A.G. – GIANT IN THE MENTAL

The D.I.T.C. legend A.G. drops a new album for fans to revel in. On the mic, A.G. sounds better than he ever has. His punchlines are dope and he flips words miraculously. His flow is on point and always has been. He doesn’t have any help from any other features on this project which is rare. He didn’t really need the help anyway though. The beats on here are dope. It is strictly hip-hop to the core with nice drums and clever instrumentation samples. A.G. definitely drops more than a few jewels on us with this one, so the real hip hop fans need to peep this one.

OVERALL RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#agofditc #ag #andrethegiant #ditc #ditcstudios #diggin #bronx #diggininthecrates #giantinthemental #gitm

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DIAMOND D – THE REAR VIEW

The esteemed veteran MC/Producer Diamond D hits us with a solid new album. When I think of DITC, I think Ivy League, and that is exactly the style that Diamond D exemplifies. On the mic, he is smooth as ever and he lets us know about his opulent lifestyle cleverly. He has some features from rappers and vocalists such as Westside Gunn, Posdnuos, KP, Ashtin Martin, and more. On the production side of things, Diamond D is great and gives us some strong tracks to back up his raps. One of the highlights is the drum-heavy “The Scorn.” If you don’t break your neck with this song, you’re not doing it right. All in all, this is a super strong album that hip hop purists will love.

OVERALL RATING: 4 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#diamondd #ditc #ditcstudios #diggin #diggindiggin #diggininthecrates #therearview #trv

MILANO & SHOWBIZ – EATING BUT STILL HUNGRY

Milano Constantine and Showbiz combine forces to give us another hard-hitting DITC project for the streets. On the mic, Milano is pretty consistent. He is able to give us some hard bars with a decent flow. Showbiz really steals the show with his boom bap beats for the street. He really has a knack for creating the hardcore sound that real MCs can flow over. There are no other features on this album and even though it only has 8 tracks, it really does play through rather cohesively. If you like the first track, chances are you are really going to enjoy the whole thing. Strap in and go for a ride with some DITC vets.

OVERALL RATING: 4 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#milano #milanoconstantine #milano7warriors #ditc #diggininthecrates #ditcstudios #diggin #bronx #showbiz #eatingbutstillhungry #ebsh

A.G. & RAY WEST – NYLUV

This new project is not really a rap album at all. I mean sure, AG spits some really good bars on here, but if you are looking for that classic boom bap DITC sound, this album is not for you. The production is really the part that brings these projects down. With the sleepy, dreamy type beats, it just brings things down a bit. AG is a dope lyricist and does his thing absolutely, but it doesn’t really help out the music side much. I would probably pass on this one.

OVERALL RATING: 1.5 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#agofditc #ag #andrethegiant #ditc #ditcstudios #diggin #bronx #diggininthecrates #raywest #nyluv

BUCKWILD – MUSIC IS MY RELIGION

Buckwild assembles a fantastic lineup for his new project. As legendary as Buckwild is, he can make the call and assemble the troops for a dope project. Obviously the part of this album that sticks out the most is the production side. The beats that he created on here are very dope. There are really hard drums and some clever samples that really take the beats far. These are produced at such a high level and it is definitely apparent. The bars on here are provided by some of the best MCs. You get features from Fred The Godson, Ransom, Jay Royale, Planet Asia, Flee Lord, Smif N Wessun, and many more. The standout lyrical performances are very apparent on the first track “Bronx Bars Banned” which features Axel Leon, Fred The Godson, Reef Hustle, and David Bars. All of those cats rip their verses and the beat is really dope. Jay Royale kills it on “Love Of The Streets” where a Jay-Z vocal sample is used in the beat. Little Vic shreds the mic apart on his track “Qualified.” The beat of the track “Survivor,” which features Smif N Wessun, really shows how dope Buckwild can get on the boards. This is a really strong album and pure hip hop fans will definitely rejoice with this one.

