Throwback Archives

Amy Winehouse’s Found Demo Showcases How Much Soul She Had At 17 (Audio)

When Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 27, the music community was shaken to its core after losing one of its boldest vocalists. Early in her short-lived career, the beehive-haired British singer's musical hybrid of R&B, Jazz, retro-Soul and Hip-Hop on her 2003 debut album Frank gained... Read more

February 27, 2018 Audio, Throwback

15 Years Ago, 50 Cent Plotted A Pathway From Underdog To Superstar

Fifteen years ago today (February 6, 2003), Queens, New York's 50 Cent took the world by storm with his debut album, Get Rich Or Die Tryin'. When Curtis Jackson burst onto the mainstream scene with a survivalist story, vendetta vocals, and Eminem and Dr. Dre in his corner, the industry... Read more

February 6, 2018 Food for Thought, Throwback

Nas’ Original Demo For “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” Left No Doubt He Would Prevail (Audio)

It's not uncommon for rappers to commence in their teens or even become famous in those years. Rakim was 19 when Paid In Full was released. LL Cool J was 17 when his debut arrived. Big Boi and André 3000 from OutKast were teens when they started, as was Joey... Read more

November 30, 2017 Do Remember, Throwback

Jimmy Iovine Reveals He Was Behind Suge Knight Bailing Tupac Out Of Jail

In October of 1995, Tupac Shakur signed with Death Row Records. Reportedly inking his deal on a napkin, Pac joined Dr. Dre and Suge Knight's reigning and equally notorious record label. In that transaction, Shakur was able to post bail and leave Clinton Correctional Facility. In a matter of days,... Read more

July 11, 2017 News, Throwback, TV, TV/Film

Nas Performs “Hate Me Now” With A Brass Band & It’s All Love (Video)

Rakim, Prodigy, Queen Latifah, Talib Kweli, and Joey Bada$$ are just a few of the big names in Rap music who have shared the stage with the Soul Rebels, an award-winning brass band enjoying the biggest success of its 20+ year career thanks to worldwide tours and appearances on some... Read more

July 5, 2017 Throwback

MC Eiht Explains How He & DJ Quik Recorded Their Historic Collaborations (Audio)

In April, DJ Quik and Problem released the full-length edition of their Rosecrans album, building on their EP of the same title (dropped a year prior). Notably, the 12 track Compton-made LP featured an unexpected guest: MC Eiht. Decades ago, what began as a Rap beef between Quik and Eiht reportedly inspired... Read more

June 20, 2017 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

How Laurence Fishburne & Spike Lee Are Tied To Grandmaster Flash’s “White Lines” Video

Writer and director Ernest Dickerson, perhaps best known for his 1992 directorial debut Juice, worked extensively with Spike Lee in the 1980s and ’90s as his cinematographer. Together, they created a myriad of important films like She’s Gotta Have It, Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X. Sitting down with... Read more

June 13, 2017 Throwback, Video

Chuck D Tells Kool Moe Dee That Spike Lee Did For Public Enemy What Radio Wouldn’t (Video)

Kool Moe Dee is one of the first Hip-Hop solo stars. As Public Enemy's Chuck D points out, Kool Moe Dee went from one third of the Treacherous 3 MCs to a Jive Records soloist, complete with hits, battle beefs, and a career that went from the 1970s into the... Read more

June 9, 2017 Throwback, TV/Film, Video

Ice-T Provides Some Rare Facts About The Song That Nearly Killed His Rap Career (Video)

This week, Ice-T's Heavy Metal band Body Count will release their sixth album, Bloodlust. In doing so, the 35-year Rap pioneer is releasing his first full-length project in nearly three years. Just as Tracy Morrow does on TV, in film, and has always done in music, he strikes with a... Read more

March 29, 2017 Throwback, Video

Phife Dawg’s Spirit & Legacy Remain A Powerful Presence, 1 Year After His Death

On March 22, 2016, Phife Dawg (born Malik Taylor) passed away due to complications with kidney disease, itself a result of his lifelong battle with diabetes. The A Tribe Called Quest rapper and radiant Hip-Hop personality left behind a legacy not easily calculated in words. However, over the course of... Read more

