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Rest In Peace To Longtime Tupac Affiliate & Outlawz Member Hussein Fatal

Veteran Montclair, New Jersey MC Hussein Fatal (born Bruce Washington) has died. A founding member of Tha Outlawz, Fatal was reportedly killed in a recent automobile accident. Details surrounding the fatal crash are still pending. Tha Outlawz' official social media accounts have confirmed the tragic news, also addressing Fatal's surviving... Read more

Action Bronson’s Fed Up With Ghostface Comparisons. Did He Throw Poisonous Darts? (Video)

Since Action Bronson's 2011 breakthrough, many fans, critics, and lovers of music have pointed out similarities to his imagery, vocal tone, and lyrical style to that of Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah. Even in that same year, both New York City MCs collaborated, on the Legendary Weapons compilation, an official Wu... Read more

Relive The First Time Main Source, Nas, Akinyele & Fatal Performed Live At The BBQ (Video)

Is there a Hip-Hop album cut more definitive than Main Source's "Live At The BBQ"? The 1991 Breaking Atoms track would be an introduction to not only Nas, not only Akinyele, but also MC-turned-producer Joe Fatal. Large Professor's bars were especially lethal on a song that has become an important... Read more

Eminem & Kendrick Lamar Are Confirmed Artists For ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Soundtrack

Since March, a lot of speculation has surrounded the likelihood of a soundtrack for the Straight Outta Compton N.W.A. biopic. With just a month until the Universal film, produced by Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E's widow (Tomica Woods-Wright), it appears that a soundtrack is indeed coming. In March, Dre... Read more

Watch Common, Mobb Deep, Freeway & More At The 2015 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival (Video Stream)

Today (July 11), the 2015 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival is ongoing. The 11th annual festival in Dumbo, Brooklyn features headliners including Common, Mobb Deep, Freeway, Skyzoo, Charles Hamilton, John Robinson & PVD, Stro, Lion Babe, Consequence, and more. The event is hosted by Uncle Ralph McDaniels and Torae, with DJ sets... Read more

Big Pun’s Widow & Chris Rivers Offer Up The Real & Uncut Story of Life With Pun (Audio)

Fifteen years removed from Big Pun's death, there has been a lot of attention paid to one of Hip-Hop's greatest lyricists. The Bronx, New Yorker Terror Squad founder born Chris Rios has been survived by his wife, Liza Rios, and three children. The youngest, Christopher Rios (same name as his... Read more

Ever See This 1999 Cypher With 50 Cent, Consequence, Punchline & N.O.R.E.? (Video)

Here's a look back at a behind the scenes, true Hip-Hop moment between N.O.R.E., Consequence, Punchline and 50 Cent. The four MCs were gathered in 1999 and launched into an impromptu cypher over a Trackmasters instrumental. This was notably before 50 Cent's 2000 shooting and showcases his delivery without the... Read more

Dave East & Nas Aren’t Just Running Together, They Overlap In Narratives… (Audio)

Dave East is one of the newer artists to join Nas' Mass Appeal Records family. The Spanish Harlem, New York MC may have serious buzz right now, but that clearly is not the only reason he's running with Nasir Jones. The "NY State Of Mind Freestyle (East Mix)" takes Dave's... Read more

Jill Scott Gets Closure…and It Does NOT Come With Breakfast (Audio)

Who keeps it realer than Jill Scott? Jilly from Philly releases her latest single from her upcoming Woman album, which hits stores on July 24, and it's another raw and authentic take on relationships. After swearing she won't fall for an ex's tricks again on first single, "Fool's Gold," Jill... Read more

This Extended Season 6 Trailer Is a Must Watch For Walking Dead Fans (Video)

Comic-Con 2015 is in full swing in San Diego and with it comes a host of epic announcements and trailers. Today brought an extended look at the next season of America's most watched TV series. Since its October 2010 debut, AMC's The Walking Dead has steadily grown into the most... Read more

David Banner & Big K.R.I.T.’s Single Has Explosive Contents (Lyric Video)

Last month saw the release of the latest All-Mississippi moment courtesy of David Banner and Big K.R.I.T. "My Uzi" is the presumed first look at D.B.'s The God Box, and an essay on self-preservation with jacketed ammunition in the form of penetrating lyrics. Still a car-jam in its presentation, this... Read more

Rakim, De La Soul, Cam’ron & Curren$y Among 2015 A3C Headliners

Beginning October 7 through October 11, 2015's A3C Festival in Atlanta, Georgia received some key developments this week. Within the five-day 11th annual festival, a number of highly-respected Hip-Hop artists are confirmed to perform. Some early-announced headliners include two Long Island, New York iconic outfits, Rakim and De La Soul.... Read more

Drake Has a Message for His Enemies: He Has Energy And He Doesn’t Stand Alone (Video)

