Fresh Archives

Rah Digga Uses Fiery Rhymes To Blaze A Trail For JR & PH7 and St. Joe Louis (Video)

Leading up to her beloved Dirty Harriet LP in 2000, Rah Digga had made a host of powerful feature performances. The fiery MC was heard on Fugees' multi-platinum The Score, DJ Clue's The Professional, and the famed Lyricist Lounge double album. More than 20 years after she made her first... Read more

March 31, 2017 Exclusive, Video

Geechi Suede Climbs Fishnet Skyscrapers To Reach Love’s Top Floor (Video)

On "7 Digit Dolls," Camp Lo's Geechi Suede celebrates the romantic interests in his world, adding some romantic flavor to his recently launched solo catalog. It's the first taste from his forthcoming mixtape, Fishnet Skyscrapers, which officially drops on April 4. Just a few months removed from the release of his... Read more

March 31, 2017 Exclusive, Video

Who Is The Leader Of The New School? (Audio Playlist)

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

March 31, 2017 Audio

Ludacris Reworks Sisqo’s Smash Hit To Create A New Type Of Fantasy (Audio)

In 1999, Dru Hill's Sisqó freaked the charts with his solo smash hit "Thong Song." While "Got To Get It" had broken into the Top 40, the veteran Baltimore, Maryland singer crossed over in the biggest way by making a simple song about ladies' lingerie. At the time, Nelly, Lil'... Read more

March 31, 2017 Audio, The Bridge

Logic’s Next Album Is Coming & The 1st Single Reminds Everybody He’s An Elite MC (Video)

In the last year two and a half years, Logic has released two gold-certified, Top 5 albums on the charts. The Gaithersburg, Maryland MC is now ready to follow 2014's Under Pressure and 2015's The Incredible Story with his third album. Today (March 29), Visionary Music Group and Def Jam... Read more

March 31, 2017 News, Video

Mary J. Blige & Kanye West’s Collabo Is a True Labor of (Self) Love (Video)

Mary J. Blige has always kept it real in her music, pouring her heart(break) and soul into songs about love. Since her triple-platinum 1992 solo debut What's the 411?, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul has blazed a trail for women in music, providing anthem after anthem for anyone who has... Read more

March 30, 2017 Video

Kendrick Lamar Shows Other Rappers Just Aren’t Cutting The Mustard, In His New Video

Last week, Kendrick Lamar set the digital world on fire when he deleted all of the photos on his Instagram account and replaced them with an image simply bearing the Roman numeral IV. The picture created wide-spread speculation that it was in reference to the imminent of arrival of his... Read more

March 30, 2017 Video

Brother Ali’s New Song Tackles Prejudice At Home & Abroad As An American Muslim (Video)

Brother Ali, the Minneapolis MC revered for his truth-telling and lifelong pursuit of knowledge, today (March 30) debuted a timely and powerful new single at Sway in the Morning. As a practitioner of Islam since his teenage years, Ali has always placed his faith front-and-center in his music, and he... Read more

March 30, 2017 Video

A Tribe Called Quest Premiere The Video For “Dis Generation” With An Assist From Busta Rhymes

When A Tribe Called Quest released their final album, We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your service, in November, one of the standout songs was "Dis Generation." The record featured the kind of crate-digging samples and kinetic back and forth interplay between Q-Tip and Phife that had powered... Read more

March 30, 2017 Video

Joey Bada$$ & ScHoolboy Q Awaken The Revolution On The Explosive “Rockabye Baby” (Audio)

"If you 'bout this revolution, please stand up," raps Joey Bada$$ on his new single, "Rockabye Baby." Featuring ScHoolboy Q, it's a dark, overcast call to arms. It's the latest from All Amerikkkan Bada$$, the forthcoming album from the Brooklyn MC who continues to prove time and time again that... Read more

March 30, 2017 Audio

The Original Aunt Viv Responds To The Fresh Prince Reunion Photo & It’s Too Hot For TV

On Monday (March 27), Alfonso Ribeiro, former star of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, posted a photo to his Instagram that took on a life of its own. The portrait pictured him along with several other members of the cast, in what went viral as a 20-year reunion photo, given... Read more

