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15 Years Later The Black Album Is Still JAY-Z’s Perfect Fadeaway (Video)

15 Years Later The Black Album Is Still JAY-Z’s Perfect Fadeaway (Video)

"Any time you're making an album, especially if this is your last album, every single track has to be a statement. Like, in your mind, you're thinking, I have to make the perfect album," JAY-Z said before Fade To Black cameras during 2003, when the documentary filmed. "Anybody that knows... Read more
November 14, 2018 Food for Thought, Throwback, Throwback, Video
T.I. Outlines What He Sees As The Positive Aspects Of The Crack Era (Video)

T.I. Outlines What He Sees As The Positive Aspects Of The Crack Era (Video)

Although the crack epidemic is one of the most tragic times for addiction, poverty, and crime, it has an odd relationship with Rap music. Iconic songs and albums have used the free base form of cocaine as thematic inspiration. This ranges from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's "White Lines... Read more
November 10, 2018 Lifestyle, Video
Swizz Beatz Explains Why The JAY-Z, Nas & DMX Collabo Has Not Come Out (Video)

Swizz Beatz Explains Why The JAY-Z, Nas & DMX Collabo Has Not Come Out (Video)

Yesterday, Swizz Beatz released his POISON album. For the Bronx, New York representative, it is his third retail release over the last 16 years. Rather than bring attention to his catalog, the Grammy Award-winning producer, rapper, DJ, and musician has spotlit so many moments for his peers in Rap, R&B,... Read more
November 3, 2018 Video
Nike’s Stock Is At An All-Time High After Its Support Of Colin Kaepernick

Nike’s Stock Is At An All-Time High After Its Support Of Colin Kaepernick

While some upset parties have attempted to ignite their Nike products, the apparel giant's stock is what is really on fire. Nike's stock just reached an all-time high, and the apparel company can thank their recent signing of Colin Kaepernick and the powerful social media, print, digital, and television ads... Read more
September 14, 2018 Lifestyle, News
Nas Has Made The Forbes Hip-Hop List For The First Time In His Career

Nas Has Made The Forbes Hip-Hop List For The First Time In His Career

Nas told his fans what he would do if he ruled the world. In the 22 years since his Lauryn Hill-assisted single, Nasir Jones has stacked paper in a way that has put him in a very powerful position. Like peers JAY-Z and Eminem, one of Hip-Hop's most respected MCs... Read more
September 12, 2018 Lifestyle, News
Kanye West Confirms That Watch The Throne 2 Is Coming Soon

Kanye West Confirms That Watch The Throne 2 Is Coming Soon

Seven years and one month ago, JAY-Z and Kanye West released their joint album Watch The Throne. The Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam Records release arrived at a time when the mentor and onetime pupil were at the top of the Rap game. The 2011 release scored Jay and 'Ye seven Grammy nominations,... Read more
September 8, 2018 Fresh, News
Eric B. & Rakim Name Their 5 Most Important Hip-Hop Songs Of All-Time (Video)

Eric B. & Rakim Name Their 5 Most Important Hip-Hop Songs Of All-Time (Video)

Eric B. & Rakim were on-hand for a celebration at Mikey Likes It Ice Cream shop in New York City's Lower East Side last week. Currently celebrating 30 years since Follow The Leader, the Queens DJ/producer and the Long Island MC/producer collaborated in listing five of the most important Rap... Read more
August 21, 2018 Video
Keith Murray Takes The Beat He Lost To JAY-Z And Makes It His Own Def Jam (Audio)

Keith Murray Takes The Beat He Lost To JAY-Z And Makes It His Own Def Jam (Audio)

Long Island, New York’s DJ Gumba has been bringing the best out of the Keith Murray lately. While the whole Def Squad seems reinvigorated in 2018, Murray has been consistently smashing classic beats nearly every month since January. It seems that Gumba picks crucial tracks he thinks Murray would kill,... Read more
August 18, 2018 Audio
Ski Beatz Admits To Throwing Away An Entire Pre-Reasonable Doubt JAY-Z Album & Big L Music

Ski Beatz Admits To Throwing Away An Entire Pre-Reasonable Doubt JAY-Z Album & Big L Music

