Typical? In an era of hip-hop where emcees come a dime a dozen, and originality is the point focal of many ‘underground’ consumers, do you want your group to be typical? Dwell on that thought for a minute, but don’t jump to any conclusions; these kids are here to prove to you that they ain’t no joke. Typical Cats are composed of Qwel, Qwazaar and Denizen Kane on the M-I-C, DJ Natural on production and turntables, and Kid Knish on the ‘essential spice and marination’. All five hail from Chicago Illinois, a city that has a permanent place on hip-hop’s map of freshness (trust me, it does exist). Denizen Kane is a lot more on the spoken-word / poetic tip, while Qwel and Qwazaar mostly focus on battle rhymes. The beats tend to be very jazzy and laid back. Typical….

The album kicks off with one of the best introductions I have heard in a long time, with all three emcees dropping short verses over a dope acoustic guitar loop and smooth female vocals in the back. Qwazaar states it best with “This here is for all the cats who is searching hard for the content, who won’t settle for the nonsense, for those whose intellect just will not accept the dumb shit / the last true few heads, willing to spend they final dollars, on they favorite hip-hop artists, no matter what the cost is / let’s start this.” This does exactly what the beginning of an album should do: introduce you to the artists without any filler material.

Simple beats are often a curse, but they don’t have to be. Natural’s production on “Reinventing The Wheel”, the next track, is quite basic, but the three emcees mesh together so well over it. The message is that the Typical Cats aren’t here to restructure hip-hop, they are merely trying to improve upon its current design. The chemistry that these three emcees have together is truly remarkable; few groups can ever pull it off this well. Too often in a group one emcee will steal the spotlight from the other, but these three compliment each other’s styles nicely.

There are a few more tracks on this album which feature the entire group, and they do not disappoint. “Any Day” has a once again jazzy beat layered with flows that cannot be described. The topic of stress is covered; Qwel and Qwazaar spit nice, but Denizen speaks so well on this issue you’d swear he should be a published poet. The influence from the days of Common Sense’s “Resurrection” is very obvious on “Take A Number”, but what’s wrong with that? Influence is a lot different than emulation, and it is obvious from listening which one the Typical Cats use.

Tracklist:
01 – Intro
02 – Reinventing the Wheel
03 – Any Day
04 – Qweloquiallisms
05 – It Won’t Stop
06 – Snake Oil
07 – Natural Causes
08 – Take a Number
09 – The Manhattan Project
10 – Too Happy for Qwel
11 – Live Forever
12 – Cliche
13 – What you Thought Hops
14 – Thin Red Line

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Encoder settings: Constant Bit Rate 160 kbps MP3
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Chicago‘s Galapagos4 label relocated to Oakland last year and it seems that, stylistically, the Typical Cats aren‘t far behind. On their second full-length, the Windy City trio of Qwel, Qwazaar, and Denizen Kane expound spacey, sun-soaked philosophies over strutting, jazzy beats-a formula fit for the West Coast. The Midwest influence isn‘t lost on them-their flow suggests they were star pupils at the Slug School of Rapping. Smoky but unspectacular production, provided by the aptly-titled DJ Natural, augmented by a trio of live musicians, creates a comfortable cushion for this trio‘s clever verbal give-and-take, which would be at home anywhere.

Tracklist
01 – Can’t Save
02 – Easy Cause It Is
03 – Typical Flows
04 – No Man Island
05 – Justice Coming
06 – 12th Story
07 – The Trouble
08 – Drink Ticket
09 – Butterfly Knifes
10 – The Do
11 – The Pavement
12 – Style Wars Theory
13 – Before Before

