Fresh Archives

Rakim Drops Timeless Wisdom In A Powerful New Collaboration With Stephen Marley (Video)

Rakim verses are rare these days. But, when he speaks, he does so with intention and wisdom, and Hip-Hop listens. Rakim's latest effort is a powerful contribution on Stephen Marley's "So Unjust," also featuring Kardinal Offishall, from Marley's new album Revelation Pt. II: "The Fruit of Life." Marley and Rakim... Read more

July 31, 2016 Video

Big Daddy Kane Says He Intentionally Released “Two Trash Albums” After “It’s A Big Daddy Thing”

For fans of late 80s and early 90s Hip-Hop, there were few, if any MCs who commanded more respect than Big Daddy Kane. His first two albums, Long Live The Kane and It's A Big Daddy Thing, stand among the greatest of all time, in any era. However, many of... Read more

July 31, 2016 Throwback

Pras Reveals How A Big Bet The Fugees Placed On Themselves Led To The Ultimate Score (Video)

Twenty years ago, The Fugees released their sophomore album The Score. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras would make one of the biggest career turnarounds in Hip-Hop history. While their 1994 debut Blunted On Reality was considered a commercial disappointment (and did not appear on the Top 200), Pras claims... Read more

July 30, 2016 Video

Joe Budden Discusses The Weird Direct Messages Drake Has Been Sending Him (Video)

Just when it seemed the year's biggest Rap beef could not get any more bizarre, it does...The Joe Budden/Drake feud began with a scathing review by Budden of Drake's recent VIEWS album, followed by what Budden perceived to be Drake taking subliminal shots at him, both in his "4pm In... Read more

July 30, 2016 Video

J. Cole’s Key To Success Is Don’t Sell Your Soul To Record Labels (Audio)

2016 has been relatively quiet for J. Cole. The Fayetteville, NC MC started the year off at an apex, with a stellar concert special and documentary, care of HBO. Since then, Cole has laid low, save for his support of his Dreamville artists, like Bas. J. Cole & Bas Are... Read more

July 30, 2016 Audio

This Is NOT Supposed to Be Drake Dissing Joe Budden. What Do You Think? (Video)

The biggest Rap beef of 2016 has been fairly one-sided to date. Joe Budden has launched a handful of attacks in onetime friend Drake's direction, due to a diss he believed was coming his way from Drake on French Montana's song "No Shopping." The entire feud has been recounted several... Read more

July 29, 2016 Video

Taylor Bennett Smashes The First EVER 10 Fingers Of Death (Video)

There's more than one talented rapper in the Bennett family. While the world has been wowed by the gifts of Chance The Rapper for the last several years, his brother, Taylor, is making quite a name for himself. Fast. Many first caught wind of Taylor in 2014, when he went... Read more

July 29, 2016 Video

Two Recent Studies Show Racism Doesn’t Make Dollars Or Sense

For any given campaign season, a handful of social and political issues inevitably rise above the rest and there is perhaps no more contentious issue in 2016 than racism. While climate change, campaign finance, terrorism, LGBTQ equality, and general jurisprudence issues are all present this season, they have not incited... Read more

July 29, 2016 Lifestyle

Joe Budden Reminds All He Built His Career On BARS Not Beef (Video)

Joe Budden has been dominating headlines for the last several months, almost exclusively due to his ongoing, and increasingly one-sided war with Drake. As the events of the past week showed--with overzealous Drake fans harassing Budden at his own home, and Budden returning the favor--the feud has taken on a... Read more

July 29, 2016 Video

Kanye West & Vic Mensa Use The Emotion On Their Faces To Keep Wolves Away (Video)

Kanye West's The Life Of Pablo is an album driven by ego, alienation, and an eerie survivalist's mentality. One of the songs that is a cornerstone of this theme is "Wolves." Assisted by Roc Nation's Vic Mensa (who had been pushing his demo tapes to Kanye since he was an... Read more

July 29, 2016 Video

Doug E. Fresh, Nice & Smooth, Bahamadia Headline 39th Annual Rocksteady Anniversary