March 22, 2017 Throwback

This Oral History of ‘Rap City’ Follows The Show From The Basement To The Top Floor

For nearly 20 years, Rap City brought Hip-Hop in its various forms into the lives of millions, helping elevate the once-fledgling culture into the mainstream. Easily the longest-running Hip-Hop show in television history, it lived on BET from 1989 to 2008 and showcased music videos Rap fans couldn't see anywhere... Read more

February 7, 2017 Throwback, Throwback

This Rare 1986 Documentary Is An Amazing Hip-Hop History Lesson (Video)

In 1986, one of the earliest documentaries on Hip-Hop was made by a Dutch TV company. Big Fun In The Big Town, directed by Bram van Splunteren, featured on air Belgian host, Marcel Vanthilt, traveling the streets of New York City to gain a better understanding of the burgeoning culture.... Read more

January 19, 2017 Throwback, Throwback

Ever See Leaders Of The New School Kick This Old School Rap Routine? (Video)

In the earliest days of Hip-Hop, MCs didn't just get on stage and rhyme. They kicked fly Rap routines, complete with elaborate costumes and coordinated choreography. Also, rather than rhyming one at a time, the MCs bounced back and forth, often completing each others words. Much of this took place... Read more

January 8, 2017 Throwback, Throwback, Video

This Is It. Hear Camp Lo’s Original “Luchini” Demo. They Have New Grooves Too. (Audio)

After a very busy 2016, Camp Lo recently released some pre-Uptown Saturday Night demo recordings, On The Way Uptown. It features this demo version of "This Is It (Luchini)." Presumably recorded in 1995-1996, this is the Ski Beatz-produced material that would catch Profile Records' attention, and make Sonny Cheeba and... Read more

January 6, 2017 Audio, Throwback, Video

1 Of DJ Quik’s 80s Underground Tapes Surfaces & It Bangs On Wax (Audio)

Hip-Hop Heads who pay attention know that DJ Quik's career goes back a long way before 1991's Quik Is The Name debut. The Compton, California MC/producer/DJ has always talked about his $10 "underground tapes" on records. In fact, the famed feud with MC Eiht and Compton's Most Wanted started long... Read more

December 28, 2016 Throwback, Throwback

An Official Mix Traces The Evolution Of Freddie Foxxx Into Bumpy Knuckles & It Punches.

On Gang Starr's 1998 single "The Militia," Freddie Foxxx rapped, "When you speak of who's the dopest MCs, I don't come up / But when you speak about who's the livest MC, I stay one up." In the midst of a career transformation, the Long Island, New York veteran knew... Read more

December 7, 2016 Audio, Mixes, Throwback, Throwback

A Tribe Called Quest & Many More Gave Hip-Hop Much To Be Thankful For In November (Audio)

November 2016 was one of the most tumultuous months in a generation. Regardless of one's political affiliation the world seemingly changed over one long night on November 8 for hundreds of millions of Americans. When not fixated on the news, many turned to music for relief from the onslaught or,... Read more

December 7, 2016 Audio, Throwback

DMX Made Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood Because Of A $1 Million Wager

In the span of seven months, DMX released two albums which combined went platinum seven times. It was 1998, and the Yonkers, New York rapper was taking the industry by storm, establishing himself as a domineering presence with uncompromising virility. First with May's It's Dark and Hell Is Hot and... Read more

December 5, 2016 Throwback, Throwback

This Unreleased Early 90s Del Feature Shows He Was Funky From The Start (Audio)

Producer/DJ Rob Flow, formerly DJ Robski of revolutionary-minded early ’90s Bay Area Hip-Hop group Freedom T.R.O.O.P. 187, recently posted a previously unreleased song of theirs featuring Oakland legend Del The Funky Homosapien. Besides Rob, the trio consisted of Adisa “The Bishop” Banjoko and the late Hi-Low. Banjoko is currently an... Read more

December 3, 2016 Throwback

This 1998 Track By Big L, Ma$e & McGruff Is “Dangerous” To Overlook (Audio)

