Fresh Archives

Developers Who Destroyed A Graffiti Landmark Aim To Use Its Heritage In Their Redesign

Queens, New York's 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center was a Hip-Hop landmark that endured for decades. Dubbed "The Institute Of Higher Burning," the Long Island City art space was home to a living shrine of graffiti. Curated by writer Meres One (aka Jonathan Cohen), the five-story warehouse building built in 1892... Read more

May 29, 2017 Lifestyle

Dizzy Wright’s Ear Is To The Street. He Listens Then Puts His Plan To Action (Video)

Dizzy Wright has transformed from one of the key players of Funk Volume boom to the flagship artist of Still Movin'. The Las Vegas, Nevada native has proven throughout the decade that he has many styles, a variety of flows, and is capable of personal imagery and dazzling style. Visually,... Read more

May 29, 2017 Video

What Happens When You Make An Old Head Listen To New Hip-Hop (Video)

Last November, Long Beach, California hosted ComplexCon, a two-day event featuring performances, panels, and more all devoted to music and culture. As part of the convention, veteran radio personality and Hip-Hop artist Angie Martinez led a discussion focused on the so-called "generation gap" in Hip-Hop. The group of experts who... Read more

May 28, 2017 Video

Elzhi-Era Slum Village Rip The Mic In A Never Before Released 2002 Freestyle (Audio)

Few Hip-Hop groups have experienced the setbacks of Slum Village. Two founding members, J Dilla and Baatin, died from health complications in the 2000s. Elzhi left the group, with reports of a less than amicable split between himself and anchor T3. Dilla's brother Illa J also had a stint in... Read more

May 26, 2017 Audio

Papoose Blacks Out On A Remix With Rick Ross That’s No Bull (Audio)

Last year, Papoose dropped one of the strongest singles of his career. Not yet attached to any album, video single "Back On My B.S." was 100% welcomed. The track featuring extended family Fat Joe and Jaquae put the Brooklyn, New York spitter's fast-rap talents on a tremendous beat, and let... Read more

May 26, 2017 Audio

Vinnie Paz Takes It Back To 1993 & Shows The Infinite Power Of Hip-Hop (Video)

In 1993, some truly great Hip-Hop music released. Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, and Black Moon made powerful impact with stellar debut albums. They were not alone either. Critical first LPs dropped from The Alkaholiks, Digable Planets, Fat Joe, Spice 1, Souls Of Mischief, and The Roots hit record store shelves... Read more

May 26, 2017 Video

Kool G Rap & Raekwon Are Out For That Life (Audio)

With June 2's Return Of The Don, Kool G Rap will share with the world his first truly solo album since 2011's Riches, Royalty, Respect. Produced entirely by MoSS, the LP features Freeway, Noreaga, Cormega, Raekwon, Sheek Louch, Saigon, Termanology, Fame, KXNG Crooked, Conway The Machine & Westside Gunn, and the late... Read more

May 25, 2017 Audio

Teddy Riley Says A Fatal Fight With New Edition Led To His Leaving Guy (Audio)

In 1990, Guy was one of the biggest R&B acts in the world. Teddy Riley, Aaron Hall, Damian Hall (following the exit of Timmy Gatling) would release two platinum albums for Uptown/MCA Records. Pioneers of the New Jack Swing, the group released an onslaught of hits like "Groove Me," "Let's... Read more

May 25, 2017 Audio, Throwback

Aesop Rock Mourns A Fallen MC & Spits Personal Bars Of Pain (Video)

Nine years ago today (May 25, 2008), MC/producer Camu Tao (aka Tero Smith) died after a battle with lung cancer. At a time when his solo career was gaining strong traction, the Columbus, Ohio native was a linchpin to The Weathermen, MHz, S.A. Smash, Nighthawks groups and El-P's Definitive Jux... Read more

May 25, 2017 Video

Tupac’s Spoken Words: Why His Interviews Are Even More Compelling Than His Music (Video)