Hip-Hop lore often provides Heads with stories of triumph, classic moments, and past situations that, at the time, those involved didn't know how legendary they'd be. Sometimes though, disheartening news will emerge when the greats do recall their musical past. RZA's studio was flooded multiple times, which caused the creation... Read more
August 14, 2018 News, Throwback, Throwback
The Producer Of Ether Attempted To Offer The Beat To JAY-Z Before Nas (Video)

The Producer Of Ether Attempted To Offer The Beat To JAY-Z Before Nas (Video)

The term "ether" is forever implanted in the Hip-Hop lexicon and beyond. Heads can thank Nas for that one. The song is the title from Nasir's 2001 campaign against JAY-Z, in response to JAY-Z's "The Takeover." Two of the most respected MCs in Hip-Hop became entrenched in one of Rap's... Read more
August 8, 2018 Throwback, Throwback, Video
A Report Suggests Beyoncé & Kanye’s TIDAL Streaming Numbers Were Inflated (Video)

A Report Suggests Beyoncé & Kanye’s TIDAL Streaming Numbers Were Inflated (Video)

In recent weeks, several of the major streaming platforms have been under public fire for some of their hate speech policies and excessive marketing. While JAY-Z's Tidal service has avoided those headlines, an ongoing investigation into the platform raises some other questions entirely. VICE News has published a video that... Read more
August 6, 2018 Video
Yasiin Bey Is Opening An Art Gallery To Keep Hip-Hop In The South Bronx

Yasiin Bey Is Opening An Art Gallery To Keep Hip-Hop In The South Bronx

After Black Star album reports began in February, it has been a busier year than most for Yasiin Bey. He and partner Talib Kweli performed at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival just last weekend (July 14). It comes in the midst of a 20-year-celebration of their landmark Rawkus Records LP. Now,... Read more
July 18, 2018 Lifestyle, News
Too Short Explains How Tupac Almost Kept Pimp C From Working With JAY-Z (Video)

Too Short Explains How Tupac Almost Kept Pimp C From Working With JAY-Z (Video)

With 2000's guest spot on JAY-Z's Top 20 hit "Big Pimpin'," UGK scored their most visible collaboration to date. Produced by Timbaland, it appeared on Jigga's triple-platinum Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter and is easily one of the rapper's biggest commercial successes. At the time, Underground Kingz Bun B... Read more
July 11, 2018 Throwback, Throwback, Video
Sean “Puffy” Combs Calls Out The Blatant Racism In The Entertainment Business

Sean “Puffy” Combs Calls Out The Blatant Racism In The Entertainment Business

Sean "Puffy" Combs is a 25-plus-year symbol of Black entrepreneurship in the music and entertainment industries. While others like Quincy Jones, Russell Simmons, and Berry Gordy came before Puffy, his more modern, Hip Hop-specific prowess has placed him as one of the Rap business' elite and most enduring figures. The onetime... Read more
July 10, 2018 Fresh, Lifestyle
The 1st Peak At The Trayvon Martin Film Is A Powerful Look At The Movement He Launched

The 1st Peak At The Trayvon Martin Film Is A Powerful Look At The Movement He Launched

JAY-Z is in the midst of promoting his joint album EVERYTHING IS LOVE with his wife Beyoncé. The couple is currently on their On The Run 2 Tour this summer. However, at the same time, the legendary Brooklyn, New York MC is continuing his political initiatives to spread awareness of... Read more
July 3, 2018 TV, TV/Film, Video
In 2005, Beanie Sigel Teamed With Method Man & Heavy D For 1 Of His Realest Releases (Video)

In 2005, Beanie Sigel Teamed With Method Man & Heavy D For 1 Of His Realest Releases (Video)

During the early 2000s, Roc-A-Fella Records was one of the music industry's driving forces. Within the empire, JAY-Z was the boss, Kanye West was the creative, Cam'ron was the street-savvy comedian. Meanwhile, Beanie Sigel became the enforcer of the R-O-C. By Y2K, New York City-based Roc-A-Fella took a strong interest... Read more
June 28, 2018 Do Remember
The 14 Best Hip-Hop Releases So Far In 2018 (Audio & Video)

