Stalley – Harsh Ave + City of 30,000 Wolves
Here's a double play from Stalley. Check out Harsh Ave (produced by Ski Beatz) and City of 30,000 Wolves (produced by DJ Toomp). Harsh Ave City of 30,000 Wolves ... Read more
News
Black Hippy (Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock and Ab-Soul) in Texas (Video)
Here's some footage of Black Hippy (Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock and Ab-Soul) performing in Texas, set to a medley of their hits from the past year (and damn there are plenty). Props to Top Dawg Entertainment for killing the game in 2011. Click here to check out our... Read more
Logic – Young Sinatra III
Logic breathes life into a vintage (and ridiculously slept on) Milkbone track, complete with a Nas/AZ sample. Check out Young Sinatra III. Props to 2DopeBoyz for the find. Here's the original Milkbone joint.... Read more
Joe Budden – No Church in the Wild
Joe Budden went in on the No Church in the Wild track from Watch the Throne. Check it out.... Read more
Joe Cool – Ghetto Bass (Video)
Here's yet another strong song from Joe Cool. Check out the video for Ghetto Bass. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAH3NxeV8Lw&feature=player_embedded... Read more
Skewby – Ups & Downs (Video)
Here's the latest video from Skewby. Check out Ups & Downs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cFHnHoub4Q&feature=player_embedded... Read more
Is Big K.R.I.T. the new OutKast?
Big K.R.I.T. asks us to call him a King Remembered in Time – a king who pays homage to royalty who’ve come before him. Among those giants who came before K.R.I.T. is Outkast. The beauty of Outkast is the group’s appeal to the playa and prophet that lives in us... Read more
Q-Tip Gets DNA Tested And Discovers His African Roots (Video)
Know your roots? Q-Tip does. He recently did a DNA swab to learn about his ancestry. Here's a video chronicling what he discovered about his family tree. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df9x2OUl6X4&feature=player_embedded Also, we had a big Run-D.M.C. weekend with the anniversary of Jam Master Jay's birth on Saturday. Here's D.M.C.'s... Read more
Saigon – Warning Shots 3: One Foot in the Grave (Mixtape)
Saigon has dropped a bunch of tracks from his Warning Shots 3: One Foot in the Grave project. Here's the full mixtape. You can listen to the whole thing and download it below. Download Mixtape... Read more
Evidence – Falling (Video)
Here's a new video from Evidence's Cats & Dogs album. That album made our best of 2011 list and this new video is also dope. Check out Falling. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58b37wo_nJg&feature=player_embedded... Read more
Sadat X – Remember That (Video) + Fokis – Just Sayin’ ft Sadat X
Here's a double play of new music from Sadat X. Check out the video for Sadat's Remember That and Just Sayin' by Fokis featuring Sadat X. http://vimeo.com/35510763 Fokis - Just Sayin' ft Sadat X... Read more
Saigon – Women Are the New Dogs
Saigon's new song, Women Are the New Dogs, takes a different direction than what you might expect from the title. It actually ends up being a commentary on how men have treated women. Check it out below.... Read more
Action Bronson – Strictly Business Pt. 1 & 2
Here's some new Action Bronson. It's a Statik Selektah-produced track which features an ill flip of a Boyz II Men classic and another New Jack swing joint from the soundtrack to Strictly Business (the movie that put Halle Berry on the map). Check out Strictly Business Pt. 1 & 2,... Read more
JIM-E-O – Tale of 3 Cities ft Big Remo & Dave East
Here's a hot joint from Austin's JIM-E-O featuring Big Remo (from 9th Wonder's camp) and Dave East. Check out Tale of 3 Cities.... Read more
Here’s a tribute mix to Jam Master Jay by Funkmaster Flex (Mixtape)
The late, great Jam Master Jay would have been 47 years old yesterday. In celebration of his birthday, Funkmaster Flex did a tribute mix filled with Run-D.M.C. classics. You can listen to the mix and download it below. When asked who's best, y'all should say....Also, click here to listen to... Read more
K. Sparks – The Cotton Club ft JAYVINE
Here's a nice jazzy track with some knock too it. Check out K. Spark's The Cotton Club featuring JAYVINE.... Read more
Schoolboy Q – Hands on the Wheel ft A$AP Rocky
Schoolboy Q's album Habits & Consequences dropped last Friday. It's a solid album, if you haven't checked it out yet. Here's his new video for Hands on the Wheel featuring A$AP Rocky. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGd9DTTrX4U&feature=player_embedded Also, click here for our interview of Kendrick Lamar.... Read more
Joe Cool – Cooley Hi (Mixtape)
Here's Joe Cool's new Cooley Hi mixtape. It has a bunch of hot joints on it, including I Wanna Sell Drugs which talks about fighting through the daily grind and resisting the temptation to sell drugs. Joe Cool is also a double threat, handling most of the production on the... Read more
Saigon – Hungry
Here's the latest from Saigon. Check out Hungry. His new mixtape, Warning Shots 3: One Foot in the Grave drops soon.... Read more
DJ Jazzy Jeff is a hip-hop icon. You know the stats: one of the illest DJs EVER, winner of the first ever rap Grammy, superstar producer and one half of the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. But, do you know the path that led him to become one of hip-hop’s pioneers? Here’s an interview where he breaks down his journey to hip-hop through music. This is Where It All Began for DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Click here for Where It All Began: Kendrick Lamar.... Read more
8Ball & MJG – We Buy Gold ft Big K.R.I.T.