"I want when they see me, they know that every day that I'm breathing, it's for Us to go farther. Every time I speak, I want the truth to come out. Every time I speak, I want a shiver. I don't want them to [predict] what I'm gonna say 'cause... Read more

May 24, 2017 Food for Thought

Showbiz Keeps It 100 About The Emotions That Got In The Way Of D.I.T.C. Business (Video)

The Diggin' In The Crates collective released their first album in more than 15 years in 2016. While Big L died in February of 1999, surviving members Lord Finesse, Showbiz, A.G., Diamond D, O.C. Fat Joe, and Buckwild came together for a reunion album in celebration of the group's Bronx,... Read more

May 24, 2017 Video

Token Is Learning Success In The Industry Doesn’t Come Without New Problems (Video)

At 18 years young, Salem, MA MC Token has done more at his age than most musicians get the opportunity to do in a lifetime, but that's not to say his accolades have merely fallen into his lap. Token has found himself on Sway In The Morning and on an international... Read more

May 23, 2017 Video

Royce 5’9 Drops A Heat Rock. Joell Ortiz Sayz 2 Can Play That Game (Audio)

Today (May 23), both Joell Ortiz and Royce 5'9 dropped fresh material, shaking up things in what has otherwise been a relatively quiet week for major new releases. On "iLL," Royce joined Conway The Machine and DJ Green Lantern for some Get Out-inspired madness, while his Slaughterhouse cohort's offering is a solo... Read more

May 23, 2017 Audio

Royce 5’9’s Ill Rhymes Put Other MCs In The Sunken Place (Audio)

Conway The Machine is set to drop a midweek project titled Reject On Steroids tomorrow (May 25), and a new collaboration with Royce 5'9 for DJ Green Lantern will inject Hip-Hop Heads with enough bars to last a good while. "iLL" partners the Buffalo, New York rapper with the Detroit, Michigan MC for... Read more

May 23, 2017 Audio

T.Y.E Is An Opera Singer Who Can Rap With The Best Of Them (Video)

On June 9, Dallas-bred rapper T.Y.E Harris will release 32, an exploratory album with song titles like "UFOs & Aliens," "Universe," and "La La Land." Hailing from the grim surroundings of the Oak Cliff neighborhood, his music serves as an exercise in escaping not only the confines of his external circumstances,... Read more

May 23, 2017 Ready Or Not

Kendrick Lamar Asks How We Let A Conscious MC Go Commercial On “Mask Off” Remix (Audio)

Earlier this year, Future earned the acclaim and astonishment of many when he dropped two full-length albums within one week of each other, first February 17's eponymous offering and then February 24's HNDRXX. The multi-platinum selling rapper has released three chart-topping singles from the back-to-back LPs, though "Mask Off" is the... Read more

May 23, 2017 Audio

9th Wonder’s Soulful Boom Bap Takes G-Eazy To His Maximum Potential (Audio)

9th Wonder is having an incredible year. The veteran producer already has had an incredible career, working with the likes of Jay Z, Beyonce, Erykah Badu, Black Thought, Murs, De La Soul, Raekwon, KRS-One, Anderson .Paak, and countless others, not to mention his own beloved group, Little Brother. In 2017,... Read more

May 23, 2017 Audio

Snoop Dogg & KRS-One Release Their First Ever Collabo & It’s Lights, Camera, Action (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been. Not only are we able to go back... Read more

May 22, 2017 Audio

Skyzoo’s New Video Plays Out A Childhood Dream Of Performing On Stretch & Bobbito’s Show

Last month, Hip-Hop Heads rejoiced to learn that Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito The Barber are returning to radio, thanks to an NPR podcast. The move is the latest in a story that extends nearly 30 years, back to their post on Columbia University's WKCR airwaves. For New Yorkers and surrounding... Read more

May 22, 2017 Video

The Story Of Biggie’s Ominous Life After Death Photo Shoot Is Told By The Photographer

On March 25, 1997, The Notorious B.I.G.'s posthumous album, Life After Death, dropped. In one of the eeriest examples of art imitating life (or is it the other way around?), the album's title, artwork, and much of its track list dealt with foreshadowing mortality. On the LP cover, Biggie posed with... Read more

