Bonita

Drake’s Pool May Be Bigger Than Kanye’s, But Who’s Got The Bigger Verse? (Audio)

As much of the Hip-Hop community waits for the arrival of his forthcoming album Views From the 6, Drake continues to dominate much of the conversation about today's biggest MCs. With "Hotline Bling" embodying the nexus of popular music and pop-culture phenom more than anything else in 2015, the Toronto... Read more

April 5, 2016 Audio

Pimp C’s Memory Is Cherished by Nas, Bun B & Family Insiders in New Documentary (Video)

In the years since his 2007 passing, Pimp C (born Chad Butler) remains a larger-than-life presence in Hip-Hop, especially when one considers his enduring influence in the way Southern Rap sounds. But regional impact aside, Pimp C was also a friend, a group mate, a husband, and a life-loving celebrant... Read more

April 4, 2016 Video

Royce 5’9″, Pusha T & Rick Ross Show That Each Has Many Layers As An MC (Audio)

With only 11 days until the release of his solo album Layers, Detroit's Royce 5'9" is in the home stretch of a promotional undertaking that has resulted in more than enough work to prove that one need not be the next hottest thing to put forth inspiring and lyrically punishing... Read more

April 4, 2016 Audio

Bahamadia Speaks On Artistic Integrity & Hip-Hop Womanhood, 20 Years After Kollage (Interview)

On April 2, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC known as Bahamadia celebrated the 20th anniversary of her debut album, Kollage. From her early success on radio to arriving where she is now, Bahamadia carries along with her the observations made along the way. However, the major milestones in her career are... Read more

April 4, 2016 Food for Thought

Bernie Sanders is Changing the Political Landscape in the U.S. & He’s Proud Of It (Video)

Fresh off his primary victories in Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington, Vermont's Senator Bernie Sanders continues to force a conversation in American politics about the big guys versus the little guys. Having galvanized young voters in far greater numbers than his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, Sanders has proven that a polished... Read more

April 4, 2016 Lifestyle

Bahamadia Speaks On Artistic Integrity & Hip-Hop Womanhood, 20 Years After Kollage (Interview)

On April 2, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC known as Bahamadia celebrated the 20th anniversary of her debut album, Kollage. From her early success on radio to arriving where she is now, Bahamadia carries along with her the observations made along the way. However, the major milestones in her career are not always... Read more

March 31, 2016 Food for Thought

Pharrell Gives NYU Music Students A Lifetime Of Knowledge In 30 Minutes (Video)

As part of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts' 50th anniversary, Pharrell Williams was named Artist in Residence. The school celebrated by inviting him to speak at length in front of the student body, where he shared tremendous insight into his own vulnerabilities as well as his vision and... Read more

March 22, 2016 Video

Black Donald Trump Supporters Are Put On The Spot & Defend Their Candidate (Video)

Political double-talkers abound, and it's no surprise why. Politicians have to appeal to so many different kinds of people, that often times they end up tangled in humorous hypocrisy. One need not look far for examples of hypocrites in our political arena, like the elected officials who vote anti-gay only... Read more

March 22, 2016 TV/Film

J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League Invites Camp Lo, Mack Wilds & Rick Ross to Dance & the Result is Money (Audio)

The League calling themselves Just Undeniably Some of the Illest Composers Ever have been establishing their own brand of superheroism for more than ten years, ever since scoring their first major production breakthroughs with Mary J. Blige's "No One Will Do" (which helped them nab a Grammy Award for Best... Read more

March 21, 2016 Audio

Royce 5’9″ Proves Being Lyrical Is Cool While Destroying New School MCs (Video)

Shortly after releasing a video for the lead single for his forthcoming album Layers starring his son, Royce 5'9" is back with another video centered on intergenerational perspective, this time focused on taste and trends. While in "Tabernacle" Royce takes a micro approach to telling a story, "Which Is Cool" is broader... Read more

