Fake For Real

The name Latyrx (say it la-tir-iks), mixed those of two rappers, Lateef and Lyrics Born, both core members of the Solesides label, along with Blackalicious and DJ Shadow, all later known as the Quannum collective. By the 90's, each of these people, jointly or separately, had delivered masterpieces...

The year 1999 has been, somehow, the apex of the indie rap times. And as such, it has been full of gems. The more we dug, the more marvels we discovered, released by small labels, or self-released. Appleseed had been one of these. With its 8 tracks, this small CD, sold directly by the rapper on his...

Epic had a smooth voice, a debonair flow, misleadingly naïve words and his lyrics were full with some kind of sweet irony. Also, he had quite unusual a look for a rapper, with his grey hair and shy manners. The Canadian, actually, who was not as old as he looked, was not afraid with mocking his own...

Any major event, mechanically, engenders its opposite. By the end of the 90's, for example, when the bling bling posture triumphed in hip-hop music, others had decided to go the other way. They opted for political, responsible, adult or spiritual lyrics; they perpetuated the afro-centrism which had...