It's been a beleaguered couple of years for KRS-One. In 2015, in the heat of a battle with a fan, the veteran MC said some words that were taken as a diss of LL Cool J. Weeks later, the MC born Kris Parker, made a formal apology to the Queens... Read more

In September 2016, Freddie Gibbs was acquitted of sexual assault charges, a celebratory bookend to what was otherwise a traumatic ordeal for the Gary, Indiana rapper. However, his acquittal was hardly the end of the saga. Understandably, the experience will have lingering effects on him, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. Despite the... Read more

Lima is not one of Ohio's big cities, and thereby it is not traditionally associated with Hip-Hop music. However, with the continuous diaspora of the culture, the city approximately 80 miles away from Toldeo and Dayton, has an artist who aims to take his sound far and wide. Hodgie released... Read more

Today (May 9) is the 47th birthday of Ghostface Killah. For just over half of his life (dating back to 1993), the Staten Island, New Yorker has been widely revered as one of the most original, convention-defying lyricists in Hip-Hop. In that esteemed catalog are more than two handfuls of... Read more

For those who've been following Brooklyn, New York's Your Old Droog since the infancy of his career, the now-infamous Nas rumors are as much a part of his early brand as is his tremendous talent as an MC. With a flow, cadence, and an ear for beats that made comparing... Read more

This upcoming August 27 marks 30 years since Scott La Rock (aka Scott Sterling) was shot and killed in the Bronx, New York. A founding member and DJ/producer of Boogie Down Productions, Scott lived to enjoy just one album release, 1987's classic Criminal Minded. The musical partner of KRS-One, the... Read more

In the early 1990s, The Roots (as The Square Roots) regularly played before sidewalk audiences along Philadelphia's South Street. In the days before major label support and Grammy awards, Questlove, Black Thought, Malik B, and company used their music as a free gift to the people, and presumably welcomed any... Read more

In December of 2016, J. Cole released "False Prophets (Be Like This)," an aggressive record that was clearly aimed at someone - though he never dropped a name. Following its release, rumors began to swirl that Cole was addressing Wale, at least in a particular passage. "I got a homie,... Read more

While Kendrick Lamar has dominated the Hip-Hop discourse for the last four weeks, there has been some amazing Hip-Hop to drop before, during and after that time. Joey Bada$$, Talib Kweli & Styles P, Brother Ali, Big Sean and Oddisee all have released stellar projects in 2017, just to name... Read more

UPDATE: The official music video for "We The Ones": ORIGINAL MAY 6 POST: Last week, Hip-Hop celebrated Outkast and Organized Noize with the 23rd anniversary of Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. That LaFace Records classic was a true collaboration between Andre 3000, Big Boi, and the production trio of Sleepy Brown, Ray Murray, as... Read more

Yesterday (May 5), Brother Ali released All The Beauty In This Whole Life, an LP which unequivocally continues the Rhymesayers MC's career-long history of addressing the personal and universally relatable through his music. This time around, the Minnesotan keeps it 100% about being the white father to a Black son, being... Read more

In recent years, Hip-Hop has called into question the use of additional writers on songs. In 2015, Meek Mill created a beef when he publicized Drake's working with Atlanta, Georgia MC Quentin Miller on #1 album If You're Reading This It's Too Late. In turn, Meek and Drake's relationship disintegrated,... Read more

While it might seem like ages ago, it has only been 3 months since Big Sean released his excellent album, I Decided. As the title implies, the album is about the effects decisions can have on one's life, and nowhere is that more evident than on his song, "The Light,"... Read more

In the eyes of some, Kendrick Lamar's #1 status and fast-track to platinum with DAMN. suggests that lyricism, clever songwriting, and album-making is winning. Clearly, for one Compton, California creative master, it is. However, it took Kendrick some years and quite a few apparent setbacks to get that spot. At... Read more

Warren Griffin, III is revered as a  Hip-Hop underdog. The MC/producer/DJ better known as Warren G came up as the shy half-brother of Dr. Dre. Raised in Long Beach, California Warren is the man many believe is responsible for the introduction of Snoop Dogg. Warren, keeping the music going at... Read more

