Video Archives

Tanya Morgan Literally Pushes Their New Album Out The Trunk (Video)

Cincinnati-meets-Brooklyn Hip-Hop group Tanya Morgan just released its fourth album, YGWY$4 (You Get What You Pay For). Von Pea and Donwill add to a celebrated independent catalog that began with critical cosigns from Questlove and Foreign Exchange features more than a dozen years ago. They've since appeared on albums by... Read more

August 1, 2017 Ready Or Not, Video

Dave Chappelle Has A Serious Conversation About Living A Happy Life (Video)

Dave Chappelle recently took over HOT 97's Ebro In The Morning show. For nearly one hour, the comedy superstar fielded questions from the show staff in what turned into an incredibly revealing conversation. During the course of the discussion, Dave announced two additional dates to August's Radio City Music Hall... Read more

July 31, 2017 Video

Masta Killa’s New Video Reminds Us To Celebrate Rap’s OGs While They’re Still Here

As a member of one of Hip-Hop's most venerated crews, Wu-Tang Clan's Masta Killa is a true original. With his 48th birthday turning the corner next month, he's been releasing music since the 1990s, including three solo LPs beginning with 2004's No Said Date. This December will mark the 5th... Read more

July 31, 2017 Video

Young Buck & Starlito Get Into A Fight On Video. A Diss Record Follows.

Young Buck and Starlito are two of the most recognized Rap artists from Nashville, Tennessee. The two men have collaborated extensively and as recently as Buck & DJ Whoo Kid's 2016 10 Pints mixtape ("Push Da Line"). However, tempers apparently flared yesterday (July 30) at a hometown basketball game, and... Read more

July 31, 2017 Audio, News, Video

Def Comedy Jam Is Coming Back & Soon

Twenty-five years ago Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam became a leading platform for standup comedy. Bernie Mac, Mike Epps, Chris Tucker and Dave Chappelle used the HBO series to build audiences, and take crucial steps to Hollywood careers. Martin Lawrence and D.L. Hughley were among show hosts during its original... Read more

July 30, 2017 Lifestyle, News, TV, TV/Film

Black Thought & Questlove’s “Rap Yearbook” Documentary Will Discuss Key Rap Songs (Video)

Earlier this week, The Roots and fellow Soulquarians member Bilal reunited for "It Ain't Fair." The song is a focal point of the upcoming film Detroit, and while Black Thought raps, the sound and message applies to the real life events of 1967 as well as 2017. The Roots Release... Read more

July 30, 2017 News, TV, TV/Film, Video

The Comeback Kid: Meek Mill Has Lost Many Battles, But He Just Might Win The War (Video)

Hip-Hop Heads will soon see whether or not Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. will hold the #1 spot on the 200, or if that distinction goes to Tyler, The Creator's Flower Boy, or Meek Mill's Wins & Losses. Projections favor the latter two, which would be a first for the Odd Future front-man... Read more

July 29, 2017 Exclusive, TBD, Video

Vic Mensa Once Again Shows He’s 1 Of Today’s Best MCs With A Punishing Freestyle (Video)

Yesterday (July 28), Vic Mensa released his debut album, The Autobiography, but Mensa is far from new on the scene. The Chicago MC first made waves in 2009, as part of the group Kids These Days. In 2013, Vic began his solo career and once again turned heads with his... Read more

July 29, 2017 Video

Kendrick Lamar Dangles Rihanna From A Skyscraper In The Video For “Loyalty”

Every aspect of the rollout for Kendrick Lamar's album, DAMN. has been extraordinary. The campaign kicked off with a single Instagram post bearing the Roman numeral "IV," the title for a surprise song at the end of which Kendrick announced the forthcoming LP. When the album, itself, was released on... Read more

July 28, 2017 Video

N.O.R.E. Says He Knows Who Ruined Prodigy’s Mural & Why (Video)

One of July's most disturbing stories in the Hip-Hop space was when a Queens, New York mural honoring the late rapper Prodigy was defaced on July 6. The attack came just two weeks after the Mobb Deep co-founder's death. Artists Jeff Henriquez and Eli “Eos” Lazare had created the work... Read more

