Bandini

Footage Released Of Suge Knight’s Fatal Hit And Run (Video)

In the latest update in what is seemingly Hip-Hop's biggest story of 2015, video footage has been made public (by TMZ) of Marion "Suge" Knight's fatal hit and run. Taking place in Compton, California on January 29, the footage involves the former Death Row Records co-founder/CEO, actor Cle "Bone" Sloan,... Read more

March 9, 2015 Video

Finding The GOAT (Round 3): Nas vs. Ghostface Killah…Who You Got?

We have reached the third round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 42 MCs remaining, we are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into... Read more

March 9, 2015 Fresh

Slum Village & Phife Dawg Make A Collaboration That Measures Up To The History (Audio)

Slum Village and A Tribe Called Quest's fates are forever tied. Thousands of miles apart geographically, A.T.C.Q. would be the archetype that T3, Jay Dee, Baatin and aspired to follow in the mid-1990s. Moreover, those early Villa tapes were what Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad were playing around... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Joey Bada$$ & Maverick Sabre Make A Soulful Counter To Police Profiling (Video)

After Joey Bada$$ & Maverick Sabre's B4.Da.$$ collaboration, single "On & On" received a video inspired partly by police brutality, the pair extend the conversation. "We Don't Wanna Be" shows footage of protesting, and police confronting citizens. Sabre and Badman also appear, in the United Kingdom, showing that the plight... Read more

March 9, 2015 Video

Keep The International Women’s Day Celebrations Going With A Stellar Female MC Tape (Mix)

Yesterday (March 8) marked International Women's Day. Like all cultural movements, Hip-Hop has depended upon women for survival since its inception. In 2015, there are a host of female superstars, moguls, and elite professionals at the top of culture and Rap industry. However, along the way over the last 35-plus... Read more

March 9, 2015 Throwback

Freddie Gibbs Drops 3 Songs At Once & He’s Focused On His Quality (EP Stream)

Freddie Gibbs released two albums in 2014. The Gary, Indiana MC grabbed acclaim and a Top 40 chart foothold on his Madlib tandem, Pinata. The MC followed, less than two months later, with The Tonite Show. Like his flow, Gangsta Gibbs likes to move fast in a career that's made... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise Is #1 On The Charts. The Samples Played A Role (Mix)

More than five years in the making, Big Sean grabbed #1 album honors this past week with his third studio LP, Dark Sky Paradise. The G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Records star is bidding for a permanent place at Rap's upper echelon, and this album—boasting production from Kanye West, DJ Mustard, Mike... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Prince Paul’s Back, Blending Very Rare KRS-One, MF DOOM, Eminem & Alkaholiks (Mix)

Prince Paul's "It’s Not The Size of Your Mix It’s How You Use It" turns out to be a series after all. Following February's free-form mix of whatever the hell the Long Island, New Yorker wanted to spin, the Grammy Award-winning jokester is back with a second series. Volume 2... Read more

March 8, 2015 Audio

Lord Finesse Digs In His Crates & Throws Down Rare Grooves (Mix)

This week (March 10), Lord Finesse is releasing The SP1200 Project: A Re-Awakening on Slice Of Splice Records. Dubspot knows how to honor the Underboss. With the site's in-depth audio interview, the publication commissioned the Bronx, New York legendary producer/DJ (and MC) to get behind the wheels and spin some... Read more

March 8, 2015 Throwback

Gangrene Sound Bigger Than Life Without Losing Their Grimy Edge (Audio)

Gangrene played it especially cool in 2014. Alchemist got busy with Evidence as Step Brothers, while Oh No freaked his own brand of Funk alongside Prince Po for Animal Serum. A new year brings new moves for the California duo known for hallucinatory Hip-Hop, raw to the core. Alc' and... Read more

March 8, 2015 Audio

Rick Ross Needs No Assistance Movin’ Bass In His Latest Visual (Video)

Rick Ross' "Movin' Bass" was the latest in a 10-year run of major collaborations between he and Jay Z. The Hood Billionaire and the near real-life billionaire blitz with bars about former D-boys making hits. For the video, Jay Z sat it out (something he's made a habit of in... Read more

March 6, 2015 Video

Jay Electronica Breaks The Ice On 2015 with Road to Perdition (Audio)

Jay Electronica loves the suspense. The New Orleans, Louisiana MC announced European and Chinese tour dates earlier this week. Without warning, the Roc Nation MC/producer follows with a song that was rumored to be included on Act II: Patents Of Nobility, per 2012 tracklist reports. Although Jay Z was claimed... Read more

March 6, 2015 Audio

Finding The GOAT: Which MCs are Going to Round 3? You Decide.

