Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

While the name might not ring a bell, music producer Hi-Tek has proven that he is able to discover the new voices of tomorrow and craft the songs that will make them stars. Arising from Cincinatti’s hip-hop scene, Hi-Tek helped define the sound of the 1990s underground rap scene in New York by working with Talib Kweli, Mos Def and others.

In 2001, Hi-Tek undertook the solo project of creating Hi-Teknology, an album that showcased the talent of new up-and-coming Mcs. In 2006, the follow-up record Hi-Teknology 2 showcased established artists such as Nas, Busta Rhymes, and Talib Kweli. With the third album in this series, Hi-Tek turns to unheard-of talent to prove what they’ve got. Although the majority of the artists on the album are new, many other well-known artists, such as Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, The Game, and Talib Kweli.

Hi-Teknology 3 is one of the best rap albums I have heard in a long time. Differentiating itself from popular rap purely bred on synthesizers, appealing beats and insignificant messages, every song on this album contains meaningful lyrics, as well as the catchy hooks and beats. Rappers of the old school school would be proud to see that hip-hop is not dead and is, in fact, kept alive by Talib Kweli and many others. The first song Life to Me is introduced by the first track, an eloquent poem about love and music. Such a moving introduction, written by T. Cottrell and C. Isaacs, sets the scene for a rap album that does not disappoint and gets better and better with each track. Life to Me features Estelle’s powerful voice and echoes that of the soulful Angie Stone.

God’s Plan is an ode to the fallen, with Young Buck and Outlaws stepping in to be the “voice of the slums/ the hope for the youth“. Smartly written, it is a highly politicized message of the violence overtaking neighborhoods, those caught in the cross-fires, and those who are doing nothing to stop it. An urgent plea to the public, this song contains one of the best lines on the album, in my opinion: Take the Farakhan route and try to reach the youth/ My people dying before we get a chance to reproduce/ The government keep lying/ God bless the fuckin’ truth/ ’Cuz while the bullets flying/ Bush sippin’ Grey Goose. God’s Plan is unfortunately one of the shortest songs on the album but is, like many of the other tracks, a song that will have you listening to it over and over. Sept. 13, 1996 is a date memorialized in this song since it is a very important date to many rappers and non-rappers. It was on that date that the music history lost Tupac Shakur. A rapper with songs about real life that is unidealizes, Young Buck and Outlaws do sing as if they were “sent to us by Pac”.

Hi-tek, despite this being his 3rd album in the series, never falters. Each song is different and unique with strong lyrics it makes us think but with its melodies, it’s also one of the albums you can turn up in your car and just enjoy. With his creative vision, it is no surprise that he now works with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment label.