Here's some new Southern Funk from 8Ball & MJG featuring Big K.R.I.T. This one knocks. Check out We Buy Gold. Both 8Ball & MJG and K.R.I.T. have mixtapes dropping soon.... Read more
Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa – Smokin’ On ft Juicy J (Video)
Here's a new video from Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa. Check out Smokin' On featuring Juicy J.... Read more
Ski Beatz – Fly By ft Curren$y (Video)
Ski Beatz produced most of Curren$y's Pilot Talk and Pilot Talk 2. Here's another hot collabo between the two. Check out the video for Fly By, off Ski Beatz's upcoming 24 Hour Karate School Presents Twilight album. Also, click here to check out our playlist of music produced by Ski... Read more
Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock and Terrace Martin Speak on the next generation of West Coast Rap (Video)
Here's an interview of Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock and Terrace Martin from This Is 50. Check it out. Also, click here if you missed our playlist on the evolution of the West Coast sound from Dr. Dre to the future of the West featured in this interview. Props to This... Read more
First Serve (Posdnuos and Trugoy of De La Soul) – Pushin’ Aside, Pushin’ Along
New music from Posdnuos and Trugoy the Dove (aka Dave)??? That's right. Check out Pushin' Aside, Pushin' Along from 2/3 of the legendary De La Soul, aka First Serve. Also, if you dig the Native Tongues, click here to check out our Beats, Rhymes & Life mix, featuring music from... Read more
MC Eiht – All Hood
Here's some new music from West Coast OG, MC Eiht. Check out All Hood.... Read more
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Thuggin’ (Video)
Here's the new video for Freddie Gibbs' and Madlib's collabo, Thuggin'. Check it out.... Read more
Here’s an MLK day playlist featuring music from Common, Talib Kweli, Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T., Nas and more (Playlist)
Happy MLK day. MUCH has changed since the 60's when Dr. King led a peaceful revolution for justice and equality, but the beautiful struggle continues. We are in complex times. The nation has a black president, a reality that likely would not have materialized had it not been for the... Read more
Kanye West Performing in 1996 (Video)
Here's some ill footage of Kanye West performing in 1996...8 years before College Dropout was released. You can see the same energy he displays now. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auCaRs_pSlM&feature=socblog_th... Read more
KRS-ONE Speaks on the evolution of his career, The Return of the Boom Bap and the death of conscious rap (Video)
Wow. Here's an unbelievable interview of KRS-One from DJ Premier's blog. He identifies the moment conscious rap died...Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erwJzZxaWXs&feature=player_embedded... Read more
Bring That Funk Back (Playlist)
Here's an old school playlist of songs from the 70's and 80's that influenced a lot of the funk in hip-hip. If you like music from Dr. Dre, DJ Quik, Erick Sermon or just appreciate some of that rich back in the day goodness, this one's for you. You'll find... Read more
Schoolboy Q – Grooveline Pt. 1 ft Dom Kennedy & Curren$y
Here's some new heat from Schoolboy Q. It's a laidback, soulful joint from Lex Luger that is a completely different sound than what you're used to hearing from him. Check out Grooveline Pt. 1 ft Dom Kennedy & Curren$y. Schoolboy Q's album Habits & Contradictions hits tonight at midnight. Based... Read more
Saigon – Another Man Down ft Lil Fame of M.O.P.
Here's some new music from Saigon, and it's a banger. Check out Another Man Down featuring M.O.P.'s Lil Fame.... Read more
We had the good fortune to sit down with Kendrick Lamar and he gave us an in-depth interview about the music that shaped him and led him to hip-hop. He discusses everything from the earliest influences on his musical tastes to the deep connection between him, DMX and Tupac. He is candid, introspective and insightful. Witness the story of Where It All Began in hip-hop for Kendrick Lamar.
