Sharp as he wants to be KJ Hines is an MC out of Austin, TX that's putting his mark on the indie rap scene with his most recent release
Before My Time Vol. 3.
I spent a few days listening to a lot of artist to the point where my ears were raw with half the garbage out there. Some rapper's you can hear the lack of talent from the sheer force of the lies they tell, thats when boredom kills your enthusiasm. KJ Hines is a refreshing voice that is actually spitting from his heart and people, he can spit.
I'm gonna be honest, when I first started listening to the CD I was like, "eh," but, we can blame that on the fact that I spent hours listening to lames. Now, the song that grabbed my attention and made me wake up from slumber was his rendition of J. Cole's
Lights Please
(If you dont know how J. Cole tore that joint up, buy it). I fell back and said, "Let me tap this mixtape back to the beginning." From there I found myself entertained by the wit, fearlessness and intelligence of this MC.
Before My Time Vol. 3 speaks volumes to his talent and confidence on the mic. KJ's ability to connect with the audience stems from his ability to not just scream the obvious, that there are haters in the world. What he provides is insight to the effect that they have and the lessons he learned to overcome their watchful eye. Most rappers always say what's in their heart after its been filtered through their minds. That filter in the mind is doubt. So by the time you hear it as a listener you're only getting half of what you paid for. The thing that makes the greatest that ever done it great is the fact that the filter in the mind is removed, there are no doubts. KJ is heading down this path artisticly. Every verse and every song KJ telling his listener, "Keep up with me, I got a lot to say and I'm not going to stop." Rare do you see an artist take that position. Most believe the mass public need their hand held.
I believe that KJ's, slight homage to Jay-Z's
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
is his way of saying that he's an MC with skills who is on his way to being a fierce competitor in the music scene and he is just getting started. I recommend you visit his site and listen to how KJ has the ability to draw you into the world. I'm not saying that KJ is one of the greats but he has the heart of one because the filter is gone. We'll see what happens next album.
Although he has a good run of tracks on here, the repeat offenders for me are:
Jealous, Ya' Know, Slick As They Come, Hi Hello.
For more info visit KJ Hines at
www.kjhines.com.
Are You A Fan Yet?
album dropping on August 3, 2010. 
and Chris Brown
. Listen for yourself and let us know, Are You A Fan Yet?
.
For nostalgic purposes lets take it back to a time when commercial and underground hip hop were at war. When the MC used to say that a rapper was wack because they used to talk about making people sweat and what could and couldn't be touched. Let's say the war between Commercial Hip Hop and Underground Hip Hop went differently. Let's say that the Puff Daddy Era didn't win out at the turn of the millenia and the Grammy's understood that Wu Tang was for the children. Nas never decided he was Escobar and created "jiggy" records for sales and Ja Rule never sang out of tune. What would we be listening to? What would hip hop artists sound like? They would sound like SageInfinite. 
sets the tone for the entire CD which is a button pushing opus that delves into the psyche of betrayal, mediocre rappers and his skill to create vivid images with words.
. Sage provides a story about a beautiful young lady whose father abandoned her before birth only to be jealous of her rise to fame. I won't spoil the conclusion for you, but, it is worth a couple of listens to catch the intricacies of his rap flow and the little details that ad layers to the ending.
, they would include: I am...
, Crimes, Drugs, Liquor, & Life
, Will I Make It Pt. 1
& Pt. 2
& Trynna Snatch Beauty