Bonita

Mac Miller & His Multiple Personalities Show Up For A Dreamy, Supernatural Affair (Audio)

Mac Miller's contributions to "Creatures of the Night," an ambitious track that sounds like it could belong to an album from the Gorillaz, make it one of those joints that Heads and Hip-Hop novices can all dig their musical heels into. The track is actually a single from Njomza, a... Read more

November 2, 2015 Audio

Royce Da 5’9″ & Killer Mike Are Hungry…& They Leave Nothing For Other Rappers To Eat (Audio)

Ever since their collaboration on "Underground Kings" from PRhyme's 2014 eponymous LP, Royce Da 5'9" and Killer Mike have left plenty of Heads wanting more. On tracks together, toe to toe is an understatement, and the two ridiculously skilled MCs continue to release unrelenting bar after bar on their respective... Read more

November 2, 2015 Audio

Gentrification Is Giving the Boogie Down New Meaning & Not Everybody’s Feeling the Message

For decades, just the name "South Bronx" conjured up images of inner city turmoil, with all of its abandoned buildings, overcrowded schools, high crime rates, and a disproportionate level of poverty and its side effects - lack of access to healthy food, healthcare, and jobs. In fact, films like "80... Read more

November 2, 2015 Lifestyle

These Comic Book Superheroes Are Taking On Their Arch Nemesis, Uncle Sam (Video)

For decades (probably even millennia), graffiti has served amongst its many purposes the promotion of awareness and politically-driven messages. By its very nature, graffiti is an anarchist's weapon, allowing for the promulgation of anti-government (and other forms of push-back) visible to the masses. But what about comic strips? An art... Read more

October 30, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Pharrell’s NYU Conversation Dissects “Geek Chic” & Native Tongues’ Inspiration (Video)

Earlier this week, New York University's Tisch School of the Arts hosted Pharrell Williams, after naming him their Artist in Residence as part of the school's 50th anniversary. As part of his residency, P visited Tisch for an in-depth talk with host Jason King a part of NPR's "In Conversation"... Read more

October 30, 2015 Video

Label Politics, Claims of Song Stealing, Criticism of Selling Out…This Ja Rule Documentary Has It All (Video)

It's been 15 years since Ja Rule released "Put It On Me," his first top-ten hit and one of several charting scorchers on his sophomore album, Rule 3:36. The milestone has set the stage for a look back at the song and its role in shaping Ja Rule's career, and... Read more

October 29, 2015 Video

Snoop Says Nardwuar Is One Of His Best Interviewers. Nardwaur Shows Why (Video)

It's been 15 years since Snoop Dogg and Canadian celebrity interviewer extraordinaire Nardwuar (full name: Nardwuar the Human Serviette) have been choppin' it up, and in their most recent chat, one can really sense the chemistry and genuine friendship the two have with one another. Snoop, holding a Slim Jim-sized... Read more

October 29, 2015 Video

Peter Dougherty, ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ Creator, Has Passed Away (Video)

In today's era, when MTV hardly plays any music, it becomes easy to forget just how influential the television network was to the promotion of music and popular culture. Its "Yo! MTV Raps" program would revolutionize the way Hip-Hop artists were seen in mainstream America, but it took several years... Read more

October 29, 2015 News

Busta Rhymes, Puff Daddy, Mary J. Blige To Rock The Jingle Bells In Newark

Hot97, one of the nation's preeminent Hip-Hop radio stations, has announced a holiday celebration featuring a massive line-up that includes headliner Busta Rhymes as well as Puff Daddy, Lil Wayne, Mary J. Blige, French Montana, Sean Paul, and Jeremih. Taking place on Saturday, December 5, the "Hot for the Holidays"... Read more

October 28, 2015 Fresh

Kevin Powell Releases A Recording of Tupac Discussing The Night He Was Shot in NYC (Audio)