Ambrosia For Heads' Finding The GOAT series, the search for the Greatest Of All Time MC (as determined by you), began in September, 2014 and is soon down to its final 42 contestants. At 11:59pm EST on Saturday March 7, Round 2 polls will close, kicking off Round 3. But... Read more

March 6, 2015 Fresh

Juvenile Says He’ll Retire A Cash Money Soldier, Talks No Limit Rivalry (Video)

In all honesty, Juvenile is not an MC whose hit records have equated to compelling interviews. Like his breakthrough hit "Ha," the Hot Boy-turned-Rich Gang member is not a man of many words when the music stops. Appearing on The Breakfast Club Thursday (March 5), that was not the case.... Read more

March 6, 2015 Video

Go Home With The Smooth Style & Slick Talk Of Grand Daddy I.U. (Audio)

Before A+ or Roc Marciano, it was Grand Daddy I.U. that put Hempstead, Long Island on the Hip-Hop map. An MC down with the Cold Chillin' Records fold, I.U. was an early innovator of the mafioso fashion, slang, and demeanor, and also an early act to incorporate Dancehall and Reggae... Read more

March 6, 2015 Audio

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): Black Thought vs. Beanie Sigel…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). We are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups... Read more

March 5, 2015 Fresh

Do Remember: The Fugees’ Vocab (Hip-Hop Remix) (Video)

Plenty of legendary Hip-Hop groups got extra large off of their sophomore album, not the debut. Based solely on beginnings, Mobb Deep, Naughty By Nature, and The Roots all would not be living legend outfits. The Fugees, one of the highest-selling, most revered acts of the last 20 years of... Read more

March 5, 2015 Throwback

Is Doug E. Fresh The World’s Greatest Entertainer? Check The Tapes, Featuring Slick Rick (Audio)

Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew are a legendary Hip-Hop crew. Through the mid-1980s, the beat-boxing MC and his team included names like Chill Will and MC Ricky D. Somewhere in 1986, Rick would step solo before Doug's Oh, My God! album. In those early days though, the... Read more

March 4, 2015 Throwback

Freeway Gets Emotional Remembering The Jacka (Video)

There are moments in Hip-Hop that show just how deep wounds can be. Treach's tearful remembrance of Tupac Shakur is etched in the minds of many who witnessed the 1996 tragic murder of the icon. O.C., A.G. and Lord Finesse's "Tribute" to Big L was both deeply heartfelt and telling... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Crazy Legs Says That The Credit For Hip-Hop’s Creation Needs To Be Shared (Video)

One of the pioneers of Hip-Hop in on the ground floor of the culture is Crazy Legs. The President of the Rock Steady Crew, Richard Colón has been am ambassador of breakin', fashion, and the Hip-Hop attitude for more than 35 years. Crazy Legs appeared in Wild Style, Style Wars,... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): Erick Sermon vs. Trugoy…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). We are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups... Read more

March 4, 2015 Throwback

Give the Drummer Some. Questlove Raps & Freestyles on a Deep Roots Cut (Video)

Questlove is from an era when some great producers were equally phenomenal rappers. Large Professor, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, DJ Quik, and Andre 3000 are just some of the double-threat MCs. While Questlove is a drummer, producer, DJ, filmmaker, and all around funny guy, he never really got into rapping.... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Dame Dash Lets Sway Ask Him Anything & The Tables Seem To Turn (Video)

Whether he's running Roc-A-Fella Records, producing films, or pursuing fashion, publishing, and independent record labels like DD172 and BluRoc, Damon Dash is entertaining. One part Martin Scorsese character, one part Nikki Barnes, Dame's fast-talking, street-informed style has absolutely changed the face of the Hip-Hop culture over the last 20 years.... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Chance The Rapper & Nosaj Thing Are Back To Pushing Musical Boundaries (Audio)

Nosaj Thing may or may not be on the radar. The Los Angeles, California-based musician/producer has caught some major credits such as Kid Cudi's 2009 debut, Man On The Moon: The End Of Day. More typically though, Nosaj works with inventive, experimental MCs with large followings, including Project Blowed disciples... Read more

March 4, 2015 Audio

Even A Cappella Your Old Droog Has Nutty Bars (Video)

On tour with PRhyme and Boldy James, Your Old Droog is enjoying the opportunities of the road. In Chicago, Illinois, the Brooklynite blessed Windy City showgoers later on with a verse that's as cold as the air from Lake Michigan. This freestyle includes the usual Droog charms of childhood flashbacks,... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Snoop Dogg & The Pharcyde Have HISTORY. Imani & Bootie Brown Open Up (Video)

It's a forgotten fact that The Pharcyde's Bizarre II The Pharcyde and Dr. Dre's The Chronic released less than a month apart. Hip-Hop historians may see a major dividing line between the Los Angeles, California quartet and the Compton-to-Long Beach connection of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, but it's not... Read more