The corner of 139th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem, New York has been immortalized through song several times by the late, great Big L—and also falls on the same block where the “Street Struck” MC tragically lost his life in '99. Affectionately called the “Danger Zone,” the area was... Read more

December 3, 2016 Throwback

Ludacris Disturbed The Peace With This Never Before Released 2001 Freestyle (Audio)

In 2001, Ludacris was one of Rap's most exciting new stars. 2000's Back For The First Time kicked in the door for Def Jam South (then with Scarface at the helm) for a Top 5 charting, triple-platinum affair. However, the Atlanta, Georgia star with the carefully cut sideburns was not... Read more

December 1, 2016 Throwback, Throwback

Phife Dawg Got His Own Street Today. Watch It Being Unveiled (Video)

"Back in the days on the boulevard of Linden, we used to kick routines and presence was fittin'." 25 years ago, those words opened A Tribe Called Quest's "Check The Rhime," from their album, The Low End Theory. Now, the same Linden Boulevard upon which Tribe kicked those rhymes has... Read more

November 19, 2016 Throwback, Video

Lauryn Hill Teams Up With Fela Kuti’s Son & Band For A Stunning Tribute (Video)

For many years now, Lauryn Hill has been re-arranging her classic songs during performances. At times, this leads to great frustration for fans who want to hear the hits they know and love performed as they were recorded. On other occasions, however, Hill's changes can lead to the kind of... Read more

November 15, 2016 Throwback

Wu-Tang Meets D.I.T.C. Two Legendary Crews Ain’t Nuthin’ To Mash Up (Audio)

Ever go Diggin’ In The Crates for some Wu-Tang? On this ambitious mashup of two legendary New York crews who both emerged at the onset of the 1990s, Memory Man shows us what would happen if you took members of the Wu-Tang Clan and D.I.T.C. and threw their styles in... Read more

November 8, 2016 Audio, Throwback

The Intelligent Hoodlum Had Felonious Flows On This 1989 Demo (Audio)

Although Tragedy Khadafi hasn’t released a new album since Pre Magnum Opus almost two years ago, an unreleased 1989 gem from the Queensbridge veteran has surfaced. Even before he was known as the Intelligent Hoodlum (and released the A&M Records LP of the same name), Trag' went by several other... Read more

November 5, 2016 Audio, Throwback

Craig Mack Kicked 10 Minutes Of Freestyle Flavor In This Just Released 2000 Video

By Y2K, Craig Mack appeared to be an illustrious MC who was on his way out of the game. Once one of the breakout acts of Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records, Mack would drop his gold-certified Project: Funk Da World in 1994 and then mysteriously leave the label, and the... Read more

October 27, 2016 Throwback, 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

While Fallon Played With Trump’s Hair, The Roots Went For The Jugular (Video)

For the last 36 hours, the Internet and social media have been aflame with outrage at the way Jimmy Fallon handled a recent appearance by Donald Trump on The Tonight Show (9/15). Fallon, unlike David Letterman, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, is typically friendly and jovial with all of his... Read more

September 17, 2016 Throwback

15 Years Later, J-Live Reflects On His Gripping 9/11 Commentary On “Satisfied”

Today marks the 15th anniversary of September 11, 2001. Within hours 2,996 people lost their lives that tragic day, as a result of four plane hijackings and subsequent crashes in New York, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. For all who lived through it, the events and their impact continue... Read more

September 11, 2016 Throwback, Throwback

A New Documentary Shows The Amazing 29-Year Journey Of De La Soul (Video)

De La Soul have always been about looking forward. That attitude has kept them relevant in Hip-Hop for nearly 3 decades, and made them trendsetters for much of that period. In 2016, they've been the subject of conversation as much as at any time in their career, as their record-setting... Read more

September 8, 2016 Throwback

Mayer Hawthorne’s Early Rap & Disco Mix Is Perfect For Back To School Season

Most people know Mayer Hawthorne as a retro-styled Soul singer down with the Stones Throw crew. However, the Michigan native first burst on the scene as a DJ for the Athletic Mic League conglomerate (which also spawned 14K). Even though he's become a pop culture sensation with his voice, the... Read more

