Audio Archives

Listen to the Best Hip-Hop of June 2015 in One Playlist (Audio)

June brought a number of welcomed surprises in Hip-Hop. Method Man announced he would be releasing a new album in August and dropped three new songs. Jay Rock also revealed his new album was coming this Summer, and returned with some of the best music of his career. Chris Rivers... Read more

July 7, 2015 Audio, Playlists

Hear the Greatness of Nina Simone as Interpreted by Lauryn Hill, Common, Mary J. Blige & More (Album Stream)

Later this week (7/10), RCA will release Nina Revisited...A Tribute to Nina Simone, celebrating one of the most enigmatic and acclaimed voices of the last century. Ahead of the album, NPR has made a full stream of the album available, via its First Listen series. Ms. Simone's reach extended to... Read more

July 6, 2015 Audio

Joey Bada$$ & Big K.R.I.T. Hope That You’re Listening To These Jewels (Audio)

Tomorrow, Statik Selektah will release his Lucky 7 seventh album—on 7-7, no less. One of the ShowOff Records/Duck Down Music release's highlights is "In The Wind." This moment is the latest run-in between Joey Bada$$ and Big K.R.I.T., alums from A$AP Rocky's "1 Train" as well as the obvious connection as... Read more

July 6, 2015 Audio

Jay Rock Is One of Hip-Hop’s Realest MCs. It’s All in the Gumbo (Audio)

Hip-Hop is filled with posers and fake gangsters. There are so many who glorify senseless violence, materialism and drug consumption--all for a check. So, when something real is said, it penetrates. From day one, Jay Rock, TDE's OG MC, has brought light to the struggle of life in the ghetto,... Read more

July 4, 2015 Audio

DJ Jazzy Jeff & Mick Boogie Release Their Annual Summertime Mix (Download)

When it comes to music, there's nothing that says it's summertime quite like DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mick Boogie's annual mix. Perfect for BBQs, sitting by the pool or cruising down the streets, their Summertime series has provided a soundtrack for the season for the last 5 years. Now, the... Read more

July 4, 2015 Audio

Stacks on Stacks on Stacks: Here’s a Mix of 20+ Andre 3000 Featured Verses (Audio)

It's been nine years since Andre 3000 recorded a full album. 2006's Idlewild marked the end of OutKast's remarkable 12-year run that included six grammy awards and millions of LPs sold. Though they reunited for a festival tour in 2014, a new album has not materialized from the Atlien collective.... Read more

July 3, 2015 Audio

Your Old Droog Is On the Rise But He’s Still Happy Being Under the Radar (Audio)

Now that we know he's not Nas, Your Old Droog has been proving to be good enough just being himself. The 25-year-old Ukrainian MC and Brooklyn native already has an eponymous full-length album, two EPs (Your Old Droog EP and Kinison EP), an interview in the prestigious New Yorker magazine,... Read more

July 3, 2015 Audio

Chris Rivers Gets Zapped With a Catfish on a Computer Love Remake (Audio)

Chris Rivers is known for blisteringly fast and aggressive raps, akin to those of his father, Big Pun. Like father, like son, when it comes to smoothing it out on the R&B tip, Rivers is also more than capable. On "Catfish Love," the MC formerly known as Baby Pun hops... Read more

July 3, 2015 Audio

Royce Da 5’9″ Says It So It’s Crystal Clear: Soft Artists Are Winning In 2015 (Audio)

"This year, we've got the softest group of artists in the history of Blues, R&B, Soul / For y'all to be so willing to be so blast-off honest / Black Pride, I'm astonished / I'm a full-contact guy, in a flag-ball climate..." Royce Da 5'9" is not mincing words in... Read more

July 3, 2015 Audio

Eminem Attacks A Track In A Reminder That His Crown Is In Tact (Audio)

From the Southpaw soundtrack, Eminem is truly clearing house. The Detroit, Michigan superstar follows his "Phenomenal" single with a song that also fits nicely for a boxing film. "Kings Never Die" teams Em' with his Interscope family label-mate, Gwen Stefani. Produced by Self-Scientific's DJ Khalil, this record has pop appeal, with... Read more

