Assistant A&E Editor
It’s hard to filter through all the hip-hop that floods the Internet and find the true talent. To some it depends on what you’re looking for: a catchy hook, sick rhymes, fast flow or a killer beat. I think I struck hip-hop gold when I found up-and-coming artist Hoodie Allen’s new EP, All American.
Steven Markowitz, better known as Hoodie Allen, is a 23-year-old who entered the rap game three years ago. He’s been perfecting his craft and has finally produced his third EP, and it may be his best project yet. Allen’s first project, Pep Rally, had set the bar, and he’s only raised it since Leap Year, his second project. The Old Bethpage, N.Y. native has performed with acts like Clipse, Chiddy Bang and Wax.
Hoodie destroys All American as the beats and catchy choruses are the perfect combination to carry you into the springtime. It’s the kind of album you can crank in your car, roll the windows down and throw some shades on to. You’ll be nodding your head to tracks like “Top of the World,” “No Interruption” and “No Faith Brooklyn.”
His killer style and Elvis Presley old-school swag brings this cleaned-up act to the hip-hop world. I find Hoodie Allen to be the classic case of not judging a book by its cover. He manages to balance all the classic styles into a classic American look. I think if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary and are brave enough to put down your Lil’ Wayne, Drake and Tyga albums, you’ll be able to hear something unique and worth your time.