News Archives

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

Macklemore & G-Eazy May Have Just Joined YG On The Secret Service Watch List (Audio)

Earlier this year, YG and Nipsey Hussle released a song that was a scathing critique of then presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump. Titled "FDT," standing for F... Donald Trump, the song was so brazen in its attacks that it landed on the radar of the Secret Service, and YG was... Read more

July 20, 2016 Audio

Eve Says She’s Glad Dr. Dre Dropped Her & Shares Why (Video)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC Eve has had one of the most successful careers in Hip-Hop history, but as some well know, her path to superstardom began with a rocky road. As a teenager, the future Grammy Award winner was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath imprint, but the partnership lasted less than... Read more

July 20, 2016 Video

KRS-One Says Anyone Who Has A Problem With Afrika Bambaataa Should Quit Hip-Hop (Video)

KRS-One recently appeared in Birmingham, England, speaking before a live audience. In a video published July 15, the Boogie Down Productions co-founder and MC legend spoke about allegations of sexual abuse made against one of Hip-Hop's pioneers, Afrika Bambaataa. The longtime friend and collaborator of Bam' argued that major agencies... Read more

July 20, 2016 News

The Social Media Hate Against Leslie Jones: Why Humans Are More Horrifying Than Ghosts

As one of the definitive elements of the 21st century, social media is at its best a democratizing form of communication but at its worst, it can be a bastion of harassment and emotional trauma. Trolling online has become a cyber-based blood sport where anonymous users can unleash vitriol that,... Read more

July 20, 2016 Lifestyle

Big Sean, Chance The Rapper & Jeremih Channel-Surf Into Living Single (Audio)

In the last 24 hours, Jeremih released his Late Nights: Europe mixtape. An extension of 2015's Late Nights album, the freebie was reportedly supposed to feature "Living Single," featuring Big Sean and Chance The Rapper. In the end, that not happen—allegedly due to clearance issues surrounding Sean (though both are... Read more

July 20, 2016 Audio

Large Professor Broke More Than Atoms 25 Years Ago. He Broke New Ground.

By the early 1990s, Wild Pitch Records proved to be one of the most exciting labels in Hip-Hop. It was their logo at the center of the record that made key introductions for Gang Starr, Lord Finesse, and Flavor Unit lyricist Chill Rob G. Stu Fine’s label appeared to be... Read more

July 19, 2016 Food for Thought

De La Soul Embrace Their Rightful Place As Hip-Hop Royalty (Audio)

Earlier today (July 19), De La Soul premiered their latest single, "Royalty Capes" with the FADER. Produced by their very own Dave a/k/a Plug Too, it's an exultant track from their forthcoming album and the Anonymous Nobody, whose royal arrival takes place on August 26. The latest single in a... Read more

July 19, 2016 Audio

20 Years Ago, Muhammad Ali Lit a Torch That Continues to Shine Brightly (Video)

In 1996, Atlanta, Georgia, hosted the Summer Olympics, but it wasn't just a once-in-every-four-years occurrence. Also known as the Centennial Olympic Games, it was historic for many reasons, including its being the first time the Olympics divided Summer and Winter games into different years. Kicking off on July 19, the... Read more

July 19, 2016 Throwback

Jadakiss & Beanie Sigel Root Out The Necessary Evil Of Money (Audio)

The onetime beef between Beanie Sigel and Jadakiss may as well be an afterthought in 2016. The early 2000s tensions between State Property and The LOX are long over, and Jada' is now notably a Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam Records artist, years after he challenged the reigning squad. After Sigel's late 2014... Read more

July 19, 2016 Audio

Treach, Bumpy Knuckles, Trick Trick & Raekwon Serve Shots Of O.G.ology With No Chaser (Video)

At the beginning of the year, Treach, Bumpy Knuckles and Trick Trick announced they were joining forces on a project titled O.G.ology. On their Raekwon-assisted first single, "Let Me Tell You Something," the vets made it clear their mission was to "kidnap the culture," rescuing Hip-Hop and Boom Bap from... Read more

July 18, 2016 Video

Dave, Maseo & Pos Reminisce On Before De La Soul Was Born (Video)