March 29, 2017 Lifestyle

Ice-T Provides Some Rare Facts About The Song That Nearly Killed His Rap Career (Video)

This week, Ice-T's Heavy Metal band Body Count will release their sixth album, Bloodlust. In doing so, the 35-year Rap pioneer is releasing his first full-length project in nearly three years. Just as Tracy Morrow does on TV, in film, and has always done in music, he strikes with a... Read more

March 29, 2017 Throwback, Video

Maseo’s New MC Makes 5 Fingers A Hard Fist To The Face Of Hip-Hop In A New Freestyle (Video)

Born and raised in Harlem, rapper Bill Ray is signed to Maseo (of De La Soul)'s indie label, Bear Mountain. Formerly a member of group Triple Beam, he's been pursuing a solo career for over a decade, earning thousands of fans by touring with De La Soul and performing his... Read more

March 29, 2017 Video

Wood Harris Argues Why New Edition’s Story Is The Ultimate Musical Biopic (Video)

In 2017, actor Wood Harris is quite busy. Approaching 25 years since he starred alongside Tupac Shakur in Above The Rim, the highly accomplished actor is staying busy through The New Edition Story and The Breaks. Both films are music-based. In the first, Harris portrayed Brooke Payne, New Edition's longtime... Read more

March 29, 2017 TV/Film, Video

The Cast Of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Reunites 20 Years Later

It's been over 20 years since the final episode of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, but the show's impact continues to this day. Each and every day, the show plays on channels across the country, and it has left an indelible mark in both Hip-Hop and sit-com history. Yesterday (March... Read more

March 28, 2017 Fresh, TV, TV/Film

Akinyemi Is The Latest Queens MC Trying To Be A Hip-Hop King (Video)

Queens, New York has given Hip-Hop some of its most captivating, creative and distinctive, yet still relatable acts, from A Tribe Called Quest to Nas to Pharoahe Monch. Like the aforementioned MCs, newcomer Akinyemi is a true individual with unique flows and imaginative concepts, but with an air that somehow... Read more

March 28, 2017 Exclusive, Ready Or Not

DJ Premier Recalls The First Show Gang Starr Ever Did (Video)

Nearly 30 years into his recording career, DJ Premier actively tours across the globe. The iconic Gang Starr producer performs regular DJ sets, shows with PRhyme, jams with his band, and playing with other artists. Currently overseas with his artist Torii Wolf, Premier recalled the first time he took the... Read more

March 28, 2017 Video

REKS & Apollo Brown Celebrate Hip-Hop’s Infinite Powers (Video)

With ten LPs already under his belt, Lawrence, Massachusetts' REKS may very well be the perfect embodiment of an underground MC. Since his 2001 debut, Along Came The Chosen, he has worked with the likes of DJ Premier, Styles P, Pete Rock, Skyzoo, Alchemist, Freeway, Hi-Tek, and more. In September... Read more

March 28, 2017 Video

Just Blaze Makes Classic Breakbeats Sound Brand New In A Jamming Mini-Mix (Video)

Just Blaze is a producer's producer. The New Jersey native DJ-turned-beat creator has made hit records for Jay Z, Ghostface Killah, Fat Joe, and others using some of the same break-beats and samples that helped get Hip-Hop music started. Moreover, through work for Fabolous, Freeway, and Saigon, Just has brought... Read more

March 28, 2017 Mixes, Video

Brother Ali Notes Some Of Our Biggest Heroes Are Muslim & They Should Be Celebrated

Islam and Hip-Hop have coexisted for the entirety of the culture's existence. The Nation of Islam is one of the Universal Zulu Nation's greatest influences, as is the Five-Percent Nation. From Afrika Bambaataa to Oddisee, generations of MCs, producers, and DJs have incorporated their religious beliefs into their music and... Read more

March 28, 2017 Lifestyle

Nas Still Carries Rhymes In His Pockets. Greatness Is Never Done (Video)

