News Archives

If A$AP Rocky Were A Super Hero, He’d Be Powerful & Pretty At Once (Video)

Hip-Hop's comic fascination continues, care of the illustrated Complex series. These vignettes ask artists what kind of super hero they would be, and creates the descriptions. After Raekwon's good-doing servant of the people, A$AP Rocky presents his own visions of heroism. Called "The Joker," Rocky's super-powers would not be unlike... Read more

August 24, 2015 Video

Ever See This Run-D.M.C. & Whodini Cypher From 1985? (Video)

The year was 1985 and Whodini and Run-D.M.C. were speaking at a seminar. All six members--Run, D and Jam Jam Master Jay for Run-D.M.C., and Jalil, Ecstasy and Grandmaster Dee for Whodini--were present and seated together at a table. Not one to waste an opportunity with a microphone, Jalil decided... Read more

August 23, 2015 Throwback

DJ Priority Remixes 7 Ghostface Killah Classics on “Iron Cinema” (EP Stream)

Out of Paterson, New Jersey, DJ Priority maintains an on-air residency at KJAMZ 105.3FM. A clear fan of Ghostface Killah and Wu-Tang Clan, Priority takes seven G.F.K. tracks (one of which hails from a Raekwon album), and lays down his own production sensibilities. Those beats are hard, crisp, and seek... Read more

August 22, 2015 Audio

Mick Jenkins Shows There’s Nothing Like Getting Down to Pick You Up (Video)

Mick Jenkins' two-part sonic jolt "Get Up Get Down" is both throwback and contemporary. The first half of the song features Electro Funk synths that harken back to the early 80s where B-Boys and B-Girls ruled the dance floors. The second portion eases into a more contemporary trap beat. The... Read more

August 22, 2015 Video

25 Years After a Presumed Career-Ending Accident, The D.O.C.’s Voice Is Returning (Audio)

One of Hip-Hop's most tragic "what if's" surrounds Dallas, Texas MC The D.O.C. A onetime Ruthless Records artist, the rapper born Tracy Curry came into the music industry as a protege of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, and N.W.A. His 1989 album No One Can Do It Better is widely revered as... Read more

August 22, 2015 Audio

Scarface’s Deeply Rooted Single Steer Gets A Dramatic Treatment (Video)

Scarface's "Steer" is both soulful and topical. In a first person narrative, the record looks at a particular circumstance that may be different than meets the eye. Although specific in the verse and video, perhaps it is designed to be universal. For the video, that subjective circumstance is exactly the... Read more

August 21, 2015 Video

Chris Rivers & Cory Gunz Flip a Brand Nubian Joint on Latest Freestyle (Audio)

In the latest addition to his ever-growing arsenal of Friday freestyles, Chris Rivers has enlisted the help of Cory Gunz for a flip of a Brand Nubian classic. After dropping verses on tracks originally by the Clipse, Dr. Dre, N.W.A., Jay Z, Black Moon, Big Pun, and more, the South... Read more

August 21, 2015 Audio

Andy Mineo Defeats the 5 Fingers of Death With a Biblical Freestyle (Video)

Andy Mineo returned to the Sway in the Morning show in promotion of his new album, Uncomfortable, which will be released on September 18. For many, Andy's profile grew exponentially, after his standout freestyle on Sway's RapFix Live in December of 2013. Mineo is a Reach Records artist and, like... Read more

August 21, 2015 Video

Styles P and Jay Dee Never Worked Together But “Ghost Dilla” is OFFICIAL (Video)

Styles P and J. Dilla never worked together when the legendary beatmaker was alive, but Styles' turn on Dilla's "The Red," from his JayLib days with Madlib, sounds tailor-made. Styles released "Ghost Dilla," which also features Fortes, in June, as part of his ongoing freestyle series. Now, Ghost serves up... Read more

August 21, 2015 Video

The Group Behind One of Hip-Hop’s Most Famous Samples Announces New Music 35 Years Later…

From The Fugees' multi-platinum album The Score to Spike Lee's joints Crooklyn and 25th Hour, Heads have heard Cymande. The British-based Funk band pulled from across oceans, cultures and continents to build a band that would help define the sound of Hip-Hop, thanks to creating some of the most seminal breaks... Read more

