HARDCORE HIP HOP RECORD REVIEWS by Todd E. Jones

Endorphin Bath & Todd E. Jones presents...

HARDCORE HIP-HOP REVIEWS & INTERVIEWS
by TODD E. JONES a.k.a. The New Jeru Poet
toddejones@yahoo.com

http://hardcorehiphop.isCool.net

http://hardcorehiphop.cjb.net
http://hiphopinterview.cjb.net

check me out at myspace: http://www.myspace.com/toddejones

~ NEW ~
Review of "Jesus Price Supastar" by SEAN PRICE - (THE SOURCE version)
or
Review of "Jesus Price Supastar" by SEAN PRICE - (Insomniac Magazine version)
or
Review of "Jesus Price Supastar" by SEAN PRICE - (Musicremedy version)
or
Review of "Jesus Price Supastar" by SEAN PRICE - (Industry Cosign version)

Interview with DISTRAKT
or
Interview with DISTRAKT (MVRemix version) / Part 2
or
Interview with DISTRAKT (Insomniac Magazine version)

Yours truly, Todd E. Jones is now writing for THE SOURCE!!!!!

Interview with SKYZOO (THE SOURCE version)

Interview with BLACK MILK
or
Interview with BLACK MILK (Insomniac Magazine version)
or
Interview with BLACK MILK (Musicremedy version)

Interview with SKYZOO
or
Interview with SKYZOO (THE SOURCE version)
or
Interview with SKYZOO (Insomniac Magazine version)
or
PART 1 - Interview with SKYZOO (MVRemix version) / Part 2
or
Interview with SKYZOO (Urbanconnectionz Magazine version)
or
Interview with SKYZOO (Hiphop-Elements version)

Interview with PIGEON JOHN (2006 version)
or
Interview with PIGEON JOHN (Insomniac Magazine version)
or
Interview with PIGEON JOHN (Musicremedy version)
or
Interview with PIGEON JOHN (Undersound version)
or
Interview with PIGEON JOHN (Urbanconnectionz version)
or
PART 1 - Interview with PIGEON JOHN (MVRemix version) / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

Interview with DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN
or
Interview with DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN (Insomniac Magazine version)
or
PART 1 - Interview with DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN (MVRemix version) / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5
or
Interview with DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN (Musicremedy Magazine version)
or
Interview with DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN (Undersound version)
or
Interview with DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN (Yoraps version)
or
Interview with DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN (Urbanconnectionz version)
or
Interview with DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN (Hiphop-Elements version)

Interview with DEAD PREZ & OUTLAWZ
or
(Insomniac Magazine version) - Interview with DEAD PREZ & OUTLAWZ
or
PART 1 - (MVREMIXX version) - Interview with DEAD PREZ & OUTLAWZ
Part 2 / Part 3
or
(Musicremedy version) - Interview with DEAD PREZ & OUTLAWZ

! Editorials !
MVRemix and Todd E. Jones (The New Jeru Poet)
"The Acceptance Of R&B Hooks In Hardcore Hip-Hop"
&
"Going Indie : When Major Label Emcees go to Independent Labels"
( American Hunger version) EDITORIAL : "Going Indie"

! LIVE Show Reviews !
Gig Review of J-Live, Wordsworth, Mr. Complex, C Ray Walz at S.O.B.'s in NYC June 3,2003
or
MVRemix version of Gig Review - J-Live, Wordsworth, Mr. Complex at SOB's.

Coming Soon:
Interviews with....
Distrakt, D-Tension, Count Bass D, Wise Intelligent, and more!

