News Archives

Online Trolling Is An Epidemic & It’s Threatening Our Way of Life

It's the nastiest by-product of the social-media revolution, and one that far too many experience either passively or directly on a daily basis. It's called trolling, but despite its somewhat whimsical name, it has become a modern-day plight that ranges from the harmless to the heinous. As explored by Ambrosia... Read more

August 22, 2016 Lifestyle

Styles P, Freeway & Torae Get Down On A Pete Rock-Produced Single (Audio)

Back in January, Torae released his Entitled album. One of the focal points to that self-released LP was "Get Down." First unveiled almost a year ago, the song is the latest run-in the Brooklyn, New York MC had with producer Pete Rock. A lot was at play in the beat,... Read more

August 22, 2016 Audio

Stro Runs Through 7 Minutes Of Classic Beats In 1 Of The Year’s Best Freestyles (Video)

Stro (f/k/a The Astronomical Kid) has had a quieter 2016 than other years. However, the Brooklyn, New Yorker is just ramping up, and showing that his skills have refined. Appearing on the most recent episode of Statik Selektah's ShowOff Radio show, Stro asks if he can go off the top... Read more

August 22, 2016 Video

Pras Details How O.D.B. Getting Lost Led To His Biggest Hit (Video)

The highest charting single of O.D.B.'s Hip-Hop career was not his own. The Brooklyn, New York MC/singer hit the charts with Wu-Tang Clan and his solo works. He would appear on the Bad Boy Remix to Mariah Carey's #1 single "Fantasy," but not on the chart-topping version. Instead, it was... Read more

August 22, 2016 Video

The New York Post Tries To Malign An MC For Having A Day Job

Authenticity as an MC could very well be the most highly championed quality of a skilled rapper outside of creativity and writing ability. Throughout Hip-Hop's history, "keeping it real" has been held up as a banner by which to measure the worth of a rapper's persona and those who've been... Read more

August 22, 2016 News

Andre 3000 Calls Out MCs Who Use Ghostwriters On A New Verse (Audio)

Perhaps more than any MC in Hip-Hop history, Outkast's André 3000 knows how to make his feature guest verses count. Whether alongside UGK, T.I., DJ Drama, Goodie Mob, or DJ Unk, 3 Stacks has used just 16 or so bars to satisfy fans who have waited a decade-plus for anything... Read more

August 22, 2016 Audio, Fresh

There’s Nothing Nice About How These MCs Wreck Mics (Audio)

Brooklyn, New York based MC JSWISS has been been both consistent and active. Fresh off of releasing his No Music EP in June, he teams with North Carolina artist Topiq (who also produced the track) for "Nice Guys." Sticking up for themselves, these two rappers refuse to believe that kindness,... Read more

August 21, 2016 Audio

Latino Rap Pioneer Kid Frost Details His Courageous Fight Against Cancer (Audio)

Kid Frost (a/k/a Frost) is renowned as one of the pioneering Mexican-American MCs. His 1990 hit "La Raza" would become a staple in the West Coast Hip-Hop boom, representing the Latino community. Five of Frost's album releases appeared on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart. Around the time of Eazy-E's... Read more

August 21, 2016 Audio, News

Allen Iverson Has The Answers. He Shares His Top 5 Rappers & Hoopers With Jadakiss (Video)

If there's anyone who embodies both Hip-Hop and hooping, it's Allen Iverson. He recently sat down with Jadakiss to talk about his favorite rappers, his favorite ball players and what it was like to be one of the first NBA players to bring Hip-Hop swagger to the league, on and... Read more

August 20, 2016 Video

This 1977 NYC Party Mix Shows How The Earliest Hip-Hop Parties Sounded (Audio)

Thanks to the series "The Get Down," many are newly fascinated with 1970s New York City and the genesis of Hip-Hop. DJ'ing, rapping, graffiti, and breakin' came together harmoniously in an overall form of expression that reflected the complexities of city-dwelling at a specific time in fashion, music, visual art,... Read more

August 20, 2016 Mixes, Throwback, Throwback

Logic Fights The Worst Cravings In The Sequel To “Nikki” (Audio)

One of the charms on Logic's 2014 debut album Under Pressure was "Nikki." While MCs have written metaphoric love songs to women that double-played as Hip-Hop, guns, or money, the Maryland lyricist went to another place. On his Def Jam debut, "Nikki" was short for nicotine—and chronicled Logic's 10-plus-year battle... Read more