Next year will mark the twentieth anniversary of Tupac Shakur's death, a milestone that will reverberate throughout the Hip-Hop community as Heads reflect on the incredible influence the rapper, poet, actor, and activist had on the world around him. His murder remains one of the music industry's biggest mysteries, and... Read more

October 28, 2015 Audio

Black Lives (& Bodies) Are Being Championed Through Song & Imagery From Supastition (Video)

In what may be the most recent example of the relationship between art and life, North Carolina MC Supastition has released an unflinchingly direct examination of race in America in the form of "Black Bodies," the latest single from June's The Gold Standard. The accompanying video's release comes just hours... Read more

October 27, 2015 Video

Cee Lo Green Follows A Tribe Called Quest’s Footprints & Flips A Classic (Audio)

As the release date for A Tribe Called Quest's 25th Anniversary re-issue of their People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths of Rhythm album inches closer, more details are being released about what is promising to be one of the most anticipated projects of the season. Dropping November 13, the album... Read more

October 27, 2015 Audio

Afrika Bambaataa Will Receive a Lifetime Achievement Award For Helping to Birth Hip-Hop

Considered to be the Godfather of the culture, Afrika Bambaataa blazed a trail through the New York city club scene during a time when the city's youth culture was experimenting with what would become Hip-Hop (a term credited to Bambaataa). His contributions to that landscape are being recognized by the... Read more

October 27, 2015 Lifestyle

A Japanese B-Boy Crew in Germany Won the Battle of the Year. Hip-Hop is Universal Magnetic (Video)

The Battle of the Year (BOTY) describes itself as the "World Cup of Breakdancing," and for good reason. Over the weekend, hundreds of contenders representing countries as far away as Thailand and and Senegal competed for the championship, and this team from Japan bested 14 other squads. With a name... Read more

October 26, 2015 Video

A New Trend in Dieting is Giving ‘Going with Your Gut’ a Whole New Meaning

Diet fads and fat burner come a dime a dozen, and it seems each year a new craze takes hold, eliciting conversations about the best way to shed weight that can be sometimes contradictory. Carbs are bad, but red meat is fine. Or maybe red meat causes cancer and carbs aren't... Read more

October 26, 2015 Lifestyle

More Faces of Color Are On Screen But Diverse Writers Are Still Treated Like The Walking Dead

Great strides have been made in the visibility of diverse characters on television in recent months, but many would justifiably argue that it's too little too late, and that much work is left to be done. Viola Davis recently became the first African-American woman to win an Emmy for Best... Read more

October 26, 2015 Lifestyle, TV/Film

Frank Nitt, Illa J & J. Rocc Get Animated For That One True Love (Video)

It's been several months since Detroit MC and Los Angeles transplant Frank Nitt released Frankie Rothstein, and now his latest single has come to life in the form of a creatively delivered video. "Slippin" is a love song, particularly for those who are already in love and realizing how much... Read more

October 23, 2015 Video

The Hotel That Inspired ‘The Shining’ Is Now A True American Horror Story & Museum

It was to the delight of millions of fans that FX announced its current season of its hit show "American Horror Story" would take place in a hotel, a setting familiar to anyone who has traveled. And yet, despite its familiarity and comforting aspects, there is something about a hotel's... Read more

October 23, 2015 Lifestyle

The Graffti Drone Is Real, & She Is Helping Give Power To The People (Video)

Drones are a hot-button issue in the United States today, particularly when it comes to their use in combat. The Obama administration and others have come under fire for sending the drones (which are also known as unmanned aerial vehicles) into areas of the world like Pakistan, where they are... Read more

October 22, 2015 Lifestyle

A New Book Lists The Most Important Rap Songs Of Every Year Since 1979. Did They Get It Right?

