s Jurassic 5 stated with the title of their latest album, hip-hop has always found Power In Numbers. If this is true, then it should come as no surprise that 2003 will feature a plethora of group and joint collaboration albums, like the recently released Diplomatic Immunity by Cam'ron and his crew, the Diplomats. Unfortunately, Diplomatic Immunity isn't very good, but it does offer a nice formula -- not every single track is a posse cut, as each member gets their own solo tracks and ample time to shine. Possibly keeping with that idea, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo, collectively known as G-Unit, will be releasing their major label debut sometime later this year. 50's album, Get Rich or Die Trying, was extremely successful, half because of a huge single (In Da Club) and half because of his association with Eminem. Speaking of the great white hype, Eminem plans to release a new D-12 record sometime in the fourth quarter. And even Ghostface Killah and his group, Theodore Unit (great name, eh?) will release their first record on Def Jam. Theodore Unit, basically consisting of anyone Ghostface is friends with (Raekwon, Superb, etc), should be a hot ticket item when, and if, it finally comes out. The rash of collective and group albums is quite stunning, but it differs completely from 2002's trend of established stars, and 2001's emphasis on new artists. Will it allow new artists to hone their skill with less pressure, or will it hold back potential breakout stars from the spotlight? Only time will tell.


Lately, Clifford “Method Man” Smith has been a jack of all trades. First, he starred in EA Big's smashing success, Def Jam Vendetta (link), a wrestling game for Playstation 2 and Gamecube featuring Def Jam's hottest rappers. Second, Meth and his partner in rhyme, Redman, will be appearing later this year on the big screen again in a movie where they play, what else, undercover DEA agents, in a still-untitled comedy. Judging from their chemistry in How High, they should be able to overcome the possibility of a stupid plot (which, sadly, is a distinct possibility). Finally, he is set to release his third solo album, Tical 0, in May of 2003 on Def Jam Records. Of course, set is a relative term, because this comes four years after his last release, Tical 2000, and two years after its initial release date. However, early prognosis on the album is good- a nice buzz has been created from the few tracks released. In particular, "Uh Huh", the first single, has good production, and it has caught fire on the radio, in addition to being featured prominently on Def Jam Vendetta's soundtrack. "Tical 0" also features a guest appearance by Ludacris on a RZA produced beat, and both the Source and XXL have already said in plain words: "this song is bananas". Let's hope 2003 is the year of the Meth, as he rights his music career and regains his love for rap, in general.


Single of the month: Nas - “I Can”

Yes, this is "that song that sampled Fur Elise", possibly one of the most recognizable melodies of all time. And yes, it features the ever-popular child-singer-chorus that Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes and Trick Daddy have used in the past, among others. Somehow, though, this song doesn't seem gimmicky. The production fits the positive message of the song, hidden behind some horrible stories. In that sense, it’s almost a sequel to Stillmatic's gem "What Goes Around", featuring cautionary tales for children, including, but not limited to, a girl who gets into the music industry much too young and gets sucked into sex and drugs, and boys too obsessed with smoking weed and jewelry to learn to read and write. Overall it’s an uplifting message song, though, which when put in Nas’ hands works beautifully. Check it out- if you can’t escape the video or radio single already.