August 20, 2016 Audio

MC Lyte Will Star In “love jones, ” The Musical

Since its release nearly 20 years ago, love jones has stood as one of film's most beloved love stories. Larenz Tate and Nia Long star as two star-crossed lovers who meet in a poetry club in Chicago and struggle to make a relationship work, despite their strong feelings for one... Read more

August 19, 2016 News

Ambrosia for Heads’ Founder Reggie Williams Shares His Personal Story & Philosophy (Audio)

Reggie Williams has spent nearly 20 years in the music industry. Armed with the keen insight and experience acquired from spending so many years as an industry insider, he launched Ambrosia For Heads (AFH) in 2010. With "ambrosia" being the food of the Greek gods, and "heads" being those in... Read more

August 19, 2016 Audio

Isaiah Rashad Lets His Ego Talk As He Allows His Soul To Sing (Audio)

In what felt like an overnight progression, Isaiah Rashad transformed from a talented (but largely unknown) artist in Chattanooga, Tennessee into a Top 40 MC on the charts. The difference was Top Dawg Entertainment, and linking up with the team responsible for introducing a handful of talented artists in multiple... Read more

August 19, 2016 Audio

A Tribe Called Quest Secretly Recorded An Album That Is About To Be Released

Almost 16 years ago, A Tribe Called Quest released its fifth album, The Love Movement. A Top 3 debut, the album arrived to the public following word from the group that it would be their last. In addition to frustrations with the act's lifelong label, Jive Records, Q-Tip publicly spoke... Read more

August 19, 2016 News

Grandmaster Flash Educates & Demonstrates Pioneer DJ Techniques (Video)

If not for the work of pioneers like Grandmaster Flash, Hip-Hop would not be on radio today. Long before strong signals were freely broadcasting cutting, scratching, and Rap music into the universe, DJs were transmitting live in the parks, house parties, and New York City clubs in the mid-1970s. That... Read more

August 19, 2016 Video

Hands On The Wheel. Unh-Unh…Driverless Cars Are Coming (Video)

In the last 48 hours alone, major news has broken on several different fronts of the driverless car movement. Earlier this week, Ford announced it would be introducing a fleet of auto-piloted vehicles occupying city streets and available for ride-sharing by 2021. But in Pittsburgh, there is only a month... Read more

August 19, 2016 Lifestyle

Redman Highlights Cypress Hill’s Green Thumb In Cultivating His Career (Video)

In the early 1990s, Cypress Hill and Redman would two Hip-Hop artists who launched careers that have lasted well into today. While Cypress Hill hailed from Southern California and Red' from Northern New Jersey, these acts helped expand the Rap genre's mind with songs about mind elevation. 1991's Cypress Hill... Read more

August 19, 2016 Video

The Internet’s Syd Continues To Showcase Her Amazing Talent On Her Latest Solo Release (Audio)

While Tyler, The Creator was the first from Odd Future to have breakout success, the talent in the collective has proven to be deep and diverse. From Earl Sweatshirt to Frank Ocean, there is no pinning down the loose group of artists that stormed onto the scene in 2001. As... Read more

August 18, 2016 Audio

Mac Miller & CeeLo Green Conjure Some Soul Music To Calm The Storm (Audio)

Three weeks ago, Mac Miller announced he was releasing his next album in September. Titled The Divine Feminine, Miller described the LP as “an album that’s all about the journey that is love.” Since then, he has delivered on that promise, commencing with the song and video for "Dang!," a... Read more

August 18, 2016 Audio

The United States Is Planning to Abolish the Use of Private Prisons

In a massive step in the criminal-justice reform movement, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) today (August 18) announced it will no longer use private prisons. Long since a bone of contention by opponents of prison privatization, the facilities in question are overwhelmingly for-profit institutions which usually have contracts... Read more

August 18, 2016 Lifestyle

Black Thought, Pharoahe Monch & Chuck D Revisit Biggie’s ‘Who Shot Ya’ in Living Colour (Audio)

Musical hybrids through-and-through, Living Colour's sound is nearly impossible to describe in one genre. A full-fledged Rock band, the New York City-based outfit also heavily borrows from the sounds of Heavy Metal, Jazz, Funk, and certainly Hip-Hop. On September 9, the longtime group whose discography stretches back over 25 years... Read more

