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Eminem Shows Just How Much Juice Masta Ace Had In Influencing Him (Video)

Heads who have closely followed history know how influential Masta Ace is. The Brooklyn, New York MC whose career spans more than 30 years helped bring Rap cadence to its glory. This is the same man, tied to groups such as The Juice Crew, Masta Ace Incorporated, Crooklyn Dodgers, and... Read more

Masta Killa Is Releasing A New Album. Method Man & Redman Join Him On His 1st Single (Audio)

Wu-Tang Wednesday, indeed. Already today (December 14), Heads have heard from Method Man, who joined Juelz Santana, Jadakiss, and Redman on "Ol Thing Back."  Now, fans have even more new material from the legendary MC, this time in conjunction with fellow Wu-Tang Clan member Masta Killa and, once again, longtime... Read more

Method Man, Redman, Jadakiss & Juelz Santana Bring That Ol Thing Called Hip-Hop Back (Audio)

At the height of the mid-2000s Dipset reign, Juelz Santana brought an edge to Diplomats/Def Jam Records. There, the Harlem, New Yorker with the punchlines, unforgettably ad-libs, and youthful charms went to Top 10 and garnered a gold album in 2005's What The Game's Been Missing. In the 11 years... Read more

Meagan Good Is Reprising Pam Grier’s Role As “Foxy Brown”

More than 40 years since Foxy Brown was released to theaters, the film continues to permeate popular culture. Pam Grier's  portrayal of the fearless Black heroine who avenges her husband's wrongful death has inspired a Quentin Tarantino homage, a Rap moniker for Inga Marchand, and an iconic Willie Hutch film... Read more

Ab-Soul Pulls Out The Big Guns And Declares War On Jay Electronica & Troy Ave (Video)

Although it endured several fits and starts throughout the year, Ab-Soul's latest album arrived on Friday (December 9), and with it came some of his finest work to date. Do What Thou Wilt, like other Soulo albums, is dense material, requiring several listens, but his varied flows and selection of... Read more

Here Are The Best Hip-Hop Performances & Videos Of 2016

2016 has been a unique year. With it, Hip-Hop had a lot to say, visually. Poets new and old, independent and well-heeled, used their art to promote awareness, suggest change, and when appropriate, provide distraction. At a time when the music video largely lives online, artists made statements—about themselves, their... Read more

The Lessondary Is A Veteran Collective. Does This Hazy Music Video Give You A Contact?

Especially in the wake of Slaughterhouse, the Rap super-group has become quite the rage. In the independent scene, The Lessondary features a number of trusted veteran spitters, producers, and multi-threats hitching their fortunes together. Tanya Morgan's three founders: Von Pea, Donwill and Ilyas Nashid have joined Rob Cave (fka Spec... Read more

Killer Mike Explains the Racist History of the Chronic War Against Legalization

In a new essay he penned for Rolling Stone, Killer Mike (born Michael Render) addresses the racially motivated disproportions in the marijuana industry, a topic that has become a major talking point as the movement for nationwide legalization continues to gain steam. By 2020, the recreational marijuana industry is expected... Read more

Mac Miller & Ariana Show Off Their Real-Life Chemistry And It Gets Steamy (Video)

In a new video for Mac Miller’s “My Favorite Part” featuring Ariana Grande, off his conceptual project The Devine Feminine, the MC flexes his own vocal abilities — kickin’ game to the pop superstar, who performs as his neighbor, through their apartment walls via song. The sleek, dark-lit, retro visuals... Read more

Wu-Tang Clan Affiliate Joe Young Drops One Mighty Music Video With Masta Killa.

The Wu-Tang Clan was once sprawling with talented affiliates. The nine-MC collective from New York City quickly made a way for others after establishing themselves in 1993. From Shyheim to La The Darkman, Sunz Of Man to Bronze Nazareth, there have been talented MCs, producers, and voices emerging from that... Read more

Busta Rhymes Unleashes The Dragon On A Fiery Swizz Beatz Track (Audio)

Last month, Busta Rhymes made key contributions to A Tribe Called Quest's We got it from Here...Thank You 4 Your service album. In an usually slow five year period for Bussa' Bus, the veteran MC currently thrives through features and compilation work. His skills have never wavered, even if it's... Read more

Wale Celebrates Black Women As The Beautiful Gold They Are (Video)

Wale chose the last month of 2016 to find his best stride in some time. Earlier this month, J. Cole released "False Prophets (Be Like This)." Without naming names, the song challenged some of Cole's peers and greatest inspirations. Less than 48 hours after it released, Wale responded with "Groundhog... Read more

The LOX Release The 1st Video For Their New Album. The Foundation Is ROC Solid.

