Demigodz front man Apathy has done nothing but make waves in his short career. His exceptional lyrics and delivery, as best displayed on 7L & Esoteric's \Speak Now"" were enough to send major labels his way. Atlantic Records won the contract. With his solo debut expected to drop next year, Apathy will be given the chance to prove to the mainstream rap audience what indie hip-hoppers have known for quite some time-that Eminem is far from being the only talented white rapper out there.
A new album by The Roots is expected to be released sometime in 2004. Black Thought, ?uestlove and company have proven to be the most creative and consistent group in hip-hop, with 2002's Phrenology being the latest in a series of great albums. With every new release, The Roots successfully switch up their sound and invent with a new vibe to rock with. Who knows what they'll come up with next?
This past year was a forgettable one for the Wu-Tang Clan, as RZA, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon and Wu-fam Mathematics all dropped less than stellar albums. Suffice it to say, Wu-Tang is against the ropes and needs help. Such was also the case in 2000, when Ghostface Killah saved Wu-Tang with his fantastic sophomore release, Supreme Clientele. This time around, the Wally Champ signed with Def Jam and dropped the Killah from his name, leaving only Ghostface. Early indications, particularly his collaboration with Jadakiss, , are that Ghostface just might be able to do it again.
Q-Tip, Phife and Ali Shaheed Mohammed, otherwise known as A Tribe Called Quest, have reunited and are preparing to release an album in '04. After mediocre solo careers across the board, the reunion was more a matter of time than anything else. Widely considered the best group in the history of hip-hop, the new ATCQ is going to have enormous shoes to fill- those of the old ATCQ.
