Underground legend MF DOOM’s latest project is a collaboration with young, up-and-coming emcee, Bishop Nehru. DOOM is one of my favourite artists, but for this album he barely raps and mostly handles the production. Most of the rapping is handled by Bishop Nehru, as this is probably the biggest project of his young career. It’s…
Author: syphersights
My #17 Favourite Album of 2014: Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Pinata
This album has that gangster feel to it like Scarface (the movie) or Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (the rap album). Freddie Gibbs raps about his experience living the street life before being a full-time rapper, and Madlib’s production gives the story a real cinematic feel. When you think of a gangster-rap album, you think…
My #18 Favourite Album of 2014: The Roots – …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin
The Roots have continued on their experimental path, making another concept album with more characters in the plot than 2011’s Undun. This time around, The Roots have a more negative theme, as it’s more of a satire with the basic idea that people looking to help themselves can’t help each other. After Undun, it’s tough…
My #19 Favourite Album of 2014: Joell Ortiz – House Slippers
After spending the past couple years putting in work with Slaughterhouse, Joell has returned with a follow-up to his 2011 solo album, Free Agent. While Joell likes to go off with his braggadocios freestyle raps with Slaughterhouse or on his mixtapes, he tends to use his solo albums to be a little more introspective, and…
My #20 Favourite Album of 2014: Ab-Soul – These Days…
This album threw some fans off, as it sounds very different from Ab-Soul’s previous album, 2012’s Control System. Just when you thought Ab-Soul established his style, he went and switched things up on this album. There are still glimpses of his old style, with his focus on wordplay and thought-provoking lyrics, but These Days sees…
The Countdown: My Top 20 Favourite Albums of 2014 (Honourable Mentions)
It’s that time of year again! This time around, I’ve shortened the countdown from 30 to 20 of my favourite albums to come out in 2014, and we’ll be counting down to Christmas rather than New Years Eve (I have something different planned for then 😉 ). For my newer readers, what I’ll be doing is writing…
Concert Review: Ghostface Killah at Rockpile East in Toronto/Scarborough, ON
Only a year after Ghostface Killah tore down the Kool Haus with five other Wu-Tang Clan members, he has returned to Toronto for a solo show. Ghostface is the one artist I’ve seen the most in concert, as I’ve seen him perform in all kinds of settings over the past five years. I’ve seen the…
Concert Review: Run The Jewels at The Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, ON
I told you so. Run The Jewels are back in Toronto, filling up an even bigger venue than the last time they were here (not counting the free show they had in Dundas Square during the NXNE Festival). They have released a new album that’s longer and could potentially be more successful than the first…
Concert Review: T.I. at Guvernment/Kool Haus in Toronto, ON
It feels like forever since I wrote a concert review. I wasn’t even planning on going to this show because the ticket prices were too expensive, and I haven’t really been a huge T.I. fan since around 2010; but by the luck of the draw, I was able to win some tickets the day before…
Concert (+Film) Review: Nas (Time is Illmatic) at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto
Nasir Jones is a man who shouldn’t need much of an introduction, as he is often regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. I had previously seen him perform at my very first rap concert, the 2009 Rock The Bells Festival in Los Angeles with Damian Marley, and again at the 2011…
Concert Review: Tech N9ne at Rockpile East in Toronto/Scarborough, ON
I almost didn’t go to this show, partly due to a tight budget and also because I had already seen Tech N9ne perform just over a year ago (at the original Rockpile West). Luckily, one of the local opening acts was selling tickets at a discount, and I was in turn able to fit this show into…
Mixtape Review: Nova Major – Whatever It…[TAKES]
With a little time to kill before the next concert review, it’s time to review another mixtape! Nova Major is a new artist from the Toronto area signed to Track House Entertainment, here with his debut mixtape, Whatever It…[TAKES]. You can download and/or stream the mixtape for free here, or check out the songs (with lower…
SYpherSights 