You may have seen bits of the interview in our sneak peeks (posted below) but they were just a taste of the knowledge he dropped in the full conversation. If you missed them, check out more Where It All Began sneak peeks below.... Read more
MED – War & Love ft Oh No (Video)
Alchemist MURDERED this track for MED and MED & Oh No matched it with ill verses. Check out the video for MED's War & Love featuring Oh No. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6idlGXj7BD4... Read more
The RZA (Bobby Digital) – Shock Me
Here's some previously unreleased music from The RZA. It's an old Bobby Digital demo. Check out Shock Me.... Read more
Murs speaks on the power of independent hip-hop (Video)
Here's a really dope interview from Murs speaking about the current state of the industry for independent artists and talking about the new generation of West Coast MCs. Get this knowledge. Also, click here to hear Murs (and many others) talk about his first favorite rapper. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZOw5GQlaSg&feature=player_embedded Props to LA... Read more
Dom Kennedy – Why The Hell Not
Here's a hot previously unreleased track from Dom Kennedy. Check out Why The Hell Not.... Read more
Obie Trice – Growing Up in the Hood ft The Game
The Game and Obie Trice go in on a classic track from Compton's Most Wanted (with a little Ohio Players sprinkled in). Check out Growing Up in the Hood. Here are the Compton's Most Wanted and Ohio Players tracks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcU1ra4nyTI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJLrYjKqPmk... Read more
Nipsey Hu$$le – A Million (Video)
Here's a new video from Nipsey Hu$$le for his song, A Million, which flips the hook from Jay-Z's classic A Million and One Questions. Check it out. Also, if you missed it, you can listen to and download Nipsey's mixtape, The Marathon Continues, here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4kqJI_ACTw&feature=player_embedded Here's the original Jay-Z joint:... Read more
Joe Cool’s I Wanna Sell Drugs is actually NOT about selling drugs…It’s about his daily struggle to materialize his dreams and his resistance to the fleeting temptation to sell drugs. The song is incredible and the video takes the concept to a different level. Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dbFEz1p47Y&feature=player_embedded... Read more
STS – Cut Me Off (Video)
STS's Cut Me Off is a comedic take on a story about a relationship that was doomed from the start. The acoustic guitar track with no drum track is a different sound for him. Check out the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VPwHRNWJVvk... Read more
Terrace Martin – Thoughts From Detention ft Yung Shep (Video)
Terrace Martin drops some more of that new West Coast heat on Thoughts from Detention featuring Yung Shep. Check out the video. You can also check out our playlist of the evolution of the West Coast sound from Ice-T to Kendrick Lamar here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l735zqqB9s&feature=player_embedded... Read more
Kanye West plays Big Brother for Jay-Z for the first time (Video)
Here's some pretty dope footage of the studio session where Kanye West played Big Brother (the original version) for Jay-Z the first time. It kicks in at around the 1 minute mark. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-ZpPdqhTs3U... Read more
Stalley – The Night ft Rashad (Video)
Here's a hot new video from Stalley. It's another gem from his Lincoln Way Nights project, which made our best of 2011 list. Check out The Night featuring Rashad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT6ZHe_D5GM&feature=player_embedded... Read more
Ski Beatz & Freddie Gibbs – Illegal (Video)
Ski Beatz dropped his song Illegal featuring Freddie Gibbs a few weeks ago. Here's the video. Also, check out what Freddie Gibbs had to say about his first favorite rapper and what Ski Beatz had to say about who introduced him to hip-hop. Here's what Gangsta Gibbs had to say... Read more
Talib Kweli presents Black Star Live Part 2 (Video)
Here's a cool clip featuring some new music from Black Star, as well as some behind the scenes footage of their tour and Talib Kweli talking about what's in store for the Black Star family in 2012. Check out the video. Click here for more new music from Black Star.... Read more
Rockie Fresh – Driving 88 ft Casey Veggies
Rockie Fresh and Casey Veggies dropped a hot song called Duckin' N Dodgin' last Summer. Here's another nice collabo between the two. Check out Driving 88 (stream-only).... Read more
You knew this was coming…Common takes shots at Drake on Sweet, Drake fires back on Stay Schemin’ with Rick Ross and now Common retaliates on his own personal remix to Stay Schemin’. Who got who? Does this “beef” even make sense? 2 artists, 2 new albums…Here’s Common’s “Remix” to Stay Schemin’ by Rick Ross ft Drake.
Click here to see the video to the original Stay Schemin' from Rick Ross, Drake and French Montana.... Read more