For the 39th year, New York City and neighboring Hip-Hop fans will be treated to a free concert—headlined by legends. Sunday (July 31) Central Park's Summer Stage will play host to the Rocksteady Crew Anniversary concert. This year's event will be headlined by Doug E. Fresh, Nice & Smooth, and... Read more

July 29, 2016 Fresh

Episodes Of Marvel’s Luke Cage Series Will Be Named After Gang Starr Songs

For a run lasting more than 14 years, Gang Starr cast a profound impact on Hip-Hop music. The duo of Guru and DJ Premier released six albums together, along with gold-certified compilation, Full Clip: A Decade Of Gang Starr. The group participated in legendary tours, introduced a host of enduring... Read more

July 29, 2016 TV

Nas’ Album Is Done & Khaled Has The Single To Prove It (Audio)

Yesterday (July 27), DJ Khaled confirmed that Miss Lauryn Hill helped clear a Fugees sample for his upcoming Major Key album (July 29). In that interview, Khaled said that the "Fu-Gee-La" riff would be woven into Nas' appearance on the star-studded Epic Records compilation. One day later, "Nas Album Done"... Read more

July 28, 2016 Audio

Freeway Premieres His Latest Lyrical Bomb Drop (Audio)

The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC known by Freeway and respected the world over is no stranger to inter-regional collaborations. Having released projects with the Jacka from Oakland, California; Jake One from Seattle, Washington; Statik Selektah of Boston, Massachusetts; and of course his extensive work with Mr. New York himself, Jay Z,... Read more

July 28, 2016 Audio

Royce 5’9″ Blacks Out On A Song About Living Carefree (Audio)

Earlier this year, Royce 5'9" put some of the best work of his career down on the album Layers. As that self-released project continues to make its due rounds, Nickel Nine shows the world that he's in stride beyond just his album in 2016. "Carefree Black Man" is a song... Read more

July 28, 2016 Audio

Dang! This Mac Miller & Anderson .Paak Collaboration Is So Soulful (Audio)

After a relatively quiet 2016 for him, Mac Miller is on the verge of a return to the spotlight. Today (7/28), he has announced he is releasing his next studio album, titled The Divine Feminine, this September. Mac Miller Reflects On Career, Addiction & Rap Identity In Revealing Mini-Doc (Video)... Read more

July 28, 2016 Audio

This 1998 Ma$e & Guru Freestyle Brings 2 Different Sides Of Hip-Hop Together (Audio)

Six months from each other Ma$e and Gang Starr moved the Hip-Hop needle in 1997-1998. To some, that needle went in two directions. Released on October 28, 1997, Ma$e's Grammy-nominated, quadruple-platinum debut Harlem World certified the newest Bad Boy Records superstar. On March 31, 1991, Gang Starr released its first... Read more

July 28, 2016 Audio, Throwback, Throwback

Anderson .Paak Didn’t Happen Overnight. He Tells His Origin Story (Video)

Anderson .Paak's recent rise to fame is an exemplary case study in what it means to be an overnight sensation in today's age. Having appeared on some of 2015's biggest Rap albums - Dr. Dre's Compton and the Game's The Documentary 2.5 - the Oxnard, California native did not appear... Read more

July 28, 2016 Video

Pusha T Does A 180 & Makes Some Truly Feel-G.O.O.D. Music (Audio)

Whether with the Clipse, Re-Up Gang, or solo, Pusha T is known for making sinister street music. The President of G.O.O.D. Music regularly provides chilly accounts hustling, loveless intimacy, and the cold ambition that has driven him to the top of the MC pack. Whether Pharrell, Kanye West, or Nottz... Read more

July 28, 2016 Audio

DJ Khaled May Be The Key Reason Big Pun & Fat Joe’s Twinz (Deep Cover 98) Became A Hit (Video)

In 2004, the Terror Squad released #1 single "Lean Back." With verses by Fat Joe and Remy Ma, T.S. shouted out DJ Khaled. Outside of Miami, Florida, the DJ, radio personality, and producer (of the alias "Beat Novacane") was not a known name in the mainstream. In 2016, Khaled Mohamed... Read more

July 27, 2016 Video

Donald Trump Is Just the Start. YG Is Ready To Take On the System.

