Various Artists
Heads Connect: Vol One
By Thomas Quinlan

Toronto’s Rhythmicru and Montreal’s ICM Records celebrate the continued success of their shared dual-city hip-hop night with this compilation of songs from the best heads to have connected at “Heads Connect.” This means most contributors are from Montreal and Toronto, or the surrounding area. They also all share a common desire to present a view of hip-hop true to themselves, which usually results in a nicely varied selection of sounds, subjects and songs. While Rhythmicru rap about rap (“Hip Hop Head,” “Never Had a Choice” and “Drop It”), Island City Monsters rap about themselves (“Help!”), T-West raps about Toronto (“T-Dot State of Mind”), the Dope Poet Society rap about politics (“Devils in Your Government”), Vandal raps about history (“Mongolia”), David Hodges does irony (“Online Radio Star”) and so on and so forth until the record concludes with the psychedelic turntablist track “Laughing Life” from iNSIDEaMiND. Heads Connect: Vol One has a little something for everyone and anyone. Plus, a few of these artists are bound to become trailblazers of Canadian hip-hop, guaranteed. So why wait? (ICM)
Sage Francis - Human the Death Dance
Rhode Island’s Sage Francis has written his masterwork with Human the Death Dance, a moody, encapsulating record. The first hip-hop artist on Epitaph, Francis’s debut for the label, 2005’s A Healthy Distrust, was a politically charged assault that positioned him as a one-man Public Enemy. It was a d ...Read More
Baba Brinkman - Lit-Hop
Chris Lowe - Black Life 2: The Next Thing Smokin’
Clipse - We Got The Remix
Crime Mob - Hated on Mostly
DJ Babu - The Beat Tape: Volume 1
DJ Green Lantern Featuring Ludacris - The Truth Shall Set You free
Evidence - The Weatherman LP
Evidence - The Weatherman LP
Ghostface Killah - Hidden Darts: Special Edition
Hell Rell - New Gun in Town
J-Bru - Identity Crisis
Joe Beats - Diverse Recourse
Masta Ace - Grand Masta: The Remix & Rarity Collection
Moka Only - Vermilion
Paul Wall - Get Money Stay True
Raekwon - The Vatican Mixtape Vol. 1
Sons of Mammal - Overpass Cafe
Ta’raach & The Lovelution - The Fevers
Timbaland/ Various - Presents Shock Value
Toolshed - Relapse
Young Buck - Buck The World
Frazey Ford - Obadiah
Frazey Ford's soulful voice has always been a highlight of the Be Good Tanyas. For her solo debut, she quiets the twang just enough to drench her vocal quaver in warm tones of soul, gospel and R&B. Twenty years in the making, Obadiah fulfils Ford's long-cherished vision of crafting songs that... Full Review
The Warm Spirit of the Mountains & the Trees
People say it's very earnest. I'm not quite sure what that means," laughs Jon Janes. Whatever it means, Janes certainly knows that it connects with people. As the force behind the morphing cast of musicians known as the Mountains & the Trees, Janes is winning hearts nationwide with his delicately upbeat indie folk.... Read More
Quantic Presents Flowering Inferno - Dog with a Rope
With his second release under the Flowering Inferno moniker, Will (Quantic) Holland continues to scratch his musical itch for more Jamaican-influenced, Latin dancehall fare. The record is awash with the laidback rhythms of reggae — a welcome, breezy, tropical infusion and a beautiful reminder that c... Full Review
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