OC & AG - Oasis

Well, it's not the long awaited DITC record, but it's pretty close. With the DITC crew spread all around the country at present, it looks like it's up to OC and AG to represent. You can't argue, I'm a Lord Finesse man first and foremost, but put OC and AG together and they can wreck a mike like few other duos. Maybe you heard Weed And Drinks? Well, this whole record bangs like that. Most of the production is by someone called E Blaze, although Lord Finesse contributes a couple tracks and Statik Selectah and Primo drop in for intro and scratch appearances. No guests either, save for the odd female singing a hook. None needed, either.

Oasis isn't trap rap or snap music, it's new hip hop with an old school flavor. Both parties are mad lyrical, but not with needlessly polysyllabic backpacker verbosity, just two brothers riding a beat as smooth as astroglide covered ball bearings. If you like real hip hop, you owe it to yourself to head over to the OC and AG web presence and pick up Oasis right away.

DJ Babu - Duck Season Volume 3

It's been out a bit, but Volume 3 of the ever-banging Babu Duck Season comp series is here and terrorizing earholes everywhere. Dilated always bring it, but it's nice to see the DJ community's Filipino Elvis get a little shine his own self. The beats are hot, as you might suspect, and the Primo-esque scratching will always get the JS-NYC hype, but it's the world-class guest shots that we're hunting for come Duck Season.

Once again, Babu fails to disappoint. If you want to start with my go-to's, I will tell you that the Sean Price track (a collabo with someone named Doom) is fucking hot, as are the Guilty Simpson and M.O.P. tracks. Old schoolers like Percee P and AG make appearances and there's even a Little Brother track that I kinda dig. Whouda thought! My East Coast bias aside, there are a gang (ha!) of West Coast heavy hitters here, too. Evidence and Rakaa Iri represent for the home team and Cali Agents and Bishop Lamont kinda bring it, too. 

It wouldn't be Duck Season without the odd Bugs Bunny sample, but they pass quickly, usually in the wake of some break ya neck head-nodding track, but the scratching and rhyming more than make up for any passing irritation this cranky bastard might find.  Pretty much every one of the 18 tracks here get props, save for the kid rapper track that closes the proceedings. Volume 3 is another must-have from Babu for the hip-hop head in your life. I'll help you out: Buy Duck Season: Volume 3 here. Keep track of the Dilated Junkie himself here.

R