Unlike Hip-Hop artists in the digital age, many 1980s and 1990s acts do not have extensive recordings prior to their first album. Long Island, New York trio De La Soul had history prior to 1989's gold-certified 3 Feet High And Rising debut. Little of that history has been released, due... Read more

July 18, 2016 Video

ScHoolboy Q Announces Blank Face World Tour Dates

ScHoolboy Q will be taking his widely acclaimed Blank Face LP on a world tour in the final quarter of 2016. The Top Dawg Entertainment MC has been busy promoting his fourth full-length album which so far has peaked at the number-two spot on Billboard's 200 and Rap charts, and... Read more

July 18, 2016 Fresh

A Lighter Shade Of Brown’s DTTX Passes Away

Updated Report: Today (July 18), it was confirmed that DTTX (Don't Try To Xerox) a/k/a Bobby Ramirez has died in a Las Vegas, Nevada hospital. Yesterday, DTTX's medical condition was listed as "grave" from reports of the co-founder of A Lighter Shade Of Brown. He was taken off of life... Read more

July 18, 2016 News

Nipsey Hussle & Dave East Go Back To Their Rugged Roots, With Clarity (Audio)

Nipsey Hussle's Marathon Mondays push on—with no finish line in sight. The Los Angeles, California veteran joins another highly-prolific MC in Dave East for "Clarity." This song finds these two street-wise men (along with Bino Rideaux) going back to the tense, high-stakes environments that raised them. For Nip', those were... Read more

July 18, 2016 Audio

Rakim Addresses The Rumors That He Wrote DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s “Summertime”

For 25 years, there have been longstanding questions (and some rumors) surrounding DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's biggest hit, "Summertime." The 1991 Top 5 Jive/Zomba Records single from Homebase showcased a different flow from the West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MC now known as Will Smith. Many speculated that the... Read more

July 18, 2016 Fresh

Prophets Of Rage Clear The Way For Power To The People (Audio)

Today (July 18) marks the first day of the Republican National Convention, the purpose of which is the formal selection of the Republican candidate for president of the United States. In many instances, the RNC is just a formality and this year is no different - having overwhelmingly succeeded over... Read more

July 18, 2016 Audio

Prodigy & Alchemist Unlock Mystical Jewels For Those Who Can Crack The Code (Audio)

In April, Prodigy & Alchemist gave away their 2013 album Albert Einstein, for free. The Mobb Deep co-founder and the group's longtime affiliate producer have a ton of history together—spanning back to the 1990s. In 2016, even with giveaways, P and ALC are still putting in work, and advancing their... Read more

July 18, 2016 Audio

Juice’s Director Reveals The Original Ending Hollywood Did Not Want

Earlier this month, The Roots' Black Thought hosted a special event, celebrating the 1992 movie Juice. The afternoon consisted of a screening of the film, a panel discussion moderated by Black Thought, featuring director and co-writer Ernest Dickerson, co-writer Gerard Brown, and actors Khalil Kain (Raheem) and Jermaine Hopkins (Steel),... Read more

July 17, 2016 Throwback

Jeru The Damaja, Afu-Ra & Big Shug Show the Gang Starr Foundation Is Solid (Audio)

It has been more than five years since Gang Starr's Keith "Guru" Elam passed away. Today (July 17) would have been the MC's 54th birthday. While DJ Premier continues to wave the Gang Starr flag in his recent work with affiliates such as Bumpy Knuckles, D.I.T.C., and Dilated Peoples, the... Read more

July 17, 2016 Audio

Joe Budden Immediately Responds To Drake And Uses His Own Words Against Him (Audio)

The same day (July 16) Drake responded to two previous diss records by Joe Budden, Joe Budden promptly replied. As he vowed on his podcast, the Slaughterhouse MC was more than ready. "Afraid" closely followed French Montana and Drake's "No Shopping," with the Jersey City, New Jersey MC veteran addressing... Read more

July 16, 2016 Audio

Rapsody Becomes The First Woman MC To Sign To Jay Z’s Roc Nation Label

For almost a decade, Snow Hill, North Carolina MC Rapsody has been paying dues in her Hip-Hop career. After acclaimed album The Idea Of Beautiful, standout mixtape She Got Game, and a key appearance on Kendrick Lamar's platinum #1 album To Pimp A Butterfly, Rapsody has landed her next major... Read more