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

Former president Barack Obama leaves behind an enormous political legacy, but his memory is not relegated to domestic and international policy. President Obama and his wife, Michelle, will likely go down in history as one of America's most beloved first couples, not because of the agendas they pushed in Washington,... Read more

Twenty five years ago today (May 5, 1992), Gang Starr's two-man crew of the late Guru and DJ Premier released their third album, Daily Operation. Less than a year and a half prior, the Brooklyn, New York-based pair proved that they were a 1980s Hip-Hop group on a heavy upward... Read more

Atlanta, Georgia's Matt Citron has been making a lot of noise the past year. It was one calendar ago Matt spiced up a sacred Just Blaze production for Jay Electronica with his seasoned "Tabasco Flows." The MC with the nimble delivery and deeper voice stepped ahead, working with G.O.O.D. Music's... Read more

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Cash Money Records was a dominating force within Rap music. While the label dated back to the top of the decade, Juvenile's 1998 hit "Ha" made plenty of fans, DJs, and record industry followers say "huh." In short time, "Ha" was followed with... Read more

Outside of Nas' verse on the Madlib-produced "The Sickness" for J Dilla's posthumous album, The Diary, Heads don't have much collaborative material between the legendary MC and illustrious producer to choose from. Each has contributed greatly to Hip-Hop's enduring legacy, and while Nas may have more commercial success in the traditional... Read more

In 2013, Nas achieved yet another one of Hip-Hop's proudest accomplishments, when it was announced that Harvard University was establishing the Nasir Jones Fellowship in his honor. The mission of the fellowship was “to seek projects from scholars and artists that build on the rich and complex Hip-Hop tradition.” Over... Read more

In the first half of the 2000s, Floetry was an exciting addition to the Soul genre and Philly's booming scene. Marsha Ambrosious and Natalie Stewart made two Top 20 albums, with 2005's Flo'Ology sophomore peaking at #7. The five-time Grammy-nominated duo made their fans "Say Yes" right along with them,... Read more

After a nearly five-year break, Brother Ali will release All The Beauty In This Whole Life this Friday (May 5). The Rhymesayers Entertainment mainstay has crafted an album that confronts so many issues in the modern universe. Ali Newman has a lot to say on what's happening with the world, and while... Read more

Battles between generations in Hip-Hop have existed nearly since the inception of the culture. Grandmaster Melle Mel had issues with KRS-One, challenging him to a battle at KRS' own Boogie Down Productions show. Kool Moe Dee beefed with LL Cool J, who he saw as unjustifiably arrogant. Ice-T took on... Read more

Childish Gambino's "Redbone" was one of the biggest, most welcome surprises of 2016. Long before the song opened Get Out, it first signaled Donald Glover's deep dive into Funk music, emerging with a sound rich with inspiration, yet all his own. "Awaken My Love!" is a beautiful collection of modern... Read more

In January of this year, Hip-Hop lost a talented DJ and producer in Crazy Toones. Passing away on the ninth day of the year, Toones was part of WC & The M.a.a.D Circle ('Dub is his brother) and worked with Ice Cube, Westside Connection, and Kurupt. Part of MC Eiht's... Read more

New Orleans' expansive musical history is perhaps no better recognized than by the ubiquitous brass band. For generations, musicians in the Big Easy have taken up brass horns (wooden instruments don't do so well in the humidity) on street corners, in second-line parades, and in performance venues as instruments for both celebratory... Read more

In April of 1995, Mobb Deep released The Infamous, a legacy-ensuring sophomore LP that kept the rugged, unadulterated reputation of Queensbridge alive and well. Featuring Ghostface Killah, Q-Tip, Raekwon, Nas, and others, Prodigy and Havoc's second album would arrive the same year as equally enduring albums from Smif-n-Wessun (Dah Shinin), Big L... Read more

Blackalicious MC Gift Of Gab released a new EP last week called Rejoice! Rappers Are Rapping Again!. The Sacramento, California veteran MC extraordinaire known for his early 2000s "Alphabet Aerobics" lyrical exercise (that even had "Harry Potter" busting raps) and a host of other dazzling displays releases a song that... Read more

Lyrical Rap legend Kool G Rap has released his first official solo single in more than six years. Approaching June 2's Return Of The Don album, G Rap prepares his first album with a single producer since his heralded 1989 Marley Marl-produced debut, Road To The Riches. This time around, the onetime mentor to... Read more

