B. Cox reviews The Roots' third studio album, 1996's Illadelph Halflife. After a respectable success and notoriety from their sophomore offering Do You Want More?!!!???!, the hip-hop band and outfit from Philadelphia found themselves moving a little bit away from their live instrumentation 100 percent output and experimented with samples…
The crew discusses Jay-Z's sixth studio album, 2001's The Blueprint. The album was released ironically on the same day of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., leaving it overshadowed by tragedy. After the smoke cleared (literally and figuratively), the album emerged as one of the most revered…
In this bonus episode, B. Cox gives us a double feature with a two-part episode as the summer starts to wind down. In the first part, he pays homage to the DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (Will Smith) classic 'Summertime' as it turns 30 years old this summer.…
B. Cox welcomes 12Kyle of The 12 Kyle Podcast to review OutKast's sophmore hit album ATLiens. After shaking up and introducing themselves on the hip-hop scene with their classic debut album Southernplayaisticadillacmuzik, Dre and Big Boi sought to make a project that would solidfy their position as major players in…
B. Cox & J. Owe review West Coast and Hispanic iconic group Cypress Hill's self-titled debut album Cypress Hill. After undergoing a couple interations with group members, the trio of B. Real, Sen Dog and DJ Muggs brought their debut album onto the scene over snapped and hard production over…
B. Cox once again welcomes Nathan "The Professor" Rideaux of Food Dope Podcast to review UGK's third album, the southern classic Ridin' Dirty. After feeling neglected, underutilized and underfunded by their record lable Jive, the Texas duo went to work to lay their classic album to prove them and the…
B. Cox reviews A Tribe Called Quest's fourth studio album Beats, Rhymes & Life. It was Tribe's first album since their classic third album Midnight Marauders and a three year gap between projects. In their return, the group grabbed their first No. 1 album on the charts which went platinum.…
B. Cox reviews Main Source's classic debut album 1991's Breaking Atoms. It was a wildly creative and sonically pleasing debut combining the exploits of twin brother DJs K-Cut and Sir Scratch along with emcee and soon to be legendary producer Large Professor. Behind funky and soulful sample based beats teamed…
B. Cox & Domo review Philly neo-soul singer and Soulquarian member Bilal and his debut studio album 1st Born Second. After spending the latter part of the previous decade collaborating with various artists and linking up with his soon-to-be Soulqaurian counterparts, his debut album was a sprawling journey of funk,…
In a bonus episode of "The Guest Lounge," B. Cox sits down with Sumit Sharma & Chris Mitchell of the Breaking Atoms Podcast. Based in the United Kingdom, Sharma and Mitchell have built one of the more intuitive, insightful and entertaining hip-hop podcasts in the industry.
B. Cox welcomes special guest 12Kyle of the 12Kyle Podcast to review De La Soul's seemingly prophetic fourth album Stakes Is High. It was their first album without the production prowress of Prine Paul, who helmed their first three projects. Faced both with the uncertainty of their recording career after…
B. Cox & J. Owe review Nas' second studio album It Was Written. It was his highly anticipated follow to his classic debut Illmatic. Upon release, the reviews were mostly mixed as most noticed the album had a more commecial feel and mixed with Mafioso and mob themes, and produced…
B. Cox and J. Owe discuss Jay-Z's now-classic debut Reasonable Doubt as it turns 25. The album released on his, Dame Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke label Roc-A-Fella Records, was the first building block on what would become a dynasty in the hip-hop industry. While initially hailed as a solid…
B. Cox & J. Owe look back at Heltah Skeltah's debut album Nocturnal. It was the first offering by Rock and Ruck (bka the late Sean Price) and the 3rd album released by the hip-hop collective Boot Camp Clik (BCC). Following the success and acclaim of Enta Tha Stage and…
B. Cox and Domo look back at Toni Braxton's mega hit second album Secrets. Coming off her massively successful self-titled debut album released three years prior containing several charting singles, she avoided the dreaded sophomore slump by putting forth a phemenoal effort that was once again produced by Babyface. Featuring…
B. Cox is joined by Kahlil Wonda and Agard of Reggae Lover Podcast to review dancehall reggae legend Shabba Ranks hit album As Raw As Ever as it turns 30. After a few releases that made him a dancehall star in his native Jamaica, Ranks burst onto the scene and…
. Cox looks back at NWA's 2nd and final album Niggaz4Life (stylized as Efil4Zaggin). Dubbed "The World's Most Dangerous Group" after their classic debut, the outfit entered their last LP minus their most prolific emcee Ice Cube and was poised to show the hip-hop world that they could do it…
The crew reviews Jodeci's smash debut album Forever My Lady as it turns 30. The group was quintessential to shaping a standard for male R&B groups in 1990s with their dinstictive melodies, sharp production and street style not seen by R&B acts at the time. Their style harkened more towards…
B. Cox reviews De La Soul's classic second album De La Soul Is Dead, a project that saw the Native Tongues group rise after its classic debut 3 Feet High & Rising to fight back against the duel battles of their images as "hippies" and against the changing hip-hop landscape…
B. Cox is joined by special guest Nathan "The Professor" Rideaux (Playerz From The South & Food Dope podcasts) to look back at Master P's seismic 1996 album Ice Cream Man. After spending years in California running his record store and label, the hustler turned rapper soon to be mogul…
In a special bonus episode, the crew takes time out to memorialize a fallen legend. Earl Simmons bka DMX, who passed away at the age of 50 after being in a vegatative state after a heart attack.He was a transcendent emcee and artist that ushered hip-hop back into the streets…
B. Cox and Domo review Maxwell's groundbreaking and culture-shifting debut album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite. It was an album that signalled a paradigm shift from R&B music of the day that featured a more hip-hop sound back to a traditional feel that combined soul, jazz and funk in a way…
The crew reviews Busta Rhymes' 1996 debut solo album The Coming. It was a ceremonious debut tafter a successful career with the Leaders of The New School, unleashing a power packed assault filled with energy packed bars and punchlines with legendary cast of producers and guest spots, setting in motion…