In 2002, Nas released the Alchemist-produced song "Book Of Rhymes." Within, the Queens, New York MC rapped bits and pieces from stored composition books of verses. Whether or not that moment was staged or real, it appears that Nasir Jones still literally carries his rhymes with him. More than 25... Read more

March 27, 2017 Video

Devin The Dude Explains How Without Scarface, He Would Have Rapped A Lot Less

Devin The Dude and Scarface are two Houston, Texas icons who are credited with helping elevate Southern Hip-Hop and making it as competitive as any other city on Rap's map. Both born in 1970, the two are equally synonymous with Rap-A-Lot Records, where 'Face found a home with Geto Boys... Read more

March 27, 2017 Throwback

Rock Star: Pharrell’s Childhood Story To Be Adapted Into Major Film Musical

Long before he donned some pretty memorable accessories, Pharrell Williams wore many hats. Fifteen years ago, emerging from hit-production duo The Neptunes, the Virginia Beach native built a full-on Rock force with N*E*R*D, he established his Star Trak label (which was hard at work with The Clipse, Fam-Lay, and Roscoe... Read more

March 27, 2017 News, TV/Film

Shawn Wayans Recalls Robin Harris Roasting Him For Getting Booed Off Stage (Video)

Since his earliest days as DJ SW-1 on In Living Color, Shawn Wayans was immersed in entertainment business at a young age. Still in his teens when older brothers Keenen Ivory and Damon Wayans secured the FOX sketch comedy show, Shawn would eventually leave the DJ booth to become part... Read more

March 27, 2017 Lifestyle, Video

RZA Tackles The Human Cost Of War In A Powerful Pro-Refugee Music Video

Earlier this month, RZA (along with his Wu-Tang Clan cohorts) appeared at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, where Hip-Hop's abbot made an impassioned speech about refugees. "I wanna talk about the refugees for one quick second," the producer and MC told the crowd. "How can you ban... Read more

March 27, 2017 Lifestyle

Chris Rock & Dave Chappelle Perform Together For A Watch The Throne Moment

This past weekend, Chris Rock made his Total Blackout stand-up comedy tour stop in New Orleans, Louisiana. Prior to Rock's Saturday night (March 25) set at the Saenger Theatre, Dave Chappelle walked out on stage, to perform a reported 10 minutes of material. After Rock took the microphone, Dave remained... Read more

March 27, 2017 Lifestyle

Diddy Explains Why Prince Refused To Be On Biggie’s Life After Death (Video)

Today (March 25) marks the 20th anniversary of the release of The Notorious B.I.G.'s album, Life After Death. Released just two weeks after he was killed in Los Angeles, the album served as a bittersweet tribute to the MC the world had just lost. For inhabitants of NYC, and likely... Read more

March 25, 2017 Video

AZ Spits Hot Fire On A Red Hot Mix To “Starboy,” Just In Time For The Weeknd (Audio)

It's been 8 years since AZ released an album, and in that time, his output has been extremely scarce. In fact, over the last couple of years, the Brooklyn MC has only released a handful of songs, and they typically are care of DJs who coax him into blessing their... Read more

March 24, 2017 Audio

Page Kennedy Aims To Rewrite The Pages Of His Life That Were Inked In Pain & Vices (Video)

Earlier this month, Page Kennedy released his breakthrough Torn Pages album. The Detroit, Michigan MC (and Weeds actor) teamed with Slaughterhouse's Kxng Crooked and Royce 5'9 as well as Elzhi, King Los, Trick Trick, and Mr. Porter on the self-released LP. Through freestyles and other singles, Page has already proven... Read more

March 24, 2017 Video

Bone Thugs Are In Bizzy & Krayzie’s Hands. They Announce New Joint Album.

