Bandini

Sit Back & Cool Out To Pete Rock’s Petestrumentals 2 (Album Stream)

Today (June 23), Pete Rock released Petestrumentals 2. The second installment in the series in 14 years finds the Mount Vernon, New York producer/DJ/MC now working with Tucson, Arizona-based Mello Music Group. As reported, the 10-tracks of the instrumental project are a balance between new musical creations, as well as... Read more

June 23, 2015 Audio

Puff Daddy Arrested For Reported Assault With A Deadly Weapon

Longtime rivals and foes, Suge Knight and Puff Daddy are both believed to be incarcerated in Southern California today (June 22). According to TMZ, the Bad Boy Records founder Sean "Puffy" Combs was arrested on the UCLA campus this afternoon, following a violent altercation today with one of his son's... Read more

June 22, 2015 News

Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Are BACK, 9 Years Later (Audio)

It has been seven years since Janet Jackson released a solo album. So much has happened since then. Ms. Jackson lost her brother, Michael. She got married, again. She launched her own Rhythm Nation Records. So at last, Janet is back with new music. After going in a different direction... Read more

June 22, 2015 Audio

Kool Keith & J-Live Make An Unlikely Pair. But They Are Great Travel Companions (Audio)

Mello Music Group's L'Orange is a quiet threat. The French producer chops down samples and breathes new life into dusty grooves. Pensive MCs, whether Blu or Gift Of Gab, thrive on his sonic textures. "The Traveler" extends L'Orange's collaborative history with Kool Keith, and welcomes J-Live to the fold. Two... Read more

June 22, 2015 Audio

Ghostface Killah & Vince Staples Get The Money and Never Have To Run (Audio)

Approaching next month's Twelve More Reasons To Die, Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge share a third glimpse from the RZA-backed Soul Temple sequel. With some of the dirtiest drums heard as of late, G.F.K. makes "Get The Money" sound oh so literal. This is "Heist Rap," as Adrian and Starks... Read more

June 22, 2015 Audio

Lauryn Hill Pays Tribute Nina Simone Again & She SPITS This Time! (Audio)

Earlier this week, Ms. Lauryn Hill's cover of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" (also a cover), drew worlds of attention and acclaim. From the Nina Revisited: A Tribute To Nina Simone soundtrack companion to upcoming Netflix documentary, What Happened, Miss Simone?, there are two other L-Boogie homages to Nina on the... Read more

June 20, 2015 Audio

Public Enemy’s 13th Album Is Inspired By Kendrick Lamar & Run The Jewels

After 28 years of releasing albums, Public Enemy aims to make a dent in 2015. The Long Island, New York Hip-Hop group's 13th studio album, Man Plans, God Laughs will arrive in less than a month. On June 16 via Facebook, the band announced the news, sharing the artwork. Additionally,... Read more

June 20, 2015 News

There’s A Lot Of Unreleased Biggie Music Left, Says Easy Mo Bee (Video)

Following the 1999 release of Born Again, many fans of The Notorious B.I.G. have been led to believe that the reserves of music were largely tapped. Unlike Tupac Shakur or James Yancey (J Dilla), Christopher Wallace did not record tirelessly, especially towards the end of his life. Additionally, it can... Read more

June 19, 2015 Video

Chris Rivers Releases a Video For His Scorching Big Pun & LOX Freestyle (Video)

Chris Rivers' "You Ain't Recognized" is one of his 2015 standout moments. The freestyle combines Rivers' dad's "You Ain't A Killer" with The LOX's DJ Premier-produced "Recognize" for a vicious showcase of bars. In the song, Christopher manages to deftly blend style and substance, in what—for many Rap peers—is a... Read more

June 19, 2015 Video

Big Sean’s Powerful New Video Shows How One Person Can Change the World (Video)

Big Sean's Dark Sky Paradise continues to be a highlight within the 2015 album landscape. With catchy anthems, thematic singles, and signature wordplay-driven cuts, there's more. "One Man Can Change The World" is the pensive ambition. The song, a Getting Out Our Dreams ensemble, with Kanye West and John Legend,... Read more

June 19, 2015 Video

Jadakiss Rips Into An O.D.B. Classic Instrumental With A Sharp Freestyle (Audio)