August 18, 2016 Audio

D12’s DeNauN Porter Is Every Bit As Talented A Singer As He Is An MC & Producer (Video)

DeNauN Porter is a rare talent. The Detroit native is a bona fide double threat, equally skilled at producing and rapping. As some may know, Porter played a key role in launching Eminem's career, producing his debut album, Infinite, in its entirety. That affiliation would remain strong for years, with... Read more

August 18, 2016 Video

Jidenna Shows The Classic Man Is Also A Rapping Man (Video)

Nigerian-American artist Jidenna has proven himself to be one of the most original artists of his generation. With the success of his 2015 singles "Classic Man" and "Yoga," the Wisconsin-born singer has helped make Janelle Monáe's Wondaland Records a hotbed for recording artists who are unique as they are talented. Earlier... Read more

August 18, 2016 Video

Logic May Be In Super Mario World But His Lyrics Are Not A Game (Video)

Along with blistering verses, Logic clearly has a penchant for video games. Two years ago, when he released the video for "Under Pressure," the title song for his debut album, it was a high octane combat adventure shot from the first person perspective like a real-life game of Call Of... Read more

August 18, 2016 Video

Prince Paul Drops a Mixtape Highlighting Digable Planets’ Ladybug Mecca (Audio)

Earlier this summer, news broke that Grammy-winning producer Prince Paul teamed up with Grammy-winning Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets to form BROOKZILL! alongside Don Newkirk (The Dix) and veteran São Paulo, Brazil MC Rodrigo Brandão (aka Gorila Urbano). A blend of Brazilian and New York City Hip-Hop music, the group will... Read more

August 17, 2016 Audio

Outkast’s Aquemini Gets Broken Down to Expose the Art in Storytelling (Video)

In his ongoing web series Lyricology 101, Andre Gainer takes a highly detailed approach to analyzing not only the lyrics but also the form and function of some of Hip-Hop's greatest hits, both old and new. He's broken down everyone from Joey Bada$$ to Eminem bar for bar, and in... Read more

August 17, 2016 Video

Sean Price & Chris Rivers Spit Venom On A Track With Bruse Wane (Video)

Sometimes the best way to make a name for oneself is to make songs with established, respected MCs in a lane you aspire to merge into. Sean Price made his debut on Smif-n-Wessun's 1995 debut, Dah Shinin', and began a shuffle into the game through key spots alongside fellow Boot... Read more

August 17, 2016 Video

Yasiin Bey Shows He’s At His Best Making Powerful Thought-Provoking Music (Video)

Last month, A Tribe Called Red released its high profile single with Yasiin Bey (f/k/a Mos Def) and Narcy. "R.E.D." serves as an uplifting anthem for the indigenous people of the world. With percussion from Black Bear, this song fuses genres and two MCs of different backgrounds with a common... Read more

August 17, 2016 Video

Mothers of Black Boys Are Uniting to Protect Sons From Police Violence

For millions of Americans, the racial climate in the country today is not only unsettling, but in many instances lethal. In a nation where colonization and slavery were founding principles, there remains a system in place which continues to encourage the economic, political, and social disenfranchisement of people of color... Read more

August 17, 2016 Lifestyle

This Cypress Hill Anniversary Mix Shows Why Their Music Still Kills 25 Years Later (Audio)

Twenty-five years ago this month (8/13), Cypress Hill released their debut eponymous album. It was both a critical and commercial success, going on to sell over two million copies. Beyond its reception, the album represented a major milestone for Latinos. Despite the contributions of Latinos to Hip-Hop from its earliest... Read more

August 17, 2016 Throwback

Prodigy & Big Twins Keep The Imagery Infamous In The Rotten Apple (Video)

Twenty years ago, when Hip-Hop Heads pressed play on Mobb Deep's gold-certified Hell On Earth, they heard Big Twins on opener "Animal Instinct." Known then as "Twin Gambino," the raspy voiced MC would join Big Noyd as one of the M-O-B-B's most recognized offshoots. A fellow Queens, New York product,... Read more

August 17, 2016 Video

De La Soul’s New Song About The Old New York Is No Fairy Tale (Audio)

De La Soul records can be highly personal. Songs like "Trying People" and "I Am I Be" are remarkable reflections of one's place in the world, identity, and self-preservation. Other times, Posdnuos and Dave wax gripping tales that are about others. "Keepin' The Faith" is a virginity story, supported by... Read more

