10 New York Hip Hop Albums, Mixtapes, EPs Worth Hearing [June 2011]

Cavalier-The-Lost-Weeks Cavalier
The Lost Weeks [MIXTAPE]

In Cavalier’s bio, it declares things like, “Reports of a long-haired MC shaman who could spit fire from his voice box…” and “Armed with only his satchel of special herbs, the soldier of lyricism moved to destroy the deadly forces of Wackness and Ignorance that had cast a pall on Natural Earth’s music.” Normally, this type of hyperbole might only evoke a chuckle and a let’s-just-keep-it-moving attitude, but those familiar with Cavalier, his style, aura and spit game, know that these words are more than mere marketing copy. The Lost Weeks contains seldom heard tracks, the suffix to a lengthy freestyle-a-week series, and provide an intriguing listen into the mind of Cavalier. Be warned. You’ll need at least a few rewinds to grasp all of the obscure references Cav brings to the table, but for those who dig occasionally cryptic, intellectual, spitfire hip hop with substance delivered through various styles, will thank us for putting you on to this cat. Standouts include “Week 19: X-Mas Eve,” “Week 22: Nobody,” “Week 28: Who Gets Money,” featuring Tavi and “Week 29: Brown Sugar”.