October 2016

The Weeknd’s New First Person Point Of View Video Is Beyond Alarming

The Weeknd is one of popular music's most ambitious video creators. To market his albums (and previously, his mixtapes), the Canadian singer knows how to draw attention to the music through other mediums. Two weeks ago, Abel unleashed the "Starboy" music video, belonging to the Daft Punk-assisted title track to... Read more

October 13, 2016 Video

Questlove & Phonte Have An Incredibly Honest Conversation About Surviving The Pitfalls Of Fame

Questlove and Phonte have each enjoyed tremendous success in their careers, both of them emanating from the worlds of underground Hip-Hop to mainstream success. The former is a multiple Grammy-winning cultural icon and Tonight Show bandleader, while the latter is a Grammy nominee who has managed to earn critical acclaim... Read more

October 13, 2016 Fresh

Shock G Takes It Back To The Streets With A Lit Freestyle…Literally (Video)

Shock G and his brainchild of Digital Underground helped introduce the world to Tupac Shakur, Saafir, and others. The Oakland, California group may have taught the world how to do the "Humpty Dance," but their albums and hits run much deeper than just a crossover single. With a career spanning... Read more

October 13, 2016 Video

Nas & Erykah Badu Perform Their New Song With The Intensity It Deserves (Video)

In July, Nas and Erykah Badu released "This Bitter Land." The collaboration was a standout single from The Land soundtrack, which belongs to a film that Nasir Jones co-produced. The song blends poetry with singing, as Nas returns to form spitting over sparse instrumentation that bares little resemblance to the... Read more

October 13, 2016 Video

Big K.R.I.T. Details Being Moved To Tears For His BET Performance (Video)

Last week, Big K.R.I.T. seemingly delivered the musical performance of his career to date. During the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards, the Mississippi MC/producer performed a remix to Kenneth Whalum's "Might Not Be OK" dressed as an officer of the law. In addition to the highly evocative lyrics, Krizzle's delivery... Read more

October 13, 2016 Video

Pusha T Takes Shots At All The Fakery In Hip-Hop. Drake & Others Catch It (Video)

When Pusha T was named President of Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music just under a year ago, he assured that his new post would not affect his musical output. In hasn't. In fact, the 11 month-period since he began his tenure has been one of the most productive times of King... Read more

October 12, 2016 Video

The Rise of Non-Invasive Treatments

In recent years, noninvasive treatments have surged in popularity, reshaping the landscape of cosmetic enhancement and personal health care. These treatments, which include options like Botox, dermal fillers, laser hair removal, and body contouring, offer significant aesthetic improvements without the need for surgical intervention. The reasons behind their rise are... Read more

October 12, 2016 Popular

Actor Tommy Ford From “Martin” Has Passed Away

Update: After a days long fight, actor Tommy Ford's family has confirmed his death. Carl Payne, who co-starred with Ford on Martin, told TMZ "On behalf of the family, we would like to thank everyone for their love, support and prayers." Actor Tommy Ford (a/k/a Thomas Mikal Ford) has built... Read more

October 12, 2016 News, TV/Film

Bad Boy’s Hitmen Justify Taking Hits From The ‘80s & Making ‘Em Feel So Good (Audio)

Since the earliest days of Bad Boy Records there has was a production team in place known as The Hitmen. Sometimes known as "Puffy's Hitmen," the collective included Puff Daddy as a figurehead with a decorated staff that has at times included Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, Nashiem Myrick, Sean C &... Read more

October 12, 2016 Audio

Kevin Hart Speaks On Why Ice Cube Is The King Of Today’s Urban Comedy World (Video)

It's no secret that Ice Cube has enjoyed one of the most impressive career trajectories in entertainment history. From his explosive work with N.W.A. to his appearance in blockbuster family-friendly movies, the rapper-turned-actor (as well as screenwriter, director, and all-around business man) born O'Shea Jackson has done it all. While... Read more

October 12, 2016 Video

Guru, Roy Ayers, & Donald Byrd Brought Jazzmatazz To Life In This 1993 Performance (Video)