It has been nearly seven years since Bone Thugs-N-Harmony released Uni5: The World's Enemy. That album marked a complete reunion of the full Ohio collective, including both Bizzy Bone and Flesh-N-Bone, whose status within the group had been compromised by contracts, incarceration, and alleged turmoil. The effort (following a stint... Read more

March 24, 2017 Audio, News

Raekwon Names His 10 Favorite Albums & 36 Chambers Isn’t One Of Them (Audio)

Today, Raekwon releases his seventh solo album, The Wild. This is the first release of Rae's nearly 22-year solo career where he has not collaborated with any Wu-Tang Clan band-mates. The brotherhood and chemistry remains strong, indicative of this week's Ghostface Killah appearance on the remix of lead single "This... Read more

March 24, 2017 Audio, Fresh

J. Cole’s New Documentary Aims to Give a Voice Back to the People (Video)

In true J. Cole fashion, he released his most recent LP without much pomp. 4 Your Eyez Only arrived quietly in December of 2016, but the response was emphatic, debuting at number one and becoming his fourth consecutive number-one album. In the months since, he's maintained a low profile, focusing... Read more

March 24, 2017 Video

Kendrick Lamar Says He’s The Best Rapper Alive & Leaks His Album Release Date (Audio)

Kendrick Lamar began the last 24 hours with a curious social media post. While the Roman numerals "IV" were a hint towards a fourth album in the eyes of many, Lamar followed almost a full day later with a song: "The Heart Part 4." Whether it belongs to the fourth... Read more

March 24, 2017 Audio

Talib Kweli Stands Up To Make The World A Better Place, Starting With Beautiful Music (Audio)

Talib Kweli has joined forces with Jazz trumpeter and rapper Maurice Brown for "Stand Up," a brooding call to action for strength during turbulent times. Brown is a Grammy-winning musician whose tutelage under the great Wynton Marsalis has helped him become one of the most successful musicians of his class,... Read more

March 23, 2017 Audio

The White House’s Proposed Budget Cuts Prioritize War Over the American People (Video)

Since announcing proposed slashes to the federal budget last week, the White House has ignited a maelstrom of bipartisan concern due to what the New York Times calls "bone-deep cuts." Indeed, what's being called the "America First" budget blueprint would see huge reductions in (and in some cases, complete removal... Read more

March 23, 2017 Lifestyle

Kendrick Lamar’s 4th Album May Be Coming Soon…Very Soon

Kendrick Lamar and Top Dawg Entertainment love the element of surprise. While the Internet has arguably compromised some of the excitement that was long attached to releasing music (going to the store, reading the credits and examining the artwork in your hands, no leaks), K-Dot and TDE have made their... Read more

March 23, 2017 Fresh

Run The Jewels Bear Down On A Legal System That’s Stacked Against Us (Video)

Run The Jewels and powerful visuals have become synonymous. Since taking the Hip-Hop world by storm with their eponymous 2014 debut, El-P and Killer Mike have established the RTJ brand as one that is politically minded, unafraid to push boundaries, explosive on stage, and artfully innovative in video form. Fans... Read more

March 22, 2017 Video

D.M.C. Pays Respect To “The Real Pioneers Of Rap” (Video)

During the mid-1980s, Run-D.M.C. helped put Hip-Hop music and culture in new places across the globe. D.M.C., Run, and the late Jam Master Jay were cultural ambassadors with hit records that brought the grit and fashion of the New York City streets to the worldwide mainstream. While Run-D.M.C. pioneered many... Read more

March 22, 2017 Video

Phife Dawg’s Spirit & Legacy Remain A Powerful Presence, 1 Year After His Death

On March 22, 2016, Phife Dawg (born Malik Taylor) passed away due to complications with kidney disease, itself a result of his lifelong battle with diabetes. The A Tribe Called Quest rapper and radiant Hip-Hop personality left behind a legacy not easily calculated in words. However, over the course of... Read more

March 22, 2017 Throwback

Murs & Curtiss King Turn The Dating Game Into A Player Haters Ball (Video)

Earlier this month, Murs released his Captain California album. The L.A. veteran has showcased several moments from his latest Strange Music work, but none as sour-sweet as "Lemon Juice." The Curtiss King-assisted single now comes to visual with a Dating Game-theme. Both MCs appear dressed to impressed, as two bachelors... Read more

March 22, 2017 Video

CyHi Says He’s Destroying The Rap Game Like Lil Yachty In A Devastating Freestyle (Video)