With the Democratic National Convention well underway, the November arrival of America's presidential election is nearing closer, and things are reaching a fever pitch. Many artists within the Hip-Hop community are taking to the studio and stage to record political messages for posterity, helping raise awareness and inspire entire movements.... Read more

July 27, 2016 Lifestyle

Joe Budden Found The Drake Fans That Were Harassing Him & Went To Their Home (Video)

Last weekend, a video of several teenage boys trespassing in Joe Budden's driveway went viral. Apparently motivated by the ongoing beef the Slaughterhouse MC has with Drake, these teens swiftly approached Joe while in a car in his driveway—calling the Shady Records artist a litany of profane insults. When the... Read more

July 27, 2016 Video

Stakes Is High: An MC Freestyles While Dangling 100s Of Feet In The Air From A Crane (Video)

It is a safe bet to assume that most of the Hip-Hop world is not presently familiar with James Lanning. However, this Brooklyn, New York-based MC does something that few—if any—of his peers can, he raps while hanging on for dear life. As many rappers metaphorically may do this, Lanning... Read more

July 27, 2016 Video

Ras Kass Reveals Intellectual Property: SOI2 Tracklist, Features & Artwork

Veteran lyricist Ras Kass is completing his latest solo album, Intellectual Property: SOI2. Releasing September 9, the album finds the wordsmith returning to his own catalog, after an acclaimed 2014 project with Detroit, Michigan producer Apollo Brown (Blasphemy) and a Semi Hendrix collaboration (Breakfast At Banky's) with Grammy Award-winner Jack Splash.... Read more

July 27, 2016 Exclusive, Fresh

Don’t Go Thru the Night Without Listening to This Joint From Phonte & Eric Roberson (Audio)

Every once in a while, a lowkey collaboration comes along that results in the kind of music that rejuvenates and reignites. Generally speaking, the promo leading up to frequent collaborators Phonte and Eric Roberson's 10-track Tigallerro happened in whispers, but the music on the LP speaks volumes (and then some).... Read more

July 27, 2016 Audio

Nas & His Poetic Roots Shine Alongside Erykah Badu In A Song Of Survival (Audio)

In the course of his extensive career, Nas has sometimes decided to strip away all of the traditional Hip-Hop production to present himself (as he said on "Nas Is Like") as a "thug poet." In turn, records like smash hit "One Mic," or pivotal moments including "Queens Get The Money"... Read more

July 27, 2016 Audio

President Obama “Raps” A Blunt Message To Donald Trump (Video)

For years, BaracksDubs have made a number of videos which expertly edit clips of President Obama together to make it look like he is singing or rapping songs in the cultural Zeitgeist. Their latest video, no doubt intentionally timed to coincide with the Democratic National Convention, is by far their... Read more

July 26, 2016 Video

A New Series About Hip-Hop’s Birth Just Got Even Realer With Nas Writing All Its Rhymes (Video)

Over the years, there have been a number of films that have shown the early days of Hip-Hop. Style Wars, Wildstyle, Beat Street, Krush Groove and others all have had a role in memorializing the history of the biggest culture to be born in the United States in the last... Read more

July 26, 2016 Video

Redman Gets Real About How EPMD Saved Him From the Streets (Video)

Newark, New Jersey and Redman are synonymous in the minds of most Heads. The Grammy-winning rapper and Brick City native born Reginald Noble has made a career for himself as one of the most distinctive, creative spitters to ever pick up a mic, but his set of circumstances could just... Read more

July 26, 2016 Video

Michael Jordan Has Made the Boldest Political Statement of His Career

Arguably the world's most iconic living athlete, Michael Jordan dominated the sport of basketball and ventured onto successful careers as a business man, film star, fashion mogul, and sports executive. Along with his prowess on the court, the branding of the Jordan image is one of the most lucrative in... Read more