May 22, 2017 Throwback

A Harvard Student Made A Rap Album For His Thesis & It Earned Him Honors (Audio)

Over the last several years, Harvard University has established itself as one of the leading institutions of higher learning to embrace Hip-Hop and its role in academia. In 2012, producer 9th Wonder (Little Brother, Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar) was named a Harvard Fellow, and taught a course titled The Standards... Read more

May 21, 2017 Audio

Treach Flies To L.A. & Wages War To Protect Tupac’s Legacy

UPDATE: Just over 48 hours after Hip-Hop Heads were questioning whether Naughty By Nature's Treach and The Game's manager Wack 100 made an online beef a physical altercation, that conflict has been declared resolved. Moments ago today (May 22), Treach publicly apologized the the veteran music executive tied to Ray... Read more

May 20, 2017 News, Video

FRESH For 2017: Watch Video Of The Unveiling Of Scott La Rock Boulevard

Boogie Down Productions co-founder Scott La Rock (aka Scott Sterling) was immortalized with a boulevard named in his honor, in the borough he loved. In the Bronx, New York yesterday (May 19), Scott La Rock, Jr., D-Nice, DJ Red Alert, 3rd Bass' Prime Minister Pete Nice, DJ Jazzy Jay, Ultramagnetic... Read more

May 20, 2017 News, Video

Logic Reveals He Would Not Be A Rapper If It Weren’t For J. Cole (Video)

Logic's Everybody is currently the #1 album in the country. This achievement by the Maryland MC puts him in an elite class of artists. Symbolically, "Young Sinatra" joins 2010s Rap peers such as Kendrick Lamar, Drake, A$AP Rocky, Big Sean, ScHoolboy Q, Future, Travi$ Scott, Meek Mill, Mac Miller, and... Read more

May 20, 2017 Video

Mysonne Rips Future’s Mask Off And Says He’s A Fiend (Audio)

Over the last several weeks, there have been a number of freestyles using Future's ubiquitous "Mask Off," but none quite like this. Mysonne, the one-time Def Jam artist whose promising career was derailed by a 7-year prison stint for armed robbery, has taken Future's song and used his own words to... Read more

May 19, 2017 Audio

Dead Wrong: A Bed-Stuy Mural Of Biggie Smalls Is Coming Down For Mo’ Money

Today (May 19), Faith Evans releases her collection of duet remixes with late husband Biggie Smalls. The King & I features Lil' Kim, as well as other figures from B.I.G.'s life including Snoop Dogg, The LOX, Lil' Cease, and Busta Rhymes. While the LP is a celebration of the married... Read more

May 19, 2017 Lifestyle, News

DMX Punching Chris Lighty Drew Blood Money From His Album (Audio)

This spring, the life and death of acclaimed record executive Chris Lighty has been the subject of an investigative podcast series. Combat Jack has created and hosted Mogul, a weekly look at the evolution of the man who managed A Tribe Called Quest, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent,... Read more

May 19, 2017 Audio

David Banner’s New Album Features Black Thought & K.R.I.T. (Full Audio Stream)

It has been six and a half years since David Banner released an album. In some circles, that Death Of A Pop Star collaboration with 9th Wonder was considered some of D.B.'s finest songwriting. The Mississippi MC/producer with three Top 10 LP releases has thrived without the album format. Now... Read more

May 19, 2017 Audio

Tupac Shakur’s Formative Years: The Young Man Before The Myth (Video)

"I loved my childhood, even though it was bad. I love it. I feel like it's taught me so much. Nothing can faze me. Nothing in this world can surprise me. It might set me back, but only momentarily can it set me back. I think it's helped me to... Read more

May 18, 2017 Food for Thought

MC Hammer Shows He Can Still Hurt ‘Em With His Dance Moves At Age 55 (Video)

At the height of his popularity in the early 90s, MC Hammer was one of the most polarizing figures in Hip-Hop. His immense success was both the source of ridicule and respect. His third album, 1990's Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em, spent an astounding 21 weeks at the top of... Read more