The Rating System: BEATS: This rating is for how the beats feel and how they hit on an emotional level. Since this is about hardcore hip-hop, the harder and thicker the beats, the higher the rating.
PRODUCTION: This rating is for the overall sound of the LP. The scratching, the use of samples, the engineering, the mixing.. Since this is hardcore hip-hop, the innovative, creative and sometimes more underground production generally gets a higher rating. (note: Beats and Production are NOT the same thing.. they go hand in hand but an LP can be over-produced and have lame beats.. and vice versa). For the most part, the ratings for production and beats are similar.
LYRICS: This rating is for how the emcee using his/her words and what words they are. This includes subject matter, metaphors, similies, vocabulary, clever punch lines, etc.
ORGINALITY / CREATIVITY: This rating is for both the orginal and creative aspects of both the emcee and the production. Are the lyrics creative? Is the subject matter redundant? Has the beats or samples been used before? Is it a typical LP or is it bringing something new to hip-hop?
ALBUM FLOW: This rating is for how the songs blend together. Can I listen to the whole LP in one sitting? This also rates the sequencing of the songs. Are there too many skits? Too much filler?
HARDCORE RATING: This rating is for hardcore vibe of the LP. There are a couple different ways to judge this:
    a) Expression of the emcee and/or producer.(Beats can be apart of it too). For the emcee, Is the MC holding back or being true to their heart or what she/he feels? Someone like Chuck D or Krs-One would get a high rating for this.
    b) Subject matter and types of subject-(the more explicit, the higher the rating).
    c) Amount of violence, sex, drugs, etc. (the more explicit, the higher the rating).
    d) Street Credibility.
    e) Level of mainstream / underground appeal- Someone like Will Smith would get an extremely low hardcore rating while someone like Cormega would get extremely high. But, on the other hand, someone like Jay-Z (who is very successful) would get a somewhat high hardcore rating due to his subject matter, amount of sex/violence and hardcore expression.

Here are some dope LPs that I recommend:

Prince Po- "Pretty Black"
The Roots - "Game Theory"
Sadat X - "Black October"
J Dilla - "The Shining"
Juggaknots - "Use Your Confusion"
Nujabes -"Modal Soul"
Pase Rock (of Five Deez) - "Bullsh*t As Usual"
Strange Fruit Project - "The Healing"
C Rayz Walz - "Year Of The Beast"
Mr. Complex - "Twisted Mister"

Serengeti - "Dennehy"
MF Grimm- "American Hunger"
Gnarls Barkley - "St. Elsewhere"
Ghostface Killah - "Fishscale"
D-Tension - "Contacts & Contracts II"
Boss Hog Barbarians- "Every Hog Has It's Day"
Blaq Poet - "Rewind << Deja Screw"
Skyzoo & 9th Wonder - "Cloud 9: The 3 Day High"
Boot Camp Clik- "The Last Stand"
Gorillaz - "Demon Dayz"

WARNING:
I am a college graduate! I graduated from Rutgers University with Honors and with an English Education degree with a minor in Creative Writing....
so I have the right to write whatever and however the hell I want to!
This site is written in SLANG!!! For the one mental midgit who doesn't get it...
This is site is written in slang because it mirrors the hip-hop lifestyle while poking fun at it at the same time! In the reviews, there will be plenty of broken sentances, slang phrases, some trite words, and broken English.. For those who are offended by creative licence, BEWARE!

ANOTHER WARNING:
The interviews are verbatim and in Q&A format. I do not twist words or qoute artists out of context.
--- Todd E. Jones aka The New Jeru Poet

Are you a publicist? Artist? Do you work for a record label? Want your cd reviewed? Want to be interviewed?
contact me at toddejones@yahoo.com
Send cds (please no CD-R copies with overdubs), press releases, and photos to:
Todd E. Jones
c/o Music Journalist
211 W. Hegel Avenue
Edison, NJ 08820
USA

Remember, check out my interviews at:
www.thesource.com/blog
www.insomniacmagazine.com
www.hiphop-elements.com
www.musicremedy.com
www.undersound.com
www.americanhunger.com
www.cdreviews.com
urban.mvremix.com
www.pixelsurgeon.com
www.yoraps.com
www.urbanconnectionz.com

If you have any comments of albums which you would like me to review, email me at toddejones@yahoo.com

The Music Journalism of Todd E. Jones

ARCHIVES : Links to ALL of the hip-hop interviews & reviews

Hip-Hop Interviews by Todd E. Jones : Another version of this site (with a better URL)

INDIE MUSIC Reviews by Todd E. Jones : Links to all of my indie-music / rock / alternative / whatever / interviews & reviews

Todd E. Jones - MySpace: myspace.com/toddejones

my blog at The Undersound: The Undersound: Todd E. Jones Music Journalism Blog

Todd E. Jones - Tripwire page (My Picks)