In "The Rap Year Book," writer Shea Serrano attempts to do what many may say is impossible - pick only one Rap song from every year as the definitive best. Along with illustrations from Arturo Torres and a foreword from Ice-T, the project takes the form of a high-school yearbook,... Read more

October 22, 2015 Lifestyle

Wale Talks About Much More Than MMG Drama & A Gossipy Headline Can Capture (Video)

Yesterday (October 21), Wale visited the Breakfast Club at Power 105.1FM in New York City for an interview. For more than an hour, the D.C. rapper discussed his career, the current state of Maybach Music Group, as well as his thoughts about the now infamous Drake and Meek Mill kerfuffle.... Read more

October 22, 2015 Video

With Compelling Photography, An Artist Hopes To Lessen The Stigma Of Mental Illness

Dior Vargas, a self-described "Latina Feminist Mental Health Activist," is bringing much-needed attention to the prevalence of mental illnesses in communities of color through a photography project that asks everyday people to raise awareness about the issue. In general, mental illness is one of those touchy subjects that makes many... Read more

October 21, 2015 Lifestyle

Q-Tip, Dave Chappelle, Leo DiCaprio & Chris Rock Talk Beats, Rhymes & Life, Literally. (Audio)

That's right. An Oscar-nominated actor, two legendary comedic geniuses, and an integral architect of Hip-Hop in one place, at one time. For many, the combination of Dave Chappelle, Leonardo DiCaprio, Chris Rock, and Q-Tip sounds like the answer to "if you could sit four celebrities into a room to hear... Read more

October 21, 2015 Audio

Spotlight: Despite His Name, Rain910 Is Here To Shed Light On His People’s Pain (Video)

North Carolina has consistently proven itself to be a breeding ground for forward-thinking, soulful, and prolific MCs, a tradition be carried on today by Rain910. Hailing from the land of 9th Wonder, J. Cole, and Little Brother, the 27-year-old Fayetteville rapper and producer is currently surfing the waves he left... Read more

October 21, 2015 Video

Hear One Group’s Hip-Hop Inspired Fight Against Domestic Violence (Audio)

They go by the Real Clash and they are one of the many groups using the platform of Hip-Hop music to raise awareness about an issue that affects millions of people around the world. Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Real Clash have taken charge in the fight against domestic... Read more

October 20, 2015 Audio

Raury Makes TV History With Powerful Performance & Conversation (Video)

For the first time in the show's history, Comedy Central's "The Nightly Show" featured a live music performance. Singer and rapper Raury was the artist chosen for the honor, and justifiably so. The show's host, Larry Wilmore, has rightfully dedicated much of his content to current issues of race relations in... Read more

October 20, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Here’s A Mix of Familiar & Fresh Songs To Fire Up Your Week (Playlist)

With a long, hot, and ever-exciting summer now transitioning to fall, here is a new playlist of both new and more throwback singles, plus approved album cuts. This mix nods to stand-out tracks from the last year and beyond. This living, breathing playlist keeps building and growing. This time around,... Read more

October 19, 2015 Playlists

15 Years Ago, Ludacris Disproved The Sophomore Slump With “Back For The First Time” (Editorial)

It was just under two weeks before Halloween in 2000 when Ludacris, an MC from Atlanta, Georgia whose independently released Incognegro a year earlier barely registered on the charts, dropped his second album. It's possible the spooky story of the dreaded "sophomore slump" circulated around the periphery of his consciousness;... Read more

October 17, 2015 Food for Thought

The Numbers Show Police Don’t Care About Dead Rappers

For millennia, mankind has been at war. Whether in the name of religion, territory, love, greed, revenge, or duty, human casualties have remained constant throughout civilization, and as society is said to progress, murder remains a dark spot on our collective report card. For many Americans, particularly those of color,... Read more

October 16, 2015 Lifestyle

Take A Trip To The Sweet Spot With The Internet (Video)

The Internet have made it clear that they are one of the most stylistically creative bands out today and continue to match that creativity with undeniable talent. Led by former OFWGKTA members Syd tha Kid - a skilled songstress whose own personal image beautifully destroys stereotypes of what a Soul... Read more