July 28, 2017 Video

JAY-Z Delivers Raw Truths About Beyonce, Solange, Kanye & Himself (Video)

JAY-Z's "Kill Jay Z" may be the most talked about song on 4:44. While the June album's title track suggested infidelity in his marriage to Beyoncé, this record is thought to be the one that prompted Kanye West to sever exclusive ties with Jay's Tidal service, and pursue legal action... Read more

July 28, 2017 Video

Royce 5’9 Rates The Bars Of Today’s Rappers & It Gets Ugly (Video)

Royce 5'9 has secured a place at the top of Hip-Hop's present day songwriters. The Detroit, Michigan MC has proven exceptional at writing from personal places and, at times, simply showing off wordplay, clever punchlines, and cunning jabs at lesser lyricists. Royce 5’9 Sets The Bar 4 2017 With The... Read more

July 28, 2017 Video

LL Cool J Wanted To Do A 2nd Collabo With Canibus To Avoid Their Beef (Video)

LL Cool J and Canibus put their beef to bed back in the closing days of 2014. What started out as a rhyme battle (on the very same song) expanded into 17 years of feuding that involved tattoos, subliminal album titles, and a feature on QDIII's Beef DVD series. In... Read more

July 28, 2017 Video

Scarface Is In The Studio With A Key Producer. Rappers Are “In Trouble.” (Video)

One never knows what Scarface's status is until he decides to push the button on music. The Houston, Texas legend has claimed retirement multiple times in his decorated career, only to come back and make some incredible music after the hiatus. In what he considers his 30th year in the... Read more

July 27, 2017 Video

Stalley Has Cosigns From A Who’s Who Of Rap. He Still Rides His Own Wave (Video)

Massillon, Ohio rapper Stalley has a mixed bag of influences to pull inspiration from. He had admitted influence from home state heroes like The O’Jays, Bootsy Collins, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Kid Kudi, as well as out-of-towners like Nas, Outkast and Bruce Springsteen, to name a few. According to the Maybach... Read more

July 27, 2017 Ready Or Not, Video

Action Bronson Makes A Demented Video, With Rhymes That Kick Like Kung Fu

Action Bronson may be remembered for his videos as much as his rhyming and antics, when all is said and done. Last month, the Queens, New York rapper released one of the year's most outrageous videos in the form of his Fat Boys-sampling "Let Me Breathe." He has followed it... Read more

July 27, 2017 Video

Mahershala Ali Says His Role In Roxanne Shanté Biopic Is His Toughest Yet (Audio)

Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali, best known for his iconic roles in Moonlight and Netflix’s Luke Cage series, started his career as a Hieroglyphics affiliate named Prince Ali and has definitely been outspoken about his love for Hip-Hop music. Starring in the highly-anticipated, critically-acclaimed 2017 Roxanne Shanté biopic alongside Chanté Adams... Read more

July 26, 2017 Lifestyle, TV/Film

Digital Underground’s Money-B Reveals The Secret History Of Tupac’s “I Get Around” (Video)

In 1993, Tupac Shakur dropped Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z…, his sophomore solo LP and the home to singles "Holler If Ya Hear Me," "Keep Ya Head Up," and "I Get Around." Featuring Shock G and Money-B of Digital Underground, "I Get Around" has over 39-million views on YouTube, making it one... Read more

July 26, 2017 Video

Illa J’s Music Enjoys A Rebirth Right Alongside His City (Video)

Illa J has made plenty of meaningful music over the last 13 years. The Yancey Boys co-founder has rapped and produced, and maintained a strong legacy in his older brother's (J Dilla) absence. However, like so many blood relations in the music industry, Illa battled comparisons to his legendary late... Read more

July 25, 2017 Video

Queen Latifah & Jada Pinkett Smith Set It Off Again At The Box Office With “Girls Trip”

Films by Black directors, screenwriters, and casts continue to prove that diverse voices are Hollywood gold. With Straight Outta Compton, Hidden Figures, Moonlight, and Get Out still fresh in our memories, Girls Trip is continuing the recent streak of Black cinema breaking records, winning awards, and driving the conversation about diversity in film. Starring Queen Latifah, Jada... Read more

