., while ‘Get Busy’ goes a bit more hardcore in it’s music approach with Dice Raw and Peedi Peedi a.k.a. Peedi Crack. This project is showing a darker side of The Roots but at this point it is looking upward in terms of songs. The Hip-Hop archive appreciates the ‘@15′ track where fans get to hear the legend Black Thought at the age of fifteen showing why his “10,000 hours” have brought him to the legendary M.C. he is currently; which is then followed by him displaying that on ’75 Bars (Black’s reconstruction).’ This album seemed to be on track as their best since ‘Things Fall Apart’ but then a couple songs bring that “Metacritic” score down a bit. ‘I Will Not Apologize’ and ‘I Can’t Help It’ are not up to par with the music The Roots are known for or can do. These songs started to feel like the album was going in a ‘Phrenology’ direction but the group picks up the “loose ball” and from ‘Singing Man’ until the end of the album, fans get to hear the real Roots. As a bonus to the very personal and dark ideas of this album, it closes out with another audio clip of the group as they are discussing very real matters only for their rental vehicle to be wrecked causing all tension to be quelled by laughter. This is the most ?uestlove way to end a dark album on a light note. What did you think of the album? Singles include: ‘Rising Up’ ‘Get Busy’ & ’75 Bars (Black’s reconstruction)’ Listen to QUANTUM LEAP RADIO every Saturday from 4-6p.m. CST & Thursday from 3-5a.m. CST on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston in HD2 Worldwide @kpft.org/listen/ & TuneIn app (under “kpft in HD2”) Catch past episodes by searching and following @fanlink.to/QuantumLeapRadio

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