New Joint – Ill Bill & Stu Bangas / Goretex / Slaine

Ill Bill & Stu Bangas ft. Goretex & Slaine – “World War Hulk” (@IllB1ll / @Stu_Bangas / 2019)

Taken from the album “Cannibal Hulk”.

New Joint – Madchild / Slaine / Prevail

Madchild ft. Slaine & Prevail – “Grenade Launcher” (Battle Axe Records / 2013)

C-Lance-produced track from the Swollen Member’s 2012 album “Dope Sick”.

New Joint – Progress / Termanology / Reks etc.

Progress ft. Termanology, Reks, Slaine & Ea$y Money – “Livewires” (@PLSProgress / 2013)

Rugged posse cut produced by Termanology.

New Joint – Stu Bangas & Vanderslice / Ill Bill / Slaine

Stu Bangas & Vanderslice ft. Ill Bill & Slaine – “The Realest” (Man Bites Dog Records / 2012)

Taken from the production duo’s recent album “Diggaz With Attitude”.

New Joint – La Coka Nostra

La Coka Nostra – “Letter To Ouisch” (Fat Beats / 2012)

The cult leader himself Ill Bill goes solo on this short self-produced track from the recent LCN album “Masters Of The Dark Arts”.

New Joint – La Coka Nostra

La Coka Nostra – “Creed Of The Greedier” (Fat Beats / 2012)

Sicknature-produced banger from LCN’s new album “Masters Of The Dark Arts”.

The Dark Side – DJ Eclipse

La Coka Nostra manager and turntable technician DJ Eclipse speaks on the crew’s forthcoming album “Masters Of The Dark Arts”.

New Joint – La Coka Nostra

La Coka Nostra – “Mind Your Business” (Fat Beats / 2012)

DJ Premier laces the LCN crew with a definite banger for this track from the forthcoming album “Masters Of The Dark Arts”.

The Dark Side – Ill Bill / Slaine

ActionRecon.Com interview with Ill Bill and Slaine discussing the forthcoming La Coka Nostra album “Masters Of The Dark Arts”.

New Joint – Moe Pope / Slaine

Moe Pope ft. Slaine – “Dead Kennedy’s” (The Brain Trust / 2012)

The former Crown City Rockers-affiliated Boston emcee drops a quick shot of dopeness to tide fans over as he continues to work on a number of new projects.

New Joint – Powda / Slaine / Termanology

Powda ft. Slaine & Termanology – “The Program” (Our Style Records / 2011)

Taken from the “Powda 2 The People” project.

New Joint – La Coka Nostra

La Coka Nostra – “Malverde Market” (Uncle Howie Records / 20110

Produced by Ill Bill and taken from the crew’s forthcoming album “Masters Of The Dark Arts”.

New Joint – Heavy Metal Kings / Q-Unique / Slaine

Heavy Metal Kings ft. Q-Unique & Slaine – “Metal In Your Mouth” (Enemy Soil / 2011)

Quality animated video from Vinnie Paz and Ill Bill’s “Heavy Metal Kings” album.

New Joint – Slaine / Checkmark / Lu Balz

Slaine ft. Checkmark & Lu Balz – “Borrowed Time” (Suburban Noize / 2011)

Taken from the La Coka Nostra member’s album “A World With No Skies 2.0”.

New Joint – Slaine

Slaine – “Trail Of Blood” (Suburban Noize / 2011)

Taken from the La Coka Nostra member’s album “A World With No Skies 2.0”.

New Joint – DJ Deadeye / Slaine / Esoteric etc.

DJ Deadeye ft. Slaine, Esoteric, Krumb Snatcha & Ea$y Money – “Livin’ Lost” (ST. Records / Brick Records / 2011)

DC The Midi Alien-produced track featuring a selection of Boston rhyme talent from Deadeye’s recent album “Substance Abuse”.

Addicted To Music – DJ DeadEye

EPK for DJ DeadEye’s new Brick Records album “Substance Abuse” which features Freddie Foxxx, Reks, Termanology, Slaine, Esoteric, Cormega, Craig G etc.

