All the scales are based on a 10-point richter scale. And reflect me and my friends own personal views from purchasing the albums and reading hip-hop publications.
DMX---It's Dark And Hell Is Hot
(8.2)
It's dark and DMX is hot. We first got a taste of him from LL's "4,3,2,1" and showed this nigga love ever since. DMX has appeared on a grip of other artists smash hit songs. From the Eastern-style group The Lox to the original L.A. thug, Ice Cube. DMX finally drops us his first album and that mofo is slammin'. DMX presents various facets of his personality through his music on the LP. The aggressive, in-yo-face tracks like "Get At Me Dog" and "Fuckin' Wit D" will have you goin',"Nigga, whaT!!!" all night. But the contemplative, softer joints like "Let Me Fly" will get you thinking about some deep ish man. This album was independently produced by Ruff Rider Entertainment but still has some interestingly bumpin' beats to it, equal to anything put out by Puff, da Trackmasta's or Premier. Overall, this album is a definate buy for anyone who's been feelin' this dog's music for the past year. All the tracks don't exert the same vibe as the popular "Get At Me Dog" or "Stop Being Greedy", but peep this LP if you want some ish to vibe to.
BULWORTH---Soundtrack
(9.0)
The Bulworth Soundtrack is arguably one of the greatest soundtracks in hip-hop history. The LP's roster contains some of the hottest artists around today; including Canibus, Ice Cube, the RZA and LL. With this many hit artists, it's just a matter of time before the hit singles start pouring out. The popular mainstream hits "Ghetto Supastar" and "Zoom" are already testament to this. But the underground heads get some love with Canibus' "How Come", which already has a video on BET. This is the genius of the album, the universal appeal ranging from pop joints to underground tunnel bangers. All you Wu heads out there be sure to scan the RZA's track "The Chase" and Cappadonna's "Run" featured on this LP (Ol' Dirty and Meth show up too.). Public Enemy even drops some ol' skool funk. This album is a MUST HAVE compilation for any true hip-hop fan.