July 2, 2015 Audio

Ghostface Killah & Raekwon Are Back To Back-And-Forth Character Raps (Audio)

Few MCs can break into character quite like Ghostface Killah and Raekwon the Chef. The two Staten Islanders, and Wu-Tang Clan lyrical mercenaries have played the parts of a man battling his diamond-encrusted watch, a just-released convict home after three years up-state, or adding to their favorite Martin Scorsese or... Read more

July 2, 2015 Audio

Common Names His 5 Most Autobiographical Songs…They’re Deep (Audio)

In a career spanning 10 albums, and a plethora of powerful feature, soundtrack, and compilation appearances, Common's catalog is staggering. Speaking with Tim Einenkel's The Library Podcast, the MC formerly known as Common Sense was asked to select his five personal songs that would "make up an autobiography." This year's... Read more

July 2, 2015 Audio

Action Bronson Curses The Mic On Alchemist’s Voodoo Beat (Audio)

Action Bronson and Alchemist have historic chemistry. Hazy, humorous, and hardcore Hip-Hop Heads, this pair comes together to grab the spotlight. From ALC's upcoming Retarded Alligator Beats (July 10) project, "Voodoo" goes down to the bayou to listen as Bam Bam Bronson recounts a tale of sex, smuggling, and staying... Read more

July 2, 2015 Audio

10 Years After His Death, There Still Is Never Too Much Luther Vandross (Mix)

On July 1, 2005, one of music's most beloved voices was silenced when Luther Vandross passed away at the painfully young age of 54. Celebrated as a frontman, solo performer, and record producer, the eight-time Grammy winning singer and songwriter managed to remain relevant throughout his 25-year career, winning 4... Read more

July 1, 2015 Audio

Action Bronson & Ab-Soul Join Elle Varner For Differing Perspectives On Relationships (Audio)

Amidst the 2010s finest crop of MCs, Action Bronson and Ab-Soul have both succeeded in rapping about relationships, from the devoted to the dissolved. "All You Need" is a Statik Selektah-orchestrated moment from Lucky 7 (July 7) that shows that range. While Bam Bam celebrates a trist-turned-true love, Soulo looks... Read more

July 1, 2015 Audio

Prince’s Latest Tells “Rappers Tryna Be Singers” That They Can’t Satisfy (Audio)

Guitar in hand, Prince has been a Rock & Roll juggernaut just as much as R&B or Pop. Throughout his nearly 40-year career, Prince has merged the genres in establishing a sound of his own that's been hard to pin down. For "HARDROCKLOVER," Prince amps up and plugs in with... Read more

July 1, 2015 Audio

Brother Ali Makes An Incredibly Soulful Song About Love, Life & Suffering (Audio)

Brother Ali is a bull in the booth. From his government indictments to good ol' battle-rap bravado, the Twin Cities Rhymesayer can move the crowd through shock and awe with the microphone. However, the independent mainstay can also show a ton of vulnerability in his songs, and make the kind... Read more

July 1, 2015 Audio

Joell Ortiz & !llmind Unveil The New Sound They’ve Been Creating In The Lab (Audio)

New Jersey native !llmind was a critical part of Joell Ortiz' 2014 album, House Slippers. Moving into 2015, the producer for Kanye West, Scarface, and Sean Price takes on Ortiz' whole project, for an equal billing. "Lil' Piggies" is the first glimpse from the July 17 project, Human. !llmind lays... Read more

June 30, 2015 Audio

Big K.R.I.T. & David Banner Take Aim Against The Corrupt System (Audio)

David Banner and Big K.R.I.T. will not go quietly, or unarmed. The Mississippi MC/producers make their latest union on "My Uzi," a Pimp C-sampling song about protecting ourselves, symbolically and literally, from terror and attackers. Presumed to be one of the first looks from David Banner's The God Box album,... Read more

June 30, 2015 Audio

Blu Addresses Passing On A Death Row Deal On The Thriller (Audio)

It has been a quiet three months for Blu. The MC/producer known for a relentless appetite for releasing music may be quiet for good reason. Today (June 29), the Los Angeles, California native announced a Nature Sounds maxi-single, The Return. With some remixes and DJ-goodies, Johnson Barnes delivers "Thriller." Featuring... Read more