July 16, 2016 News

Drake Responds To Joe Budden & Pumps Up The Beef (Audio)

It has taken more than two weeks since Joe Budden launched a diss campaign against Drake with the release of "Making A Murderer (Part 1)," for the Toronto MC to respond. A Rap battle that started in late June is now officially two-sided. On Drake's OVO Radio Show on Beats... Read more

July 16, 2016 Audio

Vic Mensa Drops More Wisdom In 3 Minutes Than Most Rappers Do In A Career (Video)

Vic Mensa's recent EP, There's Alot Going On, could not be more appropriately titled. In fact, in a year where multiple citizens have died at the hands of the police, terrorists have attacked an independence day celebration, militaries are staging coups, snipers have killed multiple police officers, and countries are... Read more

July 16, 2016 Video

GZA Shows The Skill Of His Stylez With A New Rap Caper (Audio)

The Wu-Tang Clan has created a true umbrella of artists. From Cappadonna to La The Darkman, Killarmy to American Cream Team, there have been legions of MCs, producers, and non-musical personalities attached to the original nine-member New York City collective. Even when the Clan has not been working in formation,... Read more

July 16, 2016 Audio

ScHoolboy Q Shows Why He Just Might Be The Last Real Gangsta Rapper (Video)

Since dropping his Blank Face LP on July 8, ScHoolboy Q has been showered with critical acclaim, not only for the lyrical content of his fourth album but also the visual masterpieces that depict beautifully nuanced portrayals of the street-life mentality from someone juggling various perspectives: that of a self-proclaimed... Read more

July 15, 2016 Video

Lil’ Kim Explains In Detail What Led Up To Rich Homie Quan Forgetting Biggie’s Lyrics

On Monday night (July 11) Lil' Kim was among those celebrated at the return of Hip-Hop Honors. For more than 20 years, the Brooklyn, New York representative has amassed a platinum solo career, along with acclaimed work with Junior M.A.F.I.A. The onetime protege of The Notorious B.I.G. would win Grammy... Read more

July 15, 2016 Audio

The Details Behind Fast Food’s Most Famous Jingle Are Unsavory

The classic ad jingle contains two elements: a message and a tune. From a marketing standpoint, jingles are meant to get stuck in a listener's head so as to initiate a subconscious bridge between product and memory and over the years, several have transcended the world of advertising and infiltrated... Read more

July 15, 2016 Lifestyle

Killer Mike Was Heard. The People Are Fighting The Power With Their Money.

Last week, veteran MC Killer Mike made a strong call to action following the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by police officers. Appearing on HOT 107 in his hometown city of Atlanta, Georgia the Run The Jewels co-founder urged his followers and those seeking institutional change to "run"... Read more

July 15, 2016 News

After a Tragedy Was Livestreamed, Defining Hate Speech Is Getting Tricky (Audio)

On July 6, Philando Castile lost his life after being shot to death by a police officer in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. His girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, was his front-seat passenger and in what is being acknowledged as a formidable act of strength and foresight, she took out her phone and livestreamed... Read more

July 15, 2016 Lifestyle

Ab-Soul Reminds All That He’s A Lyrical Sharp-Shooter On A Bas Remix (Audio)

Dreamville artist Bas made one of 2016's strongest Hip-Hop works care of March's Too High To Riot. A Top 50 charting LP, the Interscope Records-distributed project features mentor J. Cole, along with Cozz and The Hics. Individually, several of Fiend Bassy's cuts have eclipsed the million-mark on streaming platforms. Even... Read more

July 15, 2016 Audio

A-F-R-O Has Flows For Days On Marco Polo’s Best Beats (EP Stream)

Last November, Bellflower, California MC A-F-R-O released his breakthrough mixtape Tales From The Basement. More than 100,000 people gave listen to the teenage lyricist who has been cosigned by R.A. The Rugged Man, GZA, DJ Premier, and others. In the time since, All Flows Reach Out has released videos, he's... Read more

July 15, 2016 Audio