Inspectah Deck is 2-for-2 on Premier beats

With all these random Wu-Tang Clan-affiliated mixtapes and albums coming out nonstop, it's hard to ignore their stunning decline as a collective, as well as most members' individual skills and overall appeal to the core fans who once propelled them to hip-hop glory.

Aside from the obvious, glowing talents of Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, and sometimes the RZA, the rest of the Clan is regrettably easily forgettable.

It seemed the same would be true for the once-formidable Inspectah Deck, who spit arguably the greatest 16 of all time.

Freddie Gibbs comes through with the video of the year

With an unlikely entrant as a serious contender for illest video [so far] of 2012 from an even more unlikely duo, rapper Freddie Gibbs and producer extraordinaire Madlib recently released a set of visuals for the title song from their sparse but satisfying Thuggin EP.

I don't know what kind of lifestyle Mr. Gibbs lives when he's not on stage ripping mics with his patented hurried-but-relaxed flow that is at times very Dead Prez-ish (in a good way), but if this video is at least a partial representation of his daily operation, then this man deserves a standing ovation.

And then an arrest warrant.

[MF] DOOM Opens Up During Recent Exclusive Interview

Eclectic rapper DOOM last week gave fans a chance to catch a metaphorical glimpse beneath the mystique that is his mask during an interview / listening session as part of the Red Bull Music Academy series of music workshops, where he breaks down numerous topics, including his producing and recording processes; touching on the onset of his career; and the creation and maintenance of his multiple rapping personalities.

Although he never removes his mask, fans will be able to know for sure that, despite his sketchy past live appearances, the man speaking in that unmistakable raspy voice is indeed DOOM.

Surprisingly DOOM isn't the most articulate of individuals, which is apparent throughout the interview despite his fluid gift for gab on wax.

The interview is lengthy (an hour and 40 minutes) but for any diehard fan of DOOM it will be time well spent.

Enjoy.

Ron Browz Returns With New Album, New Style

The producer-rapper Ron Browz late last month quietly released his latest studio album, The Christening.

The fact that it was released with little-to-no fanfare or publicity only underscores the rumors of Jay-Z black-balling the beatmaking rapper about a decade ago once NaS came out with Ether, the lone black eye on Jigga's curriculum vitae that was produced by Browz and also the reason for his self-bestowed nickname of Etherboy that inspired the title of his previous album.

Gone are the loud, gaudy beats that helped popularize his music a few years ago. Also conspicuously missing from the soundscape is the gratuitous use of the voice-altering Autotune technology that became his trademark with the hits Pop Champagne and Jumping (Out the Window).

Another nice touch -- no more singing for Mr. Browz, always a wise choice for a rap album.

Instead, Browz takes the novel approach of using his own voice, a practice he's been employing more and more over the past couple of years.

Even with the drastic change to the styles that first endeared him to listeners, his loyal fans should be pleasantly surprised that there is no drop-off in production considering his shift in musical approaches.

Stop What Ya Doin (Prod. by DJ Premier) By Apathy, Featuring Celph Titled (Video)

This video for the lead single from Apathy's great new album, Honkey Kong, is long overdue to be posted here.

The proud Connecticut emcee released his third studio album about two months ago and it features expert production from a bunch of unfamiliar names as well as the likes of Evidence and the Beatminerz.

If you want to hear some Hiphop music that is not even close to being watered down with any attempts at gaining mainstream radio play, then I strongly urge you to cop this album NOW.

NaS -- Nasty (Music Video)

There's nothing I can say about this track that NaS can't say better, so sit back and enjoy the rhymes delivered in classic God's Son style.

The Irony of Prodigy Rhyming on Jay Electronica's New Record

Incredible lyrics and on-point rhymes notwithstanding, my almost immediate reaction to finally hearing a legitimately new song from Jay Electronica was to wonder how Prodigy ever scored the coveted feature for what may turn out to be Jay Elec's lead single for his debut album, which many fans have been waiting on for what seems like years now despite him having been signed to Roc Nation for just under a 12 months.

The rapper who was unable to recover from being knocked off course about a decade ago by Jay-Z's Summer Jam sneak attack, Prodigy has made Jay-Z the lyrical object of his scorn ever since, including as recently as in the writings of his autobiography.

So how then did Prodigy manage to secure a verse on the new Jay Electronica song, which was made possible through Roc Nation, Jay-Z's record label?