October 15, 2015 Video

Quentin Tarantino Makes His Films With No Apologies…To Anyone

As a director, Quentin Tarantino has contributed timeless films, most of which are considered cult classics. Movies like Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction have carved indelible marks into popular culture while Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained have taken a more mainstream, Academy-Award nomination route. What they all have in common,... Read more

October 15, 2015 Lifestyle

De La Soul’s Play-by-Play of Their Early Career is a Hip-Hop Goldmine (Audio)

As part of Atlanta's A3C festival, De La Soul not only performed, but also sat down with Cipha Sounds and Pete Rosenberg for an immersive interview on the Juan Epstein Podcast. For more than an hour, the Plugs recounted tales from their earliest days and along the way dropped names... Read more

October 15, 2015 Audio

A Young Woman From Afghanistan Is Using Her Raps To Fight Oppression (Video)

The Middle East has been one of the most volatile regions of the world in recent history, particularly if one spends much time with American news media. For those who have not visited the area, images of war, terrorism, religious turmoil, and other variants of oppression can become overwhelming, but... Read more

October 14, 2015 Video

Talib Kweli & Styles P Prove Their Numbers Always Add Up On New Collab (Audio)

Talib Kweli recently announced the formation of a brand new collective, one that he is calling "Colours of the Culture." Made up of artists, filmmakers, MCs, producers, and various other creatives, the new outfit is shaping up to be the latest in Kweli's career-long attempt to bridge the worlds of... Read more

October 14, 2015 Audio

Monie Love, Mista Lawnge, Hall & Oates All On One Track? We Can Go For That (Audio)

Monie Love, one of Hip-Hop's most celebrated female voices and a longtime proponent for equality inside and outside of the booth, formed a group called Heresy recently, an all-woman affair that has been putting in some serious work with Mista Lawnge. The former Black Sheep member produced the group's "Da... Read more

October 14, 2015 Audio

The UGK & B.B. King Mash-Up Has Arrived. Here Is ‘The Trill Is Gone’ (Album Stream)

Amerigo Gazaway has made a name for himself as an ingenious mad scientist of sorts, one who uses his musical beakers to create an amalgam of two entirely separate yet somehow synchronized artists. In his mashup arsenal thus far is 2011's Fela Soul (ingredients: Fela Kuti & De La Soul),... Read more

October 13, 2015 Audio, Mixes

Has Obama Done Enough For Race Relations? Jeezy’s Response May Surprise (Video)

Last night's episode of "The Nightly Show" was the first to air since the weekend's historic Million Man March, a landmark event in which hundreds of thousands took to the streets of Washington, D.C. to partake in the "Justice or Else" March. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the... Read more

October 13, 2015 TV/Film, Video

In His Latest, Tyler, the Creator Still Has Zero Effs Left to Give (Audio)

Since exploding onto the music scene with 2008's The Odd Future Tape, Tyler, the Creator has left a wake of controversy in his path. The Los Angeles MC and producer has never shied away from the provocative, and his early mainstream career earned the disdain of plenty of critics who... Read more

October 13, 2015 Audio

Even Amidst Unthinkable Turmoil, Hip-Hop Offers a Refuge in the Congo (Video)

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the reverberations of war remain omnipresent despite the fact that 2003 marked the official end of the Second Congo War, considered by most historians to be the deadliest war in modern African history. The war itself and its aftermath have claimed more than 5-million... Read more

October 12, 2015 Lifestyle

Hip-Hop Is Alive & Well In Haiti. Now Outsiders Can See It In Living Color (Video)

The global influence of Hip-Hop culture has reached every corner of the globe, one could argue easily. From international breakdancing competitions to the international fashion market, hints of its four elements have touched the cultures of other nations, even on the other side of the planet from the United States,... Read more