July 24, 2017 TV/Film

Grand Puba & Sadat X Rip Through Brand Nubian Classics With A Live Band (Video)

On Saturday, July 22, Grand Puba rocked the legendary Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City with a live band. For Heads who were unable to attend, there is some exclusive video footage of Puba and Brand Nubian group mate Sadat X, an unannounced guest, performing a couple of... Read more

July 24, 2017 Exclusive, Video

Fashawn’s Mother Amerikkka Shows A Nation Neglecting 1 Of Its Native Sons (Video)

In less than a month, Fashawn will release his Manna EP (August 18). In preparation, the Fresno, California veteran drops a charged video that looks at the flaws of our nation, especially in its treatment of people of color. The MC creates a metaphor where he is a malnourished son,... Read more

July 24, 2017 Video

Sha Stimuli Returns With An Exploration Of American Racism Throughout The Years (Video)

Brooklyn, New York raised, Atlanta, Georgia based MC Sha Stimuli returned off a four year hiatus from the rap race last year with two powerful songs titled “Sticks and Stones” and “New Jordans/A Poem For Mike.” The first was about the effect words can have, while the latter was a... Read more

July 22, 2017 Ready Or Not, Video

Last Of A Dying Breed: Why Scarface Is The Greatest MC Of All Time (Video)

Scarface is an MC who is a keystone within a legendary group, the Geto Boys. However, he also maintains a solo catalog that is arguably even more impressive. Brad Jordan's career expands nearly 30 years, and the Houston, Texas legend has made a powerful impact with the fans, the critics,... Read more

July 22, 2017 Exclusive, Food for Thought, TBD, Video

Meek Mill Is Back And Hungry For Victory In His Funkmaster Flex Freestyle (Video)

It’s no secret that the last few years have been a roller coaster for Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill. Between beefing with Drake and getting dumped by Nicki Minaj, as well as some run-ins with the law, the Maybach Music artist has certainly experienced his share of what many consider losses.... Read more

July 21, 2017 Video

One Of Sean Price’s Last Ever Freestyles Was Powered By The Sounds Of Bogota (Video)

Over the years, DJ and producer Mr. Green has released a series of videos titled "Live From The Streets." The visuals feature Mr. Green traveling to various locations around the world, where he records sounds from the streets which he then uses to create beats. In past episodes, Green has... Read more

July 21, 2017 Video

JAY-Z Visits Bob Marley’s Home & Returns With A Song That Claps Like Thunder (Video)

The more details that emerge about JAY-Z's 4:44 album, the more it becomes clear that the album is a reflection of all aspects of the veteran MC. The lyrical content delves more deeply into the mind of Shawn Carter than perhaps any of his earlier work. Jay peels back his... Read more

July 21, 2017 Video

Rakim Salutes JAY-Z’s Growth On His 4:44 Album (Video)

Over the past 3 weeks, JAY-Z has received near universal acclaim for his album, 4:44. Along with being sonically engaging, the No I.D.-produced album may be Jay's most revealing to date. He touches on matters personal to his family, friends, foes, and upbringing, and also shares plentiful jewels about life... Read more

July 20, 2017 Video

Queen Latifah Says Today’s Rappers Have Gotten Soft (Video)

Queen Latifah recently appeared on Ebro In The Morning. The MC-turned-actress-turned-producer reunited with the radio personality who says he once appeared on an episode of Living Single. In the candid conversation, Queen Lah recalled some career highlights. Queen Latifah Honors Hip-Hop’s Women Pioneers In An All-Star Showing Of U.N.I.T.Y. (Video)... Read more

July 20, 2017 Video

Chuck D, B-Real & Rage Against The Machine Stand Up For Those In Poverty (Video)

Rap/Rock supergroup Prophets of Rage, a revolutionary assembly of Public Enemy, Cypress Hill and Rage Against the Machine members, just released the second video single to their self-titled debut, dropping in September. "Living On The 110," a poignant piece about homelessness, follows the Michael Moore directed video for "Unf*ck The... Read more