Drake takes a look at pop culture and turns it on its head in the instantly rewind-worthy new video for "Energy." The visual, for the song which is directed straight at Drake enemies, re-creates several recognizable moments from TV shows, films and real-life. Drake channels Oprah, Kanye West, Miley Cyrus,... Read more

GZA Explores the Depths of the Universe on Experimental New Track (Audio)

As of late, Converse has been exploring music in exciting ways, orchestrating events and producing projects featuring the likes of Chance the Rapper, Vic Mensa, Big K.R.I.T., Joey Badass, and other young artists. Part of their foray into music is a series of extended plays, which they've dubbed the Cons... Read more

Chris Rivers Drops a Freestyle Over Classic Bone Thugs & Do or Die. TGIF. (Audio)

Another Friday, another release from Chris Rivers. The MC formerly known as Baby Pun continues his weekly lyrical assaults, unloading aggressive, rapid-fire, and complex verses over an impressive array of production styles. This week it's the Midwest's turn, with Rivers first re-invigorating the classic sounds of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's "1st of... Read more

Sheek Louch Wants To Celebrate Your Hood In His Next Video (World Premiere)

Last week, Sheek Louch released his first single from Silverback Gorilla 2 (September 18).  Through Tommy Boy Entertainment, the track which features Billy Danze (M.O.P.), Trae Tha Truth (ABN), and Joell Ortiz (Slaughterhouse), is titled "Hood Ni**a," and celebrates the real concrete that each MC comes from, in an anthem for everyone... Read more

N.O.R.E. & A$AP Ferg Make Menacing Hip-Hop Together, That Still Feels Great (Audio)

In some ways, A$AP Ferg is to the 2010s, an extension of N.O.R.E. Both New York MCs are aggressive in the booth, while big on charisma in and out of the studio. Although each act may sometimes make rowdy tracks, aimed at the Trap sound or the dance-floor, both have... Read more

Warren G & Nate Dogg Found Fame Reworking ’80s Grooves. So Why Not An Encore? (Audio)

In 1994, Warren G & Nate Dogg brought the other gifted components of 213 to the forefront with "Regulate." On Warren's Def Jam Records debut, and Death Row Records' Above The Rim soundtrack (Nate's label), the song reverberated in some stylish G-Funk storytelling. With its pounding bassline, weed-scented coolness, and smooth Rap-meets-R&B... Read more

Yelawolf, Kxng Crooked, Royce Da 5’9″ & Rittz Host a Lyrical Clinic. MCs Take Note…(Audio)

Rittz is a confident MC--so much so that he invited three of Hip-Hop's fiercest spitters to join him on his remix. The result? Six minutes of nothing but rapid-fire BARS. Yelawolf, Royce Da 5'9" and Kxng Crooked (pka Crooked I) join the remix to Rittz's "LAF," and it plays like... Read more

Check Out This 1995 Future Flavas Set From Pete Rock & Marley Marl (Audio)

In the '90s, Hot 97 in New York City was home to the Future Flavas radio show, a Hip-Hop devoted program that was steered by KRS-One who then bequeathed the disc-jockey throne to Pete Rock and Marley Marl in January of '95.The two had previously worked the 1s & 2s... Read more

Kendrick Lamar Says He Knew He Arrived When He Recorded With Snoop (Video)

For fans who have listened to Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly album more than once since its release, the album has the rare quality of revealing new elements with each touch of the "play" button. Like a fine meal, the complexities of the LP's offerings take time to be... Read more

Hip-Hop’s Global Influence is Being Documented for an Online Museum (Video)

Hip-Hop's far-reaching influence on the worlds of art, dance, fashion, language, and of course music has long since been considered worthy of documentation. With talks of opening the Universal Hip-Hop Museum in the Bronx and the handful of nationwide efforts to digitally archive Hip-Hop's past (including the Hiphop Archive &... Read more

Diamond D Has More in Common With Wu-Tang Clan Than Hot Tracks (Video)

Diamond D's album The Diam Piece was one of 2014's unsung gems. In many ways, the LP was a return to form for Diamond, both in terms of sharp lyrics and pristine beats. Nine months later, it's the gift that keeps on giving, as Diamond releases his latest video. "I... Read more

Method Man Reports on Life in the Hood on New Track. The Struggle Continues…(Audio)

With The Meth Lab slated for an August 21 release, excitement for Method Man's return will be boiling all summer, thanks in part to three songs he's already released; the title track, "88 Coupes," and "Serious" are all heaters indicative of Meth's consistent level of skill, both lyrically and when... Read more

MC Lyte’s Paper Thin Is A Thick Part Of Brooklyn Hip-Hop History (Video)

MC Lyte's 1988 debut, Lyte As A Rock is a keystone in what made the year so important. Lana Michele Moorer hit the scene like she belonged with her First Priority/Atlantic Records breakthrough, and she did. L.A.A.R. took the Audio Two production style, and built upon it with one of Rap's... Read more

Murs Gets Real About the Consequences of Infidelity, While Keeping It Light (Video)

Murs has made a career of making songs that are deeply insightful, yet supremely entertaining. Whether debating the merits of organized religion on songs like "Gods Gone Crazy," or tackling same sex love on tracks like "Animal Style," he's able to deftly convey life lessons, without sounding preachy. On "The... Read more

Warren G Is Releasing a Sequel to His Regulate Album and It Will Feature Unreleased Nate Dogg Vocals.