Beginning in 1993, Guru released a string of albums as a solo artist, spreading the wings he sprouted with DJ Premier in Gang Starr and exploring his deep love for live instrumentation. That departure resulted in four volumes of Jazzmatazz, a body of work which includes contributions from Erykah Badu,... Read more

October 12, 2016 Throwback

E-40 Has A New Double Album Coming. The First Single Is On One (Audio)

E-40 is an artist who has created a career that's nearly 30 years old. The Vallejo, California Rap kingpin is a master of reinvention, while forever staying true to who he was as a self-made Mail Man, slangin' CDs and tapes out of an Oldsmobile Cutlass since the late '80s.... Read more

October 12, 2016 Audio

Prodigy Details Mobb Deep’s Journey From “Embarrassed” Juveniles To Infamous Stars (Video)

Mobb Deep experienced one of Hip-Hop's largest growths between their first and second albums. 1993's Juvenile Hell debut boasted production from DJ Premier, Large Professor, and a fledgling Havoc. However, the 4th & B'Way Records release did not chart, and was not the album response the teenage duo from Queens,... Read more

October 12, 2016 Video

Macklemore’s New Song Calls Out Drug Dealers, Including Big Pharma & Doctors (Audio)

For the last 5 years, Macklemore has been one of the most courageous artists in Hip-Hop. Starting with his 2011 release "Wings," which addressed the detrimental effects of rampant materialism in our society, the Seattle MC, and his musical partner Ryan Lewis, has tackled some of the biggest issues facing... Read more

October 11, 2016 Audio

Kanye West Rocked Chaka Khan Like Nobody’s Business, Long Before Through The Wire (Audio)

In September of 2003, Kanye West made his solo debut with "Through the Wire," a song he wrote and recorded while his jaw was literally wired shut following a car accident. It famously samples Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire," a 1985 single whose profile with a new generation was raised... Read more

October 11, 2016 Throwback

MC Eiht’s Upcoming Album Includes This DJ Premier Remix (Audio)

MC Eiht and Compton's Most Wanted have a long history with DJ Premier and Gang Starr. In 1992, Preemo remixed "Def Wish II" from the critically-acclaimed Music To Driveby album. Two years later, Eiht dropped a "Geah!" on Premier's answering machine for Hard To Earn's "Aiight Chill" interlude. Even though... Read more

October 11, 2016 Audio

Cold 187um Claims He Created G-Funk & Got Snoop Signed To Death Row (Video)

Last week, Above The Law's Cold 187um released his single "Legacy" featuring Ice Cube and The D.O.C. Premiering at Ambrosia For Heads, the track marked a full-circle reunion with the Pomona, California production and rapping icon with two of his former Ruthless Records label mates. Having just released his The... Read more

October 11, 2016 Video

Charlamagne Nearly Pushes Beanie Sigel To The Point Of Getting Physical (Video)

Beanie Sigel has experienced one of the highest profile months of his extensive musical career. The South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC started September as an esteemed veteran, reportedly in plans to make a collaborative album with former foe Jadakiss. However, after briefly appearing on Meek Mill and Omelly's "Ooouuu" reply to... Read more

October 11, 2016 Video

Nas Drops One Of The Feature Verses Of His Career & It’s DEEP (Audio)

From his Main Source "Live At The Barbeque" debut on wax to seminal records by AZ, Raekwon, Fat Joe, Scarface, and Beastie Boys, Nas is a lethal feature MC. Across the industry, for more than 25 years, the Queensbridge poet has been highly sought after—across genres to kick some of... Read more

October 11, 2016 Audio

Bumpy Knuckles Discusses Why He Dissed The Entire Music Industry On “Industry Shakedown” (Video)

Sixteen years ago, Bumpy Knuckles (a/k/a Freddie Foxxx) released The Industry Shakedown. While the album was the Long Island, New York MC/producer's sophomore effort, it was never intended to be so. Instead, the work produced by DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Diamond D, and The Alchemist was a monstrous attack on... Read more

