Audio Archives

A Year Isn’t A Year Until Skillz’ Wraps It Up With His Rap. 2014, Salute! (Audio)

In less than 48 hours, 2014 is in the bag. Even though he reportedly swore he wouldn't do it anymore a few years back, Skillz pleased the people with a signature "Rap Up." For 2-0-1-4, the Virginia MC chronicles everything, from the lighter hearted (Rick Ross' weight loss, Pharrell's takeover,... Read more

December 30, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Joey Bada$$ Keeps Great Music Rolling On & On in 2014 (Audio)

2014 may be coming to a close but Joey Bada$$ is not letting up. After releasing several high quality songs from his promising forthcoming debut album B4 Da $$, "On & On" may be his finest yet. The smooth jazz track, which features Maverick Sabre and Pro Era’s Dyemond Lewis,... Read more

December 30, 2014 Audio

Mick Jenkins Releases the Explosive 11 in Response to Eric Garner’s Death (Audio)

Mick Jenkins' new song "11" is a tour de force. In little more than three minutes, he artfully, intelligently and powerfully addresses the racism that still plagues our country, the downward cycle of selling drugs, the increasing surveillance of us all by the government and corporations, our feeding into the... Read more

December 30, 2014 Audio

It Gets No Grimier Than Sean Price on The Magik (Audio)

Sean Price teams up with Royal Flush and Foul Monday for some super griminess on "The Magik." The sparse, dark track allows each to settle in the pocket and wage war with words. Check it out. Related: Your Old Droog Joins Lil Fame, Sean Price & Milano On This Dusty... Read more

December 30, 2014 Audio

MC Ren Calls Out Lazy Radio DJs & Wack Playlists In A New Song (Audio)

Since the N.W.A. days, MC Ren has never run from the issues. The iconic Compton, California lyricist has asserted equality for race, religion, and understanding for nearly 30 years. Taking a look at the present day commercial radio format, Ren decries "Burn Radio Burn" on a fresh and charged E-A-Ski... Read more

December 30, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Late Producer of Run-D.M.C., Whodini & The Fat Boys Honored by DJ Eclipse Mix (Audio)

Over the Christmas holiday, Non-Phixion member and Halftime Radio Show DJ/host DJ Eclipse paid homage to Larry Smith, the iconic bassist and Hip-Hop producer who died earlier this month (December 18). Smith is remembered for helping cultivate the sound of the mid-1980s, through work with Whodini, Run-DMC, The Fat Boys,... Read more

December 29, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

With Sounds By The Roots & J Dilla, Preview Snippets Of Joey Bada$$’s B4.Da.$$ (Audio)

Over the weekend, the full artwork, tracklisting and production credits for Joey Bada$$' studio debut, B4.Da.$$ (January 20) were released: 1. Save The Children (prod by Statik Selektah) 2. Greenbax (prod by Lee Bannon) 3. Paper Trails (prod. by DJ Premier) 4. Piece of Mine (prod by Freddie Joachim) 5.... Read more

December 29, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Here’s a Remix of Big Pun’s Beware by Legendary Producer Domingo (Audio)

Domingo opens up his bountiful vault and releases another Big Pun gem. The remix to "Beware" is from Domingo's Pun EP, Bronx Legends Never Die. Related: Domingo Re-Releases Some Rare Big Pun, Fat Joe, Shaq & Easy Mo Bee (Audio)... Read more

December 29, 2014 Audio

Shabaam Sahdeeq’s New Collabo Project Includes Ras Kass, Rah Digga, Masta Ace & Harry Fraud (Mixtape)

Brooklyn, New York veteran MC Shabaam Sahdeeq has maintained an illustrious underground Hip-Hop career for more than 17 years. S-Dub, as he's also known, has combined Lyricist Lounge-tested MC wordplay with '80s and '90s BK imagery that made everybody from Sean Price to Ill Bill, Skyzoo to Kool G Rap... Read more

December 29, 2014 Audio, Featured-homepage, Fresh, Mixes

LL Cool J: Do You Prefer the Lover or the Fighter? (Audio)

Over the last 30 years (yep, you read that right...), there has not been an MC who better straddled the line between lover and fighter than LL Cool J. James Todd Smith has been both the rapper that ladies loved with Hip-Hop ballads like "I Need Love" and "Hey Lover,"... Read more