March 21, 2016 Video

Musiq Soulchild Is BACK & His New Song Will Take Your Heart Away (Audio)

Musiq Soulchild is one of the foremost talents in the Neo-Soul movement, helping to spearhead the influx of the genre in the late '90s and early '00s. Like Erykah Badu, D'Angelo and others, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania crooner flawlessly blends the stylings of contemporary R&B with traditional Soul and Hip-Hop, a... Read more

March 18, 2016 Audio

This Virtual Crate Digging Is Like Touching And Feeling Your Favorite 90s Hip-Hop Records

Crate digging is an inseparable part of Hip-Hop culture. Whether or not there is a local record store in your vicinity, chances are you've heard or seen your favorite artists taking part in the tradition. In the days before digital music, Serato, and USB drives, record stores provided producers and... Read more

March 18, 2016 Fresh

Obama Reminds the Nation of His Presidential Power Over the Supreme Court (Video)

As if the current political goings-on in the United States needed any more hullabaloo, the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has resulted in a showdown between President Obama and Congress. As the presidential campaign heats up with presumptive nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump entering what promises... Read more

March 18, 2016 Lifestyle

Royce 5’9″ Blacks Out on Another Song & Announces Free EP (Audio)

In just under a month, Royce 5'9" will be releasing Layers, his sixth studio album and first since 2011's Success Is Certain. In the years since, he has proven himself to be an integral part of various groups like PRhyme and Slaughterhouse,but his longtime fans have always known of his... Read more

March 17, 2016 Audio

Lil’ Kim, Da Brat, Left Eye, & Missy Elliott Invited the World to Ladies Night Nearly 20 Years Ago (Video)

In November 1996, Lil' Kim would release her celebrated debut album, Hard Core. Nearly 20 years later, the LP still stands tall as one of the most iconic pieces of music from any MC, period. For many, her being a woman was only secondary to her talents as a performer,... Read more

March 17, 2016 Do Remember

“Empire” Star Jussie Smollett Takes The Media To Task For Its Coverage Of Donald Trump (Video)

Last night, Comedy Central was once again the sight of an engrossing, multi-dynamic look at American racial politics, thanks to the perspectives shared on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. With many of today's top news stories approached from perspectives of people of color, the show often delves into the... Read more

March 16, 2016 TV/Film

Big Sean Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is. One Man Really Can Change the World. (Video)

Always repping his hometown of Detroit in his music, Big Sean (born Sean Anderson) is making major moves behind-the-scenes as it pertains to giving back to his community. The Sean Anderson Foundation is a non-profit founded with a Motor City focus in mind, with programs and initiatives aimed at the... Read more

March 16, 2016 Lifestyle

Forget Presidential Candidates. Are Our Computers Also Racist and Sexist? (Audio)

Austin, Texas is currently the place to be for music industry insiders, with a whole host of artists performing across a spectrum of genres. However, the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival is not just a place to get put up on the next hottest artist; it's also a well-established platform... Read more

March 16, 2016 Lifestyle

Talib Kweli, 9th Wonder & Nottz Enlist MK Asante & Uzi for a Banger with a Message (Video)

Bars with depth, a video with a concept, and a beat that knocks. The remix to Talib Kweli and 9th Wonder's Indie 500 cut "Bangers" has all of that in the chamber, and then some. On the album version, the Nottz-produced track features MK Asante and Halo and is a... Read more

March 15, 2016 Video

Q-Tip Explains Why the World NEEDS Hip-Hop Now More Than Ever (Video)

On March 8, it was announced that Q-Tip was appointed the first Artistic Director of Hip-Hop Culture at the Kennedy Center in New York City, possibly the world's most famous center for arts. A massively huge step towards Hip-Hop culture earning the much-deserved recognition of being a serious cultural art... Read more

March 15, 2016 Video

The Government Is Fighting the U.S. Heroin Epidemic in 94 Million Ways (Video)