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01  00:30 Rahzel – Intro
02  03:00 Large Professor Ft. PMD – Like This
03  03:57 KRS-One and Canibus – Clear N’ Present Danger
04  04:40 Chino XL, Sean Price and Killah Priest – Murder
05  04:26 CL Smooth, Brother Ali and Sadat X – Nuthin’
06  03:43 Aesop Rock, C Rayz Walz and Vast Aire – Karma Killerz
07  03:38 OC and Pharoah Monch – Ridiculous
08  04:06 Nutrageous, Copywrite and Jak D – Sum Rap Shit
09  03:56 Termanology, Punchline and Rugged Intellect – Runnin’ This
10  04:09 Ill Bill, Virtuoso and Slaine – I Dont Mind
11  01:01 DJ Premier – No Sell Out Interlude
12  05:38 Craig G, Jak D, Blaq Poet, Trez and Big Noyd – On The Map
13  02:53 Vinnie Paz – Men Of Business (The M.O.B.)
14  04:10 Torae, Pumpkinhead and Block Mccloud – Bang Da Underground
15  03:50 AG, Craig G and Edo G – Original G’z
16  03:53 C Rayz Walz, Jak D and Poison Pen – No Comparison
17  03:26 Akrobatik, J-Live, Supastition and Pack FM – Too Easy
18  04:02 EMC (Masta Ace, Stricklin and Punchline) – I Knew A Girl
19  02:54 Wordsworth and Rahzel – What’s Happening
20  03:41 Rakaa Iriscience, C Rayz Walz, Krondon and Q-Unique – Rock Steady
21  05:38 Ultramagnetic Mcs, Canibus, Prince Poetry and Rahzel – Brainbender

apawllo: Definitely the most highly anticipated of all of his releases, the tracklist alone warrants a purchase but here it is for free anyway.

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01. The Beginning… (Intro)
02. Disbelievers Clear The Way feat. Insight
03. The Dream Chaser feat. Substantial
04. Re: Strain of Stairs
05. Ain’t Even Like Me feat. Kim Hill
06. Sweet Madness
07. Don’t, Won’t, Can’t Stop feat. Othello
08. In The Twilight
09. Designed Like This feat. Insight, Dagha & Moe as Electric
10. S.M.O.O.T.H. C.U.R.R.E.N.T. feat. Lushlife
11. Blue Time feat. Nikko
12. Heathaze
13. That’s It feat. Profile
14. Afterglow (Outro)

apawllo: Dope production with a jazzy feel. Don’t sleep.

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01. I See Dead People Feat. Rell And Lord Jamar 04:27
02. Hunny 04:05
03. It Is What It Is Feat. Tiffini Davis 05:04
04. Get That Money 03:23
05. How Long? 03:53
06. Good To Go Feat. Q-Tip 02:22
07. Same Old Drama Feat. Large Professor 01:30
08. This Joint Right Here Feat. Kid Capri 03:18
09. Go Hard Feat. Talee 03:35
10. Reality Check Feat. Sarah Martinez 03:09
11. Cold Cold World Feat. Khadija Mohammad 04:32
12. Smile Feat. Big Phil (Outro) 01:56
13. This Joint Right Here Remix Feat. Kid Capri, Sadat X & Lord Jamar  03:24

apawllo: I have a sneaking suspicion that this album is going to get slept on. The reviews I’ve seen have been mixed, which I suppose can be the case often when the artist in question is one who has been mixing it up since the late 80’s. However, RetroActive is a breath of fresh air and highly recommended. Grand Puba doesn’t seem hesistant to dabble in anything related to hip hop new or old, and the result is a cohesive album with few low points.

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01. WRBG 0:11
02. Runnin’ Wild 4:28
03. Don’t Hate My Grind (Feat. Bun B) 4:54
04. Warpath (Feat. Ratfink) 3:39
05. Gangsta, Gangster (Feat. Styles P) 4:01
06. Afrika Hot! 3:22
07. NYPD (Feat. Johnny Polygon) 3:11
08. Summer Time 3:54
09. Refuse To Lose (Feat. Chuck D & Avery Storm) 3:32
10. Life Goes On 4:13
11. Helpful 2:26
12. Pulse 0:49
13. $timulus Plan 4:58
14. My Dirty Valentine 3:28

apawllo: Dead Prez back with the Volume 3 of their Turn Off The Radio Mixtape Series, teaming up with DJ Green Lantern for the first time. Featured on the tape are such political commentaries as the lead single “Stimulus Plan,” “Refuse To Lose” featuring Chuck D, and possibly the best track from the album “Don’t Hate On My Grind” featuring Bun B where Stic.Man proclaims “Another day of repression, they call it recession, it’s media misdirection….It’s a cold world but I’m a grown man and a grown man need power in his own hands, ain’t no sittin’ ’round waitin’ complainin’ unless you in love with the plantation.” The mixtape also includes “Summer Time” and “Helpful” which show Dead Prez’s lighter side. All in all, a complete mixtape. Easy to listen to front to back, especially since Green Lantern doesn’t take it upon himself to shout his name every 15 seconds.

