BRL 2013 Year in Review (Part 2)

30. Tonedeff – Glutton (75.5)

29. John Legend – Love in the Future (75.5)

28. Louis Logic – Look on the Blight Side (76)

After seven years without a solo album, Louis Logic finally released a new record in 2013. Logic handled all the production himself, which at times resulted in some mediocre and same-sounding beats. But overall it was another great release from one of the most technically gifted rappers in the game. The album's opening track, "A Day Late & a Dollar Short" was one of my favorite songs of the year.

27. Cold War Kids – Dear Miss Lonelyhearts (76)

I discovered a lot of great music listening to University of Findlay's radio station last year. One band that I re-discovered was the Cold War Kids. "Miracle Mile" was getting a lot of plays and it was a great song, which prompted me to further investigate their latest LP. It was a slow burn of an album, where I only liked a few songs at first, but by the end of the year, it become one of my favorites.

26. Big Sean – Hall of Fame (76.5)

G.O.O.D. Music's most polarizing figure showed his great potential in 2012 with an excellent mixtape and stole the show on Cruel Summer. And that potential became more realized this year with his sophomore effort, Hall of Fame. This album showed the Detroit can do more emotionally driven subject matter, in addition to his swagger raps.

25. Mayer Hawthorne – Where Does this Door Go? (77)

24. Dessa – Parts of Speech (78)

This album came out right before I moved to Chicago. I didn't play the fourth track of this album until a few months after getting this album. The third track is the excellent lead single "Warsaw," where Dessa proves her battle rap chops. But the first two cuts - "Man I Knew" and "Give Up Your Ghost" - are as fierce of a one-two punch to start an album as any I can remember. When I finally got to the entire album, I realized Parts of Speech was damn good.

23. Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience (part 1) (78.5)

22. Tuxedo (Mayer Hawthorne & Jake-One) – Tuxedo (78.5)

Mayer Hawthorne had a pretty solid year between his third LP, Where Does This Door Go? and his "secret" project with Seattle beatmaker Jake-One. His latest full-length is probably his best album, but his 3-track Tuxedo managed to have the three best songs he made all year. "Do It" is one of those undeniable songs, that you love the second you hear it.

21. Ugly Heroes (Apollo Brown, Red Pill & Verbal Kent) – Ugly Heroes (78.5)

Rhymes: Tonedeff aka Peter Anthony Red

We all knew it was going to be a big year for QN5 founder, Tonedeff, but we thought it'd start with the highly anticipated Chico and the Man album with Kno.  But instead the rapper, who hasn't released a full length LP since 2005, threw us a real curve ball earlier this week when he announced his new project under the monkier, Peter Anthony Red.

Tone will release a free EP under the Peter Anthony Red name, followed by a full LP titled Hyperrealism, with the full version of the song above. This project will feature mostly singing, which is what fans have been begging  for since the release of "Gathered" in 2005.

Tone also reassured fans that Chico and the Man will still eventually be released, but he has a lot in the works, here is a list of projects that he will be releasing in 2012 and beyond:

• Peter Anthony Red - Untitled EP 
• Tonedeff - Polymer 
• Tonedeff and Kno - Chico and the Man
• Peter Anthony Red - Hyperrealism
• Tonedeff - Monotone EP Re-release

Also Tone alluded to releasing another Tonedeff LP that will be the sequel to Archetype, another RP of his infamous "fast raps" and the long awaited Asterisk 5 QN5 compilation are all also in the works.

BRL will keep you posted when we get more music and news.

Rhymes: Tonedeff - "What Part of Forever (Cee-Lo Cover)"

Fresh off of the QN5 Megashow and the Chico & the Man release date announcement (12/13/11), Tonedeff drops a video of his cover of Cee-Lo's Twilight soundtrack single. The cover is a lot slower than Cee-Lo's original, but it's equally as dope. This track is off of his Cold.Killed.Collected compilation, Tone released earlier this year.

You can download the track here.

Rhymes: Chico & the Man Preview

Finally Kno and Tone shed a little light on their up coming album. The "underground Detox" has been rumored to be released since 2003, and we finally have a date which is 12/13/11. I'm sorely disappointed I was unable to attend the QN5 Megashow in New York, and I decided next year, I will be a college graduate and I will not miss another QN5 Megashow.

From Dwight Schrute's Beet Farm: A Future History Lesson (Qn5)

This video was played before the QN5 Mega show. I greatly regret missing it.