Author Archives: James OConnor

Review: Juggaknots, “Use Your Confusion”

Use Your Confusion is the Juggaknots first album in nearly ten years, and follows the 1997 underground classic Clear Blue Skies. Now a group of MCs in their early thirties, Breezly Brewin, Herawin and Buddy Slim have grown considerably since their youth spent as leading lights in the New York hip-hop scene. Continue reading

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Review: Clipse, “Hell Hath No Fury”

With amazingly minimalist beats from the Neptunes, the second album from Virginia fabulists Clipse is a veritable template for cocaine rap. But Pusha T and Malice’s cold-hearted rhymes are not without moral remorse. Continue reading

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Review: Frank N Dank, “Xtended Play version 3.13”

Frank N Dank Xtended Play version 3.13 Chisel Sound It has been a little while since we’ve heard from the Detroit rap duo. Their last appearance was on Jaylib’s 2003 project, Champion Sound. That same year, FND also put out … Continue reading

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Review: Tres presents “Shipping and Handling”

Tres presents Shipping and Handling Tres Records Tres Records is being nice. With the release of Shipping and Handling, the L.A. imprint unleashes all of the B-sides, rarities and remixes it previously released exclusively on wax. As the number of … Continue reading

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The Plug One Q&A: Oh No

For Plug One’s inaugural Q&A, James O’Connor catches up with Oh No, Madlib’s kid brother and a producer and rapper in his own right. Oh No released the excellent Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms on Stones Throw Records last summer. Continue reading

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Review: Nicolay, “Here”

Nicolay Here BBE Whether as a metaphor to the fact that Netherlands producer Nicolay has “made it” in the music world, or an allusion to his recent move to North Carolina, for the listener, Here is not always where you … Continue reading

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Review: DJ Shadow, “The Outsider”

DJ Shadow The Outsider Universal Remember the game we played as children, when we tried to catch our own shadow? Those shadows were as elusive as DJ Shadow’s The Outsider, an album that refuses to be caught in simple genre … Continue reading

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Review: Four Tet, “Remixes”

Four Tet Remixes Domino It is hard to put into words that which escapes them. Beauty is one word, and genius is another for the music of Kieran Hebden, otherwise known as the one man sound machine behind the Four … Continue reading

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Review: Mojoe, “Classic.Ghetto.Soul”

Mojoe Classic.Ghetto.Soul Music World The Lone Star State is something like a Petri dish, culturing a duo of super soulful MCs that comprise the group Mojoe. With the release of Classic.Ghetto.Soul, Easy Lee and Tre along with the Mojoe Family … Continue reading

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