It's been a long time.. we shouldn't have left you -- wondering, that is -- so we can't hold it back cause we're lookin for the rhyme in Volume 008 of The Singles File. These are the twelve inches that crossed our desk in the last month: the good, the bad, the ugly, and most of all - the hip-hop.

Artist: Willus Drummond
Title:  Evacuate the Planet, Special Purpose
Label:  Entaprisez Records

Something's not right about this guy - not in a bad way though. As the sample on the flipside of his own record says, Willus Drummond is something of an "idiot savant" on the microphone. Obvious comparisons to Dr. Octagon aside, there is certainly something to be said for his flow (excellent breath control), voice (reminiscent of Last Emperor) and rhyme style (which ALMOST makes sense). Despite the threats to piss on your head (he claims that his alien urine is good for human skin) you won't be mad at the reign of Willus Drummond.

Music Vibes: 9 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 8 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 8.5 of 10

Artist: A.G. (Andre the Giant)
Title:  Rude Awakening b/w Muddslide
Label:  Landspeed Records

Already known as a lyrical heavyweight in a crew that features MC's like Lord Finesse and the late great Big L, any new twelve inch from A.G. is bound to be heavily anticipated by the heads and backpackers -- they will be heavily dissapointed. Showing little to none of the cleverness and style that made "Runaway Slave" a hip-hop classic, A.G. brags about how much ice he has and how heavy his eyelids droop from the indo smoke. With the inclusion of the laughably bad Ghetto Dwellas, there really is no saving grace for this twelve inch. This one is on a fast track for the bargain bin.

Music Vibes: 5 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 2 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 3.5 of 10

Artist: Akrobatik
Title:  Say Yes/Say Word b/w Militant Raw
Label:  Detonator Records

Boston's hip-hop scene is constantly on the rise thanks to funky artists like Ed O.G., The Kreators, and Akrobatik. Highly braggadocious in a way that would even have J-Live impressed, Akro is "old school like rotary phones" and "sharks swim the other way when I'm in the water". A bouncy piano loop keeps this headnodder hot; while the flipside is a dark brooding song which would leave even the hardest Mobb Deep massive a shook one with his "Final Fantasy Tactics". Refreshing like a tall glass of Kool-Aid on a hot day, Akrobatik is simply dope.

Music Vibes: 9 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 10 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 9.5 of 10

Artist: Cash Brown
Title:  Pay Me b/w True Lies
Label:  Major League Ent.

Sounding like a refuge from the Eastern Conference All-Stars, Cash Brown certainly doesn't come short on the beats or the indie guest appearances from the likes of P Dap and Mike Zoot. With production on the a-side by Nick Wiz and on the b-side by Domingo, it's hard to argue with the musical quality of this release. The flipside definitely wins here with clever samples of Frank White, Eminem, and Big Pun. This joint will definitely make noise in the hard to crack East coast indie circuit.

Music Vibes: 10 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 8 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 9 of 10

Originally posted: December 11, 1999
source: www.OHHLA.com