March 3, 2015 Video

50 Cent Says Suge Knight Was Going to Kill Dr. Dre. G-Unit Gets Real with The Breakfast Club (Video)

Today (March 3), G-Unit's Beast Is G-Unit EP released. 50 Cent's crew's second EP in as many years is sure to move the charts around. The best promotion though, is a quality interview with Fif, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks—the core of the Unit since the Columbia Records days. The... Read more

March 3, 2015 Video

M.O.P., Inspectah Deck, Guilty Simpson & Bernz Rip Shop Together (Audio)

DJ EFN keeps unleashing the power-play collaborations. This time, the Miami, Florida-based DJ/producer asks, how about some hardcore? M.O.P. joins Wu-Tang Clan's Inspectah Deck, Random Axe's Guilty Simpson, and ¡Mayday!'s Bernz (f/k/a Bernbiz) for a slow creeper through your aural cavities. The five MCs remind you that they're from "Another... Read more

March 3, 2015 Audio

Dipset Release Their Comeback Visual In Proper Fashion (Video)

The Diplomats—better known as Dipset—are hitting the road. Moreover, Cam'ron, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, and Freekey Zekey are bringing Funkmaster Flex out on the buses and planes with them. Flex, a veteran DJ who played many clubs across the globe, is returning to the road for the first time in... Read more

March 3, 2015 Video

Bad Lucc Has A Lot On His Mind & Lets Off With Style (Audio)

Bad Lucc has been around a lot longer than some Heads may realize. The Los Angeles veteran shows his wisdom on "Hands Down." Not an inclusion on the upcoming Diamond Lane America, this song certainly sounds inspired by Comptons Most Wanted and the aggressive early '90s MC Eiht sound. Moreover, the... Read more

March 3, 2015 Audio

Are There 3 Hotter Rappers In 2015 Than Big Sean, Drake & Kanye West? (Video)

Although 2015 is only in its third month, are there three bigger Rap artists for the current calendar than Big Sean, Drake, and Kanye West? Kanye's latest media swarm has everybody abuzz, leading up to God Help Me. Drake shocked the universe last month with his second gold-selling mixtape, If... Read more

March 3, 2015 Video

Tha Dogg Pound Electrify Some G-Funk With Snoop Dogg & Kokane (Audio)

Twenty years removed from Dogg Food, there seems to be two styles to Tha Dogg Pound. Daz and Kurupt can be laid back, smoked out, and mellow—even if the verses never really put on the kid gloves. On the other hand, as evident in their "What Would You Do?" days,... Read more

March 3, 2015 Audio

Kid Cudi Takes The Pain & Loneliness To Make A Charged Message Of Hope (Audio)

For as much as he's evolved, Kid Cudi seemingly keeps coming back to his smash hit 2009 breakthrough, Man On The Moon: The End Of Day. Cleveland, Ohio's own MC/singer takes that amazing, original, and Electronically-informed sound and applies it to his life now. Making a rare new song release,... Read more

March 3, 2015 Audio

Are You Really Ready for Some Super Dynamite Soul? DJ Cosmo Baker is on the Job (Mix)

In the DJ world, Cosmo Baker is a giant. Whether in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Philadelphia, or pretty much any part of the globe, Cos' can seemingly spin any genre, with style and finesse. Swinging through Drexel University's WKDU Eavesdrop Show, Baker brought nothing but a box of 7" 45's, and got... Read more

March 2, 2015 Mixes

Action Bronson & Chance The Rapper? Mark Ronson Makes It Work (Audio)

From Wale to Rhymefest, Bruno Mars to Ghostface Killah, Mark Ronson is gifted in pushing musicians to their outer limits. For Mr. Wonderful (March 24), Action Bronson called upon the British producer who was once a Roc-A-Fella Records affiliate. "Baby Blue," featuring Chance The Rapper is not far from the... Read more

March 2, 2015 Audio

Ludacris’ Ludaversal Might Have The Coolest Album Cover Of The Last Year

For all of his bragging on his raps, did you know Ludacris still (often) drives the same exact car he owned when he first broke through? The 1993 Acura Legend sedan is actually Chris Bridges' first car, before a career that would yield multi-platinum albums, recurring film franchise roles, and... Read more

March 2, 2015 Fresh

Michael Jordan Is Now A Billionaire. If Only We Could Be Like Mike…

Two hundred and ninety billionaires are reported to have joined the elite club in the last year, according to a new report from Forbes magazine. One of those tycoons is six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan. MJ made a reported $90 million alone from his Air Jordan Nike-backed brand between 2013... Read more

March 2, 2015 Lifestyle, News

Denitia and Sene Are Severely Slept On. This Latest Single Beckons Mainstream Attention (Audio)