July 25, 2016 Lifestyle

Some Internet “Thugs” Harass Joe Budden In Real-Life. It Does Not Go Well For Them (Video)

Over the last several weeks, Joe Budden has been in headlines for his all-out assault on friend-turned-enemy, Drake. After a series of events between the two men, some on record, and others in life, Budden has unleashed 4 records and 3 podcasts targeting the Toronto MC. While Drake may or... Read more

July 25, 2016 Video

Kemba’s Latest Album is a Potent Reminder of Who Really Deserves the Throne

Entrenched within Ethiopian and Eritrean history, the word "Negus" has recently enjoyed a renaissance of sorts, thanks in part to Kendrick Lamar's use of it on To Pimp a Butterfly's "i." But the word's rich cultural and contextual history stretches back millennia and while there exists debate about how it... Read more

July 25, 2016 Audio

One Of The Songs That Reinvented DOOM’s Career Gets A Cosigned Video

DOOM (a/k/a MF DOOM) is one of Hip-Hop's truest comeback stories. In the early 1990s, the British-born, Long Island, New York-raised MC/producer was signed to Elektra Records with his group, K.M.D. There, DOOM (as Zev Love X) joined brother Subroc and Onyx the Birthstone Kid to release 1991's Mr. Hood.... Read more

July 25, 2016 Video

The All-Star Cast For Black Panther Is Bigger Than Life (Video)

Like many forms of escapism entertainment, comic books (and other comic-inspired media) often mirror the realities from which they are intended to distract. When justice, honor, and overall heroism appear lacking in the real world, fictional characters can give the people hope, inspiration, and belief in the fact that good... Read more

July 25, 2016 TV/Film, Video

Teaching Kids How to Plant Money Trees Just Got a Whole Lot Easier (Video)

Financial education is nearly entirely missing from primary and high-school curricula in the United States. While an overwhelming majority of students will never use lessons like the Pythagorean Theorem or measuring an isosceles triangle in daily life, most will likely need to manage a bank account. Yet the latter is... Read more

July 25, 2016 Lifestyle

Ever See This 1990 Freestyle Session Between Kool G Rap & Biz Markie? (Video)

Back in 1988, Marley Marl's Juice Crew served the world with one of Hip-Hop's all-time great posse cuts. Featuring Big Daddy Kane, Masta Ace, Craig G and Kool G Rap, "The Symphony" was a lesson in lyrical dexterity that endures today. More than recording together, members of the crew often... Read more

July 23, 2016 Throwback, Throwback

Joe Budden Says He Loves Drake…And Then Hurts Him Again “Just Because” (Audio)

The ongoing beef "between" Joe Budden and Drake has had an arc unlike any other in recent memory. As many know, to the public, things began when Joe gave a scathing review of Drake's new album, VIEWS, saying Drake "sounds real fucking uninspired." Shortly thereafter, an Instagram clip surfaced showing... Read more

July 23, 2016 Audio

The Main Sources Of Sounds Behind “Breaking Atoms” Get BBQ’d (Mix)

Today (July 23) marks the 25th anniversary of Main Source's Breaking Atoms. The only album recorded the trio's lineup as Large Professor, K-Cut, and Sir Scratch remains a colorful cult classic in the Hip-Hop space. The Wild Pitch Records release would be an awakening to Large Pro's multi-talents, as well... Read more

July 23, 2016 Mixes

Kendrick Lamar & Big Sean Are Together For The 1st Time Since “Control” On “Holy Key” (Audio)

Nearly 3 years ago Big Sean released a song that had been left on the cutting room floor for his album Hall Of Fame, due to clearance issues. When that song, "Control," leaked, it caused an explosion in the Hip-Hop world that may yet to be matched. Rather than anything... Read more

July 22, 2016 Audio

Leslie Jones Discusses Her Recent Online Attack & Rises Above the Hate (Video)

Comedienne Leslie Jones has become the unwitting subject of an ongoing conversation about online abuse after she was accosted by social-media users with messages of hate, racism, misogyny, and all-around abuse. Earlier this week, the "Ghostbusters" star began trending online after sharing some of the bigoted and sexually violent messages... Read more