October 10, 2016 Video

Common Speaks On Why He’s Not A Conscious Rapper. He’s a Human MC (Video)

In the skit following "The 6th Sense," Common made light of his public image. The Chicago, Illinois MC made a song that fought for Hip-Hop's preservation. Moments after, he made light of the way he appeared to some—as a deeply conscious, lighthearted poet. The same artist who had been involved... Read more

October 10, 2016 Video

Native Americans Get REAL About Christopher Columbus (Video)

"The only Christopher we acknowledge is Wallace" is a common statement made throughout the Hip-Hop community on Columbus Day. A national holiday fraught with implications about colonialism, genocide, racism, and Euro-centric sensibilities, there have been movements to change it to a holiday celebrating the culture and history of the indigenous... Read more

October 10, 2016 Lifestyle

Dr. Dre Reportedly Threatens Legal Action To Prevent The Michel’le Biopic From Airing

On October 15, Lifetime is scheduled to air made-for-TV film Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel’le. The biographical film is centered around Michel'le, who was a late 1980s and early 1990s R&B star on Eazy-E's Ruthless Records. Later on, Michel'le moved with producer Dr. Dre, The D.O.C., and their manager... Read more

October 9, 2016 News

Lil Fame Mashes Out Alongside Termanology & Demands Respect On His Name (Video)

Besides his work with M.O.P. partner Billy Danze, one of Lil Fame's closest musical affiliates is Termanology. Several years back, the two MCs released a joint album in Fizzyology, which boasted some DJ Premier production, and appearances by Busta Rhymes, Styles P, and Bun B, among others. That bond is... Read more

October 9, 2016 Video

Mic Capes’s Hunger Pains Lead To A Balanced Musical Meal, Channeling Badu & Ahmad (Audio)

Portland, Oregon MC Mic Capes is one of the brightest emerging voices in the Northwest. The artist has cultivated a reputation for pairing his life story with a Hip-Hop purist's knack for concept. In past songs, he's referenced Ice Cube ("One 4 O'shea") set against his own introspective vision. Last... Read more

October 9, 2016 Audio

Yelawolf’s First Release From His New Album Sees Daylight & It’s A Barn Burner (Video)

Over the Summer, Yelawolf announced his third album was complete and predicted it would be released sometime in the Fall. In an interview with German outlet Hip-Hop DE, Yela revealed the album would be titled Trial By Fire, and said of the project, "It's done. It's turned in and it's... Read more

October 9, 2016 Video

Redman & Keith Murray Bring The 90s To Atlanta & It’s So So Def (Video)

The annual A3C Hip-Hop Festival has been taking place in Atlanta since Wednesday (October 5) of this week. The yearly event has been the host to a number of panels and showcases and has been a veritable who's who in terms of talent and executives that drive the culture. One... Read more

October 8, 2016 Video

Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge’s NxWorries Group Makes Soul With Swagger (Audio)

As far as meaningful albums are concerned, 2016 arguably began with Anderson .Paak's Malibu. One of the year's tallest bodies of work will be followed with an additional release from the Southern California MC/singer/drummer/producer who has since signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment. While he's label-mates with Eminem, Kendrick Lamar,... Read more

October 8, 2016 Audio

Scarface’s Love For Guitar Playing Runs Deep. He Explains While Jamming (Video)

Scarface is many things. He's a legendary MC. He is a Geto Boy. He is a DJ, a producer, an author, a successful record label executive, and an avid golfer. However, the Houston, Texas icon is also a longtime guitar player. Raised on records by KISS, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Kennedys,... Read more

October 8, 2016 Video

D.I.T.C. Release The First Video From Their Upcoming New Album & They Rock It

The Diggin' In The Crates Crew has been impacting Hip-Hop for more than 25 years. The collective of Diamond D, Fat Joe, Showbiz, A.G., Lord Finesse, O.C., Buckwild and Big L launched with the release of Finesse's 1990 Funky Technician album, and has not stopped since. Fat Joe, O.C., &... Read more