Synth Pop and R&B are as close as they've been in 25 years. Artists like Blood Orange (Dev Hynes), Solange Knowles, and SZA are chipping away, bringing the Dance-inspired diaspora to the masses. For years now, Denitia and Sene have been consistently great, releasing poignant, versatile music on relations, emotions,... Read more

March 2, 2015 Audio

dead prez, Juvenile & Trick Daddy May Seem Like An Unlikely Team, But They Are Survivalists (Audio)

DJ EFN's been bringing all sorts of worlds together on his Another Time album, which releases tomorrow (March 3). The Miami, Florida-based DJ is fusing generations, styles, and coasts on his Empire-distributed studio LP. "Survival" is no exception. EFN orchestrates a team of Juvenile and Dade County's own Trick Daddy,... Read more

March 2, 2015 Audio

Wale & Usher Make A Song About Making Plans For Mature Relationships (Audio)

Although it was never part of his early rise, Wale has found great success in making songs about love, romance, and the complexities of relationships. Teaming with an R&B master of love ballads, Wale and Usher look at the transition from the fun-loving no strings attached life into the plans... Read more

March 2, 2015 Audio

Curren$y’s Pilot Talk 3 Approaches The Runway, With Styles P On Board (Audio)

Still without a release date, Pilot Talk 3 must be getting close. Curren$y & Ski Beatz's latest tandem has several tracks which have surfaced online. "Alert," with The LOX's Styles P is a collaboration that's a bit out of the norm for the guest, but floats nicely into the weed-induced... Read more

March 2, 2015 Audio

A Fan Gets On Stage To Try & Battle A Geto Boy? Willie D’s Not Havin’ It! (Video)

Back in year 2000, the Geto Boys were on one of their many hiatuses. However, the famous lineup of Scarface, Willie D, and Bushwick Bill were all busy pursuing their own solo interests. 'Face was hard at work on Last Of A Dying Breed, his final Rap-A-Lot Records LP before... Read more

March 1, 2015 Throwback

Chris Rivers Maps His Path To The Top Of The Class (Video)

Chris Rivers never seems to sleep. Baby Pun, as he was formerly known, works as hard on videos, songs, and mixtapes as he does when he's in the booth. It's all calculated moves, and "The Statement 2.0" seems to prove it. Shot with some black-light effects, the visual shows Rivers... Read more

March 1, 2015 Video

Kanye West Asks For Help On His Seventh Album Title & Releases Artwork

The cat is out of the bag...or in other words, "Mike Douglas out the car now." After a one-month media cycle, Kanye West has finally released the most pertinent detail surrounding his seventh solo album—its title. So Help Me God, will reportedly be the Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam Records superstar's release name.... Read more

March 1, 2015 News

Blu & MED Release a Mixtape Strictly for the Underground. No Fakers Allowed (Audio)

While they're both old soul MCs, both Blu and MED utilize the digital age to the fullest. The two sunny Southern California lyricists release music at a pace that would make 2Pac proud. Whether the albums are on major labels, legendary indies, or bootlegged by the men who made them,... Read more

February 28, 2015 Audio

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): T.I. vs. Ludacris…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). We are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups... Read more

February 27, 2015 Fresh

Action Bronson Is The Wizard of Oz. Take A Look Behind the Curtain (Video)

Action Bronson's five-year plan has paid off. Once an underground New York Hip-Hop MC, Bam-Bam is now a major label artist, hitting the charts, and starring in an HBO-distributed food series. He's working with Rap's elite veteran class, and still has the humor, charm, and gritty imagery that brought him... Read more

February 27, 2015 Video

G-Unit Still Makes Ski Mask Music. Press Play and Duck (Audio)

Next Tuesday (March 3), G-Unit will release their second EP in as many years. The Beast Is G-Unit is a six-track short player from the quintet. "Boy Boy" is one of the center pieces from the work, boasting a song produced by Seattle, Washington's Jake One (De La Soul, Freeway,... Read more

February 27, 2015 Audio

Get to Know the Kinder, Gentler Kanye West in this Candid Interview (Video)

On The Low End Theory, Q-Tip famously rapped about "the way things work in cycles." That being said, Kanye West is hitting specific media spots, and doing complete 180's from his late 2013 campaign. Once perceived as angry, arrogant, and easily aggravated during his post-Yeezus run, 'Ye is righting his... Read more

February 26, 2015 Video

Dame Dash & Kanye West Share A Glimpse Of Their Film In Segments Starring The LOX, Smoke DZA & More (Video)

In Hip-Hop, film and music videos are often of blurred lines. From Krush Groove to Murder Was The Case, plots often pause to show artists expressing themselves in cinematic vignettes. Loisaidas, the new film executive produced by Damon Dash and Kanye West is no exception. In a 17-minute reel-style "episode,"... Read more

February 26, 2015 TV/Film, Video