Jadakiss is restless when it comes to weekly throwback freestyles. He comes forth with some sharp witticisms, and clever wordplay on Ol' Dirty's 1995 classic, "Brooklyn Zoo" (as "Shame On You Rappers"). From Downtown to Uptown, 'Kiss hits this freestyle with his A-Game, and livens up another Friday. Should Jadakiss... Read more

June 19, 2015 Audio

Kid Capri Blends 52 Of Hip-Hop’s Most Important Instrumentals & Breaks (Mix)

Kid Capri's body of work speaks for itself. The New York City mainstay DJ, mixtape pioneer, and accomplished producer does a strong job digitizing his gems from the past. In 1992, the D.I.T.C. affiliate (and later Sony Records artist) released 52 Beats. This mixtape featured the Kid cutting, scratching, and... Read more

June 19, 2015 Throwback

Talib Kweli, Boots from The Coup & Kool A.D. Team For Amazing Animation (Video)

Kool A.D. is among 2015's most versatile MCs. The former Das Racist cofounder has gone on to defy genre, style, and all around convention in recent years. For "Hickory," he links with Talib Kweli and Boots Riley (from The Coup). The song is jazzy, funky, and clearly rooted in Rap.... Read more

June 18, 2015 Video

JAY-Z’s First Record Ever Was in 1986…And It Was Not Hawaiian Sophie. Take a Listen (Audio)

1989's "Hawaiian Sophie" appearance alongside Jaz-O is often credited as Jay Z's first appearance on a record. While the video single captured a teenaged Shawn Carter, even his Wikipedia page overlooks something that crate diggers are very well aware of. While Jaz would sign an EMI Records deal in the... Read more

June 18, 2015 Throwback

The Awesome Two Are Radio Legends. Catch A ’94 Set With Jodeci, Freddie Foxxx & Slick Rick (Mix)

If you listen to KRS-One's "Outta Here," you know how influential The Awesome Two were on the Blastmasta. Since 1982, these radio mixmasters helped establish the Hip-Hop sound, and turn their 12" selections into certified Rap classics. DJ Eclipse shared a springtime 1994 mix from the duo's post at WNWK.... Read more

June 18, 2015 Throwback

Ghostface Killah Still Has That I-95 Connection With Wu Syndicate’s Napoleon (Audio)

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, anybody remotely associated with Wu-Tang Clan was signing deals, and fast-tracking albums. In all the hubbub, it was easy to lose focus on who the real skillful MCs were. In time, MCs like Killah Priest, 9th Prince, and Shyheim have proven to be... Read more

June 18, 2015 Audio

This PBS Documentary On Atlanta Music Reveals Killer Mike’s Daily Routine (Video)

Several weeks back, PBS' "Music Voyager" program took to Atlanta, Georgia. Host Tacuma Bradley hit Peachtree and beyond to spend time with Killer Mike, The Bush Brothers, and Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics, hoping to better understand what makes the ATL such an artistic epicenter. Within the half-hour program, Bradley... Read more

June 18, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Lauryn Hill Delivers a Powerful Rendition of Nina Simone’s Feeling Good (Audio)

RCA Records is producing Nina Revisited: A Tribute To Nina Simone. This EP will take the timeless music of the late Jazz/Rhythm & Blues vocalist and revive it through contemporary voices. It is being released in conjunction with the new documentary What Happened, Miss Simone?. Who better to pay tribute than... Read more

June 18, 2015 Audio

Skyzoo & Jadakiss Put Their Weight Into an Awesome Lyrical Display (Audio)

Skyzoo's Music For My Friends released a week early. Today (June 17), the Brooklyn, New Yorker let fans have it. For those unaware, Sky's self-released affair is largely based on his BK childhood and friendships. While he chose the microphone, some of Skyler's friends chose more literal hustles. The MC... Read more

June 17, 2015 Audio

Jeb Bush Turns a Political Speech Into a Slow Jam with The Roots & Jimmy Fallon (Video)

In 2011, The Roots found themselves in hot water when then-Republican Presidential Candidate Michelle Bachmann stopped by "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon." The Minnesota State Representative appeared on the late-night TV show, as Roots band-leader Questlove queued the clique to play the instrumental to "Lyin' Ass Bitch" by Fishbone as... Read more