July 20, 2017 Video

Ice Cube Recalls N.W.A. Getting Booed At The Apollo. It Was Not A Good Day (Video)

N.W.A may have become one of the biggest, most influential and celebrated Rap groups ever, but they had to pay dues first. Ice Cube recently sat down with Pigeons & Planes to share a less flattering moment in the group’s history, the time the Ruthless Records act got booed off... Read more

July 20, 2017 Video

An Insider Reveals How Suge & Death Row Got Those Unlikely Guest Appearances (Video)

When Death Row Records launched in the early 1990s, they used Hollywood's SOLAR Records Studios to lay their tracks. After making "Deep Cover" for the SOLAR's soundtrack of the same name, Dr. Dre recorded and mixed The Chronic with some of the very same consoles and equipment used to make... Read more

July 20, 2017 Video

Bun B Puts Big K.R.I.T. In The Musical Driver’s Seat For His Next Album (Video)

Earlier this month, UGK's Bun B showed that he had his game face ready when he released "Game Time." Once a very prolific MC, this is the first solo single from the Port Arthur, Texas O.G. in nearly four years. While he may be devoting much of his time to... Read more

July 20, 2017 Video

Jada Pinkett Smith Reveals She Left The Thug Life Right As Tupac Entered (Video)

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith met Tupac Shakur at Baltimore School For The Arts in the mid-1980s. While Pinkett would graduate in 1989, Pac and his family relocated to Marin City, California in 1988. While Shakur paid his dues as a roadie, dancer, and eventual MC with Digital Underground, Jada made... Read more

July 19, 2017 Video

Respect The Sole: A New Collection Of Hip-Hop Sneakers Is Genius (Video)

Sneakers and Hip-Hop have been hand-in-hand for more than 30 years. In 1986 Run-D.M.C. screamed "My Adidas" so loud that the German apparel brand responded with a check. That relationship has evolved to JAY-Z, 50 Cent, and Kanye West signing off on shoe lines, and some equally great Rap lines... Read more

July 19, 2017 Video

2 Chainz Is Working With Q-Tip On An Album To Show The World He’s A Lyricist (Video)

While respected by his peers, 2 Chainz is generally not revered as a lyricist among most Hip-Hop Heads. Enlisting the help of A Tribe Called Quest’s visionary rapper/producer Q-Tip, the Playaz Circle artist hopes to change that perception. To follow up his fourth studio album as a solo artist, last... Read more

July 19, 2017 Video

Cam’ron Kicks A Freestyle About The Importance Of Ownership & Not Getting Played (Video)

Cam'ron has been relatively quiet in 2017, musically. However, he has stayed active in other ways. In February, Cam and fellow Dipset member, Jim Jones, traded words via separate interviews (and Cam's live stream) about the deterioration of Dipset and what went wrong between the two estranged friends and business partners.... Read more

July 18, 2017 Video

Nanna.B & Odd Future’s Hodgy Make A Golden Video About Protecting One’s Treasures

Los Angeles, California (by way of Denmark) songstress Nanna.B is not an MC, but she is attracting Hip-Hop artists to her soulful ceremony. She is gearing up to release the EP, Golden this Friday (July 21). On the title track, Nanna is produced by none other than Aftermath's Anderson .Paak,... Read more

July 18, 2017 Ready Or Not, Video

Twelvyy Steps To The Front Of A$AP Mob And Takes His Shot (Video)

UPDATE: A$AP Twelvyy has released the visual to "Strapped." The artful visual captures the New York MC in his element as he tells his story. Old A$AP Mob footage shows Ferg, the late Yams, and more as the crew's 2010 rise is documented. Twelvyy looks to stand apart, and his... Read more

July 18, 2017 Video

Kendrick Lamar Shows He’s Got Generosity & Charity Inside His DNA (Video)

Last month, Dr. Dre announced he would be donating $10 million to break ground on a performing arts wing within his Compton High School alma mater. In The Defiant Ones documentary, Dre toured the present grounds and showed development plans. They include a recording studio, complete with a mixing board,... Read more