OVERALL RATING: 4 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#buckwild #ditc #diggin #bronx #diggininthecrates #ditcstudios #musicismyreligion #mimr

BUCKWILD – FULLY LOADED

Buckwild delivers a quick but decently dope new project. Being a legendary producer, there was almost no doubt that he would fully deliver on the production side of things. There are definitely some bangers on here like “Green Paper With The Eagle” featuring Chris Rivers and Whispers. You get other great features from the likes of Nick Grant, Meyhem Lauren, Raekwon, Little Brother, and more. There were some of the rappers I wasn’t too keen on, but nevertheless, I think everyone did at least a decent job overall. This is a quick listen, but a strong one.

 

OVERALL RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

 

#buckwild #ditc #diggin #bronx #diggininthecrates #ditcstudios #fullyloaded

MILANO CONSTANTINE – WINSTON WOLF

Milano Constantine is back with a new and dope EP. Although this one is pretty short at only 5 tracks, he packs it full of dope rhymes and hard beats. He gives us that gritty street view and it sounds great song after song. The beats are definitely pretty hard from front to back. The highlight on here is “Winston Wolf” featuring Smoke DZA. This is just a great beat and both MCs tear through it. Although it is short, give this one a listen. The purist hip hop fans will appreciate.

 

OVERALL RATING: 4 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

 

#milano #milanoconstantine #milano7warriors #ditc #diggininthecrates #ditcstudios #diggin #bronx #winstonwolf

 

FLEE LORD & BUCKWILD – HAND ME MY FLOWERS

Flee Lord is on an incredible tear through the industry pumping out project after project. This time, he teams up with legendary producer Buckwild. The production is definitely the side that shines more on this project. Buckwild does what he does best and gives us beat after beat of fire. On the mic, Flee Lord is decent. He holds his own. The downside is that almost every track is only 1-2 minutes long. I sometimes wonder if it is even worth it to put out a minute long song. It promotes a throwaway mentality and can stifle quality. I’d rather have an artist take their time and really craft some great songs instead of just rapid-fire shooting songs out. This was really the only area that was lacking with this project.

 

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

 

#fleelord #inf_mobb_flee #griselda #segang #buckwild #ditc #diggin #bronx #diggininthecrates #ditcstudios #handmemyflowers #hmmf

 

A.G. & RAY WEST – ALWAYS PROTECT THE KING

DITC member AG teams up with producer Ray West to give us a pretty subpar project. This one flops pretty hard. As far as the bars go, we got a lot of respect for AG, Party Arty, and other members of the legendary DITC. Party Arty probably stands out the most on this project lyrically with his hard bars. The biggest problem with this project is the production. The sleepy and often times dreamy beats are enough to put the listener to sleep. This is not really the project you want to throw on if you are trying to get hype. When you put great rappers over these beats, it definitely brings down the overall quality of the lyrics as well. This was just not a very calculated step. We hope to hear better stuff from AG to come.

 

OVERALL RATING: 1.5 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

 

#agofditc #ag #andrethegiant #ditc #ditcstudios #diggin #bronx #diggininthecrates #raywest #alwaysprotecttheking #aptk

 

D.I.T.C. – D.I.T.C. STUDIOS VOL. 2

The DITC camp releases a second volume of some more bangers for the streets. This is true hip hop at it’s finest and purest form here. You get tracks from all the veterans like OC and AG then some newer stars like David Bars. On the mic, they have always been dope and that is what has made this whole crew stand the test of time. OC is probably the highlight lyrically just as he has always been. The beats on here are slightly above average. I don’t think this is the best work we’ve ever seen from DITC producers, but they are certainly good beats. The highlights include “Jugganots” featuring OC and Lil Fame and “Everything To Gain” featuring Papoose and AG. Papoose murders his verse on that track. If you love hip hop, you need to check this release out.

