Vordul Mega is one half of Cannibal Ox, a group that despite releasing only one album remains among the most heralded rap groups of this millennium. Megagraphitti is his second solo album and a full 7 years in the making. Recording was begun in 2000, suspended for the Cold Vein, resumed, then suspended again for the recording of what would become his first album Revolution of Yung Havoks. Now this future classic is finally completed; spanning the breadth of an era in the New York underground. The extremely personal record features production from El-P, Bronze Nazareth, Sid Roams, Bond, Ravage as well as features from Cannibal Ox, Tommy Gunn (Megalon of Monsta Island Czars), billy woods (of Super Chron Flight Brothers) and the Invizzbl Men (Marq Spekt & Karniege). (from ughh.com)

..another review

“I am a Belorussian in New York…“ no that’s not a new Sting song ( hope you forgive me that wordplay..) that’s the first what I thought after I read the impressive biography of the talented artist LoDeck. With his début called “Postcards From The Third Rock” LoDeck invites us to his perception of inspiring modern Hip-Hop music. Together with the exceptional producer Omega One, who is known for his outstanding productions with Vast Aire or Self Devine and his critically acclaimed début “The Lo-Fi Chronicles”, he delivers one of the most surprising and interesting Hip-Hop albums of this year so far. No gangsta attitude, no boring “RNB meshed up beats”. This is Hip-Hop with attitude and an honest sound, lyrics with deepness and a meaning. These album sheer outs from the known Hip-Hop attitude and the boring mainstream sound. The lyrics are refreshing and inspiring, straight out of the hips LoDeck wipes the floor. Omega One is the one who adds the right intelligent soundtrack to LoDeck’s rap-art. Omega One mixes different influences to a kind of experimental Hip-Hop sound. This duo dispersing a mixture between “telling stories with the real sound” and high-spirits. High-spirits? Yes, because it pleases your ears when you listen to this wonderful carefree Hip-Hop. It’s the genius and heart blood that can be heard right from the first moment when you listen to this album. Wonderful, honest and pathbreaking! 10+
(from cuemix-magazine)

When it comes to top drawer lyricism and neck snapping beats, the names Pumpkinhead, Mr. Metaphor, and Block McCloud ring out like a shot. From their head turning appearances at Lyricist Lounge to their performances on the international circuit to their much loved singles and mixtapes, the three emcees have built an army of fans hungry for authentic rap music. Together as Brooklyn Academy, the trio represent a return to the original aesthetics of hard core hip-hop. Bored of Education, the group’s full length debut, is the culmination of a career at the forefront of the lyric driven hip-hop movement. A collective of emcees who have been holding down the microphone for over a decade each, Brooklyn Ac approach their craft with a love of the fundamentals of rap music rarely seen in the age of million dollar ringtones. For the fans who have been following their career from the first drum hit, at long last, the wait is over.
(from ughh.com)

..another review

Vast Aire, remember him? He’s the titan MC who shocked the world and conquered critics as the leader of Definitive Jux’s landmark upstart crew, Cannibal Ox; their essential 2002 debut, Cold Vein, was a chart-topper in nearly every smart music critic’s year-end poll. After quickly following up his critically-acclaimed 2004 solo debut, Look Mom… No Hands, with two martial arts inspired Way Of The Fist mixtapes, Vast Joined forces with Karniege under the pseudonym Mighty Joseph and released Empire State. Vast returns with his sophomore solo-LP Dueces Wild, which will be released on 6.24.08 on One Records. With guest appearances from Camp Lo’s Gecchi Suede (The Dynamic Duo), Copywrite (Give Me The Mic) and a Pete Rock produced Cannibal Ox reunion track (Mecca And The Ox) Vast concluded the recording sessions for Dueces Wild supremely confident with the music he had created and states “I put letter ‘U’ before the ‘E’ in the LP title because I have paid my dues and this is the best music I have ever made. This project is about the power of the number 2 and the truth and the balance of the Yin-Yang. The number 2 influences many facets of our lives; ths is my sophomore solo-LP, your Mom and dad are ‘two’, you and the love of your life are ‘two,’ life and death, good and bad, night and day, love and hate are all interrelated with the number ‘two’”. Dueces wild is primarily produced by Melodius Monk, a multi-talented producer, vocalist and lyricist from the streets of Brooklyn who grew up with Vast and has been making music with Vast as far back as Cannibal Ox’s inception and helped craft Dueces Wild’s retro-sonic/ alternative trip hop feel.
(from ughh.com)

..another review

Qwel returns to the forefront with “The New Wine”, the 3rd in the series that started with autumn’s “The Harvest” produced by Maker & winter’s “Freezerburner” produced by Meaty Ogre. This time Qwel has tapped the talents of Kip Killagain, who has fostered renown in the underground music scene as an artist and more importantly a jungle/hip-hop producer. The genesis of this collaborative effort was sparked by the idea that the avant-garde use of live musicianship in hip-hop production could be done, and is needed to fill that void in the underground hip-hop community. The New Wine is an expose of contrasts. The third horseman in Revelation is called forth - the black horse. His rider wields a balance proclaiming loudly ‘A week’s wage for a loaf of bread, a week’s wage for a serving of grains, but don’t harm the wine or oil’. Half the world slaves away to starve while the other wages war for its thirst for oil and wine. Man’s wine has gone spoiled. But just as the gloom of spring rain clears to a better day, so is the promise of the new wine. Qwel’s unique and cynical outlook into our modern Babylon provides for an amazing range of sounds and topics, while contrarily giving way to hope in this plastic culture of Americanized Christianity and pop singers. The sound of the new wine is unlike any of Qwel’s previous records. Beautiful soundscapes of live violin often give way to thunderous baselines and soothing harmonies, further proclaiming ‘Spring time is upon us. Drink the New Wine.’
(from ughh.com)

Lodeck & Omega One - No Rims

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Lodeck & Omega One - Safari

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(You can grab higher quality versions of the tracks on the Johhny23 Forum)