August 21, 2015 News

The Wait Is Over. Method Man’s First Album in 9 Years is Here (Album Stream)

Today, Method Man has released his first album in nine years. Though he has stayed active throughout with guest verses, Wu-Tang Clan projects and more, The Meth Lab is the first Method Man album since 2006's 4:21... The Day After. After an active campaign of singles, videos and even animated... Read more

August 21, 2015 Audio

DJ Soko’s Domino Effect Aligns Nicely With Guilty Simpson, Apollo Brown & More (Album Stream)

Detroit, Michigan native DJ Soko has been putting in work for years. Just under five years ago, the turntablist DJ joined forces with Apollo Brown and Journalist 103 to form The Left. The trio released Gas Mask, an early and important on the then-fledgling Mello Music Group—with Kool G Rap... Read more

August 21, 2015 Audio

The Politics of Rap: Political Hip-Hop’s Long & Outspoken History Didn’t Begin or End with N.W.A. (Audio)

The marriage of political engagement and Hip-Hop culture has been a permanent fixture ever since artists began using the mic as a means of delivering dispatches from inner-city life, where systemic problems of economic disparity, educational inequality, poverty, and racism remain far too common for far too many. For many,... Read more

August 21, 2015 Audio

Funk Volume Wagers $500,000 On Hopsin, Dizzy Wright & Jarren Benton Battling Any Label (Video)

California-based independent label Funk Volume is presently home to a roster of MCs that includes Hopsin, Dizzy Wright, Jarren Benton, and SwizZz. The label, launched by Hop' and Damien "Dame" Ritter has challenged the charts through a series of releases, also while steadily touring and releasing mixtapes, videos, contests, and... Read more

August 20, 2015 News

Jamla’s Army Rolls Deep With Add-2 & Rapsody Ripping Up A Khrysis Beat (Audio)

Chicago, Illinois MC Add-2 is wrapping up his sophomore release with 9th Wonder's Jamla Records. Prey For The Poor (September 4). This go-round features one of the newer additions to the Army, alongside its resident flagship artist, Rapsody. "Rewind" finds the "It's OK" cast, complete with Khrysis' soulful production, back... Read more

August 20, 2015 Audio

Dayne Jordan Takes a Cue from Mister Rogers in DJ Jazzy Jeff Produced Track (Video)

With news of an impending reincarnation of the '90s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," many are celebrating by remembering the classic moments from the Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff-inspired television show that branched out of the duo's success as a Hip-Hop act. The latter's contributions to comedy are... Read more

August 20, 2015 Video

Jungle Brothers Are Often The Forgotten Tongues Who Helped Teach The Native Lingo (Video)

For a collective that never made an album, and rarely performed under their decided moniker, the Native Tongues' relevancy has never waned. Despite the fact that A Tribe Called Quest has exclusively (and sporadically) been a touring group since The Love Movement, De La Soul existed without formal releases for... Read more

August 20, 2015 Do Remember, Throwback

These Performances From the 2015 World Hip-Hop Dance Championships Are Awe-Inspiring (Video)

Earlier this month, Hip-Hop International hosted its annual World Hip-Hop Dance Championships in San Diego, California, where more than 3,000 dancers from around the globe competed to be crowned the best Hip-Hop dance crew. This year, more than 50 countries were represented from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South... Read more

August 20, 2015 Video

Andre Harrell Recounts the “Ghetto Fabulous” History of Uptown Records (Video)

The name Andre Harrell might not be as well-known as Russell Simmons, Master P, Birdman or Puff Daddy, but he is responsible for one of the most important record labels in Hip-Hop and Soul history. Uptown Records was the home to Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, Heavy D, Al B. Sure,... Read more

August 20, 2015 Video

Russell Poole, Lead Investigator Of The Notorious B.I.G. Murder, Has Died

The Notorious B.I.G.'s 1997 murder remains unsolved. One of the Los Angeles Police Department sergeant detectives who worked the hardest to change that, Russell Poole, has died. According to The Los Angeles Times, the former detective died Wednesday (August 19), while meeting with detectives at the L.A. Sheriff's Department. Although... Read more