September 7, 2016 Mixes, Throwback, Throwback

This Ghostface, Cappadonna & Jeru Freestyle From 1996 Still Does Damage (Audio)

In the mid-90s, there were few more dominant crews in Hip-Hop than Wu-Tang Clan and Gang Starr Foundation. Unlike today, however, where it's more common than not to have guest artists on tracks, in that era crews stayed more self-contained and collaborations outside of the collectives were more rare. As... Read more

September 1, 2016 Audio, Throwback, Throwback

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth Approved This Best-Of Mix & You Will Too (Audio)

Not many groups (in any genre) can warrant a "Best Of" off of just two albums and an EP. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth are a clear exception. Between 1991 and 1994, the New York City Hip-Hop duo released just a few handfuls of songs. That material left a lasting... Read more

August 30, 2016 Mixes, Throwback, Throwback

Hear One Of The Earliest Rap Battles Ever Recorded From 1981 (Audio)

The Rap Battle has become a pop culture institution. The sport of two (or more MCs) competing has excited Hip-Hop culture since the art of rapping stepped to the front. Some of the most successful and acclaimed MCs began their careers through battling, and distinguished their legacies with combative moments... Read more

August 27, 2016 Throwback, Throwback

This 1977 NYC Party Mix Shows How The Earliest Hip-Hop Parties Sounded (Audio)

Thanks to the series "The Get Down," many are newly fascinated with 1970s New York City and the genesis of Hip-Hop. DJ'ing, rapping, graffiti, and breakin' came together harmoniously in an overall form of expression that reflected the complexities of city-dwelling at a specific time in fashion, music, visual art,... Read more

August 20, 2016 Mixes, Throwback, Throwback

Method Man, O.D.B., & RZA Proved That In ’97, Wu-Tang Could Freestyle Forever (Audio)

In June of 1997, Wu-Tang Clan kicked the summer off at the top of the Hip-Hop class. Whereas 1993's Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) just missed the Top 40 (to eventually reach platinum), its follow-up Wu-Tang Forever would debut at #1. A double album, the Loud/RCA Records release of the... Read more

August 11, 2016 Throwback, Throwback

This Unreleased ’95 Red & Meth Freestyle Shows How High They Truly Fly (Audio)

In the summer of 1995, Def Jam Records dropped The Show soundtrack. The Top 5 charting work featuring music by Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G., and A Tribe Called Quest introduced a duo that was still years away from fully forming. On the song "How High," Def Squad's Redman and Wu-Tang... Read more

August 4, 2016 Audio, Throwback, Throwback

Big Daddy Kane Says He Intentionally Released “Two Trash Albums” After “It’s A Big Daddy Thing”

For fans of late 80s and early 90s Hip-Hop, there were few, if any MCs who commanded more respect than Big Daddy Kane. His first two albums, Long Live The Kane and It's A Big Daddy Thing, stand among the greatest of all time, in any era. However, many of... Read more

July 31, 2016 Throwback

This 1998 Ma$e & Guru Freestyle Brings 2 Different Sides Of Hip-Hop Together (Audio)

Six months from each other Ma$e and Gang Starr moved the Hip-Hop needle in 1997-1998. To some, that needle went in two directions. Released on October 28, 1997, Ma$e's Grammy-nominated, quadruple-platinum debut Harlem World certified the newest Bad Boy Records superstar. On March 31, 1991, Gang Starr released its first... Read more

July 28, 2016 Audio, Throwback, Throwback

Ever See This 1990 Freestyle Session Between Kool G Rap & Biz Markie? (Video)

Back in 1988, Marley Marl's Juice Crew served the world with one of Hip-Hop's all-time great posse cuts. Featuring Big Daddy Kane, Masta Ace, Craig G and Kool G Rap, "The Symphony" was a lesson in lyrical dexterity that endures today. More than recording together, members of the crew often... Read more