At the end of this week, The LOX will release their highly-anticipated third album, Filthy America...It's Beautiful (December 16). Their first album in more than 16 years comes on their third different label. Striking success in the late '90s with Puff Daddy and Bad Boy, the Yonkers, New York trio... Read more

Talib Kweli Takes Donald Trump To Task & Sounds Off On Kanye For Supporting Him (Video)

Talib Kweli is one of the most engaged social-media users in Hip-Hop, and he can be seen addressing issues of racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression online, using his extensive base of followers to elicit ongoing discussions about any given sociopolitical issue. Of course, fans have loved him... Read more

Token Releases An Explosive And Powerful Music Video About The Effects Of Bullying

Token has made his struggles with a learning disability well known, sharing with his fans that there was a time when anxiety, depression, obesity, and a learning disability once controlled his life. Though he continues to struggle with some of those elements today, he's managed to not only launch a... Read more

Casual Is Tired Of Facing Lesser MCs, So He Battles Himself (Audio)

Casual stays busy. The Oakland, California veteran MC and co-founder of the Hieroglyphics crew recently released a project with Detroit, Michigan's Phat Kat as Ron Jon Bovi (Neaux Mursi). In late '16, he's back on his solo tear. Attacking Capone-N-Noreaga's famed 1997 "T.O.N.Y. (Top Of New York)" instrumental, "GodKilla" is... Read more

Sha Stimuli Releases 1 Of The Most Intelligent Songs Of The Year. Hip-Hop At Its Finest (Audio)

When Sha Stimuli released his 2009 debut album My Soul To Keep, Just Blaze was one of the star contributors. "Move Back" / "The Reason" featured Roc-A-Fella Records alums Freeway and Young Chris on a two-part track, co-produced by Just. While Sha was never a Roc artist (he formerly interned... Read more

The Symphony 2016 Was Just 1 Of The Truly Amazing Performances & Videos Of The Year

2016 has been a unique year. With it, Hip-Hop had a lot to say, visually. Poets new and old, independent and well-heeled, used their art to promote awareness, suggest change, and when appropriate, provide distraction. At a time when the music video largely lives online, artists made statements—about themselves, their... Read more

A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes & Consequence Perform “Dis Generation” & “Mobius” (Video)

Last month, A Tribe Called Quest gave the world its first taste of Tribe's new album, We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service, live. The crew joined Dave Chappelle on Saturday Night Live, accompanied by Busta Rhymes and Consequence. During their performances of both "The Space Program" and... Read more

Parrish Smith Has Hit Squad Heat On A New Solo Single (Audio)

Parrish Smith (aka PMD) has been building a solo career for more than 22 years. Whenever legendary group EPMD was on hiatus, both Parrish and partner Erick Sermon struck with side projects. Three albums, starting with 1994's Shadé Business showed just was PMD was able to do on his own,... Read more

Oh No & Tristate Join Evidence For A Song That Shows Wack MCs The Front Door (Audio)

Gangrene co-founder, producer/MC Oh No has teamed up with Tristate of Planet Asia’s bi-coastal super-group Gold Chain Military for a collaborative LP on the Hieroglyphics' imprint. Oh No will reportedly handle the entirety of its production. If the first single is any indication, for those who suffer from a lack... Read more

Mistah F.A.B. & Charlie Clips Make It Personal In This Incredible Rap Battle (Video)

Mistah F.A.B. has become one of the best examples of a battle rapper transitioning into a full-on discography. Additionally, Charlie Clips has taken his gifts as one of the premiere MCs in Battle Rap to television through BET Hip-Hop Awards looks as well as appearances on Wild N' Out. On... Read more

Pharrell Williams Says Women Will Lead the Revolution in 2020 (Video)

In what is proving to be a monumental year for African-American visibility in Hollywood, films like The Birth of a Nation and Moonlight exist side-by-side with television shows like Luke Cage and Atlanta. On January 6, Hidden Figures will join those ranks as a significant piece of storytelling in Black... Read more

Camp Lo’s Geechi Suede Kicks An Amazing Freestyle & It’s Deeper Than Rap (Video)

Camp Lo’s Geechi Suede is one of the game’s more consistent lyricists. Without losing a breath, the seasoned Bronx, New York veteran delivers an incredible fast-flow verse, firing off bars like an automatic weapon with a “broken safety.” Using an intricate, multi-syllabic rhyme scheme and his signature highly-coded poetic wordplay,... Read more

Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine Have Made $1 Billion Together. A New Film Tells Their Story

Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine go back 25 years. Combined, they have made more than a billion dollars in ventures ranging from music to headphones and consumer electronics to film. That story of a friendship and business relationship from two producers-turned-moguls will be the subject of upcoming HBO documentary The... Read more

Ab-Soul Freestyles & Breaks Down His Exceptional BARS For Ras Kass (Video)