The 14 Best Hip-Hop Releases So Far In 2018 (Audio & Video)

Approaching 2018’s midpoint, the year has been absolutely incredible for Hip-Hop and Rap music. For many artists, the album is now shorter than it has ever been. Releases are more concentrated and digestible than they have been been in decades. Moreover, the MC/producer double-threat is winning, as is the chemistry... Read more
June 21, 2018 Food for Thought
JAY-Z Is Now President Of Puma’s Basketball Operations

JAY-Z Is Now President Of Puma’s Basketball Operations

A little over a decade ago, JAY-Z finished four years as the President of Def Jam Records. Shawn Carter helped give the label that distributed his Roc-A-Fella Records releases a face-lift and was part of signing a new regime that included Rick Ross, Jeezy, The Roots, and Ghostface Killah, among... Read more
June 18, 2018 Lifestyle, News
Takeover: JAY-Z & Beyonce Just Released An Album. It’s Their World Now (Video)

Takeover: JAY-Z & Beyonce Just Released An Album. It’s Their World Now (Video)

Following two confessional albums that put some vulnerable moments of their relationship and marriage on public display, JAY-Z and Beyoncé unite for a collaborative album. Today (June 16), The Carters released their first ever joint project, a nine-track effort with no warning. The move comes as the superstar couple is... Read more
June 16, 2018 Audio, Video
Big Daddy Kane Details Recording This 1988 Mixtape Collabo With JAY-Z (Video)

Big Daddy Kane Details Recording This 1988 Mixtape Collabo With JAY-Z (Video)

Big Daddy Kane and DJ Mister Cee have been performing and recording together for more than 30 years. The two Brooklyn, New York natives appear together on Funkmaster Flex's I Got A Story To Tell series. For more than an hour, one of the greatest MCs of all time revisits... Read more
June 10, 2018 Throwback, Video
Drake Goes From 0 To 100 Over 9th Wonder’s Beats (Audio)

Drake Goes From 0 To 100 Over 9th Wonder’s Beats (Audio)

Hailing from Montreal, DJ Critical Hype has been perfecting the craft of blending for nearly a decade. His The Art Of… series of mixes has highlighted luminaries of the game such as Talib Kweli, Danny Brown, and Kendrick Lamar. Then, a couple of years ago he moved onto mash-ups and... Read more
May 29, 2018 Audio, Mixes
JAY-Z’s Mother Accepts A GLAAD Media Award & Reminds All To Smile (Video)

JAY-Z’s Mother Accepts A GLAAD Media Award & Reminds All To Smile (Video)

4:44 stands as JAY-Z's most personal album to date. The work revealed a lot about himself, his marriage and family life, and also, his relationship with his mother as a lesbian parent. While Gloria Carter introduced and was referenced in "December 4th" on 2003's The Black Album, Jay had not... Read more
May 7, 2018 Lifestyle, Video
Kanye West Explains His Mental Breakdown For The First Time (Video)

Kanye West Explains His Mental Breakdown For The First Time (Video)

UPDATE: In a live video interview this afternoon (May 1) with TMZ, Kanye West admitted to an opioid addiction ahead of his 2016 hospitalization. "Two days before [I met with Donald Trump] I was in the hospital, I was on opioids. I was addicted to opioids. I had plastic surgery... Read more
May 1, 2018 News, Video
A 1993 JAY-Z Battle Shows He Was Already Dope Beyond A Reasonable Doubt (Video)

A 1993 JAY-Z Battle Shows He Was Already Dope Beyond A Reasonable Doubt (Video)

Back in the early 1990s, before many MCs had coveted record deals, they got their profiles up and buzzes hot through battling. This is the position JAY-Z was in back in 1993, as he was still two years away from founding his independent label, Roc-A-Fella Records, and was only known... Read more
April 28, 2018 Throwback, Throwback, Video
Rakim Reveals Nas Called Him For Advice Before He Ethered JAY-Z. Here’s What Ra Said (Video)

Rakim Reveals Nas Called Him For Advice Before He Ethered JAY-Z. Here’s What Ra Said (Video)