June 29, 2015 Audio

Puff Daddy & Pharrell Get Loose on the Latest Bad Boy Release (Audio)

Over the last 20 years, there are few hitmakers who have impacted the sound of Hip-Hop music more than Puff Daddy and Pharrell. With collaborations like Busta Rhymes' "Pass the Courvoisier," and countless solo contributions, their combined hit list is unrivaled. After taking the stage together at last night's BET... Read more

June 29, 2015 Audio

Meek Mill and Drake Re-Team on a Track So Hard, It’s Criminal (Audio)

After a nearly three year break since the release of his debut album, Dreams and Nightmares, Meek Mill's follow up, Dreams Worth More Than Money, is in stores now. One of the standout songs on the album is the hard-hitting "R.I.C.O.," featuring Meek's frequent collaborator, Drake. The sparse track finds... Read more

June 29, 2015 Audio

Madlib Salutes African Grooves with New Project (Album Stream)

The Beat Konducta is back with another installment of his signature Mind Fusion mixtape series, this one penetrating deeply into the sounds of African beats and rhythms. African Earwax showcases the vast and seemingly endless lode of innovative music coming from all corners of the Great Continent, and at over... Read more

June 29, 2015 Audio

Make Sure You’ve Heard GZA & CZARFACE’s Syllable Smashing Collab (Audio)

Earlier this month, CZARFACE released their sophomore album, Every Hero Needs A Villain. The sophomore outing from Inspectah Deck, Esoteric, and 7L features a smorgasbord of sharp lyrics, dense with wordplay, and chopped down samples. While the guests are exciting (Juju, Large Professor, R.A. The Rugged Man), GZA is at... Read more

June 28, 2015 Audio

Young Buck & Jadakiss Don’t Trust Many, So They Do It By Themselves (Audio)

Young Buck and Jadakiss are no strangers to deeply personal verses on wax. Both men have had public confrontations with figures once closely associated with them. Teaming with the DJ/producer he made the acclaimed Chronic 2006 mixtape with, Buck and DJ Whoo Kid release "Myself." With 'Kiss on the cut,... Read more

June 28, 2015 Audio

Jean Grae’s iSweatergawd Is Boldly Refreshing & Produced by Quelle Chris (EP Stream)

Jean Grae makes self-releases fun. The New York City veteran MC surprises the masses on a Sunday (June 28) with the sneak attack release of iSweatergawd. Thanks to the Natural Resource alum's Bandcamp page, the six-track EP is available for stream and $7 purchase. The Everybody’s Pregnant band mates Donwill... Read more

June 28, 2015 Audio

Rah Digga & Lil Fame Bully Weak MCs On A Meticulous Track (Audio)

Rah Digga and Lil Fame both stand for hardcore Hip-Hop, no matter what the trends out. The Mash Out Posse and Flipmode Squad go back, so why wouldn't Fizzy Womack and Harriet Thugman come together seamlessly on an equally charged track from Fat Beats alum Maticulous (who makes some meticulous... Read more

June 27, 2015 Audio

There Ain’t No Half Steppin’ On Chris Rivers’ Newest Throwback Freestyle (Audio)

Chris Rivers, son of the late Big Pun, has been going on lyrical tirades lately. From killer freestyles, to adding some of his own Horror-core influences, Rivers is proving to be a standout. He is properly following in Big Pun's footsteps by recording crazy bars of his own on his father's... Read more

June 26, 2015 Audio

Capone-N-Noreaga Remind Listeners Why They Became Fans In The First Place (Audio)

Capone-N-Noreaga's Lessons is less than one month away (July 24). The reunion with the Queens, New York duo and their original Penalty label sees Capone and N.O.R.E. invigorating their brand of lyricism. "In The First" has that rowdy delivery on the mic, and sample-savvy arrangement on the boards. Moreover, this... Read more

June 26, 2015 Audio

Yasiin Bey Continues To Merge With Talents Worth Hearing (Audio)

From Da Bush Babees to De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest to The Roots, Mos Def benefited hugely from veterans looking out, early in his career. Now in a position of major influence, Yasiin Bey (f/k/a Mos Def) is returning the favor. The same month he looked out for... Read more