July 22, 2016 Video

CeeLo Green Celebrates The Mind-Blowing Greatness Of His Favorite MCs (Audio)

Veteran MC CeeLo Green has proclaimed that he is back in the Rap game. In the 21 years since Goodie Mob released the acclaimed Soul Food debut album on LaFace Records, CeeLo has ascended into a pop music sensation, care of Gnarls Barkley, The Voice, and a certain profane viral... Read more

July 22, 2016 Audio

The Game Turns To Aaliyah In Search Of Answers About This Crazy World (Audio)

No matter what your belief system or life perspective may be, things are crazy in this world, and all of us are looking for answers. While there have been several noteworthy artistic statements helping us navigate the seemingly endless waves of negativity, The Game has proven to be particularly adept... Read more

July 21, 2016 Audio

It’s Not A Game: The NBA Pulls Its All-Star Festivities From North Carolina

In one of the most high profile and strongest stands yet against North Carolina's recent elimination of anti-discrimination protections against gays, lesbians and bisexuals, the National Basketball Association has announced it is pulling its 2017 All-Star festivities from the state. The game was to be held in Charlotte, and its... Read more

July 21, 2016 Lifestyle

Ty Dolla $ign & His Incarcerated Brother Reach Through Walls For Justice (Audio)

Ty Dolla $ign named his debut album Free TC. The title of that Atlantic Record/Taylor Gang Top 20 album from last year is a dedication to Ty's younger brother. A singer and songwriter in a deeply-musical family, Big TC was featured on the LP (see: "Miracle/Whatever"). The Los Angeles, California... Read more

July 21, 2016 Audio

Big Boi Shows How To Truly Rock Off The Top In An Unreleased 2004 Freestyle (Video)

The vast majority of freestyles are not off the top rhymes. Instead, they are typically previously unheard verses, many of which ultimately make their way to albums. This is an occurrence that has shown itself time and time again, as many revered freestyles from the 90s and beyond resurface years... Read more

July 21, 2016 Audio

Dave East’s Latest Freestyle Emphatically States His Place In The Game (Video)

Dave East links with Funkmaster Flex for a video freestyle. There, the Harlem, New Yorker locks in for an extended series of bars that combines his hunger for more, with his formative past. In his zone, the Nas co-signed MC is clearly influenced by the mid-2000s mixtape wave of emphatic... Read more

July 21, 2016 Video

Yasiin Bey Uses His Mighty Voice In Support Of Indigenous Cultures (Audio)

While it has been more than seven years since Yasiin Bey released an album (The Ecstatic, as "Mos Def"), the Brooklyn, New Yorker has been busy in 2016. Often times when there is a cause or a message close to him, the Black Star veteran comes out of an apparent... Read more

July 21, 2016 Audio

Beep Beep: Michelle Obama & James Corden Ride Out With Missy Elliott (Video)

With all the hullabaloo involved in holding the office of President of the United States, it's sometimes hard to remember that Barack Obama and his family are people who enjoy life's simple pleasures. When mundane activities like making a grilled-cheese sandwich or simply going for a late-night drive are either... Read more

July 21, 2016 Video

Prince Paul, Ladybug Mecca, Don Newkirk & Rodrigo Form Brookzill! Get A Taste.

Grammy Award-winning producer Prince Paul has announced his latest project. The Long Island, New Yorker teams with fellow Grammy winner Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets, longtime musical collaborator Don Newkirk (The Dix), and veteran Sao Paulo, Brazil MC Rodrigo Brandão to form BROOKZILL!. The group combines the sounds of Brazil with... Read more

July 21, 2016 Audio, News

ScHoolboy Q’s “JoHn Muir” Video Shows All Good Days Don’t End Like “Fly Dreams”

Back in 1992, Ice Cube released his song "It Was A Good Day," off his album The Predator. The song was Cube's version of a perfect day in the 'hood in Los Angeles, and while it had universal joys, like finally connecting with a high school crush and being the... Read more

July 20, 2016 Video