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Insomnia, 4080, Stress, Murder Dog

© Steve Juon

The alternative hip-hop press just keeps getting stronger and stronger! If you think The Source and Vibe are your only choices, think again. Here's my take on the latest crop of 'zines that I picked up in Ann Arbor on July 18, 1998.

Insomnia: It's become dangerous to call anything "ghetto" these days, but I have to be honest - it's the first thing that comes to mind when I flip through this rag. That's not necesarily bad in some ways; a raw attitude can keep your shit fresh like the Wu-Tang Clan's debut album. The good side comes with a bad side too: remember those missed beats and oddly timed samples coupled with the uneven mastering that their debut had? Translate that to print. Insomnia has spelling errors, grammar errors, and layout errors. Mad errors, too many to count. I like this magazine though, especially their sense of humor. They even mock the Taco Bell dog in a self-promotional ad: "F*ck a taco, I want Insomnia!" Funnyish. My only REALLY serious gripe is that whoever does the record reviews is way too fucking happy; he doesn't dislike anything! C'mon Bee, there are SOME wack records. I think even EC Illa would get props in their review section. Speaking of which...

Stress: They've been holding it down for a while now, but you may not have heard of them before their latest promotional issue with the free vinyl inset from Rawkus. I remember getting a copy free with a press kit back in the day and thinking it was a bit uneven, but now it's HELLA tight. The interviews are ill: this girl at the magazine had the balls to ask Mase to his face if she's Puffy's gay lover. You gotta read his reaction, it's a trip! The articles are on point - they even have the down low dirt on how to run an independent record label the RIGHT way. Very scientific, lots of details. I love that. Reviews are razor sharp; they give props when you deserve it but if you're wack *CRRRRICK* you get ya throat slit. Man, Dee Tee diced up EC Illa something HARD. I can't remember laughing that much at a review since I read my man Bob Jones opinion of a movie soundtrack where he said bashing yourself over the head with a mailbox was more fun than listening to this record. :>

Murder Dog: SLICK. I mean the glossy paper cover, the layout, the style, everything. They're like a less wack version of The Source; except the focus is on gangsta rap - with some surprises. We're

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