 

OVERALL RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

 

#ditc #ditcstudios #bigl #ag #diamondd #fatjoe #showbiz #oc #buckwild #lordfinesse #diggin #bronx #diggininthecrates #ditcstudios2 #ditcstudiosvol2

 

SHOWBIZ & MILANO – BOULEVARD AUTHOR

This was a pretty dope release out of the DITC camp. Milano has been spitting a long time and definitely can handle the mic properly. He has some really dope lines on here. He definitely sounds more focused on this go round. He also didn’t enlist any features to help him out with this one which is noteworthy. The beats are pretty dope as well. Showbiz is of course legendary and has no problem providing that classic NY boom bap sound with clever samples and heavy drums for MCs to rock. This was definitely a good mix and worked out very favorably.

 

OVERALL RATING: 4 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

 

#showbiz #diggininthecrates #ditc #ditcstudios #diggin #milano #milanoconstantine #milano7warriors #bronx #boulevardauthor

 

DIAMOND D – THE DIAM PIECE 2

The DITC producer is back with another really dope album. This is a very strong creation from the veteran mastermind. He lays some great and slamming tracks for a plethora of MCs to rip. Not only does he rock the mic, but he allows a ton of other rappers to do their thing. You get great features from Elzhi, Erick Sermon, Havoc, Xzibit, Fat Joe, Raekwon, Fred The Godson, and a bunch more. The beats are really really fresh on here. It’s just a great sounding record. There are some records that might not be perfect on here, but overall, you are getting a solid piece of work from a guy that knows music. Hip Hop fans, don’t sleep on this one.

 

OVERALL RATING: 4 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

 

#diamondd #diamondditc #ditc #thediampiece2 #diampiece2

 

MILANO – THE BELIEVERS

Another DITC vet drops off a huge double album for the streets. This one I would define as pretty average. Milano is not the best MC ever, but he’s not whack either. He spits out some decent bars with an almost 90’s approach to things which is appreciated. He can give you those bottle-popping, club joints and then slow it down for some sinister, street tales. The production on here is pretty average as well. Again, there won’t really be anything classic on here, but at the same time, you are getting good production from the DITC crew. There are definitely some head-nodding beats on here, but just not quite up to the caliber that we are used to seeing from this crew. All in all, I would call this album “middle of the road.” Your choice on if you are checking out Milano’s latest effort or not.

 

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

 

#milano #milanoconstantine #milano7warriors #ditc #ditcstudios #diggin #bronx #thebelievers #believers

 

A.G. & CUNS – BRONCK’S KILL EP

The DITC vet A.G. teams up with Roman producer Cuns for a quick 6 track EP. With 5 songs and 1 skit, this one is pretty decent. I wouldn’t say they knocked it out of the park, but this is definitely an interesting listen. A.G. slows down his normal flow so that he can speak over some more mysterious types beats. This would almost be the soundtrack to the Hardy Boys mysteries if you threw some raps over top of it. That is the vibe you get while listening to this project. I would have liked some faster, more up-tempo beats, but for what it is, it is pretty decent.

 

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

 

#agofditc #ag #andrethegiant #ditc #cuns #cunsino #tuffkongrecords #bronckskill #bronckskillep

 

O.C. & PF CUTTIN – OPIUM

An unlikely pairing leads to a genuinely banging project with this one. The DITC veteran spitter OC teams up with the Blahzay Blahzay producer PF Cuttin and created some hard East Coast sounds for your eardrums. OC definitely does his thing on the mic like he always does. He is like a varsity letterman at an Ivy League school as he shows us what elite rapping is like. He drops jewels on us time and time again and this project is no different. PF Cuttin matches OC efforts on the production side of things. His beats are definitely reminiscent of the boom bap era. The stand out quality is that it sounds like you are almost listening to live drums which is pretty dope. The highlights on this project include the eerie “Beneath The Planet Apes” which feels like you are walking through a post-apocalyptic jungle and the almost church-like “Get In Line.” Both of these tracks are absolutely slamming. If you pass on this one, then I really don’t know what to tell you.

