The Equinox
Artist: Organized Konfusion
Community Score: 7.55

Quite possibly one of the most underrated East Coast rap groups, Organized Konfusion's Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch deliver an album full of stimulating lyrics and well-arranged instrumentation on The Equinox, the group's third full-length project. Po and Monch extended their artistic reach by producing five of the 14 songs; each of the... Read More

Dirty Weaponry
Artist: Killarmy
Community Score: 7.96

With their second album, Dirty Weaponry, Killarmy makes great strides toward distinguishing themselves as an individual crew, not just a third-generation Wu-Tang relative. There's still traces of RZA and the Wu, to be sure, but the 4th Disciple's production has begun to develop its own identity, particularly in that his beats are fleshier and... Read More

Angel Dust
Artist: Indo G
Community Score: 7.00

Once Three 6 Mafia gained a measure of respect and popularity, Indo G broke from the ranks and released a solo album, Angel Dust. Musically, as well as lyrically, it's not far removed from his main group. It's a familiar mix of low-riding gangsta rap, party-ready grooves, hardcore rhymes, funky beats and bass -- with the bass being emphasized,... Read More

N.O.R.E.
Artist: Noreaga
Community Score: 7.90

With his colleague Capone, Noreaga released an exciting debut album, The War Report, in 1997. Shortly after its release, Capone was sent to jail, leaving Noreaga to fend for himself on the follow-up. N.O.R.E. doesn't quite live up to the expectations set by The War Report, mainly because Capone is absent, but it often hits head-spinning high... Read More

It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
Artist: DMX
Community Score: 8.18

Just as rap music was reaching its toughest, darkest, grimmest period yet, following the assassinations of 2Pac and Biggie in the late '90s, along came DMX and his fellow Ruff Ryders, who embodied the essence of inner-city machismo to a tee, as showcased throughout the tellingly titled It's Dark and Hell Is Hot. Unlike so many other hardcore... Read More

First Family 4 Life
Artist: M.O.P.
Community Score: 8.25

Mash Out Posse return with another dose of that strictly underground N.Y. flavor. M.O.P. rely on no gimmicks, as Lil' Fame and Billy Danzenie continue to lick shots upside your head with reckless abandon. Sticking to their guns, M.O.P. refuse to soften their product in search of platinum plates. DJ Premier executive-produced this album and... Read More

Heavy Mental
Artist: Killah Priest
Community Score: 8.97

As one of the late-arriving members of the Wu-Tang Clan, perhaps it isn't surprising that Killah Priest doesn't follow the RZA blueprint as strictly as his peers. His debut record, Heavy Mental, uses the signature Wu sound as a foundation, stretching out RZA's impressionistic soundscapes with weird samples and drum loops. Nevertheless, Killah... Read More

NY Reality Check 101
Artist: Haze
Usual Suspects
Artist: 5th Ward Boyz

Usual Suspects, the 5th Ward Boyz's third album, isn't dramatically different than Rated G or Ghetto Dope -- it's a collection of straightahead gangsta-funk, with rolling beats, deep bass grooves and cliched lyrics. The 5th Ward Boyz do have charisma, which compensates for the lack of imagination in the music, and a few moments -- like "I Know,"... Read More

The 18th Letter
Artist: Rakim
Community Score: 8.75

It took Rakim five years to begin his solo career, but the wait was worth it -- The 18th Letter is one of the strongest records a veteran rapper released in the late '90s. Working with a variety of producers (Pete Rock, Clark Kent, Father Shaheed, DJ Premier), Rakim sounds sharp, focused, and strong, rapping with a force unheard of on his... Read More

The Psycho Realm
Artist: The Psycho Realm
Community Score: 9.70

The Psycho Realm's eponymous debut album is an impressive collection of hardcore West Coast gangsta rap. Led by B Real, one of the masterminds behind Cypress Hill, the trio is a dark hardcore outfit -- there's genuine menace in their rhymes and music, which is why it hits so hard. Where other crews deal with cartoonish violence, the Psycho... Read More

Chapter 2: World Domination
Artist: Three 6 Mafia
Community Score: 7.60

For Chapter 2: World Domination, their first widely distributed album (via Relativity), Three 6 Mafia further refine the hardcore motifs of their underground efforts, toning down the outright horror and playing up their Southern gangsta-isms. Their equation works out to a wonderfully novel album for its time, one that would set the course of... Read More

Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
Artist: DMX
Community Score: 8.22

On the heels of his multi-platinum debut, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, DMX unleashed his dogs again on an album overflowing with raw energy and spiritual catharsis. The irascible Yonkers MC, 27 at the time of this recording, continues the Ruff Ryder legacy on this follow-up release. DMX's canine split personality flow is like none other, not only... Read More