The Multi-Platinum Debut Album:Hangar 18

Title: the Multi-Platinum Debut Album

Label: Def Jux

Genre: hip-hop

Rating: 6.5 of 7

For the most part Definitive Jux has had extremely creative and solid releases by artists like Aesop Rock, RJD2 and Cannibal Ox, but lately they were condemned with the label “emo rap” and lost a lot of street cred. So, Def Jux struck back with their latest hip-hop trio, Hangar 18, and with the release of the Multi-Platinum Debut Album, they silenced all of the naysayers. Hangar 18 is the production of paWL (also a beat conductor for Cannibal Ox and Aesop Rock) and the dueling rhymes of Alaska and Windnbreeze. Each track features heavy, electro-funk beats overlaid by swift and smooth rhymes that are as infectious as they are intelligent. The album is deep, but not overly serious, as some Def Jux releases, instead it is a nice combination of serious and party cuts, it even gets playful at times (i.e. the laughing introduction of #15). Overall this is a damn fine hip-hop album and definitely deserves your play time, and I am glad to see that Def Jux is still releasing solid albums even after the media hype died away.

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