Bring It On
Artist: Ali Dee

Add Ali Dee to the list of rappers successfully exploiting rap/jazz fusion. His cut "Dee Swings Jazz" expertly demonstrates the genres' shared qualities, and his whole release has both a loose, improvisational air and an edgy, combative street vibe. The single "Who's Da Flava" attracted the most attention, but there are other, equally sharp... Read More

My Life
Artist: Mary J. Blige
Community Score: 7.81
It Takes a Thief
Artist: Coolio
Community Score: 5.70

Just when it looked like rap would completely succumb to the violent hyperbole and mean-spirited "realness" of gangsta rap, new blood entered the scene in 1994 to nudge the genre back toward friendlier turf. That new blood included Nas, Craig Mack, and Coolio, whose It Takes a Thief starts with the easy-rolling funk of Lakeside's "Fantastic... Read More

The Best of Kurtis Blow
Artist: Kurtis Blow
Community Score: 5.00

While he made many groundbreaking singles, Kurtis Blow was never a consistent album artist, making this best-of collection his definitive artistic statement. Throughout the early '80s, Blow helped define what rap could do, and these tracks confirm his status as one of hip-hop's legendary acts. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read More

Hand on the Torch
Artist: Us3
Community Score: 5.60

Hip-hop/jazz fusionisters Us3 have forged the most elaborate union between the styles since the early days of Gang Starr and A Tribe Called Quest. Blue Note's vast catalog gives them a huge advantage over several similar groups in terms of source material, and classic sounds by Art Blakey, Horace Silver, and Herbie Hancock provide zest and fiber... Read More

Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha
Artist: Xscape
Community Score: 9.67

Xscape's debut had some intriguing variations that distinguished it from others in the ever-crowded distaff end of the urban contemporary circuit. Their shared leads were more gospel-edged than those of En Vogue or SWV; their first hit, "Just Kickin' It," had a bawdy undercurrent that made it genuinely appealing, and Xscape demonstrated grit and... Read More

Black Business
Artist: Poor Righteous Teachers

The Poor Righteous Teachers offered more Islamic and Afrocentric raps on this album, sometimes becoming overly pedantic, but also keeping the raps and rhymes flowing and the beats moving. Their material's propagandistic tone was offset to some extent by the use of reggae and funk influences, but few groups are more open about their religious and... Read More

Buhloone Mindstate
Artist: De La Soul
Community Score: 8.40

The last album of De la Soul's creative prime, Buhloone Mindstate was also their last with producer Prince Paul. After the claustrophobic De la Soul Is Dead, Mindstate is a partial return to the upbeat positivity of 3 Feet High and Rising, though not its wildly colorful invention. Instead, Buhloone Mindstate takes a calmer, more laid-back... Read More

Ruff Town Behavior
Artist: Poison Clan
Community Score: 7.60