Dr. Dre gets ample props for The Chronic and 2001 as G-Funk masterpieces, as does DJ Quik for his many contributions to the genre. Aside from Warren G's titular song with Nate Dogg, however, his accompanying album often goes relatively unsung as a staple in the G-Funk catalog. With songs... Read more

From 1988-1993, Skits Revolutionized Hip-Hop Albums. Here’s A Look At Some Of The Best (Audio)

Aye...did what's his name done get at you yesterday? That question, asked in a comedic interlude on Dr. Dre's seminal 1992 album The Chronic, will live in eternal infamy alongside the classic lyrics in between which it's sandwiched. That marriage, of Hip-Hop and comedy, was around before that and while... Read more

Masta Ace & Blu Sound Great Together During This Long Hot Summer (Audio)

Western Pennsylvania native Maticulous brings Masta Ace and Blu together on "Bet Your Life." From Brownsville, Brooklyn to the City Of Angels, Ace and Johnson Barnes have a lot in common. Both of these MCs are more than gifted at looking within (often in self-deprecating lights), while still being elite... Read more

Lupe Fiasco & Consequence Show Us How to Make Every Word Count (Video)

It's hard to believe that Queens MC Consequence has only released one solo album (2007's Don't Quit Your Day Job). Heads may remember him from as far back as '96, when he appeared on A Tribe Called Quest's Beats, Rhymes, Life. Nearly 20 years later, he remains respected, both lyrically... Read more

RZA Is Releasing His Collaborative Album With A Rock Legend, And It Costs $120

Remember Achozen? Back in 2006, the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and System of a Down's Shavo Odadjian announced that they were forming a group together, and that they were working on an album under that name. In 2008, they released the single "Deuces" (featured below) which could be heard during the... Read more

Cannibal Ox Make A Rare Visual…In Front Of Big L’s Harlem Mural (Video)

Part of Cannibal Ox's mystique surrounding The Cold Vein came in the fact that its presentation relied almost entirely on the music. Vast Aire, Vordul Mega, and then-producer El-P were not about the video components (just one, really), photo shoots, and over-the-top interviews. The Def Jux hallmark spoke for itself, and... Read more

This Man Saved NYC From an Epic Gang War & Helped Plant the Seeds for Hip-Hop (Audio)

It's often said that nostalgia for a particular era comes around every 20 years or so, and today's obsession with all things '90s adds a ring of truth to that idiom. However, there are particular eras that for whatever reason remain palpable and attractive decades and decades later. In recent... Read more

Foreign Exchange Announces Sixth Album & It’s Coming Really Soon

A step removed from 2013's Love In Flying Colors, Foreign Exchange has announced their sixth album. On August 21, Phonte and Nicolay will release Tales From The Land Of Milk And Honey. This release, presumably on their own +FE Music imprint, follows 11 years of material, garnering Grammy nominations and appearances on the... Read more

Janet Jackson’s No Sleeep Is A Wake Up Call (Lyric Video)

Last month, Janet Jackson revealed her first single in years, "No Sleeep" (don't slumber on that third 'E'). Miss Jackson's awakening, came courtesy of a reunion with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, producers regularly associated with her greatest successes. Following a late June BET Icon Award reception, Janet moves forward... Read more

Is Chris Tucker Back? Watch The Trailer To His First Stand-Up Special (Video)

In late March, it was revealed that comedian/actor Chris Tucker was preparing the first stand-up comedy special of his career. Two days (July 10) until it premieres on Netflix, fans can catch the trailer for Chris Tucker Live. Just one minute long, fans will sample several bits, and see that... Read more

Hopsin Lyrically Attacks Higher Education, Reality TV & Chemical Addictions (Video)

Set as a classroom final project, Hopsin's "Fly" is a lyrical thesis. The Funk Volume co-founder sets up Pound Syndrome (July 24) with a verbal exposé on things that he sees in this world that are designed to hold us back. Despite the academic setting of the visual, Hop' begins by calling... Read more