December 28, 2014 Audio

Waka Flocka Jacks Beats From Nas, Tribe, D.O.C., Mobb Deep and SPITS?? That’s Right…(Audio)

Almost two weeks ago, Waka Flocka Flame rattled even his biggest skeptics with "3:30," a lyrical clinic over-top of J. Cole's "Fire Squad" instrumental. The response was overwhelming for the Brick Squad Monopoly rapper who isn't given his credit as "an MC" just every day. So what does he do... Read more

December 28, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Premier & Royce Talk About Fighting Through the Hard Times and Being in a Good Place (Audio)

Here's a deceptively candid interview of PRhyme (DJ Premier & Royce Da 5'9") by NW3 Radio. After glossing over fascinating stories like Rock the Bells once offering Gang Starr $2 million to perform and Rakim once being arrested at a Royce show in NYC, the two men speak from the... Read more

December 27, 2014 Audio

Capone-N-Noreaga Reunite With Tragedy Khadafi, Join Raekwon For Flame-Thrower (Audio)

For fans of that militant Queens, New York Hip-Hop, December has been mighty healthy. First Tragedy Khadafi released Pre Magnum Opus, a street album available in full, free stream. Then, Tragedy's star pupils of the mid-1990s, Capone-N-Noreaga revamp their Thugged Out Militainment roster and imprint, and release the digital compilation... Read more

December 27, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Do Remember: Shaqueen – Shaqueen Rules (Audio)

From Bumpy Knuckles, to MF DOOM, to NYOIL, Hip-Hop has seen some powerful re-inventive forces with artists. To Heads with deeper knowledge of mid-1990s New York Hip-Hop, Shaqueen certainly comes to mind. In the early 2000s, Shaqueen was reinvented as "Ma Barker," a member of (her spouse) Kool G Rap's... Read more

December 26, 2014 Audio, Throwback

Ice-T Interviews Kool Keith, & The Ultramagnetic MC Explains Creating His Groundbreaking Style (Audio)

Heads may not know this, but back in 2000, Ice-T and Kool Keith made an album together in Pimp To Eat. The Analog Brothers, consisting of Keith, Ice, Marc Live, Black Silver, and Rex, was believed to be a response (largely on Keith's part) to RZA's "Bobby Digital" persona. The... Read more

December 26, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Funkmaster Flex, DJ Red Alert & Chuck Chillout Hit Airwaves With 5 Hours Of Master-Mixes (Audio)

For Funkmaster Flex's Christmas Eve show (December 24) Wednesday night on HOT 97, the Bronx, New York DJ invited some of his peers and inspirations to the Manhattan studios. Hip-Hop pioneers Kool DJ Red Alert and Chuck Chillout joined Flex for five hours of merry Hip-Hop from three icons of... Read more

December 26, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Throwback

Black Moon’s First New Song In Years Is Slow-Moving Dopeness (Audio)

This week, Black Moon/Da Beatminerz' DJ Evil Dee released his first free online mixtape in recent memory. Part of the Broadcasting Live Mix is "Go To War," a Black Moon cut, and the first new one from Evil, Buckshot, and 5FT in nearly a decade. The Duck Down trio last... Read more

December 26, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Pharoahe Monch is In the Zone This Christmas (Audio)

Marco Polo delivers a virtual stocking stuffer, by way of some previously unreleased Pharoahe Monch. "In the Zone" is true to the title, with Pharoahe typically locked-in lyrically. Check it out. Related: Happy Birthday to Pharoahe Monch. Here’s a Celebratory Mix of His Music (Audio)... Read more

December 24, 2014 Audio

Black Moon’s Evil Dee Releases a Mixtape Of All New Material (Mixtape)

Straight out of Bushwick, Brooklyn, DJ Evil Dee has made some amazing Hip-Hop records. A onetime high school DJ phenom, this centerpiece of Da Beatminerz is mean on the mix, the drum machine, and diggin' in the crates. The sound-provider of Black Moon established Duck Down as a source of... Read more

December 24, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Mixes

Young Jeezy & Rick Ross Join the Remix to Troy Ave’s All About the Money (Audio)