Recently, a number of MCs have openly rebelled against those that came before them. Lil Yachty said The Notorious B.I.G. was overrated. Young Dolph openly disrespected Pete Rock. And, too many rappers to count have favorably compared themselves to Tupac. But, it wasn't always that way. There was a time... Read more
April 14, 2018 Video
Tupac Hit Up Many More People Than Biggie In His Original Makaveli Liner Notes

Tupac Hit Up Many More People Than Biggie In His Original Makaveli Liner Notes

Tupac was not alive for the release of his fifth solo album, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. However, he was promoting and working on the LP at the time of his September 13, 1996 death. Fresh off the success of double-album, All Eyez On Me, Tupac wrote and... Read more
April 5, 2018 News, Throwback
ANoyd Antagonizes The Mic In A Blistering 5 Fingers Of Death Freestyle (Video)

ANoyd Antagonizes The Mic In A Blistering 5 Fingers Of Death Freestyle (Video)

Bloomfield, Connecticut lyricist ANoyd (pronounced "annoyed") has been mashing on the gas ever since he came in the game, about five years ago. That is the year he appeared on Apathy’s album that was dedicated to both MCs’ home state, Connecticut Casual. He has also recorded several songs with another... Read more
March 24, 2018 Video
JAY-Z & Diddy Built Empires. Now They Aim To Help Other Black Businesses Grow

JAY-Z & Diddy Built Empires. Now They Aim To Help Other Black Businesses Grow

JAY-Z and Diddy are two pillars of Black Excellence. These men have built empires that began with music careers, then expanded to record labels, and have extended into apparel, liquor, film, sports, TV, and a host of other ventures at the highest level. Since the '90s, these two men often... Read more
March 20, 2018 Lifestyle, News
This Mix Takes JAY-Z’s Most Powerful Lyrics & Blends Them Into A New Masterpiece (Audio)

This Mix Takes JAY-Z’s Most Powerful Lyrics & Blends Them Into A New Masterpiece (Audio)

Throughout the ages, many DJs have created mixtapes that artfully honor JAY-Z's vast catalog. In November, MICK and Chi Duly imagined a world in audio where Jay and DJ Premier expanded upon their stellar 1990s collaborative chemistry. The resulting 7:18 is a one-hour crowd-pleaser, placing new and old Hov' verses... Read more
March 12, 2018 Audio, Mixes
Phonte Has Made An Elite Album For The 99% Of Grown Hip-Hop Fans

Phonte Has Made An Elite Album For The 99% Of Grown Hip-Hop Fans

It's been more than six years since Phonte released his solo debut. Late 2012's Charity Starts At Home was critically-acclaimed and seemed to indicate that Tigallo was on his way to creating a stellar solo catalog beyond his celebrated work with Little Brother and Foreign Exchange. It did not quite... Read more
March 8, 2018 Audio, Food for Thought
What’s Better Than 1 Billionaire? 2. JAY-Z Passes Puffy On The Forbes List

What’s Better Than 1 Billionaire? 2. JAY-Z Passes Puffy On The Forbes List

Diddy once famously claimed that it's all about the Benjamin's. Well, now he and JAY-Z are closing in on about 10,000,000 of them. Both are atop Forbes' annual "Wealthiest Artists of Hip-Hop list." For years the mogul also known as Puff Daddy held the crown, but at this time, it's... Read more
March 1, 2018 News
Amy Winehouse’s Found Demo Showcases How Much Soul She Had At 17 (Audio)

Amy Winehouse’s Found Demo Showcases How Much Soul She Had At 17 (Audio)

When Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 27, the music community was shaken to its core after losing one of its boldest vocalists. Early in her short-lived career, the beehive-haired British singer's musical hybrid of R&B, Jazz, retro-Soul and Hip-Hop on her 2003 debut album Frank gained... Read more
February 27, 2018 Audio, Throwback
Smoke DZA & Joey Bada$$ Are In The Mood To Borrow A Scarface Classic And They Wax It (Audio)

Smoke DZA & Joey Bada$$ Are In The Mood To Borrow A Scarface Classic And They Wax It (Audio)