July 23, 2016 Throwback, Throwback

20 Years Ago, Muhammad Ali Lit a Torch That Continues to Shine Brightly (Video)

In 1996, Atlanta, Georgia, hosted the Summer Olympics, but it wasn't just a once-in-every-four-years occurrence. Also known as the Centennial Olympic Games, it was historic for many reasons, including its being the first time the Olympics divided Summer and Winter games into different years. Kicking off on July 19, the... Read more

July 19, 2016 Throwback

Juice’s Director Reveals The Original Ending Hollywood Did Not Want

Earlier this month, The Roots' Black Thought hosted a special event, celebrating the 1992 movie Juice. The afternoon consisted of a screening of the film, a panel discussion moderated by Black Thought, featuring director and co-writer Ernest Dickerson, co-writer Gerard Brown, and actors Khalil Kain (Raheem) and Jermaine Hopkins (Steel),... Read more

July 17, 2016 Throwback

Swizz Beatz Reveals DMX Did Not Want To Do “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” (Video)

"Stop. Drop. Shut 'em down, open up shop." As Heads know, those words open "Ruff Ryders' Anthem," one of the biggest Hip-Hop anthems of all-time. However, the song almost didn't happen. As part of the new BET series Inside The Label, Swizz Beatz detailed the making of the song for... Read more

July 13, 2016 Throwback

Jay Z’s 2000 Westwood Freestyle Portrays An MC In Stride For The Throne (Audio)

Right around the year 2000, Jay Z found himself in London, promoting his first #1 album, Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life. As the album was approaching 3 million units sold (it sits at more than 5 mill scanned in 2016), Shawn Carter hit Tim Westwood's radio show. In a new position,... Read more

July 7, 2016 Throwback, Throwback

A Founding X-Ecutioner Moves The Crowd With Dance Hits That Can’t Be Faded (Mix)

Mista Sinista (f/k/a Joe Sinista) made a name for himself working as an elite scratch-master alongside Common, the Beatnuts, and dead prez. Since 1989, the DJ/turntablist (and onetime MC) was part of X-Ecutioners, alongside the late Roc Raida, Rob Swift, and DJ Total Eclipse. There, the group would become mix... Read more

July 6, 2016 Mixes, Throwback, Throwback

Vinyl Archeologists Will Dig This 1995 Demo Of Cut Chemist Turntablism (Audio)

In late 1998, Los Angeles, California's Jurassic 5 burst on the scene with a self-titled EP. First released on the Pan imprint, the 37-minute project would eventually be re-released through Interscope Records, as part of the major label's commitment to Underground Hip-Hop, which also included Eminem and Planet Asia. That... Read more

July 2, 2016 Audio, Throwback, Throwback

Celebrate 25 Years Of Pete Rock & CL Smooth With A Souled Out Mix (Audio)

While the mid-90s often get lots of credit for the numerous Hip-Hop classic albums that were released during that period, 1991 was a pivotal year in which many artist debuts laid the foundation for what was to come. Among some of the acts that released their first albums were Tupac,... Read more

June 29, 2016 Throwback

This Notorious B.I.G. & Lord Finesse Cypher Will BLOW YOUR MIND (Video)

The Notorious B.I.G. (a/k/a Biggie Smalls) is revered as one of Hip-Hop's greatest MCs. The Brooklyn, New Yorker beautifully inserted wit, wordplay, and lots of self-confidence into his most memorable rhymes. Somebody who started out just a couple years before Biggie was Bronx, New Yorker Lord Finesse. The MC/DJ/producer who... Read more

June 20, 2016 Throwback

Ever See The Time Muhammad Ali Saved A Man’s Life? (Video)

Although Muhammad Ali was extremely gifted in the boxing ring, what made him "The Greatest" was also what he did outside of the sport. Beyond his well-documented civil rights stands, Ali was a humanitarian and someone who cared deeply about others. Perhaps no instance exemplified this better than what Ali... Read more

June 18, 2016 Throwback

The Magical Day When Prince & Muhammad Ali Met (Video)

Though 2016 is not yet halfway over, it already has been one in which several tremendous pop culture icons have been lost. David Bowie, Phife Dawg, Prince and Muhammad Ali are just some of those greats. However, while their physical forms are no longer among us, their bodies of work... Read more

June 6, 2016 Throwback