Troy Ave's "About the Money" was one of those beats in 2014 that called to multiple MCs to flex their own flows on the track. Raekwon & Ghostface Killah, G-Unit and more jacked Troy Ave for the minimal but red hot beat. Now, he releases the official remix to the... Read more

December 24, 2014 Audio

Sadat X Kicks Some Truth to the Youth Like an OG Should (Audio)

"You can't lead if you can't read..." Sadat X's "What Up Kid?" features the venerable MC doling out wisdom to the youth, not like a preacher, but like one who knows and wants better for them. More "cool uncle" than father figure, he lays out the consequences of certain paths... Read more

December 23, 2014 Audio

Joey Bada$$ and Statik Selektah Serve Up Some Curry Chicken (Audio)

Joey Bada$$ and Statik Selektah have teamed several times over the last few years, seemingly always to good results. The pair link again for the latest release from Joey's forthcoming B4 Da $$ album. "Curry Chicken" features a trademark soulful loop from Statik accompanying Joey's ever-maturing vocals about what he... Read more

December 23, 2014 Audio

Dom Kennedy Returns to Represent That New West Coast Sound (Audio)

Dom Kennedy returns to the scene with "Represent (I Like That)." The synthesizer-driven song feels distinctly West Coast without sounding throwback or derivative. Dom's completely indie grind has allowed him to stay true to his voice and remain one of the most consistent artists of his class. Check it out.... Read more

December 22, 2014 Audio

All Skillz’s Favorite Rappers Are Dead and Hip-Hop is Not the Same (Audio)

Skillz's new song "All My Favorite Rappers Are Dead" is more than an ode to Hip-Hop's fallen soldiers. Instead, it's a longing for the days of yore when Rap meant something to him. He misses "'89 Rakim," the "early Ice Cube," the Kanye with "no fame" and so much more... Read more

December 22, 2014 Audio

Wale Says Life is a Chess Match. Are You a King or a Pawn? (Audio)

Wale has a mixtape called Festivus coming tomorrow (12/22). By the sounds of his new song "The Chess Match," the MMG soldier, like Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Big K.R.I.T. and others in his peer group, is going to a new depth of substantive lyrics. In little over a minute, Wale... Read more

December 22, 2014 Audio

Tragedy Khadafi’s Pre Magnum Opus Features Lil Fame, Royal Flush & Meyhem Lauren (Album Stream)

While Tragedy Khadafi's Pre Magnum Opus is truly a 40-minute set-up for the Queens, New York super-veteran's next album (2015's Magnum Opus) it's better than that. The Juice Crew affiliate, Capone-N-Noreaga mentor, and Black Market Militia founder maintains a reputation for quality since the Intelligent Hoodlum A&M Records days. With... Read more

December 22, 2014 Audio, Fresh

The-Dream’s New Single Finally Comes To Fruition (Audio)

For more than a decade, The-Dream has brought musical ideas to life in a major way. The Def Jam Records star had a low-key 2014, but starting in the last few days, serviced an unpublicized single, "Fruition," to several key radio markets. With the warm, alluring melody of the song... Read more

December 22, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Jean Deaux Releases a Dark and Rich New Free Album (Stream & Download)

Jean Deaux is part of the increasingly rich and diverse Hip-Hop movement coming from Chicago. She is both a talented songstress and an MC, able to flip between each with ease. She's released Soular System Vol. I: Dark Matter[s], a new free album that's full of dark, brooding and beautiful... Read more

December 21, 2014 Audio, Mixes

Method Man Is In Full, Raspy Form On A M-Dot Ensemble Cut (Audio)

Boston, Massachusetts MC M-Dot has earned a spot in the industry working with highly-respected MCs such as M.O.P.'s Billy Danze, Kool G Rap, and Masta Ace. After a series of strong underground Hip-Hop LPs, M links with Double-M in the form of Method Man. "Shine" features Clifford Smith wasting no... Read more

December 20, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Oddisee’s Onetime Partner Kenn Starr Is Back, This Time With Black Milk (Audio)

Kenn Starr's album is called Square One, a testament to how the DMV veteran from the Low Budget Crew (Oddisee, Peter Rosenberg, Kev Brown, Sean Born) sees himself. Years ago, a Halftooth Records artist (see 2006's Starr Status), Kenn (and Oddy) made noise together, before the MC took a lengthy... Read more