August 20, 2015 News

A New Kendrick Lamar-Inspired Scholarship Hopes to Send Kids to College with Your Help (Video)

Kendrick Lamar has been in the news frequently as of late, but not just for his successful and popular music. This year, it seems, there has been much attention paid to his impact on social justice issues, and now that impact is spilling over into the world of college scholarships.... Read more

August 20, 2015 News

First Division & DJ Premier Put It Down For The Culture In Front Of Its Monuments (Video Premiere)

Early this summer, Canadian Hip-Hop duo First Division shared their latest single, "This Iz Tha Time." Produced by DJ Premier, the moment was a call to our arms in the Hip-Hop spirit of showing and proving. In the video from the September 25 Soulspazm Records/Spaghetti Bender Music album Overworked &... Read more

August 20, 2015 Video

Mike Epps Got Jokes. This Time Ghostface Killah’s Action Bronson Rant Is The Target (Video)

Hip-Hop is becoming more and popular fodder for the elite comedians. Aziz Ansari's Kanye West stories are the stuff of legends. Dave Chappelle's show skits involving GZA, Q-Tip, and spoofing Lil Jon have endured for more than a decade after they aired. Hannibal Buress puts Funkmaster Flex imitations and "The... Read more

August 20, 2015 Video

Did You Know The Carlton Dance Was Completely Improv? The Man Explains

In the last week, grumblings hit the media that Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment production company is in talks to re-boot "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air." While Smith's title character, who shared his real-life name helped define a 1990s cool, confidence, and charm, many of the shows laughs are credited to... Read more

August 19, 2015 TV

Scarface & Ice-T Trade The Very Bars That Define Their Success Stories (Audio)

In the last 24 hours, Scarface released his John Legend-assisted "God." Right on time, Ice-T's Final Level Podcast returns after a multi-month hiatus, and Brad Jordan in the guest chair. The segmented podcast features the Original Gangsta, Mick Benzo, and guests talking about politics, video games, television, movies, and music.... Read more

August 19, 2015 Audio

How Does AZ Rock a Down South Beat? Impeccably…(Audio)

It's been quite some time since AZ blessed fans with new material. Save for some loosies and guest verses here and there, the esteemed Brooklyn MC has not released an album since 2009's Legendary, and his rumored Doe or Die 2 has yet to surface. While there still may not... Read more

August 19, 2015 Audio

Sheek Louch Revisits an AZ & Nas Track for His Latest Freestyle (Audio)

Sheek Louch continues to celebrate the forthcoming release of his next album, Silverback Gorilla 2, with freestyles, transforming classic beats from songs both older and more recent. Last month, he opted for the 2003 Neptunes-produced Clipse track "Hot Damn," and back in June, he dropped fire over Jay Z's 1998... Read more

August 19, 2015 Audio

Sean Price Plays Snippets of Songs in the Key of Price in the Studio (Video)

As fans continue to mourn the sudden and unexpected loss of Sean Price, his legacy lives on through his music. Shortly before he passed away, Sean P was preparing to release his highly-anticipated mixtape, Songs in the Key of Price, which will be unleashed on Friday, August 21. During an... Read more

August 19, 2015 Video

Talib Kweli Points Out That One of His Major Features Was On the Wrong Part of the Beat (Video)

Beyond his extensive solo, Black Star, Idle Warship, and Reflection Eternal catalog, Talib Kweli's career has been decorated with poignant feature appearances. The Brooklyn, New York MC appeared on notable releases such as UGK's #1-charting Underground Kingz and Pharoahe Monch's critically-acclaimed P.T.S.D. However, Kweli garnered a Grammy Award for his... Read more

August 19, 2015 Video

Ice Cube & O’Shea Jackson, Jr. Share Powerful Father-Son Moments in 1-on-1 Conversation (Video)

O'Shea Jackson, Jr. had perhaps the biggest shoes to fill of all of his co-stars in his role in Straight Outta Compton . The son of N.W.A.'s Ice Cube, Jackson, Jr. has been earning rave reviews for his portrayal of his father, putting to rest any remaining talk there may be... Read more