June 26, 2015 Audio

Whether It’s Fans or Friends, Game & Drake Only Want The Real (Audio)

With his highly anticipated album The Documentary 2 slated for a June 30 release, the Game is poised to drop a summer blockbuster of a record. The ardor surrounding the release has been satiated, albeit only slightly, with the release of a mini-documentary with behind-the-scenes footage of the recording process,... Read more

June 25, 2015 Audio

LL Cool J Classics Are Mixed While He’s Interviewed…by Marley Marl (Audio)

LL Cool J and Marley Marl go back. These two Queens, New York icons crossed paths in the late-1980s, when LL Cool J was widely touted as one of Hip-Hop's finest MCs, and Marley Marl was the go-to producer. From mixes of "Jinglin' Baby," to "Around The Way Girl," these... Read more

June 25, 2015 Audio

Pac Div Take A Risk & Roll The Dice With A Strong Return (Audio)

West Coast Rap group Pac Div (f/k/a Pacific Division) have not been in the spotlight in recent times, with occasional, yet promising singles appearing here and there. Pac Div member Mibbs grabbed a mic of his own, and released his debut EP, FREEBASS in 2013, and The Program in 2014.... Read more

June 24, 2015 Audio

Bun B, Styles P & Sean Price Are Top Tier MCs, On A Statik Selektah Track (Audio)

Last year, DJ and producer Statik Selektah released What Goes Around, an album featuring verses from Ab-Soul, Action Bronson, B-Real, Dilated Peoples, Freddie Gibbs, Joey Badass, Logic, N.O.R.E., Posdnuos, and Sheek Louch (just to name a few!). The album was his sixth since the Massachusetts native launched his solo career... Read more

June 24, 2015 Audio

DJ Premier Helps Canada’s First Division Go For The Pennant (Audio)

First Division are a Canadian duo, with some deeper history in Rap. One of the members, Shylow, may be familiar to Marco Polo album/mixtape supporters. Crossing the border for "This Iz The Time," F.D. teams with DJ Premier. Preemo laces the Soulspazm-backed pair with chops, cuts, and samples very much... Read more

June 23, 2015 Audio

Out Of This World: Get Your Space Boogie On With Illa J’s New Single (Audio)

In a newly re-invigorated drive to continue his solo career, Illa J has embarked on new paths, both figuratively and musically. Now living in Montreal, the 28-year-old rapper spent the several years after the 2008 release of his solo debut, Yancey Boys, performing and touring with Slum Village, the Detroit-based... Read more

June 23, 2015 Audio

Sit Back & Cool Out To Pete Rock’s Petestrumentals 2 (Album Stream)

Today (June 23), Pete Rock released Petestrumentals 2. The second installment in the series in 14 years finds the Mount Vernon, New York producer/DJ/MC now working with Tucson, Arizona-based Mello Music Group. As reported, the 10-tracks of the instrumental project are a balance between new musical creations, as well as... Read more

June 23, 2015 Audio

Timbaland Loves Double Threats. Tink Is Up Next (Audio)

Whether it was Lauryn Hill changing his life or he and Missy Elliott changing the world together, Timbaland has always loved double threats--artists who can sing and rap. It's no surprise then that his newest signee, Tink, is gifted at both. Having already collaborated with Andre 3000 and shared songs... Read more

June 23, 2015 Audio

Kendrick Lamar Proves He’s The Guy To Remix Jidenna’s “Classic Man” (Audio)

With the release of To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar returned to much of the Funk- and Jazz-infused sonic landscape set forth in Section .80, his 2011 studio debut. The two releases are punctuated in between with 2012's good kid, m.A.A.d city, a louder, more widely heard album with the... Read more

June 22, 2015 Audio

Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Are BACK, 9 Years Later (Audio)

It has been seven years since Janet Jackson released a solo album. So much has happened since then. Ms. Jackson lost her brother, Michael. She got married, again. She launched her own Rhythm Nation Records. So at last, Janet is back with new music. After going in a different direction... Read more

June 22, 2015 Audio

Kool Keith & J-Live Make An Unlikely Pair. But They Are Great Travel Companions (Audio)