December 20, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Wale Celebrates Life on a Jumping New Track (Audio)

Yesterday (December 18), Wale announced that he will release Festivus, his latest "Seinfeld"-inspired mixtape right in time for the holidays on December 23. As a non-tape preview track, the Maybach Music Group MC unleashed "Miracle On U Street," taking a Christmas-inspired title and applying it to his world. Looking at... Read more

December 19, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Fashionably Late Into 2014, Fashawn & Alchemist Give Up Some Goods (FreEP)

Just over one week after Fashawn & Alchemist hinted at their "Dreams," the FASH-ionably Late EP is here. 2014 was a game-changing year for the Fresno, California MC—even if he did not drop an album. Secured at what is now is Mass Appeal Records, Fash' went from making an Ode... Read more

December 18, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Mixes

Do Remember: D’Angelo’s “She’s Always In My Hair” (Audio)

With Black Messiah's top of the week release, D'Angelo has seemingly captured the consciousness of music once more. The Richmond, Virginia star crooner has slowly returned to the scene throughout 2014, abandoning his second sabbatical from music and in the industry of the last 18 years. Given the album's heavy... Read more

December 18, 2014 Audio, Throwback

Yasiin Bey Takes Over Petite Noir’s Till We Ghosts and Shines (Audio)

Yasiin Bey slips into "Umi Says" mode on Petite Noir's "Till We Ghosts." More than just a featured appearance, Bey (formerly Mos Def) takes over at 1 minute in and closes out the ambient, string-driven track. He progresses from meditative verse to plaintive wail. This is the kind of free... Read more

December 17, 2014 Audio

Planet Asia Pops Off Over Beats That Sound Straight Outta The Rhyme Pays Era (FreEP)

When Planet Asia eloquently stated "My mind shine harder than your chain" back in 2000, on Dilated Peoples' "Ear Drums Pop," it was clear that the Fresno, California MC was special. Trading an Interscope Records deal for full creative control, this Cali Agent has achieved strong independent success. Late in... Read more

December 17, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Mixes

Bumpy Knuckles Liberates A Pete Rock-Produced Relic With Fresh Rhymes (Audio)

New York City O.G.'s Bumpy Knuckles and Pete Rock made history together on 2000's Industry Shakedown. "Bumpy Knuckles Baby" signaled the name-change, alter-ego from the Freddie Foxxx era. As Pete Rock was amidst his own transition from the Elektra Records era, into a strong solo career, he left the Long... Read more

December 17, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Waka Flocka Flame Snatches J. Cole’s Beat & Steps Up His Bars (Audio)

Now this is a surprise. Waka Flocka Flame hops on J. Cole's "Fire Squad" track and steps his bars up...way up. Whatever you may think of Waka, you have never heard him flow like this. Like his mentor-turned-foe Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame is among Hip-Hop's most polarizing figures. Upon... Read more

December 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Ghostface Killah & Sheek Louch Fire The First Shot, It’s Wu Block Biznez (Audio)

More than two years removed from Wu-Block, the Wu-Tang Clan x The LOX connection was far from a one-off. Ghostface Killah and Sheek Louch have announced that they are waving the flag together again, in a hybrid album under the Wu-Block guise. Nature Sounds Records has announced that Hidden Gems,... Read more

December 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Large Professor, Diamond D, Nottz & Black Milk Rework Diamond District’s LP (Album Stream)

In October, Diamond District delivered another potent album in March On Washington. An ode to their home city, Oddisee, yU, and X.O. maintained their level of range and consistentcy on the Mello Music Group release. Two months later, it's the Redux. Mello's in-house squad of Apollo Brown, Quelle Chris, and... Read more

December 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Lupe Fiasco & Nikki Jean Make A Dedication To The Modern Madonnas (Audio)

Ten days from the Christmas holiday, Lupe Fiasco and Nikki Jean release a track that seems to examine the concept of Holy Mothers. Titled, "Madonna [And Other Mothers In The Hood]," this song uses lots of religious and spiritual imagery and lexicon, while chronicling a modern experience of how today's... Read more

December 15, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Erick Sermon Is Back To Giving Fans Some Green-Eyed Inspiration (Audio)