June 17, 2015 Video

Scarface Says If Fans Don’t Fund The Geto Boys Album, He’s Out (Audio)

Details emerged yesterday (June 16) surrounding the Geto Boys' eighth studio album, Habeas Corpus. Now outside of the label system, the current lineup of Scarface, Willie D, and Bushwick Bill turned to fans via Kickstarter, asking $100,000 to produce their first group album since 2005's Top 20 debut, The Foundation. Elaborating... Read more

June 17, 2015 News

Roc Marciano’s Intricate Verse Illuminates Alongside Ka & Preservation (Video)

Brownsville Ka and Roc Marciano have a ton in common. These two sparse New York City spitters have been riding together for years, two veteran underdogs, who helped each other make a penetrating comeback into Rap's digital era. Each are skilled MCs who can cook up their tracks. Within the... Read more

June 17, 2015 Video

Politics As Usual…Red Tape Derails Killer Mike’s Run For Office

Less than one day after announcing he was running for a Georgia State Congress seat, Killer Mike has called off write-in voters on his behalf. The Run The Jewels member took to Instagram (where he announced his brief campaign) to clarify: I can't run 😞 BUT 😀 For the folks... Read more

June 16, 2015 News

Skyzoo & Elzhi Fold Hands & Dissect a Beat Together (Audio)

In the last five years (and truly, going back into the mid-2000s), Skyzoo and Elzhi are two of the most consistent do-it-yourself MCs. Brooklyn, New York—meets—Detroit, Michigan beyond Random Axe, as Sky' and El' freak "Hands Folded Together." The song features that linear, detailed imagery both rappers deliver regularly. The... Read more

June 16, 2015 Audio

Raury Dances With The Devil, Making Refreshingly Original Music (Audio)

Atlanta, Georgia's Raury defies genre in so much of what he does. The just-released "Devil's Whisperer" is a testament to that. Immersed in American Roots music, Raury knows how to weave in an Electronic bassline, hard drums, and then chant, spit, and master the ceremony on the song. Timeless, this... Read more

June 16, 2015 Audio

Geto Boys Break From Rap-A-Lot and Ask Fans For Help Funding Their New Album.

Less than two weeks ago (June 2), it was announced that the Geto Boys are releasing their first album in more than a decade. Coinciding with an upcoming tour, the most successful group lineup of Scarface, Willie D, and Bushwick Bill announced a series of summer concert dates. It has... Read more

June 16, 2015 News

Killer Mike Is Running For Georgia State Representative

UPDATE: Politics As Usual…Red Tape Derails Killer Mike’s Run For Office From Uncle Luke to Rhymefest, Hip-Hop stars have attempted career moves into politics. Killer Mike may be the latest, starting right in his Atlanta, Georgia backyard. Today (June 15), the artist also known as Michael Render campaigned via Instagram... Read more

June 15, 2015 News

Dizzy Wright Is Making Real Message Music…But Where’s The Love? (Video)

Dizzy Wright's The Growing Process is quite quietly, one of the most substantial Rap albums of 2015. A Top 50 debut on the charts, the Las Vegas, Nevada MC showed multiple facets of himself on his sophomore Funk Volume full-length. "Higher Learning" showcases Dizzy's strengths as an evocative songwriter, with... Read more

June 15, 2015 Video

Happy Birthday Ice Cube. May It Be A Good Day…

Today (June 15), MC/actor Ice Cube turns 46 years old. As he gears up for the Straight Outta Compton N.W.A. biopic (August 14), an on-stage reunion with MC Ren and DJ Yella, and a Barbershop 3 costarring Common, it seems safe to say it will be a good year for... Read more

June 15, 2015 Fresh

Rest In Peace M.C. Supreme, Of We’re All In The Same Gang Fame

Nearly 25 years ago to the date (May 31, 1990), Warner Bros. Records records released We're All In The Same Gang by a collective called The West Coast All-Stars. Less than one year before the LAPD's beating of Rodney King and subsequent acquittal and Los Angeles Riots, this compilation album... Read more