October 12, 2015 Lifestyle

The Roots Perform “Act Too” With Common and Talib Kweli Adds a Freestyle (Video)

Last night, Central Park in New York City hosted the season-ending concert for the Big Apple's SummerStage program, an outdoor performing-arts festival that brings hundreds of free shows to residents each year. Now in its thirtieth season, SummerStage provided Heads with some major Hip-Hop heat including performances from Afrika Bambaataa,... Read more

October 9, 2015 Video

The Government Is Using Hip-Hop To Fight Smoking By Youths (Video)

Earlier this year, the worlds of Hip-Hop and marketing collided when Sprite unveiled a new line of soda cans featuring lyrics from Biggie, Drake, Nas, and Rakim - but that was not the first time Hip-Hop had been used so obviously in a marketing campaign. Artists like Ice Cube, Jay... Read more

October 9, 2015 Lifestyle

A Prison Debate Team’s Victory Shows With Better Opportunities They Could Have Gone to Harvard (Video)

There is an undeniable problem in the United States criminal-justice system that even President Obama could no longer ignore. Recently, he became the first sitting President to visit federal inmates, and the historic event was captured by Vice in a special report called "Fixing the System." The statistics are staggering... Read more

October 8, 2015 Lifestyle

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominates N.W.A. Again. Will They Get It Right Now?

The nominations for inductees into the 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have been announced, and among the names offered up as possible choices is N.W.A. The group who is globally famous for bringing "Reality Rap" to mainstream consciousness may not seem like an obvious choice, but as many... Read more

October 8, 2015 News

New Orleans’ Pell Witnesses One Family’s Darkest Secrets in ‘Café du Monde’ (Video)

Pell's name has steadily been on the rise of late after his album Floating While Dreaming amassed more than 3 million streams on Spotify last year. Since then, he has performed at SXSW, giving the rapper and singer some very justifiable buzz. Now, the New Orleans native is gearing up... Read more

October 7, 2015 Video

A Documentary Uncovers the Man Behind the Inspiration of the Game’s ‘El Chapo’ (Video)

With just two days until the Game's The Documentary 2 arrives in the form of Disc One, the excitement is at a fever pitch. A slew of leaked songs, promotional singles, and news of the double album's track list have made this one of the most highly anticipated projects of... Read more

October 7, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Photographer Jamel Shabazz’s Hip-Hop Influence is the Subject of New Documentary (Video)

Throughout the '80s, a Brooklyn man named Jamel Shabazz began messing around with a camera, documenting the style and fashion surrounding him on New York City streets. Fast forward three decades and his name is mentioned whenever the topic of Hip-Hop photographers comes up, and rightly so. He has been... Read more

October 7, 2015 Lifestyle

Even in Animated Form, Method Man Shines (Video)

Back in 2014, Boston MC M. Dot enlisted the help of Method Man on "Shine," a triumphant celebration of self-determination and unity that also features Dominique Larue, an exceptionally talented spitter from Columbus, Ohio and siren Katy Gunn. The foursome's end result is a well-rounded track that in no way... Read more

October 6, 2015 Video

20 Years Later, Dead Presidents’ Depiction About Life for War Veterans Still Resonates

20 years ago today (October 6, 1995) Dead Presidents was released in theaters and with it arrived one of the most powerful depictions of Black Veterans in the history of American cinema. Starring Terrence Howard, Larenz Tate, Chris Tucker, and Bookeem Woodbine among others, the film was directed by brothers... Read more

October 6, 2015 Food for Thought

Talib Kweli & Rapsody Debut a New Song Live…& The Revolution Is Televised (Video)

On last night's episode of "The Tonight Show," Talib Kweli and Rapsody visited Jimmy Fallon and performed a no frills rendition of "Every Ghetto," the latest single from Kweli's forthcoming Indie 500, a name first introduced to Heads last year when it was announced that Pharoahe Monch, 9th Wonder, and... Read more

October 6, 2015 Video