Today (December 9), Ab-Soul released Do What Thou Wilt, his first solo album in two years. He stopped by Sway in the Morning to discuss the new LP, and the interview included a very special guest in the form of Ras Kass, who called in to hear a Soulo record... Read more

J. Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only Album Is Great For The Ears Too. (Audio)

This morning (December 9), J. Cole released his fourth album, 4 Your Eyez Only. The 10-track, 44 minute effort features no guest verses. This feat is also true of Cole's double-platinum #1 2014 Forest Hills Drive, released two years ago today. Approaching his 32nd birthday next month, 4 Your Eyez...... Read more

Ab-Soul Hasn’t Forgotten Who Dissed Kendrick. This Black Hippy Goes To War. (Audio)

In February of this year, just hours before Kendrick Lamar's Grammy Awards grabs, Jay Electronica declared war. The Roc Nation veteran, who had stood beside K-Dot during 2013's "Control" moment, turned his pen on his former partner. "Curse Of Mayweather" pulled no punches. The song was out to throw hay-makers,... Read more

Kazi’s Madlib-Produced 1996 Song “To Be Lost” Gets A Video 20 Years Later

In 1996, Madlib's career was taking shape. In addition to his spot in Lootpack, the Oxnard, California producer/MC was selling tracks to Tha Alkaholiks and Boot Camp Clik's O.G.C. Appearing on albums, the dusty beats from Otis Williams, Jr. were alluring. He was welcomed to the burgeoning Likwit Crew, alongside... Read more

Brian Tyree Henry Drops Gems About Why All Of Us Are Paper Boi (Video)

One of television's standout offerings in 2016 was Atlanta, the FX series created by and starring Donald Glover, who is joined on-screen by Brian Tyree Henry. Henry plays Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles, an up-and-coming MC who juggles his fledgling Rap career with a street-life mentality. As a guest on yesterday's... Read more

Remy Ma & Papoose Are Hip-Hop’s Real Bonnie & Clyde. No Couple Has Better Bars (Video)

This week revealed that Remy Ma is going for Grammy Awards for the first time in more than a decade, thanks to her and Fat Joe's reunion campaign, "All The Way Up." The First Lady of the Terror Squad has made her biggest and most beloved music with Joe Crack—between... Read more

This MF DOOM-Curated Playlist Features Classic Cuts & Brand New Remixes (Audio)

The masked man whose varying personas help make him one of Hip-Hop's greatest innovators, MF DOOM, has released a 19-track mix as King Geedorah, a name he first recorded under in 2003, when Take Me to Your Leader dropped. In the years since, no new King Geedorah LPs have emerged,... Read more

La Coka Nostra’s Slaine & Ill Bill Deal Dope Freestyles Right On “Ill Street” (Video)

Just over one month ago, super-group La Coka Nostra released their third album, To Thine Own Self Be True. The crew's feature MCs Slaine and Ill Bill stopped by Statik Selektah's ShowOff Radio Show in the last week. Over Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's "Ill Street Blues" instrumental, the... Read more

No More Mr. Nice Guy. DJ Premier Tells MCs & NYC DJs To Step Their Games Up (Video)

DJ Premier is known for being one of Hip-Hop's gap-bridgers. The Gang Starr producer/DJ has been a sonic leader in Hip-Hop for nearly 30 years. He has worked with artists who released records before him like Rakim and Just-Ice as well as 2010s breakouts such as Joey Bada$$ and King... Read more

De La Soul’s New Video Featuring Pete Rock & Estelle Is Masterpiece Theater

Earlier this week, De La Soul learned that their first LP in 12 years is nominated for the Grammy Award for "Best Rap Album." And The Anonymous Nobody, released in August, is a crowd-funded album that raised more than $600,000 in 2015. Coming on the Long Island, New York trio's... Read more

Childish Gambino Is Not Fakin’ The Funk. He Makes It Virtual Reality (Video)

Easily one of 2016's most influential artists, Donald Glover has proven time and again that he can conquer the worlds of television and music simultaneously. He did it with 30 Rock, Community, and Atlanta while juggling a career as Childish Gambino, his rapping alter ego. But with Awaken, My Love!,... Read more

Talib Kweli Explains How A Tribe Called Quest Fathered Hip-Hop Music As We Know It (Video)

Talib Kweli is one of the distinguished guests on A Tribe Called Quest's final album. Appearing on "The Killing Season," Kweli worked alongside Q-Tip, Jarobi White, and the late Phife Dawg. The album has topped the charts, and become one of music's most talked about releases in 2016. Speaking with... Read more

Ab-Soul Releases The Track List For His “Do What Thou Wilt” Album & A Dark New Video

On Friday, December 9, Ab-Soul will release Do What Thou Wilt, his first solo album since 2014's These Days...The Top Dawg Entertainment rapper has already released "Huey Knew," "Braille," and "Threatening Nature" since announcing the LP in September, and his rate of output is not slowing down any time soon.... Read more

Trevor Noah Says America Should Begin Treating Racism As a Disease (Video)

Today (December 7), The Daily Show host Trevor Noah was the guest on The Breakfast Club, where the South African comedian and author discussed in great detail the racially-fraught history of his native country and its relation to the United States. To begin the discussion, Noah explains that "apartheid made... Read more

An Official Mix Traces The Evolution Of Freddie Foxxx Into Bumpy Knuckles & It Punches.