While CyHi The Prynce may not be a household name (yet), those who know of his work recognize that he has one of the strongest pen games in Hip-Hop. Even those who may be unfamiliar have heard his stellar lyricism on songs like Kanye West's "So Appalled," from My Beautiful... Read more

March 21, 2017 Video

Cellis Calls Back To Childhood To Help Us Overcome Growing Troubles (Video)

Baltimore, Maryland artist Cellis is known as "The Beardest" MC. While artists like Freeway, Stalley, Drake, and others may raise an eyebrow to that claim, he joins a respected class of artists who kick wisdom and substance in their rhymes. Belonging to his newly released Snow Day EP, "Inner Child"... Read more

March 21, 2017 Ready Or Not

If This Freestyle Is Any Indicator, Joey Bada$$’ New LP Will Be Incredible (Video)

Come April 7, Joey Bada$$ will have released All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ (A.B.B.A.), the Brooklyn rapper's follow-up to his 2015 debut album, B4.Da.$$. At just 22, Joey is touted as not only one of the most promising of his generation, but he's gotten co-signs (and collabs) with some of Hip-Hop's most seasoned,... Read more

March 21, 2017 Video

Murs Details Watching Biggie Smalls Lose A Rap Battle To An Unsigned MC (Video)

Many Heads have seen the footage of a pre-deal Biggie Smalls ripping into an opponent in his own neighborhood, outside a Brooklyn storefront (posted below). The Notorious B.I.G. was clearly a battle-tested MC who brought his confidence, wit, and commanding delivery to a decorated career that includes a diamond-certified double... Read more

March 21, 2017 Video

Ice-T & T.I. Do A Live Mashup Of “O.G.” And “Bring Em Out” (Video)

By 1991, West Coast icon Ice-T was already on his fourth solo album. O.G. Original Gangster cracked the top ten on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and was home to unapologetically outspoken records like "Body Count" and "Escape From The Killing Fields." Its title track would become a single and... Read more

March 21, 2017 Video

Ghostface Joins Raekwon On A Rugged Remix For “This Is What It Comes Too” (Audio)

In just a few days (March 24), Raekwon is set to release his album, The Wild. For the first time in Chef's career, this LP features no involvement from any of his Wu-Tang Clan cohorts. However, while Rae' is preparing a unique album in his catalog, his right-hand man is... Read more

March 21, 2017 Audio

Celebrate DJ Premier’s Birthday With A 5 Minute Megamix Of His Greatest Hits (Audio)

Today marks the birthday of one of Hip-Hop's most beloved figures. DJ Premier turns 51 years old on March 21. For nearly 30 years, the Prairie View, Texas native-turned-bona fide New York musician has been making Heads nod, along with causing their faces to scrunch up, and air-scratch with their... Read more

March 21, 2017 Audio, Mixes

Slick Rick’s Children’s Story To Be Re-Released As Actual Children’s Book

In the ears of many, Slick Rick's biggest solo hit is 1988's "Children's Story." The video single from The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick is a mainstream-welcomed example of Ricky Walters' imagery, wit, and conversational style of rapping stories. The Def Jam Records single (produced by Rick himself) went to... Read more

March 21, 2017 Fresh

A New Auction Acknowledges Tupac As 1 Of America’s Most Important Historical Figures (Video)

People are willing to spend considerable amounts of money on collectible items, especially thanks to online auctions. Within Hip-Hop alone, collecting items belonging to rappers and others has become a multi-million-dollar industry, particularly when it involves artists who have passed away. Unsurprisingly, Tupac Shakur is one of the most highly... Read more

March 20, 2017 Lifestyle

Bad Boy Records Documentary To Debut At Tribeca Film Festival With Reunion Concert

Just over one week ago, Warren G's G-Funk documentary screened at South By Southwest. Another major Rap development of the early 1990s, Bad Boy Records will be the next Hip-Hop doc' to hit screens this season. Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: The Bad Boy Story, directed by Daniel Kaufman is scheduled... Read more

March 20, 2017 TV/Film