The recent death of former first lady Nancy Reagan has brought conversations about the so-called "War on Drugs" back into the fray. Considered by most to have been a complete and utter failure, the war was first initiated by the Nixon administration, but was fortified by not only President Reagan,... Read more

March 15, 2016 Lifestyle

Black Milk Turns Up His Beatmaking With A Live Instrumentation LP (Audio)

For fans of Detroit, Michigan producer and MC Black Milk, his steady rise as an acclaimed artist has been many years in the making. With a solo production discography stretching back more than a decade, his collaborative efforts include work with Danny Brown, Elzhi, Sean Price, and Slum Village and... Read more

March 14, 2016 Audio

Sha Rock Was the First Female MC on National TV. Here’s Her 1981 Performance (Video)

On Valentine's Day in 1981, when Hip-Hop was by and large a completely unrecognized cultural form, national television aired the first appearance by a female rapper. 35 years later, during Woman's History Month, footage of that historic performance has re-surfaced, and it is a remarkable trip down the proverbial Memory... Read more

March 12, 2016 Throwback

Cam’ron & New York’s Subway B-Boys Dazzle in a Video That Redefines Creativity (Video)

Perhaps the only thing more ubiquitous in New York City than the subways are the subway performers who use the time between station stops to amaze the crowd - or at least attempt to - with music, poetry, speeches, or dance. There has developed a microcosm in the subway dance... Read more

March 11, 2016 Video

Heavy D Tells Some Untold Stories About Cutting Classic Records & Self-Love (Video)

November will mark the fifth anniversary of Heavy D's death, a loss which continues to elicit pangs of grief throughout the Hip-Hop community. The money earnin' Mount Vernon native made his indelible mark as a Jamaican-born MC whose contributions in the late '80s and early '90s with Heavy D &... Read more

March 11, 2016 Video

Sean Price & Planet Asia Set Off the Festivities With Serious Lyricism (Audio)

The late, great Sean Price left Heads with a robust discography, thanks to the Brownsville "Bar-barian's" extensive recording career as a member of Heltah Skeltah, Random Axe, and as a hardworking solo MC. Now, his booming baritone can be heard dropping some new heat in the form of "The Festival,"... Read more

March 10, 2016 Audio

Hillary Clinton & Bernie Sanders Are Asked About Climate Change & It Gets Heated (Video)

Last night (March 9), the two front-running candidates in the Democratic quest for the presidency squared off in Miami, Florida for the Univision-sponsored debate. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders were both fired up, with the Sanders campaign capitalizing on its recent winning upset in the... Read more

March 10, 2016 Lifestyle

MC Lyte is Cold Rockin’ Hip-Hop Feminism in Major Ways (Video)

MC Lyte has added activist, businesswoman, and philanthropist to her resume thanks to her tremendous work in empowering children and women. Having founded the Hip-Hop Sisters Foundation, a non-profit that promotes positive images of women of ethnic diversity, she has made it her life's goal to work on behalf of... Read more

March 10, 2016 Video

Open Mike Eagle Exposes His Addiction to Something We All Cherish (Audio)

Los Angeles-based MC and sometimes producer Open Mike Eagle made major waves with his 2014 album Dark Comedy, which was lauded by indie and mainstream outlets alike. Having graduated from the Project Blowed school of underground Rap in the city which has birthed contemporaries like Anderson .Paak, Flying Lotus, Nocando,... Read more

March 9, 2016 Audio

Elzhi Only Needs Two 16s to Deliver Unmatched Storytelling (Audio)

March 25 will signal the arrival of Elzhi's Lead Poison, a scenario for which "highly anticipated" is an understatement. His first full-length release since 2011's Elmatic, the upcoming LP is equal servings of vulnerability and dominance, as the Detroit MC's gimmick-free lyrical abilities take on everything from mental illness to... Read more

March 9, 2016 Audio

Yuna Rocks A DJ Premier Track Better Than Most MCs Do (Video)