Album Review – East Coast Avengers

East Coast Avengers Present: DC The Midi Alien

“Avengers Airwaves”

(Brick Records)

Back in the late-80s / early-90s politically-charged rap was the norm, with acts such as Public Enemy, Ice Cube, Paris and BDP all doing their part to spark the braincells of listeners with hard-hitting social commentary and scathing lyrical attacks on the US government’s policies of the time. With rap becoming big business throughout the 90s and into the new millenium, the more rebellious and revolutionary aspects of the music were sidelined by both artists and labels chasing champagne dreams and mainstream success, leaving a void that the likes of dead prez and Talib Kweli attempted to fill with mixed results.

Formed in 2008 and gaining immediate notoriety with their “Kill Bill O’Reilly” single, the East Coast Avengers (emcees Esoteric and trademarc, producer DC The Midi Alien) attempted a rallying cry with their debut album “Political Planet”, which was met with both critical acclaim and underground props for the trio’s attempts to inject their music with lyrical substance and kickstart intellectual debate amongst Hip-Hop heads.

Now, three years later, the Avengers return with this latest release, which features a long list of subterranean rhyme animals covering a variety of socially relevant topics over DC’s unapologetically raw production. Kicking off with the dramatic strings and tight cuts of “National Threat”, Esoteric and trademarc power through verses containing references to the Obama administation, New World Order conspiracies and the part they feel is played by global media in dumbing down the masses, their sharp darts littered with crafty wordplay and references to the political awareness of rap’s golden-age (“I’m more S1W, You’re more SWV”).

The thumping “Man Made Ways” finds La Coka Nostra affiliate Slaine, Non-Phixion’s Sabac Red and Jedi Mind Tricks’ Vinnie Paz attacking a society that encourages apathy instead of critical thinking, with each emcee painting vivid verbal depictions of a post-apocalyptic world in which economics and social structure no longer have any meaning. Bringing the listener back to the present, “Another Hundred Days In” is a tense, atmospheric track which features trademarc questioning Barack Obama’s effectiveness in bringing about the political change that was promised in pre-election speeches, juxtaposing the promises made before the votes were counted against the actions the President has taken since entering the White House.

“Disposable Heroes” criticizes the lack of support on offer to help ease soldiers returning from the Middle East back into civilian life, with featured lyricists Nabo Rawk and Apes**t rhyming from the perspective of army vets struggling to come to terms with the atrocities they’ve witnessed over moody sample-heavy production (“A soldier on the frontline, I served my four years, Came back with one arm, more fears and nightmares”). Meanwhile, the impressive posse cut “Ride For A Cause” finds Reef The Lost Cauze, Doap Nixon, Blacastan and Reks getting to grips with alleged secret societies, Illuminati rhetoric and inner-city living conditions over a hypnotic blend of ominous keys, sweeping strings and slick scratches.

Of the seventeen full-length tracks on offer here, the only real mis-steps are “Riot Gear” and “Artists In A Time Of War”, both of which suffer from bland, sub-par production that takes the sting out of the thought-provoking lyrics delivered from Termanology, Singapore Kane and Big Shug.

You may agree with the political stance of the artists featured on “Avengers Airwaves” or you might have a very different opinion on a lot of the topics raised throughout the project, but regardless, the real aim of this album is to offer food for thought and stimulate debate, and it succeeds on both counts.

The East Coast Avengers and their army of Hip-Hop affiliates definitely don’t have all the answers to the ills of the world, but they’re not afraid of asking the questions which might help us all make a little more sense out of the confusing, corrupt, recession-hit world we live in today.

Ryan Proctor

New Joint – Snowgoons / N.B.S. / Slaine

Snowgoons ft. N.B.S. & Slaine – “Put Em Up” (Goon MuSick / 2010)

Taken from the album “Kraftwerk”.

New Joint – Slaine

Slaine – “99 Bottles” (Suburban Noize / 2010)

Taken from the La Coka Nostra member’s forthcoming solo album “A World With No Skies”.