Bueno Can’t Knock The Hustle SMC Recordings Sacramento emcee Bueno starts off his Can’t Knock The Hustle album impressively on opening tracks “Bueno Season,” “Unstoppable” and “Fuck Goin’ Broke.” From there, with the exception of “Presidential,” his ”can’t knock the hustle” theme starts getting redundant (especially since Jay-Z did it best in ’96). But since Bueno is spittin’ hard throughout the album, we won’t fault him too hard for his cliché rhymes. - Randy Roper Skeme Black FriDAY The “New West” is producing an abundance of hard-edged lyricists and Inglewood, CA’s Skeme is one of its most promising offspring. He can successfully reinvent beats like Andre 3000’s “She Lives in My Lap” (“I Live with My Strap”) and F.L.Y.’s “Swag Surfin,” as well as formulate original concepts like “Head Above Water” ft. Big Bank Black. Black Friday could use a few more dominant singles, but it’s not lacking in versatility. Skeme is a strong rapper who molds well with any instrumental, making Black Friday an impressive and intriguing listen. – Ms. Rivercity Dom Kennedy From The Westside, With Love On From The Westside, With Love, Dom Kennedy takes listeners on a stroll through LA’s Leimert Park, where Dom’s throwback rap flow over new school beat is a refreshing listen. From a trip down memory lane on “1997,” to the rude boy inspired “Play On” featuring Skeme, to the neighborhood reppin’ “A Leimert Park Song,” Dom delivers gems. The album’s only flaw is the abundance of sappy R&B influenced songs like “The 4 Heartbreaks” and “She Go.” Those songs notwithstanding, From The Westside just about rides from opening to closing. – Randy Roper
Kendrick Lamar The Kendrick Lamar EP Kendrick Lamar’s name isn’t among the list of New West MCs—Nipsey Hussle, Pac Div, Fashawn—bringing the Left Coast back, but the sounds on The Kendrick Lamar EP adds to the list of quality music coming out of Cali these days. This newbie Compton rapper’s flow could use some work, but his good beat selection and in-depth subjects throughout this 15-track project makes for a fresh sound on records like “Is It Love,” “P&P” and “She Needs Me.” This EP isn’t groundbreaker, but it’s enough to make Kendrick Lamar a name to know in 2010. – Randy Roper Richie Rich Town Bidness Considering the fact that Richie Rich has literally been in the rap game for 20 years, is probably best known for his collaborations with 2Pac, and hasn’t released a solo album since 2002, the Oakland veteran doesn’t sound too rusty on Town Bidness. There are songs like “Wet It” and “Twitted” that should have been left on the cutting room floor, but Richie’s flow and rhyme skills are still decent, and tracks like “#1” and “Fire” make this mixtape worth a listen. – Randy Roper Ayomari The Peanut Butter & Jelly Solution Much like his counterpart TiRon (check back to issue #81 for TiRon’s Patiently Waiting feature), Ayomari’s music represents an atypical Los Angeles rap sound. And on The Peanut Butter & Jelly Solution the LA emcee’s carefree approach to music makes for a collection of standouts like “Happy Thoughts,” “The PB&J Manifesto” and “Just A Dreamer.” No, Ayomari won’t blow you away with his lyricism, but this mixtape is the perfect soundtrack to kick back, make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and unwind to. Which isn’t a bad thing at all. – Randy Roper