Wanderlust - the overwhelming desire to travel - may be one of the most relatable concepts in the human experience. Whether geographically or otherwise, thoughts of arriving elsewhere can be freeing or suffocating, and Malaysian singer Yuna explores that dichotomy beautifully in her DJ Premier-produced single "Places to Go." Having... Read more

March 9, 2016 Video

Q-Tip Named the First Artistic Director of Hip-Hop Culture of the Kennedy Center

It's been a couple of big years for Hip-Hop and iconic American institutions. With the Smithsonian now housing some rare Hip-Hop photography, Kendrick Lamar and Nas both having performed with the National Symphony Orchestra (in 2015 and 2014, respectively), and today's news coming out of the Kennedy Center, it seems the movement... Read more

March 8, 2016 News

Celebrate International Women’s Day with Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, TLC, & More (Video)

March is Women's History Month, and as we get closer and closer to the presidential election in the United States, the likely reality of the country electing its first female president is a topic of excited discussion. Furthermore, 2020 will mark the centennial of women's suffrage in the U.S., making... Read more

March 8, 2016 Video

J. Cole & Bas Are Working Late While Other MCs Keep Sleepin’ (Video)

Queens, New York rapper Bas is nearly two full years out from the release of his debut album, 2014's Last Winter, and he's keeping the momentum up with Too High to Riot, released on March 4. The Dreamville Records signee - born Abbas Hammad - has naturally established a strong relationship... Read more

March 8, 2016 Video

FUBU Founder & “Shark Tank” Star Daymond John Lists His Keys to Success (Video)

The entrepreneurial spirit has been present in Hip-Hop culture since its inception, from the creative youth who began to throw block parties to those who made and sold mixtapes to classmates at school. One area of the culture which really fostered entrepreneurship is fashion, and recent films like Fresh Dressed... Read more

March 7, 2016 Video

When Big Brother Isn’t Watching, It’s Someone Much Shadier

The unique aspects of living in our technologically soaked 21st century world are covered every day in the news, but these days there is one tech-based story that is impossible to ignore. The ongoing game of moral tug-of-war between the FBI and Apple over an iPhone used by one of... Read more

March 7, 2016 Lifestyle

The Internet Drop 3 videos in 1 & Invite Tyler, the Creator to the Party (Video)

Grammy-nominated contemporary Soul outfit the Internet offer up a melange of sounds and sights in an ambitiously packaged music video. Comprised of three separate vignettes, today's release celebrates three stand-out tracks from last year's Ego Death. "Special Affair," "Curse," and "Palace" are all treated independently but are pieced together in... Read more

March 7, 2016 Video

This Oral History of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Shows Why Their Music Is Eternal.

Last year, Cleveland, Ohio Hip-Hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony celebrated the 20th anniversary of their iconic album, E. 1999 Eternal. In recognition of the milestone, the five-member crew undertook a massive tour, an opportunity for fans both young and old to reconnect with music that influenced a generation. Bizzy Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Krayzie... Read more

March 5, 2016 Throwback

Black Sheep Dres & Jaleel Shaw Fly High With the Help of New York City’s Jazzy Streets (Video)

The musical marriage of MC Dres (of Black Sheep) and Jazz saxophonist and composer Jaleel Shaw represents an intersection of two genres with a longstanding history. Shaw - a frequent collaborator of Robert Glasper's - released his second solo album back in 2008, but music's perennial ability to inspire others... Read more

March 4, 2016 Video

Zoe Saldana Looks Better in Blueface Than Blackface. What Happened, Miss Simone? (Video)

Less than a week after the 88th Academy Awards took place during a maelstrom of controversy surrounding the lack of diversity in Hollywood, the official trailer for an upcoming biopic about iconic singer Nina Simone was released, and the controversy continues. Starring Zoe Saldana in the lead role, Nina tells... Read more