On Gang Starr's 1998 single "The Militia," Freddie Foxxx rapped, "When you speak of who's the dopest MCs, I don't come up / But when you speak about who's the livest MC, I stay one up." In the midst of a career transformation, the Long Island, New York veteran knew... Read more

Rapsody & GQ Team Up & Show That Jamla Is The Squad That’s Saying Something (Audio)

North Carolina's Rapsody and Oakland, California's GQ have been two steadfast members of 9th Wonder's Jamla Records. In the last month, Rap' released her Crown EP. GQ has been quiet for much of 2016, since eloquently speaking his thoughts on an Oaktown' sidewalk in January. The former college basketball star... Read more

A Tribe Called Quest & Many More Gave Hip-Hop Much To Be Thankful For In November (Audio)

November 2016 was one of the most tumultuous months in a generation. Regardless of one's political affiliation the world seemingly changed over one long night on November 8 for hundreds of millions of Americans. When not fixated on the news, many turned to music for relief from the onslaught or,... Read more

Method Man, Raekwon, Cappadonna & Masta Killa Join Joe Young On A Stellar Remix (Audio)

Last month, rapper Joe Young released a grimy, Dame Grease-produced banger, titled "Crack Babies." Young was one of the select few, not named Luke Cage, to coax Method Man out to blaze a verse. After releasing his album The Meth Lab last year, the Staten Island MC had been very... Read more

Nutso Is Respected By Rap Legends. Does This Video Single Catch Wreck To You?

Flushing, Queens rapper Nutso is a true school lyricist with endorsements from some of Hip-Hop’s elite. His Domingo-produced REDSunday album, released in October, features a who's who list of Queens Hip-Hop royalty like Kool G Rap, Prodigy, Tragedy Khadafi, Craig G, Cormega, and Capone-N-Noreaga. On “Catchin Wreck" (featuring Tony Born and... Read more

After A 9 Year Break, Chris Rock Returns With 2017 Stand-Up Tour Dates.

Legendary comedian Chris Rock will be hitting the stage in over 25 cities on his first tour in almost a decade. Dubbed the Total Blackout tour, an ode to his tweet posted before hosting the Oscars earlier this year, it will commence a year to the month since, in February,... Read more

Wale Channels Nas & Shows Other MCs What He’s Really Like (Audio & Video)

UPDATE: Less than two days after releasing "Folarin Like" in audio, Wale drops the black-and-white video. Simplistic in its presentation, this may mark a return to early strides for the DMV star: Just a few days after releasing a response to J. Cole's "False Prophets," Wale has emerged with a... Read more

The Roots, Joell Ortiz & Busta Rhymes Take Their Shot & Deliver An Amazing Performance (Video)

Last night (December 5), The Roots, Joell Ortiz and Busta Rhymes hit Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show stage to perform their “Rise Up Remix" of the song “My Shot” from the recently-released The Hamilton Mixtape. Black Thought, Ortiz and Busta give a dramatic performance, providing a less story-driven rendition of Miranda’s... Read more

Shia LaBeouf Says Compare Him To Eminem. Is He Really Da Bomb? (Audio)

In the last month, Shia LaBeouf's rhyme skills have come into strong focus. Ever since the MC appeared on Sway On The Morning, the Disney actor-turned-X-Men star elicited a lot of opinions across the Rap listening world. The Hollywood fixture (who once wanted to make a film about Eastern Conference/Def... Read more

F A Feature. J. Cole Is Rolling Solo Again

Less than a week after a fourth J. Cole album was announced, fans have more information. This week's 4 Your Eyez Only (December 9) will be a 10-track effort, as originally reported after a pre-order posted. Based on the rear album artwork insert, it appears that like 2014 Forest Hills... Read more

Yasiin Bey Premieres New Music In An Intimate 15-Minute Set (Video)

Yasiin Bey is reportedly said to be hanging up his red microphone soon. The Brooklyn, New Yorker formerly known as Mos Def has vowed that he is soon taking a hiatus from albums and performing. As there are an estimated three LPs set to release in the near future, the... Read more