Legacy: Why Going Back Is Best For Puff Daddy & Bad Boy’s Future

Following last month's Bad Boy Records 20th anniversary set at the 2015 BET Awards, Puff Daddy announced that he is planning a tour with some of the artists he shared the stage with. Only mentioning Lil' Kim by name (who, many know, was never an official Bad Boy Records artist), the... Read more

Chance The Rapper Promises To Take Chicago Kids To The Museum…And Delivers

Chance The Rapper took giving back to a new level this week. One day after announcing that he would surprise a series of 6-11 year-olds in the Chicago, Illinois area with a trip to a local museum and Cole Field, C.T.R. delivered. Proud to announce I'll be surprising a few... Read more

We’re All In The Same Gang…When Wearing Kendrick Lamar Sneakers

Compton, California star Kendrick Lamar has spoken frequently in lyrics about gang tensions. Whether the MC Eiht-assisted "m.A.A.d city" or the recent single, "i," the TDE/Aftermath MC aims to unify Crips, Bloods, and multiple neighborhoods in the interest of life, love, and survival. Lamar's Reebok collaboration, the Ventilators, are an... Read more

Guilty Simpson Eviscerates New Track In Less Than Two Minutes (Audio)

Since his appearance on Slum VIllage's 2002 album Dirty District: Vol. 1, Guilty Simpson has aligned himself with the grimey boom-bap of Detroit, even after signing to the West Coast-based Stones Throw label. Two solo and five collaboration albums later, the Motor City native has released "Vanguard Organization," a song... Read more

Papoose Plugs Into DJ Premier’s Amped Up Track And Goes Off (Audio)

Papoose and DJ Premier go back. When the Brooklyn, New York MC was famously a top-dollar signing at Jive Records, he reportedly called upon Preemo. After those delays led into The Nacerima Dream, the Works Of Mart producer was there to support Pap's idie foray. Coming up to next week's You Can't... Read more

J Rocc Pays Homage to Pete Rock with a PeteStrumentals 2 Megamix (Audio)

Almost 15 years after releasing PeteStrumentals, Pete Rock released a follow-up album on June 23, and with it came an infusion of the sampling and hard-hitting beats for which the Hip-Hop icon is revered. Released by Mello Music Group, PeteStrumentals 2 serves as not only a reminder of why the... Read more

Scarface Has Been Recently Hospitalized, Willie D Comments

In the midst of the latest Geto Boys reunion, Scarface has been hospitalized. The Houston, Texas MC icon was taken to area hospital following June 29's Geto Boys concert in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Today (July 7), a representative for Sony Red (Rap-A-Lot Records' current distributor) confirmed the reports. Beginning June 30,... Read more

Listen to the Best Hip-Hop of June 2015 in One Playlist (Audio)

June brought a number of welcomed surprises in Hip-Hop. Method Man announced he would be releasing a new album in August and dropped three new songs. Jay Rock also revealed his new album was coming this Summer, and returned with some of the best music of his career. Chris Rivers... Read more

Sole Survivors: A New Documentary Explores the Cultural Obsession With Sneakers (Video)

On the heels of the release of Fresh Dressed, a documentary film examining the marriage of Hip-Hop culture and fashion, a new film being released this summer will extend the examination, albeit with a narrower focus. An exploration of those obsessed with kicks, Sneakerheadz premiered at SXSW earlier this year... Read more

South Carolina Senate Takes Major First Step Towards Removing Confederate Flag

In a historic and overwhelmingly favored step, the South Carolina Senate voted 37-3 for the removal of the Confederate flag from the State House earlier today (July 6). The Republican-controlled state senate took up the vote after the June 17 slaughter of nine African-Americans at a historical Black church placed... Read more

Follow the Leader: A$AP Rocky Got More Than a Name From Rakim (Video)

A$AP Rocky (born Rakim Meyers), shared his first album-buying experience, an experience younger generations of Heads may never have. For most, buying one's first C.D. or cassette tape was an almost religious experience; the ritual of getting to the store, hoping it hadn't sold out, unwrapping the plastic, removing the... Read more

Hear the Greatness of Nina Simone as Interpreted by Lauryn Hill, Common, Mary J. Blige & More (Album Stream)

Later this week (7/10), RCA will release Nina Revisited...A Tribute to Nina Simone, celebrating one of the most enigmatic and acclaimed voices of the last century. Ahead of the album, NPR has made a full stream of the album available, via its First Listen series. Ms. Simone's reach extended to... Read more

Joey Bada$$ & Big K.R.I.T. Hope That You’re Listening To These Jewels (Audio)

Tomorrow, Statik Selektah will release his Lucky 7 seventh album—on 7-7, no less. One of the ShowOff Records/Duck Down Music release's highlights is "In The Wind." This moment is the latest run-in between Joey Bada$$ and Big K.R.I.T., alums from A$AP Rocky's "1 Train" as well as the obvious connection as... Read more