June 15, 2015 News

What If A Classic Silent Film Was Re-Scored By A Master DJ? (Video)

Before technology brought sound to film, Hollywood still made blockbusters. The "Silent Film" era produced stars like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. While Chaplin's facial expressions made him a sympathetic "tramp," Keaton maintained a trademark deadpan in action sequences. Lloyd was something of a Jackie Chan of the... Read more

June 14, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Ludacris Has A Dope & Duplicitous Visual For Grass Is Always Greener (Video)

From springtime's Ludaversal, "Grass Is Always Greener" is one of the album's highlights. In an LP that strips down some of Luda's fame and fortune and gets back to the heart of why he raps, this song chronicles the tightrope that is celebrity, and happiness. For the visual, Ludacris seems... Read more

June 12, 2015 Video

Did Hollywood Forget N.W.A. Had 5 Members? Here’s Some Love for MC Ren & DJ Yella.

This week has been a roller-coaster for fans of "Rap's Most Dangerous Group": N.W.A. On Monday (June 8), it was revealed that Ice Cube will reunite on stage with DJ Yella for the first time since 1989. MC Ren will be there too as part of Los Angeles, California's BET... Read more

June 12, 2015 Food for Thought

Cormega & Roc Marciano Flex Rugged Flows With No Filter (Audio)

From Queensbridge to Hempstead, Cormega and Roc Marciano represent that old New York City. Both MCs have been able to stay fresh and innovative, while always tapping into the sounds and the maneuvers of the 1980s and 1990s. Their music has bravado, street-wise sensibility, and a slickness that's hard to... Read more

June 12, 2015 Audio

TiRon & Ayomari’s “The Great New Wonderful” Resonates As 30-Minute Film (Video / Album Stream)

One of the most quietly consistent emerging Hip-Hop artists of the last five years is TiRon & Ayomari. Whether together or apart, this Los Angeles, California pair makes far-reaching, dynamic music that speak to issues most people live through. Today (June 12) marks the release of T&A's fifth album, The... Read more

June 12, 2015 Audio, Video

The Roots Go Psychedelic, Performing Two Nuggets With A$AP Rocky (Video)

For the second time, A$AP Rocky has a #1 album. The Harlem, New York MC took leaps in the tone and feel of May's At. Long. Last. A$AP album. The A$AP Worldwide/RCA/Polo Grounds release is a wavy presentation that deals with fame, fortune, and fashion—but with a differing sound than... Read more

June 12, 2015 Video

Beanie Sigel & Jadakiss Are Way Past Beef. Now, They Bully Mics Together (Audio)

One of Rap's beefs that feels so distant it's hard to imagine it ever even existed is Roc-A-Fella and Ruff Ryders. Truly a byproduct of a rift between Beanie Sigel and Jadakiss, the two enforcers for Jay Z and DMX continued to throw spicy criticism of each other in subliminal... Read more

June 12, 2015 Audio

Do Remember: Pumpkinhead’s Emcee (Audio)

On Tuesday (June 9) of this week, Brooklyn, New York MC Pumpkinhead passed away. The 39 year-old Brooklyn, New York native born Robert Alan Diaz left behind more than a 15-year legacy in Hip-Hop. He was an MC, a songwriter, a battle rapper, and a member of Brooklyn Academy, among... Read more

June 11, 2015 Throwback

Kendrick Lamar Watches Vintage Tupac Shakur Footage & Reacts Powerfully (Video)

Long before To Pimp A Butterfly, comparisons have been made between Kendrick Lamar and Tupac Shakur. Both MCs promote sensitivity, amidst surroundings and times where that is most certainly not the norm. Each poet is fiercely competitive, and not above throwing his weight around in the Rap community, albeit for... Read more

June 11, 2015 Video

Havoc Makes A Rumbling Beat Evoking Papoose & Troy Ave’s War Cries (Audio)

Every few years, Havoc switches it up on us. The Mobb Deep producer/MC's sound on the boards changed greatly from The Infamous to Infamy, and both ways, the M-O-B-B still had grime that wiped across the charts. Gearing up for Papoose's You Can't Stop Destiny (July 17), Hav' hits the... Read more

