The Alabama born Yelawolf, is a multifaceted talent that has spent a better part of the last decade living in various parts of the US while striving towards super-stardom. His first major label release, “Radioactive” may well be the cornerstone of a hugely successful career in entertainment.  However, that depends on who you ask. Radioactive has received mostly politically safe, yet positive reviews, but some consider Yelawolf’s Shady records debut missing the mark. Not because of lack of skill by Yelawolf, but by the unfettered efforts to make a pop record instead of a rap record that can go pop. Never mind the forced attempts craft a colorblind pop rap album, Yelawolf is a solid lyricist and some of those pop efforts are great songs. While some fans cling zealously to the music and lyrical style of early TrunkMuzik mixtapes, this new, Eminem stamped Yelawolf shows growth and shines, despite his efforts to stay in ‘bama mud.

With more than 20 years in the rap game, even though their Amazon page boasts 94 releases, the Beastie Boys are soon releasing what is only their eighth official album, the Hot Sauce Committee Part 2. While comment sections across the web rage for or against the Beasties, one thing is for sure, they have stood the test of time. With a little help from Nas on the emcee front, the Boys once again serve up the rap stew that has made them Grammy winners and one of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All time.

With rugged drums and subterranean production W.A.R. (We are Renegades), the third solo release from critically acclaimed rapper Pharoahe Monch is a rap album that unfortunately won’t top the pop charts but in every place where hip-hop is a serious topic of discussion around the world, “We are Renegades” will top the list. While the beats are jeep-friendly, the lyrics bend more towards provoking thought than they do provoking the shaking of hips, which tends to keep the pop crowd at bay. However, for lovers of lyricism, bar for bar few lyricists in Hip-Hop from any period can compare to Pharoahe Monch. On this release he pairs his wit, politics and multisyllabic rhymes with crisp production and notable guest appearances.