Max Bell ghostwrites for Lil Mouse. 50 Cent’s voice is golden. No, it’s nickel-plated. Strike that too. 50 Cent’s voice is hot lead from a nine-millimeter — probably because some of said nine-millimeter lead  remains lodged in his oral cavity.  Whatever the case, every once in a while, his voice hits me straight in the […]

Max Bell finds the revulsion invigorating. Another year. Another BET awards. Another round of ciphers. I give you my thoughts off the top of the dome. But really though, off the top of the dome. Seriously, I didn’t write this, look at it, think about it, and then try to make it sound better or […]

The last time Schoolboy went to church he pulled up in an Audi toting his Glock 40. No one asked any questions. But as Q started to listen to the sermon he saw how thin the preacher looked. So he dipped. Everyone knows bosses get fat. I understand the intent of the video — Schoolboy […]

Max Bell’s rap name was the Ancient Senator. Probably not. My pants stop sagging in the early-aughts. I realized I was never going to be a rapper and my mother breathed a sigh of relief. Now I write about rap music. Let’s just say her anxiety about my future is higher. I wonder how Schoolboy’s […]

Skeme and Schoolboy Q: two dudes so far removed from reading blogs that they obviously had no clue that The Gorillaz had a huge hit with the same song title. To be fair, they did add a “Z” for a double dozage of pimping. The combo of the Black Hippie and the Inglewood gangsta rapper […]

Slava P wrote this while sipping Cabernet out of a Stanley Cup. As part of TDE appreciation week, Schoolboy Q released a new, Kenny Beats-produced track titled simply, “Party.” Now, if I showed up to a party and saw someone who resembled Schoolboy Q posted up against the wall, I would show myself out faster […]

20. Future – Pluto [Epic] Pluto is the rare 21st Century Atlanta Rap album that is an album in the classic sense of the word. It’s an experience, an etched aesthetic that demands end to end listens, and you may find yourself scrolling back to Big Rube immediately upon completion. While Drake, Frank Ocean and […]

There’s a variety of ways to evaluate rap music. You can break it down based on beat, flows, lyrics,or quality of engineering. You can measure it strictly on whether bangs in your car or not. Or you can get abstract and try to postulate about how much it contributes to the evolution of the genre. […]

Now Jonah Bromwich will never be asked to write for Community. I think Donald Glover is a really talented guy. Unfortunately, I don’t think he’s a very good rapper and his constant gripes about haters can get really grating. By complaining about his detractors, he puts those who haven’t warmed to him yet in an […]