August 19, 2015 Video

Jay Rock Releases the Artwork & Tracklist for His New Album 90059

After more than four years since his 2011 album Follow Me Home, Jay Rock is on the verge of releasing his new LP, 90059. Named after the zip code from Rock's hometown of Watts, CA, the songs he has shared thus far signal that the album is going to be... Read more

August 19, 2015 Fresh

Enter The Dragon: Method Man Breathes 2 Minutes of Pure Fire (Audio)

After graciously stepping out of the spotlight with his last release, Method Man returns with pure vengeance on "2 Minutes of Your Time." He dispenses with all frills, including a hook, and spits nothing but pure flames for 120 seconds. As he stated in an interview earlier this Summer, after... Read more

August 19, 2015 Audio

D12 Is Still Dirty, With Dozens & Dozens Of Punchlines In A New Freestyle (Video)

In early 2014, it was reported that D12 was back in the lab with Eminem for the first time in a decade. Later in the year, on Shady XV, the Dirty Dozen was back on "Bane," less Marshall Mathers (and Fuzz Scoota). Regardless of Em's involvement, and with the massive vacancy... Read more

August 19, 2015 Video

Dave Chappelle Announces 16 US Tour Dates For Fall

UPDATE: Two days following the 13 dates Dave Chappelle announced, the comedian has added three days in New York City. In a residency at the Gramercy Theater, where he did the same in 2014, Dave will perform on September 28, 29, and 30. All three of those dates will feature... Read more

August 19, 2015 News

Yasiin Bey’s ‘Basquiat Ghostwriter’ is Full of Unexpected Negatives (Video)

Yasiin Bey (pka Mos Def) has released a music video to accompany "Basquiat Ghostwriter," a song he dropped just a few days ago that took many Heads by surprise. The Brooklyn MC hasn't released a solo album since 2009's The Ecstatic and in the years since he's spent much time... Read more

August 19, 2015 Video

Scarface & John Legend Question Faith & Prayer In Troubling Times (Audio)

Throughout Scarface's career, in solo and group works, religion and God have been issues he regularly touches upon. From the ominous imagery of hits "Mind Playin' Tricks On Me" and "A Minute To Pray And A Second To Die," to the Kelly Price-assisted "Heaven" a decade later, Scarface's relationship with... Read more

August 19, 2015 Audio

New Jack City & Boyz N the Hood to Be Honored as Hip-Hop’s Influence in Film Continues to Grow

With Straight Outta Compton breaking box-office records and asserting itself as perhaps the summer movie this year, it is hard to ignore the role Hip-Hop has played not only as a cultural phenomenon, but one that commands great attention in the world of film. In a recent announcement, the African-American... Read more

August 18, 2015 News

Joell Ortiz Joins Awkword, Wordsworth & More on the NYC Remix to “Go!” (Audio)

Veteran New York City MC Awkword has released a remix to his lyrics-driven single "Go!." A single from Awk's 2014 charity-album, World View, the original featured Atmosphere's Slug, Joell Ortiz, Maya Azucena, and a beat by Domingo. On this stylized go-round, an Audible Doctor (Brown Bag AllStars) remix emphasizes the... Read more

August 18, 2015 Audio

Bye Felicia: How ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Is Initiating a Conversation About Misogyny (Audio)

In the 1995 film Friday, the F. Gary Gray comedy starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, there is perhaps no more regularly quoted line than "Bye, Felicia," a phrase that has experienced a resurgence in popularity thanks to today's Internet culture. Common in hashtag form, the pop-culture reference is a... Read more

August 18, 2015 Audio

Styles P’s Energy Freestyle Comes To Living Color (Video)

Back in late March, Styles P was amidst a rampage of weekly freestyles, sometimes releasing in bursts. One of those snatched Drake's "Energy" instrumental (produced by Boi-1da), and waxed two minutes of warning shots against all suitors. In high Summer, S.P. The Ghost gets his rooftop on and his bucket-hat... Read more

August 18, 2015 Video

Life Behind The Badge In Baltimore: One Officer Speaks Out On Corruption & Systematic Racism (Video)

