Even though it's been a slow day...I'm about to hit y'all with my first must-cop album of the year. I'm talkin' about the new hip-hop super-group: eMC! The crew consists of the legendary Masta Ace, Stricklin, Punchline & Wordsworth. "The Show" is the upcoming debut album by eMC. While it was originally rumored that Ace had retired from music after the release of his acclaimed 2004 concept album A Long Hot Summer, the following year the veteran had formed the new collective with his protege, Milwaukee rapper Strick, and revered underground lyricists Punch & Words. The four had previously collaborated on numerous albums and tracks, and toured extensively as a collective.

Like Ace's previous albums, "A Long Hot Summer" and "Disposable Arts", "The Show" is a thematic concept album that tells a story. The album's story follows a day in the life of eMC doing a show on the road. In a January 2007 interview, Strick explained in detail: "It starts with Punch being late for his flight, which he always is. As we're doing this skit for the album, Punch is getting mad, saying 'Why you accusing me of always being late?' Then as we do the first eMC tour, he misses his flight to Berlin. So, the album starts with Punch being late, and follows us all the way to the show and the interviews after the show.".

The first official eMC track, the Ayatollah-produced "Four Brothers", was released in 2006. Album guest spots include verses from both Little Brother and Sean Price. Producers confirmed for the project include Ayatollah, Marco Polo, Koolade, Frequency, Quincy Tones, and Nicolay. The album was leaked in full today, just days after Ace confirmed in an interview that the album was just recently completed.

I bumped the whole joint from front to back on my way to class earlier today, and it's definitely going to be bought the first day this joint hit's stores. At the moment the release is scheduled for late March, however after this leak I'm thinking that may get moved up a few weeks or more to compensate for the untimely circulation online. Regardless, I urge y'all to give this joint a spin and if you feel it...go out and cop it when it drops. Masta Ace is one of the, if not THE most underrated emcee of all time. point, blank, period and if you youngins haven't heard his solo albums A Long Hot Summer or Disposable Arts go out and cop them ASAP for your own good.


01. Who We Be
02. Airport
03. Leak It Out
04. The Check In
05. Traffic f. Little Brother
06. Say Now
07. Message
08. Don;t give Up On Us f. ADI (of Growing Nation)
09. Git some f. Sean Price
10. We Alright f. Strickie Love
11. Radio Station
12. EMC "What It Stand For"
13. Angry Mech. Guy
14. Grudge
15. Make It Better
16. The Lobby
17. Winds of Change
18. The Show f. Ladybuy Mecca
19. Back Stage
20. Borrow U f. Strickie Love
21. Once More
22. U let Me Grow
23. Feel It f. Money Ham
24. Bonus

What It Stand For (Video)


Four Brothers (Video)