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01. Gangsta Shit (feat. Bun B and M1) 2:44
02. Classical (feat. Sick Jacken and Evidence) 3:03
03. Gunshots (feat. Chace Infinite and Alchemist) 2:57
04. Do It (feat. La Coka Nostra) 3:28
05. Rep Yo Shit (feat. P.C.P. aka Sick Jacken and Necro) 3:00
06. Good Evening Los Angeles (feat. Self Scientific) 3:07
07. Meet Your Maker (feat. Reef The Lost Cause and Outer Space) 3:52
08. Intermission (feat. RZA, Rev William Burk, Planet Asia and 2:29
B-Real)
09. Champions (Remix) (feat. Prodigy and Big Twin) 2:51
10. Let Go (My Life) (feat. Fashawn 2:51
11. Like That Y’all (feat. Planet Asia) 3:05
12. World We’re In (feat. Cynic) 4:23
13. Call It Like I See It (feat. Chace Infinite and Krondon) 3:34
14. Matchbox (feat. Dust) 4:05
15. Figure it Out (feat. Young De, Xzibit and Mykestro) (Bonus 4:27
Track)

apawllo: Great production from DJ Muggs as usual, and many of the features compliment the beats well. Solid album.

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1 Creative Control
2 Word … Life
3 O-Zone
4 Born 2 Live
5 Time’s Up
6 Point o Viewz
7 Constables
8 Ga Head
9 No Main Topic
10 Let It Slide
11 Ma Dukes
12 Story
13 Outtro (Sabotage)
14 Born 2 Live (Remix)
15 Time’s Up (Remix)

apawllo: Brilliant album and certified classic. 10/10, 5 stars, etc. etc.

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01. 00:33 Intro
02. 02:44 Suicide Music
03. 02:46 The Age (Fish)
04. 04:09 Bang
05. 03:03 4 Cornered Room
06. 02:16 Connector Man
07. 03:33 TKO Feat. Phonte, Chaundon & Sean Price
08. 04:56 Policia
09. 02:47 The Greatest Feat. Dasan Ahanu
10. 02:49 Fly So High
11. 03:46 Looking Glass

apawllo: Album title and cover might suggest this album would have a different feel to it than is the case. Quality lyricism over production handled mostly by Khrysis, and a couple dope features (namely Sean P’s)….definitely worth a listen.

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This will be the final half-assed apology of the day, I swear. Help yourself to a Demonoid invite code, and leave a comment indicating which for the convenience of the following person if you don’t mind.

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The Poetic Agenda is back, and here to stay. Promise!

1. Back It Up (Explicit) (3:46)
2. Be Easy Feat. Crypt Of Outerspace (3:56)
3. Keep It Moving (3:02)
4. Microphone Killah (3:14)
5. Won’t Be (Remix) Feat. Banish, Aims & Randam Luck (4:56)
6. Let Em Know (3:49)
7. Bring That Feat. Doap Nixon (3:29)
8. Straight Hip-Hop Feat. Randam Luck (3:37)
9. I’ve Been (3:55)
10. The Jump Off (3:29)
11. That’s Wassup Feat. Reef The Lost Cauze (4:13)
12. Gunz Still Hot (Remix) Feat. Keepers Of The Light (3:50)
13. Scarz (Remix) (3:40)
14. Nothing Else Matters (3:55)
15. Oh Yeah (3:17)
16. Affirmative Action (Remix) Feat. Outerspace (3:38)
17. Always Survive (3:53)
18. Hard 2 Manage Feat. Planet Asia (4:38)
19. Armada Music (3:43)

apawllo: This is actually a free mixtape put out by these dudes which I haven’t had a chance to listen to yet. However, when the blog was pretty active months and months ago AOTP releases were some of the more popular ones so I thought I’d throw this up here for any loyal followers of Poetic Agenda who may have missed out on it.

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