Smoke DZA is preparing to release his forthcoming project Not For Sale (April 20). In announcing the LP, he decided to link with his Smokers Club affiliate Joey Bada$$ for the Babygrande Records album's first single. "The Mood" is a tribute to all the New York City MCs that came... Read more
February 27, 2018 Audio
Jermaine Dupri Will Be The 2nd Hip-Hop Artist Inducted Into Songwriters Hall Of Fame

Jermaine Dupri Will Be The 2nd Hip-Hop Artist Inducted Into Songwriters Hall Of Fame

Last February, JAY-Z was announced as the first Hip-Hop artist headed to the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. In mid-June, when the New York City ceremony took place, former President Barack Obama was among those who affirmed and celebrated Jay's lyrical contributions to music. The major moment was followed by peer... Read more
February 6, 2018 News
Redman Says People Who Show Money Don’t Really Have It (Video)

Redman Says People Who Show Money Don’t Really Have It (Video)

For more than 25 years, Redman has built his public-facing brand as a blue-collar MC. Even as a superstar with How High presumably raking in box office dollars, a handful of platinum and gold albums, and arena tours, Redman still stands as a reflection of his faithful fans' lifestyle. Beyond... Read more
January 30, 2018 Video
JAY-Z Explains How Saving His Marriage Set A Bigger Example (Video)

JAY-Z Explains How Saving His Marriage Set A Bigger Example (Video)

In several hours, JAY-Z will learn if he is the winner of his first "Album Of The Year," "Record Of The Year," and/or "Song Of The Year" awards at tonight's Grammy's. 4:44, "Story Of O.J.," and the title track are the vehicles that earned Shawn Carter his nominations. Aside from... Read more
January 28, 2018 TV, TV/Film, Video
Redman Rates The Bars & He’s Not Afraid To Hand Out Zeros (Video)

Redman Rates The Bars & He’s Not Afraid To Hand Out Zeros (Video)

Last week, T.I. rated the bars. The Grand Hustle Records founder put some of his artists and close affiliates ahead of Tupac Shakur, leading to some interesting discourse from fans. This week, it is Redman who sits in the director chair and rates the MCs' bars handed to him on... Read more
January 22, 2018 Video
Londell McMillan Responds To JAY-Z’s Diss & Strongly Defends His Partnership With Prince (Video)

Londell McMillan Responds To JAY-Z’s Diss & Strongly Defends His Partnership With Prince (Video)

Following Prince's death on April 21, 2016, there has been a tug of war regarding the icon's music and assets. One month after the tragic news, JAY-Z made that battle both public and part of his own legendary catalog. On the Grammy-nominated 4:44, Shawn Carter took umbrage with the handling... Read more
January 10, 2018 News, Video
JAY-Z, Beyoncé & Blue Ivy Show How When A Family Feuds, Nobody Wins (Video)

JAY-Z, Beyoncé & Blue Ivy Show How When A Family Feuds, Nobody Wins (Video)

JAY-Z's latest 4:44 video is now available for all to view. "Family Feud" is one of the Grammy-nominated album's richest and most significant moments. The single addresses the infidelity that nearly cost the Carters their marriage. The No I.D.-produced song also alludes to the efforts to rebuild the trust, the... Read more
January 5, 2018 Video
Skillz Sets Off 2018 By Dissing Uncle Murda For Copying His Rap Up Concept (Audio)

Skillz Sets Off 2018 By Dissing Uncle Murda For Copying His Rap Up Concept (Audio)

For Hip-Hop Heads, the last days of the year have long belonged to an annual Skillz song. For nearly two decades, the Virginia MC, DJ, and the University Of Richmond's Artist In Residence has deftly created his "Year End Rap" at the close of the calendar. Many followers of the... Read more
January 3, 2018 Audio, News
Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2017 (Battle 12): JAY-Z vs. Joey Bada$$

Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2017 (Battle 12): JAY-Z vs. Joey Bada$$

We have our opinions on the best albums of 2017, but rather than simply list them, we thought it would be more interesting to hear what you, the readers, believe is the Best Rap Album of 2017. With that in mind, we decided to make our Best Rap Albums Of... Read more
December 29, 2017 Best Rap Album 2017
Drake Spits His Best Verse Of The Year While Lil Wayne Blasts Birdman (Audio)

Drake Spits His Best Verse Of The Year While Lil Wayne Blasts Birdman (Audio)

