The Pornstarrs are MC J-Von the JiggaL.O.W. and producer Chili Fantastic, who are both known primarily for their production and remixing skills. D.O.P.E., the duo’s latest, is a collection of pre-Pornstarrs work — or, more specifically, that of Zero Hour, J-Von’s previous outfit, and subsequent projects that came about after…

Solpowa has put in work in the local hip-hop scene for more than a decade, mostly as part of the RRAAHH Foundashun and as a producer for hire. Now he’s stepping out on his own with his solo debut, Da Ace of Clubs. Expectedly, the album showcases Sol P’s production…

Earlier this year, 50 Cent made millions from an investment in Glaceau Vitamin Water — so much loot, in fact, that he’s bragged about how he “doesn’t even have to rap.” That’s clearly the case on Curtis: 50 is no longer hungry, and it shows. This summer alone, he released…

In the world of freestyle, Supernatural is the king. He’s battled and defeated such luminaries as Craig G, Juice and Proof from D12. He also currently holds the Guinness World Record for the longest freestyle at just over nine hours. Now he’s hosting the entire Rock the Bells tour, where…

SP Double is one of those rappers who lives, sleeps and eats hip-hop. On Change the Station, SP’s long-gestating debut, he pulls double duty, rhyming and producing the bulk of the cuts. His passion for the music comes through loud and clear on tracks such as the up-tempo party starter…

Concept Oner has a rhyme style that’s common among underground MCs, in which they try to squeeze too many syllables into a single bar. This usually results in the rapper falling off beat and then trying to punch in where he left off, hoping his flow is still intact. On…

Deca probably has one of the most distinct voices in local hip-hop. His gruff and rigid vocal style, which recalls an alto-voiced Supernatural, is one of his strengths; it grabs your attention instantly, even if it’s a bit monotonous. Lyrically, Deca’s as solid as they come. On The Hedonist, his…

Even though Stephen Marley has been producing and performing music since 1978, it wasn’t until last month that he dropped his debut album, Mind Control. In the same vein as his brother Damian’s last album, Welcome to Jamrock (which Stephen produced), Control is a mix of dancehall, hip-hop and classic…

Distrakt is what you would call the complete package: a skilled MC and a brilliant producer who’s got his hustle down cold. On his latest effort, the Colorado Springs-based rapper puts all of these talents on full display. On cuts such as the DJ Premier-esque “Don’t Get Mad,” the off-key,…

Exit, K-os’s 2003 debut, was supposed to be his only release. Instead, the success of that album paved the way for Joyful Rebellion, his critically acclaimed 2004 followup. Although K-os (aka Kheaven Brereton) is an award-winning artist in Canada, the MC has yet to transcend the underground in the States…

As a member of the Procussions, Mr. J Medeiros already has one excellent album under his belt — last year’s 5 Sparrows for 2 Cents. Apparently, though, Medeiros still had some things to get off his chest. Late last summer, well before dropping his debut solo outing, Of Gods and…

Dent is one of the best rappers in the state, and he proves it by periodically putting out great tunes and consistently finishing at the top of any battle he enters. To hold us over until he drops his official debut, the MC has blessed us with Blunt Sessions 101,…

It’s been five years since Redman’s last album, and although Malpractice is a record that can stand the test of time, fans have been clamoring for new music from Funk Doctor Spock. To hold them over, Red dropped a couple of mixtapes, but they hardly qualified as true Redman albums…

In 2005, John Legend took home three Grammys for his work on Get Lifted, his outstanding debut. He’s hoping to replicate that success with his latest effort, Once Again. This time out, he’s crooning over more live instrumentation, and although the disc contains some hip-hop-inspired beats, as a whole, the…

Derris Miles and Eric Anderson have both been on the scene for years — Miles as a member of Zero Hour and Yo, Flaco!, and Anderson as a hustling producer — but they never considered making music together until last year, when they formed Organic. From the sounds of it,…

When Del tha Funkee Homosapien burst onto the scene in 1991 with his debut album, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, he was considered a weird, eclectic MC. Since he was Ice Cube’s cousin, however, hip-hop heads gave him the benefit of the doubt. Long before Lupe Fiasco and…

On Pirate Signal’s 2004 debut, Norma(l) Hugh Manchild’s American Revolution(s), the band placed much of its focus on production and penning impressive lyrics, and not enough time working on its cadence and flow. Subsequently, the album made for a tough listen. On its latest self-titled effort, the crew has simplified…

One of the things that’s held local hip-hop back over the years is the scene’s underlying insularity. Cats will only work with MCs who have the same mindset or live on the same side of town rather than experimenting with different styles or collaborating with artists outside their realm. Thankfully,…

Vinnie Paz, Stoupe and DJ Kwestion have to be some of the hardest-working cats in indie/underground hip-hop. Although their group, Jedi Mind Tricks, has released only four albums in its ten-year existence, the three are the brains behind lauded projects from Outerspace and Army of the Pharaohs and had a…

It’s kind of refreshing to hear a Denver hip-hop act not trying to emulate the latest trends. On Living on the Jib, Death Before Dishonor mates hostile, head-banging breakbeats with strings and piano interludes that recall everyone from DJ Shadow to EL-P (of Company Flow). Tracks like “Somebody Stop Me”…

Shortly after A Tribe Called Quest released its final album, 1998’s Love Movement, the animosity within the group was so prevalent that it would have taken a miracle for the members to talk to each other again. But now, after a couple of solo albums and side projects, Q-Tip, Phife…

So how does an album like Port of Miami — built on run-of-the-mill drug-trafficking tales, odes to dead presidents and standard street-life themes — debut at number one on the Billboard charts? Apparently, it’s all in the delivery. Fact is, Rick Ross isn’t saying anything that hasn’t been said a…