May 18, 2017 Video

It Might Cost A Lot More To Hear Hip-Hop On The Internet Without Net Neutrality

Today (May 18), the Federal Communications Commission enacted its latest round in the fight against net neutrality, a somewhat nebulous issue that hasn't become as much of a household name as, say, Russiagate. However, outside of climate change, there may not be another issue that directly affects the daily lives... Read more

May 18, 2017 Lifestyle

Kool G Rap Details How He Helped Launch Nas’ Career & Releases New Cormega Collabo (Video)

In 1995, Kool G Rap released the highest-charting single of his career, "Fast Life." The song merged two Queens legends, as G Rap collaborated with the white-hot Nas, fresh on the heels of his Illmatic debut. While the world may not have known it at the time, the collaboration was... Read more

May 18, 2017 Video

Big Boi, Run The Jewels & Danger Mouse Dare Competition To Keep Up (Audio)

Since 2013's "Banana Clipper," Run The Jewels' Killer Mike has cemented the fact that even with his latest brand of music, mentor Big Boi fits into the fold nicely. On single, "Kill Jill," Daddy Fat Sax welcomes Mike Bigga to his lates party-starter. The Dungeon Family vibe is alive and well,... Read more

May 18, 2017 Audio

Watch The Troubling Alternate Ending To Get Out (Video)

2017's Get Out not only raised the bar for how a horror film should perform at a box office, but also its place in the cultural zeitgeist. Featuring none of the gore, kitsch, or apparitions of juggernaut classics of the genre like the Halloween series and The Shining, the Jordan Peele-directed film was understated... Read more

May 18, 2017 TV/Film, Video

Kendrick Lamar Joins George Washington & More As A Painting In The U.S. Capitol

Back in 2015, it was announced that Kendrick Lamar had inspired the "Be Alright" scholarship at a New Jersey school. It was an exciting development for Hip-Hop, as it spoke directly to the culture's growing rate of acceptance as a worthy, inspiring, and important presence in education. Shortly thereafter, Lamar's To Pimp... Read more

May 17, 2017 Fresh

Big K.R.I.T. & B.O.B. Ask When Exactly Was America Great On “Peace Piece” (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So...let us fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it's ever been. Not only are we able to go back... Read more

May 16, 2017 Audio

David Banner Raps From The Perspective Of A Tree Used To Hang Black Men (Audio)

For nearly 20 years, David Banner has spoken deeply and frequently about issues of race in and out of the recording booth. The MC/producer double-threat hails from Jackson, Mississippi, a place with some ugliness in its past, especially with regards to the prejudice, violence, and institutional racism against Blacks and... Read more

May 16, 2017 Audio

Snow Tha Product Has 99 Problems But Incredible Lyricism Ain’t One (Video)

Snow Tha Product is an MC whose fame and talent cannot be denied, despite perhaps never attaining the level of recognition of others in her class. Since yesterday alone, her latest video - for the song "Problems" - has garnered over 200,000 views, a remarkable feat for an artist whose... Read more

May 16, 2017 Video

Dillon Cooper Doesn’t Scare Easily & Turns A Blind Eye To His Competition (Video)

Dillon Cooper is a Crown Heights, Brooklyn rapper who sound and look familiar to fans of the Hip-Hop inspired Netflix series, The Get Down, for which he contributed to the official soundtrack and played a supporting role as a young Grandmaster Caz. Also an accomplished musician,he attended the prestigious Berklee... Read more

May 16, 2017 Ready Or Not

Teddy Riley Reveals Some Of Heavy D’s Biggest Hits Were Meant For Wreckx-N-Effect

UPDATE: Teddy Riley's full Red Bull Music Academy Festival lecture video with Jeff "Chairman" Mao: ORIGINAL MAY 15 POST: Earlier this month, artist/producer Teddy Riley appeared before a live New York City audience as part of the Red Bull Music Academy speaker series. There, the Harlem, New Yorker spoke about... Read more