October 8, 2016 Video

Nick Grant Shows Why The Future Of Hip-Hop Is Far From Mumble Rap (Video)

Last year, Nick Grant made an appearance on the Sway In The Morning show and kicked one of the best freestyles of the year, excluding nobody. He earned his spot after participating in a cypher with CyHi The Prynce, one of the most respected lyricists in the game, and shining... Read more

October 8, 2016 Video

Beanie Sigel Speaks The Truth. He’s Out To Put Meek Mill To Sleep. (Audio)

Rap disses seem to come in bursts these days. Before Meek Mill addresses Beanie Sigel's midweek attack "I'm Coming," his opponent has gotten even closer on "Good Night." With Sigel's new, softer spoken delivery (following a 2014 shooting), Beans is out to deliver a career lullaby to the fellow Philly... Read more

October 7, 2016 Audio

The LOX & Termanology Have Dreams Like Biggie, But Keep It Grimy (Audio )

The LOX were present in the last days of Biggie Smalls. Before he left the world mourning his personality, rhyme skills, and giving heart, Christopher Wallace helped clear a path for Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch to succeed. At the time, they were his hopeful label-mates at Bad Boy... Read more

October 7, 2016 Audio

Bruno Mars Channels Zapp To Release The Funk Jam Of The Year (Video)

Though it might not seem like it, it's been 4 years since Bruno Mars released an album. Despite the fact that Unorthodox Jukebox came out in 2012, Mars' presence was felt through a slew of hits from that album that endured well beyond a year after it hit stores. And,... Read more

October 7, 2016 Video

BROOKZILL!’s Debut LP is Inventive & Familiar At the Same Time (Audio)

BROOKZILL!: a hybrid musical project, part Brazilian street samba/part Brooklyn, New York "old school" - defined by travel and transcendence, mapping out connections to discover that the heartbeat of both musical traditions starts in the same place. Recorded over a 10 year period in Atlanta, Brazil, New York, Throwback to... Read more

October 6, 2016 Audio, Food for Thought

25 Years Later, Freestyle Fellowship’s Myka 9 Looks Back On Their Debut (Audio)

On October 8, 1991, a group of Hip-Hop minded lovers of Jazz and improvisational artistry calling themselves Freestyle Fellowship dropped To Whom It May Concern. Together, Aceyalone, J. Sumbi, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., Self Jupiter, and a handful of like-minded creatives were planting the seeds for a vibrant underground underbelly in... Read more

October 6, 2016 Do Remember

The Game’s Friends & Enemies May Change, But Wu-Tang Is Forever (Audio)

The last couple of months have brought some seismic shifts in affiliation for The Game. August saw the Compton MC put to rest a beef with 50 Cent that had extended for more than a decade. Weeks later, after that hatchet was buried, Game raised a new one and aimed... Read more

October 6, 2016 Audio

Joe Budden & Styles P Still Hold BARS Sacred. It Shows On Their New Collabo (Audio)

Sometimes less is more, and that is precisely the approach Joe Budden and Styles P have taken on "Freestyle," a track whose title belies the varsity-level bars with which it's laden. The two have worked together before, not least on Budden's 2010 mixtape Mood Muzik 4, where the two eviscerated... Read more

October 6, 2016 Audio

How James Brown Made The Blueprint For Hip-Hop AND Today’s Music Business

The name Alan Leeds might not be widely-recognized outside of music industry circles, but the 40+ year veteran of the business has worked, in numerous capacities, with some of the all-time great. James Brown, Kiss, Prince and D'Angelo all considered him a key member of their behind the scenes teams,... Read more

October 6, 2016 Fresh

Ice Cube, The D.O.C. & Cold 187um Make A Ruthless 2016 Collabo (Audio)

In 1989, Ruthless Records boasted one of the finest rosters in Rap music history. With N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton in heavy rotation (with a massive tour behind it), Eazy-E's independent label was fast expanding to include The D.O.C., Above The Law, and J.J. Fad. By 1990, everything had changed. Ice... Read more