OVERALL RATING: 4 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#oc #o.c. #ditc #ditcstudios #therealocizzle #diggin #bronx #blahzayblahzay #realblahzay #pfcuttin #eastnewyork #eastny #opium

A.G. – THE TASTE OF AMBROSIA

The DITC vet is back with another album and this one is pretty decent overall. I will say that it doesn’t really sound like a lot of other offerings from DITC though. Production wise, it almost has an other-worldly feel to it. You don’t really get that gritty DITC studios sound like you do on other offerings, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. There’s a lot more instrumentation behind a lot of these beats. AG definitely does what he does on the mic. You get what you expect from him lyrically and that is a good thing. Nothing too crazy, but nothing whack either. He is definitely shooting for par on here. All in all, this was a decent release from the DITC member.

OVERALL RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#agofditc #ag #andrethegiant #thetasteofambrosia #ttoa #ditc

O.C. – A NEW DAWN

D.I.T.C. member O.C. drops off a new record called “A New Dawn.” This album was overall a lot more chill than I was hoping for. O.C. has always been lyrically sharp and that is no question. He is able to deliver the same caliber of rhymes on here that he has always been known for. The beats though were a little too laid back for my liking. There were a few joints that were a little more up tempo, but overall, the record seems to be sitting more than it is standing. There are 3 tracks that sort of stand out more than the others. These would be “Powerful,” “Interlude,” and “Ethics (Who Are You).” These definitely get your head nodding a bit more than the more laid back tracks. All in all, I think that this was a little bit more of a lazy attempt of an album that could have been pretty dope. Again, this is O.C.’s lyrics aside. D.I.T.C. fans will definitely appreciate this though.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#oc #anewdawn #ditc #ditcstudios #bigl #ag #diamondd #fatjoe #showbiz #therealocizzle #buckwild #lordfinesse #diggin #bronx

SHOWBIZ – A-ROOM THERAPY EP

Showbiz drops off a quick EP here and shows why he is a legendary producer from the DITC crew. Not really a whole lot to say about this quick listen here. Lyrically he gets some pretty decent MCs on the project. They definitely hold their own when spitting especially O.C. and A-Bless. The beats are dope. They almost have an old classic type of feel with the samples. He definitely injects some soul into the beats but keeps it hip hop at the same time. If you are a fan of DITC and Showbiz, then breeze through this quick collection of 5 tracks.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#showbiz #aroomtherapy #ditc #ditcstudios #diggin

APATHY & O.C. – PERESTROIKA

The wait was certainly worth it for this joint! This album is so banging and I’m so happy with how this turned out. Lyrically Apathy and O.C. are at the top of their game. The bars they spit are fantastic and very complex. I like that they have a cold winter, cold war, mother Russia feel as a backdrop to the album. It is the perfect theme for this project and they convey their rhymes perfectly. The beats are amazing on here. There are tons of great samples. The best part of this whole project is the fact that it plays through and you don’t have to skip any tracks. Consistency definitely works on here. I’d say the highlight of the album is definitely the lead single “Soviet Official.” This track is so banging and will most certainly be on repeat in your playlist. Go cop this joint immediately and don’t stop listening to it until you have wore out some type of button on whatever you listen to it on.

OVERALL RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#apathy #apathydgz #oc #o.c. #ditc #d.i.t.c. #diggininthecrates #therealocizzle #perestroika #aotp #armyofthepharoahs

D.I.T.C. – D.I.T.C. STUDIOS

DITC is a classic hip hop group that has always been consistent and drops yet another jewel on us with this offering. This album is solid and consistent. This is an often forgot about group that is truly underrated. I saw them in concert back in 1999 after Big L was killed and it was certainly a sight to see. They come hard on every track they have ever put out. This album is no different. You almost certainly can’t question the production based on the team that they have. And the lyrics are often unmatched as well. I think the standout tracks on this album would be “Rock Shyt” and “Make Em So Proud.” This is a great album for newer rap listeners to pick up and study how classic hip hop is supposed to be made.

OVERALL RATING: 4 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#ditc #ditcstudios #bigl #ag #diamondd #fatjoe #showbiz #oc #buckwild #lordfinesse #diggin #bronx