Wale “Attention Deficit” (2009)

After bubbling in hip-hop’s underground for several years  with many buzz-worthy songs and mixtapes, Wale proves he’s more than just a one-dimensional sneaker MC on his major label debut, Attention Deficit.

Mr. Hudson “Straight No Chaser” (2009)

With soaring Bono-like arena vocals and ’80s electropop and rock production sprinkled in with alternative hip-hop sounds, Mr. Hudson’s Straight No Chaser, his sophomore release and first for Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint, is a solid introduction to the British musician for American audiences.

Kid Cudi “Man On The Moon: The End Of Day” (2009)

Kid Cudi is depressed. The skinny jeans-wearing Cleveland rapper and singer is all doom and gloom on his debut solo album, the brilliant Man On The Moon: The End Of Day, a psychedelic trip into the mind of a 20-something going through his quarter-life crisis.

Jay-Z “The Blueprint 3″ (2009)

Jay-Z has nothing left to prove in hip-hop, or even music. And he spends much of his time on The Blueprint 3, his 11th studio album, making sure we know that.

Jay-Z’s raps have been on a decline for years, and as with most of his albums, The Blueprint 3 is a mixed bag of innovative and uninspired, although as usual, the good outweighs the bad.

Concert review: Incubus

From The Miami Herald’s blog, Miami Music Matters

In its first South Florida performance in almost two years, California-based alt-rock group Incubus blasted through a 90 minute set of its biggest hits, fan-favorite album cuts, and a few rarities, despite less than stellar sound.

The first show at Bayfront Park Amphitheater in downtown Miami since a multi-million dollar makeover, the venue’s sound was flat and low — not ideal for a rock and roll show. The band’s songs, which are known for transitioning from whisper-quiet to in-your-face loud, were overly equalized, lessening the impact of the the music’s dynamic range and singer Brandon Boyd’s soaring vocals.