October 6, 2016 Audio

Beanie Sigel Is Coming for Meek Mill On a New Diss Record (Audio)

Just two days removed from an appearance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards that left many fans waiting with bated breath for reference of his ongoing beef with Meek Mill, Beanie Sigel has dropped a diss track directed squarely at the fellow Philadelphia, Pennsylvania rapper and others involved in tenuous drama... Read more

October 6, 2016 Audio

Native Tongues Were Buddies But Were They Really Family? De La Soul Speaks (Video)

Out of all the collectives in Hip-Hop, few are more revered or complicated than Native Tongues. The group of artists was loosely composed of Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, Monie Love, Black Sheep, Chi-Ali and others, with several offspring stemming from that core. Over... Read more

October 6, 2016 Video

Talib Kweli Invites Problem & Aloe Blacc On a Remix for Every Ghetto (Audio)

With one of the most expansive repertoires in Hip-Hop, Talib Kweli's longevity and stamina cannot be questioned. In addition to his MCing, he's an activist, writer, and a handful of other things that are equally impressive. But today (October 5), it's his music that is once again proving his ability... Read more

October 5, 2016 Audio

Method Man Drops A Bulletproof Verse Showing Love To Luke Cage (Video)

Luke Cage has raised the bar for streaming television, literally. After a massive influx of viewers tuned in to watch the series, network servers couldn't handle the traffic, resulting in a sitewide blackout. But ratings aside, the show is making history for other reasons, namely the depiction of unadulterated Blackness... Read more

October 5, 2016 Video

Snoop Dogg’s “I Am Hip-Hop Award” Acceptance Speech Shows Why He’s An Icon (Video)

It's hard to believe that Snoop Dogg, an artist who has been a pop-culture icon for decades, holds the record for most Grammy Award nominations with no win. Seventeen times, the Long Beach, California legend has been up for such an award, but he has yet to take one home.... Read more

October 5, 2016 Throwback

Did Chris Rivers Have The Best Verse Of The 2016 BET Cyphers? (Video)

For many Heads, the handful of cyphers that take place during the BET Hip-Hop Awards telecast are some of the most exciting aspects of the event. This year, fans had plenty to look forward to, with State Property, Dead Prez, Biv & Devoe, and others using 2016 to showcase scorching... Read more

October 5, 2016 Video

Biv & DeVoe Host A BET Cypher With Some New Editions Of Their Empire (Video)

The members of New Edition have been entertaining audiences for nearly 35 years, and they show no signs of slowing down. The group consisting of Michael Bivins, Ralph Tresvant, Ricky Bell, Ronnie DeVoe and, at times Bobby Brown and Johnny Gill has experienced a resurgence in 2016, in anticipation of... Read more

October 5, 2016 Video

Big K.R.I.T. Takes The Hip Hop Awards Stage In A Police Uniform & Uses Deadly Force (Video)

Last month, Big K.R.I.T. unleashed one of the most powerful verses of his career on a song that was not even his own. Joining artist Kenneth Whalum on a remix to his moving "Might Not Be OK," K.R.I.T. raps about the killings by police of unarmed Black civilians that have... Read more

October 4, 2016 Video

Dead Prez Lead The Most Meaningful BET Cypher Ever. It’s Bigger Than Hip-Hop (Video)

Tonight, BET aired its annual Hip Hop Awards. The show honored Snoop Dogg as the recipient of the "I Am Hip-Hop Icon Award," which was presented to him by Kendrick Lamar, and included performances by Gucci Mane, Travis $cott, Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug, Young M.A., Quavo and more. Big... Read more

October 4, 2016 Video

Freeway, Beanie Sigel & More Made the BET Cypher Their State Property (Video)

With a little help from DJ Premier on the 1s and 2s, Philadelphia's State Property led the charge in a cypher during tonight's (October 4) BET Hip-Hop Awards. Freeway, Peedi Crakk, Neef Buck, and Omillio Sparks each took turns putting on for Philly, but social media was set ablaze with... Read more

October 4, 2016 Video