Molemen - Below the Ground / Buried Alive

The Chicago production crew Molemen first appeared in the late ‘90s, dropping two exceptional EPs that are packaged together for this excellent 15-track collection. Known for their hard-hitting drums and grimy, melodramatic samples, Molemen created a sound like a mix of Premier and The Alchemist. It's ideal for hardcore B-boys and streetwise hood cats alike. The core group includes Panik, Memo, and PNS, though other artists (Vakill, Scheme, and Astonish) are also part of the crew. Several joints here feature a pre-fame Rhymefest, as well as fellow Chi-Towners like Juice (“Period”), All Natural (“Drug Wars”), and E.C. Illa (“Taste of Chicago”). Although their dark and rugged style has largely fallen out of fashion, Molemen are still around and putting out great music (check out later albums like Ritual of the Molemen and Killing Fields). This is a dope time capsule of that short-lived moment when underground hip-hop was still pretty tough. Don't miss “Keep the Fame (Remix)” and “Freestyle or Written.”