May 15, 2017 Throwback

Jeff Sessions Did Not Get Jay Z’s Memo That The War On Drugs Is An Epic Fail

Last fall, Jay Z narrated a powerful animated short about the costly effect of the war on drugs, not just in terms of tax dollars, but also human lives. "The History of the War on Drugs: from Prohibition to Gold Rush" was released by the New York Times, and included troubling statistics... Read more

May 15, 2017 Lifestyle

MC Ren Reveals That Dr. Dre Ghost-Wrote An Eazy-E Hit (Video)

Throughout his 30-plus-year career, Dr. Dre is one of the Rap superstars who has openly used other songwriters. Throughout the years, Eminem, Jay Z, Ice Cube, The D.O.C., Snoop Dogg, and others have written verses for Andre Young, which contributed to a legendary catalog with at least three storied labels.... Read more

May 15, 2017 Video

Devin The Dude Reveals How DJ Premier Prevented “Doobie” From Burning Out (Video)

Fifteen years ago, Texas MC/singer Devin The Dude released one of his most important albums, Just Tryin' ta Live. From Rap-A-Lot Records, the album reunited Devin with Dr. Dre following a 2001 collaboration. Additionally, one of Hip-Hop's other most revered producers, DJ Premier worked with The Dude on single "Doobie... Read more

May 12, 2017 Video

Raekwon Critiques Every Album In His Catalog, Noting The Good & The Bad (Video)

Six weeks ago, Raekwon released his seventh solo album The Wild. The independent LP made its way to the charts and signaled a new sound for the Wu-Tang Clan lyrical swordsman, alongside the likes of Lil Wayne, G-Eazy, and CeeLo Green. In promoting the album, Chef stopped by HipHopDX offices... Read more

May 12, 2017 Video

Bizzy Says He & Krayzie Are The Ones Capable Of Creating New Waves For Bone Thugs (Video)

One year ago, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony released "Coming Home." The reunion single came just days following the Cleveland Cavaliers' first NBA title crown. In the 52 years between championships across major sports in Cleveland, one of its other symbols of success with Bone Thugs. Winning Grammy's, dominating the charts, changing the... Read more

May 11, 2017 Food for Thought

Nas Makes Us Look At The Real Reasons Young Black Men Are Dying Too Young (Audio)

Since his days as a teenager, Nasir Jones has been gifted in telling the stories surrounding his experiences and the lives of others. On "One Love," he put the correspondence between friends—one free and one incarcerated into song. On "U.B.R.," Nas narrated, in verse, the journey and success of Rakim—one... Read more

May 11, 2017 Audio

Nas Teams With Jack White To Make Some Ill Street Blues (Video)

For any student of Rap music, its origins in other forms of African-American musical traditions is well known. Many scholars argue that the roots of the rapping tradition can be found in the call-and-response elements in Black church music and the dozens. Certainly, the arrival of a distinct Blues sound in the... Read more

May 11, 2017 Video

Nick Grant’s Freestyle Is More Than Funky Enough On This D.O.C. Classic (Video)

Over the last couple of years, Nick Grant has established himself as one of Hip-Hop's most most promising new voices. In 2016, the South Carolina-born MC released his mixtape 88, which, as its title suggests, was a throwback to the era that played host to names like Rakim, Big Daddy... Read more

May 10, 2017 Video

A Black Comedian Reflects On Attending A KKK Cross Burning (Video)

W. Kamau Bell is a comedian whose fame is steadily rising, thanks in large part to the success of his CNN series, United Shades of America. Launched in 2016, it's a docuseries following Bell as he interacts with pockets of society not often explored in depth on mainstream television. Past topics... Read more

May 10, 2017 Lifestyle

9th Wonder Releases His Lost Tapes With Mr. Cheeks & They Are Found Jewels (Audio)

With their debut album, Legal Drug Money, The Lost Boyz were one of the most exciting groups in Hip-Hop, in the mid-90s. Songs like "Renee", "Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz & Benz" and "Lifestyles of the Rich & Shameless" had clubs, radios and car stereos on lock in 1996. Their run... Read more

May 9, 2017 Audio