Earlier this week, Lil Wayne released his Dedication 6 mixtape with DJ Drama. Unlike most of the mixtapes of today, which feature original productions and are basically free albums, Wayne’s project was a return to the days when MCs jacked other rappers for their beats and made them their own.... Read more
December 29, 2017 Audio
Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2017 (Battle 7): JAY-Z vs. CyHi The Prynce

Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2017 (Battle 7): JAY-Z vs. CyHi The Prynce

We have our opinions on the best albums of 2017, but rather than simply list them, we thought it would be more interesting to hear what you, the readers, believe is the Best Rap Album of 2017. With that in mind, we decided to make our Best Rap Albums Of... Read more
December 24, 2017 Best Rap Album 2017
JAY-Z’s Smile Video Is A Tender Portrait Of His Mother’s Struggle With Her Sexuality

JAY-Z’s Smile Video Is A Tender Portrait Of His Mother’s Struggle With Her Sexuality

After releasing them exclusively via TIDAL a few weeks ago, today (December 22) JAY-Z makes three more 4:44 visuals widely available-- "Marcy Me," "Legacy," and "Smile." Especially in the case of the last of those three videos, these are as polished and artful as any video companion to music in... Read more
December 22, 2017 Video
What Is The Best Rap Album Of The Year? You Decide. Here Are Our Top 15.

What Is The Best Rap Album Of The Year? You Decide. Here Are Our Top 15.

It’s that time of year where “best of” lists abound and, in a year that featured stellar music from artists young and old, 2017 has proven to be one of the finest of the decade. We have our opinions on the best albums of 2017, but rather than simply list... Read more
December 15, 2017 Best Rap Album 2017
After 15 Years Of Disses, JAY-Z & Jaz-O Have Reunited

After 15 Years Of Disses, JAY-Z & Jaz-O Have Reunited

JAY-Z has reunited with many of the key players from his past—even after bitterness or hostility. In 2005, Jay and Nas famously put beef to bed in New Jersey. The Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder has been photographed with Dame Dash multiple times since the artist and manager parted ways. Beanie Sigel and... Read more
December 5, 2017 Fresh, News
Dame Dash Clarifies Reports Of Smacking Harvey Weinstein In The Past (Video)

Dame Dash Clarifies Reports Of Smacking Harvey Weinstein In The Past (Video)

Two different November Cam'ron verses have unearthed two very controversial stories. His mixtape The Program begins with an intro that reignited longstanding tensions between Cam' and Ma$e. "It's Killa" told a 1997 story that, at least according to Cam'ron, is the reason that Ma$e left a multi-platinum music career for a... Read more
December 3, 2017 Video
Why Kendrick Lamar & JAY-Z May Destroy Each Others Chances At Winning Album Of The Year

Why Kendrick Lamar & JAY-Z May Destroy Each Others Chances At Winning Album Of The Year

With the 60th Grammy Award nominations being announced this week, and just a little under two months away from crowning the respective victors, the collective post-nomination conversation from those within the music industry and fans alike, has been incredibly rich in both impression and speculation. For the very first time... Read more
December 2, 2017 Food for Thought
9th Wonder Details Producing Kendrick Lamar’s DUCKWORTH & Reveals Its Original Title (Video)

9th Wonder Details Producing Kendrick Lamar’s DUCKWORTH & Reveals Its Original Title (Video)

Working on a Kendrick Lamar record requires a vow of secrecy as demanding as any spy code, 9th Wonder shares in the latest Rap Radar Podcast. With longtime colleague and Roc Nation producer/engineer, Young Guru by his side, 9th speaks on how he made “DUCKWORTH.” the closer for this year's Grammy-nominated... Read more
December 1, 2017 Video
The Game Releases A Grown Man Freestyle On His 38th Birthday (Audio)

The Game Releases A Grown Man Freestyle On His 38th Birthday (Audio)

Eleven years ago, The Game scored one of the most circulated hits of his career with "It's Okay (One Blood)." Featuring Junior Reid, the song cleared the table on a number of issues surrounding Jayceon Taylor's mid-2000s standing. He addressed his newfound distance with mentor Dr. Dre after just one... Read more
November 29, 2017 Audio
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