Underneath Hip-Hop's umbrella, there have been numerous artists and activists who have entered the discussions on the dark cloud of police brutality that has been hanging over the nation. Rapper Big Pooh, Killer Mike, J-Live, Talib Kweli, and countless others have taken action, whether it be behind a beat, in... Read more

August 18, 2015 News

Gangrene & Havoc Opt for Solemn Tribute to Sean Price on “Sheet Music” (Video)

The tragic passing of rapper Sean Price earlier this month has left much of the Hip-Hop community reeling, including those who have collaborated with P over the years. Gangrene, the duo comprised of the Alchemist and Oh No, are among those who established not only a musical relationship with the... Read more

August 18, 2015 Video

Cam’ron Raps. He Acts. He Can Also Run A Human Resources Department (Video)

Frequently, major companies make the news for questionable practices regarding employee rights. Human Resource departments are put in place to enforce best ethical relations in making a work space, both internally and externally—with everybody's rights respected. Larry Wilmore's "The Nightly Show" opted to make light of recent reports of a... Read more

August 18, 2015 TV, TV/Film, Video

Wu-Tang Affiliate Hell Razah The Subject Of Upcoming Documentary

Since the mid-1990s, Hell Razah (a/k/a Heaven Razah) has been a prominent figure within the Wu-Tang family tree. A founding member of the Sunz Of Man, Razah—alongside Killah Priest, Shabazz the Disciple, Prodigal Sunn, and 60-Second Assassin would eventually tackle the Billboard Top 20 through 1998's The Last Shall Be... Read more

August 18, 2015 News, TV/Film

Rare 25-Year Old N.W.A. Photos & Collectibles Resurface, Care of a Longterm Fan (Interview)

Only now, in 2015, is N.W.A. a group that can test the waters of the digital era. It's been nearly 25 years since the group existed, and more than that since it had its famous five member lineup including Ice Cube. In 1988, there were no blogs, no streams, no... Read more

August 17, 2015 Food for Thought, Throwback

Rapsody Recruits Joey Bada$$ for the Remix to “Don’t Need It” (Audio)

Rapsody brings in Joey Bada$$ for the remix to her song, "Don't Need It" from her 2014 album, Beauty & The Beast. In addition to words from the "Badman," she adds a blistering new third verse that stunts heavily on those who continue to sleep on her outsized lyrical skills.... Read more

August 17, 2015 Audio

This Streaming Music Mix Is A 52 Song Pick-You-Up (Playlist)

Lots of great music has been releasing as of late. Whether YG's G-Funk revival "Twist My Fingers," Lil Dicky and Snoop Dogg's job interview-in-rhyme, or Drake's surgical Meek Mill reply "Back To Back," there is plenty of diversity, tangibility, and value in music in 2015. Artists are steadily moving their... Read more

August 17, 2015 Playlists

Mac Miller Releases One of His Hardest Tracks in Years & He’s Breaking All the Rules (Audio)

Mac Miller is on one in 2015. After a couple of years of psychedelic and introspective releases with 2013's Watching Movies With the Sound Off and 2014's Faces, his forthcoming album, GO:OD AM finds Miller in a more upbeat, confident and even defiant mood. "100 Grandkids," the first release from... Read more

August 17, 2015 Audio

Following Near Fatal Accident, Tracy Morgan Will Return To Host SNL

It has been more than one year since actor/comedian Tracy Morgan was nearly killed on the New Jersey Turnpike. On June 7, 2014, a six-car accident left comedian James McNair dead, and Morgan (along with other passengers) severely injured. Morgan, who was in a coma for nearly two weeks, suffered... Read more

August 17, 2015 TV

Master P Shows His Historic Rise to Success in Self-Directed Documentary (Video)

Master P, the New Orleans rapper and business man who transformed the way artists negotiated with record labels, is releasing a self-directed documentary called Ice Cream Man: King of the South in Spring 2016. The platinum-selling MC scored a handful of hits, most notably 1997's "Make 'Em Say Ugh," but... Read more

August 17, 2015 TV/Film, Video