March 4, 2016 TV/Film, Video

Lupe Fiasco Flips SZA & Cuts Right to the Bone (Audio)

Lupe Fiasco is an artist who thinks ahead. Known for referencing projects way ahead of schedule, he's also known for frequently surprising fans with unannounced music, much like he did when releasing his Pharoah Height 2/3 mixtape for free last summer. His Wikipedia page lists four albums in his discography... Read more

March 2, 2016 Audio

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Words In This Rare 1967 Interview Are Still Relevant Today (Video)

A recently found master tape of a 1967 interview featuring Martin Luther King, Jr. on the iconic Merv Griffin talk show surfaced earlier this year, and it is an awe inspiring look at a man who was rarely seen in casual conversation. The Civil Rights Era thought leader has always... Read more

March 2, 2016 Lifestyle

10 Years After a Classic, No Malice Loves & Distances Himself From Clipse’s Music (Video)

Come November, an album which helped to define the sound of a generation will be turning 10 years old. In 2006, Clipse released their second album, Hell Hath No Fury, home to singles "Mr. Me Too" and "Wamp Wamp (What It Do)." However, as time would tell, its true strength... Read more

March 2, 2016 Video

Elzhi Discusses His Battle With Depression and It’s A Testament To His Courage (Interview)

In the nearly five years it's been since Detroit MC Elzhi has released a full-fledged solo project in the form of his Elmatic mixtape, Heads have been eager for his return. However, Lead Poison, his highly-anticipated follow up, is on its way (March 25), and with it comes Elzhi's most... Read more

March 1, 2016 Food for Thought

The War On Drugs Failed. Now It’s a War For Recovery (Audio)

When President Richard Nixon made the war on drugs one of his signature domestic campaigns, his administration set into motion one of the most unpopular cycles of American social change. Effectively criminalizing all drug-related activities - from the high level trafficking to the pedestrian smoking of a joint - the... Read more

March 1, 2016 Lifestyle

Troy Ave Mocks Capital STEEZ’s Suicide In A Joey Bada$$ Diss Record (Audio)

With the release of his latest single "Ready," Joey Bada$$ seems to have reignited a war of words with fellow Brooklyn MC Troy Ave. It all began where much of today's "beef" seems to originate - on social media. A debate between the two young artists on Twitter several months... Read more

March 1, 2016 Audio

Pro Era’s Nyck Caution Is Limitless On High-Flying New LP (Album Stream)

22-year-old Pro Era spitter Nyck Caution (born Jesse Cordasco) has been sharing the limelight with his Brooklyn cohorts Joey Bada$$, CJ Fly, Kirk Knight, and others for several years now, helping to invigorate the young creative streak in the New York City borough which has also exposed the talents of... Read more

March 1, 2016 Audio

D.I.T.C.’s O.C. Rhymes About What’s Really Important in Life…& What’s Not (Audio)

"Champagne wishes and caviar dreams" has become a popular phrase for the rags to riches motif found in a lot of music, particularly Hip-Hop. Originating as the catchphrase of the television series Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous, which ran from 1984 to 1995, the saying has been featured in... Read more

February 29, 2016 Audio

Nas Details That Time He & Biggie Were Supposed to Collaborate (Video)

"Gimme the Loot" is a Hip-Hop staple, a classic piece of the Notorious B.I.G.'s repertoire from what is arguably one of the most influential debut albums in history. But what some may not know is that 1994's Ready to Die almost inspired a remix to the song featuring Nas, another young MC who also... Read more

February 29, 2016 Video

Elzhi Drops First Visual Dose of “Lead Poison” & Describes Deeply Personal Inspiration

In the nearly five years it's been since Detroit MC Elzhi has released a full-fledged solo project in the form of his Elmatic mixtape, Heads have been eager for his return. So eager, in fact, that many gladly contributed to the rapper's Kickstarter campaign in an effort to raise the... Read more

February 29, 2016 Food for Thought, Video