Erick Sermon stayed largely quiet in 2014. The EPMD co-founder did play Mass Appeal's Rhythm Roulette, but the Long Island legend largely shunned output this year. In the last two weeks of the year, that suddenly changed with "One Shot." Almost 30 years deep in the game, E-Double offers up... Read more

December 15, 2014 Audio, Fresh

YG Bangs On Wax With DJ Quik, Mack 10 & Tha Relativez’ Big Wy (Audio)

YG's My Krazy Life, in many ways, feels like a mid-1990s Gangsta Rap album. The CTE/Def Jam Records experience (which YG felt was Grammy-snubbed), combines strong Compton neighborhood talk with storytelling, sex-centric tracks, and honest revelations of an early twenty-something just trying to live. "Bicken Back Bein Bool" is one... Read more

December 15, 2014 Audio, Fresh

And Just Like That…D’Angelo Releases His 1st Single from Black Messiah (Audio)

The Internets were set on fire late last week at the announcement that, after 15 years, D'Angelo was releasing his next album, titled Black Messiah, possibly as early as this week. The din is surely to grow louder as he premieres an official studio version of his song "Sugah Daddy"... Read more

December 14, 2014 Audio

TLC Send Some Holiday Cheer with a Gift Wrapped Kiss (Audio)

As the holidays approach, T-Boz and Chili from TLC have released some good tidings and cheer by way of "Gift Wrapped Kiss." Check it out. Related: TLC Perform What About Your Friends at the Vh1 Super Bowl Blitz (Video)... Read more

December 13, 2014 Audio

Bishop Nehru Brings a Breath of Fresh Air to Hip-Hop (Audio)

2014 has been a strong year for Bishop Nehru. In addition to releasing his Nehruvian DOOM project with DOOM, the talented MC also signed with Nas on his Mass Appeal records. His latest release chops up a vintage Erykah Badu sample. Check out "Breath." Related: Bishop Nehru Makes His Sway... Read more

December 13, 2014 Audio

Timbaland Unearths A Petey Pablo Track That Puts The NC Vet In New Light (Audio)

Petey Pablo may seem like a blast from the past. In the closing days of 2001, the Greenville, North Carolina rapper put on for his state (and the South) with smash hit, "Raise Up." As a result, the Jive Records artist scored a gold-certified album, Diary Of A Sinner: 1st Entry,... Read more

December 12, 2014 Audio, Fresh

N.O.R.E. & Royal Flush Make A Joint That Sounds Straight Off A ’90s Blend Tape (Audio)

Before the Roc La Familia run, the Def Jam days, and the Reggaeton rally, N.O.R.E. was just a dope MC. There is a reason why Capone-N-Noreaga's The War Report is an enduring gem of an album. Noreaga's infectious personality, aggressive cadence, and authentically New York experience have made him a... Read more

December 12, 2014 Audio, Fresh

One Of Ghostface Killah’s Hardest Cuts Gets Remixed By An X-Ecutioner (Audio)

So much can be said about Ghostface Killah's "Mighty Healthy." The Supreme Clientele stunner was a timeless reminder why G.F.K. links the '80s Rap bravado with futuristic slang and style. Produced by Allah Mathematics (the Wu-Tang Clan's DJ), the break-beat driven track inspired the name of a hit clothing line,... Read more

December 12, 2014 Audio, Throwback

Ice-T Gives Mobb Deep An Amazing Interview, From Police To Hip-Hop (Audio)

Did you know that Ice-T is one of the biggest Mobb Deep Heads out? The O.G. is a big fan of the M-O-B-B. If you didn't know, it becomes abundantly clear in this recent Final Level Podcast episode (#24). Ice welcomes Prodigy and Havoc into his sponsored podcast. Joined by... Read more

December 11, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Do Remember: Beanie Sigel, Grand Puba & Sadat X’s Bread & Butter (Audio)

With Beanie Sigel currently in our hearts and on our minds, this week's "Do Remember" seemed fitting to dedicate to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC born Dwight Grant. Following two Top 5 charting albums (2000's The Truth, 2001's The Reason, respectively), Beanie Sigel took a break from the catalog. A gold-certified... Read more

December 11, 2014 Audio, Throwback