On April 15, J. Cole's 4 Your Eyez Only documentary aired on HBO, but it wasn't a concert film despite sharing the title of his most recent LP. Rather, it served as a visual essay on the album's themes. As its trailer showed, conversations with Black Americans in Baton Rouge,... Read more

Elon Musk is arguably the world's preeminent CEO and businessman when it comes to innovation. With pedigrees in space exploration, development of alternate energy sources, electric vehicles, and infrastructure design, the South African is helping to lead the charge in developing ways of living which alleviate our carbon footprint or... Read more

Carmen Bryan is not a household name. However, she was strongly referenced in one of the most famous feuds in music history. In 2001, Jay Z launched "The Takeover" as part of his Blueprint campaign. The opening song to the acclaimed album put a reportedly longstanding tension with Nas out... Read more

Merely hours after Kendrick Lamar released his masterful new album, DAMN., a rumor surfaced that set the internet ablaze. It is unclear who the original author was, but the theory was Kendrick actually had plans to release 2 albums that weekend. The details were wildly creative yet also stunningly detailed…all... Read more

2017 makes 33 years since LL Cool J released debut single "I Need A Beat." James Todd Smith was not old enough to drive a car when he signed his contract with Def Jam Records, where he would remain a superstar into the 2000s. The Queens, New York MC elevated... Read more

ケンドリック・ラマーが極めて巧みな新アルバム「DAMN.」をリリースしたそのほんの数時間後、ネットではある噂が大炎上した。誰が言い出したかは不明だが、一説にはケンドリックは実は同週末にアルバムを二枚リリースする予定だった、というのだ。詳しい内容・根拠はワイルドに想像力に富んだものである一方、中には驚く程細かい描写もあった。普通だったら「こりゃガセネタだろう」と流したくなるような要素の勢揃い。 その主な要素とは次のとおり。「DAMN.」は聖金曜日 [Good Friday: 復活祭の前の金曜日。キリストの命日] にリリースされたもので、ケンドリックの死を象徴している。（ネット上の）空論家たちは、ケンドリックが次に「NATION.」というタイトルで「自分の復活」と意味で二枚目のアルバムを復活祭にリリースするのではないかと暗示し出した。タイトルを合わせると「DAMNATION」[天罰] となる。ケンドリックの音楽にはスピリチュアルな要素も含まれており、早くも「Section.80」というアルバムの時点ですでに「Kush & Corinthians」[クッシュとコリント人]のような曲があり、ジャケットには聖書が写っている。また、アルバムのリリースに向けて The New York Times とのインタビューの中でケンドリックはこう語る。 「俺たちは人生と呼ばれるあらゆるものごとから、ある一つの大きな要素を排除しがちな、そんな時代にいるんだ。つまり神だよ。今、世界で起きていることとの間に軋轢を生んでしまうから誰も言わないけど。政治や政府、体制について語ろうとするとさ」。 噂を裏付ける詳細も豊富だ。「DAMN.」のジャケット裏は、全曲が最後まで大文字で書かれ、それを強調するかのように「.」で終わり、白い背景へと溢れるようなレイアウトになっている。噂によるとこれらは一つのアナグラム（つづり換え遊び）のつもりである。つづり換えると「Earth led 2 Death [地球は死を招いた]」や「Death 2 the leader [リーダーに死を]」などと、噂のコンセプトを強化するようなフレーズがいくつか成り立つとみられる。更にいうと、「DAMN.」のM字がちょうど悪魔の角とも捉えてもいいようにケンドリックの頭の上に位置しており、今度「NATION.」ではO字を天使の輪に見立てるのではないかという説だった。また「DAMN.」のカバーは赤だから、「NATION.」は青になるだろうと。そしてケンドリック本人も火に油を注ぐように「DAMN.」のリリース直後に、Spotifyのプロフィール写真を変え、赤だった背景が青になっていた。その後、「NATION.」の偽アートワークが出回り始めた。 二日間、世の中は息をひそめて「NATION.」のリリースを待った。期待が外れたと気付くと、噂の火が弱まりかけたが、数日後にアルバムのサイン会でケンドリックが口にしてしまった一言でまたすぐ様に大炎上した。 「俺の音楽、まだあるよ」 この言葉が大騒ぎを起こし、それを正すべくケンドリックは公式声明を発表せざるを得なくなった。「 KenFolk [ケンドリックファンの皆] へ。皆から、自分の音楽への、止まない期待と欲望に、感謝。しかしリリースはないよ。自分の活動は今後の俺たち TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment) の日程発表でわかるよ、でも」 KenFolk. ThankU 4 the desire of always anticipating new music of my own. None is... Read more