July 18, 2017 Lifestyle, Video

Michael Vick Clarifies Remarks About Colin Kaepernick & His Hair (Video)

UPDATE: Hours after retired NFL quarterback Michael Vick made remarks regarding what peer Colin Kaepernick may need to do should he wish to work again in the NFL, he has clarified those comments. In a tweet Tuesday morning, the onetime Atlanta Falcons star took attention away from his Speak For... Read more

July 18, 2017 Lifestyle, Video

Vic Mensa Crashes & Burns With Rage Then Rises Again (Video)

Lots has been said about Vic Mensa's consistently outspoken nature, a characteristic of both his music and personal views. A vociferous critic of political policies in his native Chicago, Vic also recently made waves calling out DJ Akademiks for what he perceived to be the latter's nonchalant ignorance about homicides... Read more

July 17, 2017 Video

Video Music Box Was The 1st Rap City & Ralph McDaniels Was The Mayor (Video)

Today (July 15), "Uncle" Ralph McDaniels will resume his longstanding post as one of the hosts at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. As he has done in four different decades, Ralph finds Hip-Hop culture in the flesh and transmits his excitement, passion, and belief onto the masses. A DJ, college student,... Read more

July 15, 2017 Exclusive, Food for Thought, TBD, TV, Video

Lloyd Banks Rips Today’s Funny Dressing MCs In 1 Of The Year’s Best Freestyles (Video)

There’s something about the rolling bass, accented piano stabs and knockin’ boom bap drums of the beat for Nas' classic “N.Y. State of Mind” that brings out the best in MCs. In rare form, fellow Queens, New York representative Lloyd Banks stopped by HOT 97 to kick it with Funkmaster... Read more

July 14, 2017 Video

Sean Price Goes Ape On Alchemist Production In The 1st Video To His Upcoming Album

Duck Down Music dropped a video for the title track off Sean Price’s upcoming posthumous album, Imperius Rex, in which the late, great MC goes ape over a wild Alchemist beat. Keeping in line with the gorilla theme prevalent in much of his work, the rhymes and visuals are fittingly... Read more

July 14, 2017 Video

JAY-Z’s Turns His Apology To Beyonce Into A Powerful Short Film (Video)

JAY-Z has now made his second music video from 4:44 available to the masses. The title track from the No I.D.-produced album comes as a music video that is just as evocative as "The Story Of O.J." with an entirely different medium and aesthetic. How JAY-Z’s New Album Is The... Read more

July 14, 2017 Video

The D.O.C. Talks Accepting His Newfound Voice & Helping Others Find Theirs (Video)

The D.O.C. is one of the many Hip-Hop artists who appear in The Defiant Ones docu-series. From his days with the Fila Fresh Crew, the Dallas, Texas native MC is one of the few to have worked with Dr. Dre at Ruthless, at Death Row, and Aftermath. In the four-part... Read more

July 13, 2017 Video

Action Bronson Stands Up To Get His Album Released & Flex On A Freestyle (Video)

Action Bronson stopped by HOT 97 to serve up some fresh freestyle bars for Funkmaster Flex and promote his upcoming project, Blue Chips 7000, which has yet to receive an official release date. Reiterating the sentiment expressed in a frustrated tweet months back, Bronson sets it off the rap with... Read more

July 13, 2017 Video

Rob Markman Says He’s Better Than MCs He’s Interviewed & Freestyles To Prove It (Video)

Rob Markman and "freestyle" typically only appear in the same sentence when the veteran journalist is writing about a hot verse dropped by an established rapper. A longtime presence in Hip-Hop journalism, Markman is currently Head of Artist Relations at Genius, but he has many years of work putting pen... Read more

July 13, 2017 Video

Joey Bada$$ Ranks Kendrick Lamar’s Albums, As A Fan & Peer (Video)

Joey Bada$$ recently sat down with Montreality to discuss some of his views concerning everything from Kendrick Lamar to mumble rap to suicide. Early in the interview, the 22 year-old MC also expresses his love for JAY-Z’s 4:44 album, as well as the belief that his own music has helped inspire... Read more

July 12, 2017 Video