June 11, 2015 Audio

Slum Village’s YES! Completes The Circle With 9 J Dilla Productions (Album Stream)

One week early, Slum Village is sharing their eighth studio full-length, YES!. Founding S.V. member T3, along with trusted production confidant Young RJ (who came to the collective in the early 2000s with Black Milk as BR Gunna) made an album that follows the Villa's journey. Late co-founding member of... Read more

June 11, 2015 Audio

Run The Jewels Turn The Back Of A Taxi Cab Into A Stage (Video)

Taxis are held up for robbery often. But for once, Run The Jewels in a cab is a great thing. Killer Mike, El-P, and Boots are the latest in Black Cab Sessions. In a crammed taxi cab, the three artists perform "Early." One of the most pointed (and topical) songs... Read more

June 11, 2015 Video

Yasiin Bey Makes A Clutch Appearance Alongside The Vibrant Golden Rules (Lyric Video)

Whether with De La Soul, High & Mighty, Gorillaz, or DJ Honda, Yasiin Bey (f/k/a Mos Def) knows how to elevate tracks from a feature role. The Brooklyn, New York native plays guest on Golden Rules' "Never Die." The Lex Records-backed project from producer Paul White (Homeboy Sandman, Danny Brown,... Read more

June 10, 2015 Video

MC Ren Gets Ruthless About N.W.A. “Straight Outta Compton” Trailers

N.W.A. had four MCs: founder Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and MC Ren. In the marketing materials for August 14's Straight Outta Compton biopic, Ren feels as though he is not getting proper billing. Specifically, Ren attacked some of the Universal Pictures trailers. The promotional artwork, however, featured Embossed Sticker... Read more

June 10, 2015 News, TV/Film

The End of an Era? Homer and Marge Simpson Are Separating.

From money problems, to troubled children, FOX's "The Simpsons" have been built on dealing with the problems facing many modern families. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Santa's Little Helper, and Snowball have been making it work for more than 500 episodes (574, if you're counting at home). However, one of... Read more

June 10, 2015 TV

Vic Mensa & Kanye West Make ‘Em Mad, But They Love It Though (Video)

Vic Mensa is hitting 2015's midpoint on a whole other level from where he started. The Save Money MC/vocalist went from Kids These Days to a Roc Nation solo deal in no easy steps. He made groundbreaking music, and Rap's elite took notice. While Jay Z inked Vic, Kanye West... Read more

June 9, 2015 Video

Pete Rock Knows Dusty Loops, Hot Bars… & PLENTY About Comics (Video)

Pete Rock is "The Creator." However, the Mount Vernon, New York Hip-Hop legend is also a reader. In preparation for this month's Petestrumentals 2 project, Mello Music Group went shopping with the Chocolate Boy Wonder. The same master crate-digger that put Heads onto Tom Scott & The California Dreamers' "Today,"... Read more

June 9, 2015 Video

Rest In Peace Pumpkinhead, Friends & Collaborators Mourn

Veteran Brooklyn, New York MC Pumpkinhead (a/k/a PH) has been reported dead this morning (June 9). Friends and collaborators of the man born Robert Alan Diaz have begun to publicly mourn. Notably, Pumpkinhead appeared on acclaimed albums such as Immortal Technique's Revolutionary 1 and Revolutionary 2 albums, in addition to... Read more

June 9, 2015 News

Stro & Bishop Nehru Take Aim At All Those Exploiting Hip-Hop (Video)

Stro (f/k/a Astro) and Bishop Nehru are '90s babies, but they are clearly historians. "K.I.N.G. (Keeping Ignorant Niggas Glorified)" is a collaboration tasked with speaking on some of the pitfalls existing in the mid-2010s, especially for Black folks. Lyrically, the two New York natives attack status symbols like sneakers, exotic... Read more

June 9, 2015 Video

Are We Overdue For That Lil Fame Solo Album? Hear This Freestyle (Audio)

For nearly five years, there has been talk of M.O.P. pausing to do solo albums by Billy Danze and Lil Fame. The problem? The Brownsvillians simply love mashing out, together. After a series of albums, EPs, and even a joint effort between Fame and Termanology, the MC/producer also known as... Read more

June 8, 2015 Audio