Last month, Freeway officially signed with Roc Nation. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC had long been wearing the caps, and appeared close to Jay Z and the label and management firm through appearances and concerts. In the 2000s, Freeway and State Property were hit-making fixtures at Roc-A-Fella Records shortly before the... Read more

During the same week millions of Americans are celebrating (and others rebuking) the removal of Confederate monuments and statues in New Orleans, millions more are acknowledging the anniversary of yet another example of America's complex, racially disparate society. On April 29, 1992, what have since been coined the Los Angeles... Read more

This month, The Breaks aired its first season as an episodic show. Set at the top of the 1990s, the series follows the lives and movements of several young people trying to make it in the music industry. From DJ/producers, aspiring record execs, to radio, the show created by author... Read more

One week ago, MC Eiht and DJ Quik released not one but two collaborations on Q-U-I-K & Problem's Rosecrans album. Those tracks, which closed the Diamond Lane Music Group release signified peace after a beef that dominated the 1990s in Rap music. Two Compton, California natives who literally threatened each... Read more

DMX has been on the minds of Hip-Hop fans for many reasons in recent days. The legendary rapper is expected to release a new album later this year, an eagerly awaited follow-up to 2012's Undisputed. With five platinum (or better) albums under his belt, the Yonkers, New York icon has left... Read more

Prince's career and mainstream recognition changed drastically with 1984's Purple Rain. While the Minneapolis, Minnesota musician had enjoyed two Top 10 hits with 1999, this album (and the film it accompanied) tipped the scale and cemented a living legend. Nine tracks and less than 44 minutes long, the #1 album... Read more

One of the best releases in the Dreamville Records chest is J.I.D's The Never Story. Released last month, the Interscope-backed project did not rely on heavy marketing, big features, or grabbing artwork. Instead, the newest artist on J. Cole's label simply spit raps with a nimble delivery, clever wordplay, and... Read more

Recently, Method Man and Redman brought their Blackout Tour to international audiences, traveling to Australia, Europe, and elsewhere to perform material from their classic collaborative LPs. The Blackout! partners and seemingly inseparable friends have not neglected their stateside fans, however, and are featured prominently on Snoop Dogg's Mount Kushmore Tour, and can... Read more

DJ Pooh is a legendary Hip-Hop mix-master and producer who has made hits with Ice Cube, King T, LL Cool J, Tha Dogg Pound and Snoop, plus Tupac Shakur. However, measuring success, the West Coast Hip-Hop pioneer may be best known for co-writing Friday. Also a highly-accomplished director and an... Read more

On April 10, The Breaks completed the airing of its first season as a series. What began as a 2016 film for television extended for eight 2017 episodes. With actor, artist and director Mack Wilds portraying "Daryl 'DeeVee' Van Putten, Jr." in the Vh1 show, the cast also includes Hip-Hop figures such... Read more

In recent years, much attention has been paid to the prevalence of lyrics glorifying the use of drugs in Rap music. In addition to decades of references to alcohol and cannabis, over the last few years, a number of artists have rapped about MDMA (aka Molly) and other substances, including... Read more

Today (April 26), OutKast's debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik turns 23 years old. The 1994 full length introduction of Andre 3000 and Big Boi was one for the ages. Deemed the "Best New Artists" at the following Source Awards, 'Kast raised the profile of Atlanta, Georgia's contributions to Hip-Hop simply by creating... Read more

Throughout the last 20 months, Anderson .Paak has risen to become the latest musical mainstay from Southern California. In the last several years, he joins a class of peers and collaborators that includes ScHoolboy Q and Ty Dolla $ign, among a few others. On 2016's Grammy-nominated Malibu album, Paak put... Read more