Mello Music Group's L'Orange is a quiet threat. The French producer chops down samples and breathes new life into dusty grooves. Pensive MCs, whether Blu or Gift Of Gab, thrive on his sonic textures. "The Traveler" extends L'Orange's collaborative history with Kool Keith, and welcomes J-Live to the fold. Two... Read more

June 22, 2015 Audio

Ghostface Killah & Vince Staples Get The Money and Never Have To Run (Audio)

Approaching next month's Twelve More Reasons To Die, Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge share a third glimpse from the RZA-backed Soul Temple sequel. With some of the dirtiest drums heard as of late, G.F.K. makes "Get The Money" sound oh so literal. This is "Heist Rap," as Adrian and Starks... Read more

June 22, 2015 Audio

Lauryn Hill Pays Tribute Nina Simone Again & She SPITS This Time! (Audio)

Earlier this week, Ms. Lauryn Hill's cover of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" (also a cover), drew worlds of attention and acclaim. From the Nina Revisited: A Tribute To Nina Simone soundtrack companion to upcoming Netflix documentary, What Happened, Miss Simone?, there are two other L-Boogie homages to Nina on the... Read more

June 20, 2015 Audio

Jadakiss Rips Into An O.D.B. Classic Instrumental With A Sharp Freestyle (Audio)

Jadakiss is restless when it comes to weekly throwback freestyles. He comes forth with some sharp witticisms, and clever wordplay on Ol' Dirty's 1995 classic, "Brooklyn Zoo" (as "Shame On You Rappers"). From Downtown to Uptown, 'Kiss hits this freestyle with his A-Game, and livens up another Friday. Should Jadakiss... Read more

June 19, 2015 Audio

Ghostface Killah Still Has That I-95 Connection With Wu Syndicate’s Napoleon (Audio)

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, anybody remotely associated with Wu-Tang Clan was signing deals, and fast-tracking albums. In all the hubbub, it was easy to lose focus on who the real skillful MCs were. In time, MCs like Killah Priest, 9th Prince, and Shyheim have proven to be... Read more

June 18, 2015 Audio

Lauryn Hill Delivers a Powerful Rendition of Nina Simone’s Feeling Good (Audio)

RCA Records is producing Nina Revisited: A Tribute To Nina Simone. This EP will take the timeless music of the late Jazz/Rhythm & Blues vocalist and revive it through contemporary voices. It is being released in conjunction with the new documentary What Happened, Miss Simone?. Who better to pay tribute than... Read more

June 18, 2015 Audio

Sheek Louch Gets Manic and Torches His Latest Freestyle (Audio)

Only a week after bringing his own heat to a toxic Mack Wilds beat with "Forest Fire," Sheek Louch comes back spitting flames on his new single "Bipolar Gorillaz." The instrumental comes from Jay Z's 1998 "Murdergram," which featured an up and coming DMX and Ja Rule. The song was... Read more

June 17, 2015 Audio

Skyzoo & Jadakiss Put Their Weight Into an Awesome Lyrical Display (Audio)

Skyzoo's Music For My Friends released a week early. Today (June 17), the Brooklyn, New Yorker let fans have it. For those unaware, Sky's self-released affair is largely based on his BK childhood and friendships. While he chose the microphone, some of Skyler's friends chose more literal hustles. The MC... Read more

June 17, 2015 Audio

Skyzoo & Elzhi Fold Hands & Dissect a Beat Together (Audio)

In the last five years (and truly, going back into the mid-2000s), Skyzoo and Elzhi are two of the most consistent do-it-yourself MCs. Brooklyn, New York—meets—Detroit, Michigan beyond Random Axe, as Sky' and El' freak "Hands Folded Together." The song features that linear, detailed imagery both rappers deliver regularly. The... Read more

June 16, 2015 Audio

Raury Dances With The Devil, Making Refreshingly Original Music (Audio)

Atlanta, Georgia's Raury defies genre in so much of what he does. The just-released "Devil's Whisperer" is a testament to that. Immersed in American Roots music, Raury knows how to weave in an Electronic bassline, hard drums, and then chant, spit, and master the ceremony on the song. Timeless, this... Read more

June 16, 2015 Audio