August 17, 2016 Audio

Drake Brings Eminem Out At His Detroit Show Calling Him The Greatest Rapper Ever (Video)

Nearly 2 weeks ago (8/3), the Internet went wild after a statement by Hot 97 personality Ebro Darden that he had been speaking with Drake about his ongoing feud with Joe Budden, and suggested that Eminem might enter the war of words, on Budden's behalf. “I told Drake that I... Read more

August 16, 2016 Fresh

DOOM & Kool Keith Are Villains With Heroic Verses (Audio)

DOOM (f/k/a MF DOOM) and Kool Keith have some over-arching qualities. For starters, these two 1980s-rooted MCs can never seem to decide on one name to release their product. Outside of titles, these artists have evolved with a love of unconventional writing, strong imagery, and the furthest reaching pop culture... Read more

August 16, 2016 Audio

Ed Lover’s Tupac Stories Will Make You Cover Your Mouth (Audio)

Contemporary Hip-Hop has a plethora of media personalities presenting, dissecting, and analyzing the music and culture. Names such as Sway Calloway, Charlamagne Tha God, Miss Info, and DJ Vlad come to mind in breaking news, discourse, and reaction to the daily stream of events. These personalities use different media platforms... Read more

August 16, 2016 Audio

YG, G-Eazy & Macklemore Unite In an Effort to Trump Hate (Video)

In the April video for "FDT," YG and Nipsey Hussle open with a question for their audience: "in which direction will we go?" It's a pointed reference to the presidential election, one in which the political arena has become more divisive and fraught with implications than most in recent history.... Read more

August 16, 2016 Video

Rah Digga Burglarizes A Beat With Break-In Bars (Audio)

Last month, Rah Digga was among those celebrated at "Hip-Hop Honors." The Jersey City, New Jersey veteran MC took the stage during a mega-medley and celebrated a career that has lasted nearly 20 years. Now independent, "Dirty Harriet" proves she's still got imperial flows, and lives to shine on a... Read more

August 16, 2016 Audio

REKS Shares The Recipe For Roasting Wack MCs & It Starts With Fire (Video)

For over a decade, REKS has been putting in work as one of Boston's finest. During that time, the underground MC, known as Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme, has worked with and earned the respect of some of Hip-Hop's most revered beatmakers, including DJ Premier Pete Rock, Hi-Tek and Statik Selkektah.... Read more

August 15, 2016 Video

Joell Ortiz, Salaam Remi, Nitty Scott & Bodega BAMZ Celebrate Nuyorican Pride On A Joint LP (Audio)

Joell Ortiz knows a thing or two about forming high-profile groups. In the late 2000s, Slaughterhouse was born out of mid-2000s friction between Joe Budden and Royce 5'9." They would go on to make amends, and invite two other under-valued MCs (Joell and Crooked I) to the fold. Since then, that... Read more

August 15, 2016 Audio

YG & Drake Answer Their Own Question With a Video for the Haters

This has been a major summer for Compton, California's YG, whose sophomore album Still Brazy has been making ways inside and outside Rap music. With "FDT," he released a defiantly anti-Trump anthem with Nipsey Hussle. But when he enlisted G-Eazy and Macklemore for the song's remix, he paired the song's... Read more

August 15, 2016 Video

Anderson .Paak & Free Nationals Transport NPR’s Offices To “Malibu” (Video)

Having one of the most exciting albums of the year is one thing. To see Anderson .Paak perform live is another world in of itself, which takes the album Malibu and casts a new shade entirely on the rich Empire-released LP. On the road, the Southern California native plays the... Read more

August 15, 2016 Video

This 1994 Biggie Interview Shows How He Turned an Everyday Struggle Into Rap History

Nearly twenty years since his passing, the Notorious B.I.G. continues to inspire contemporary art, from music to television, and beyond. Just this month, Biggie served as the inspiration behind "Nobody," a tribute song from rising Atlanta, Georgia spitter Nick Grant. Just a few days prior to its release, Mass Appeal... Read more

August 15, 2016 Throwback

Buckshot Credits Sean Price For Saving Duck Down & Taking Over Boot Camp Clik (Video)

Whether solo, or as part of Heltah Skeltah or Random Axe, Sean Price would release all of his albums with Duck Down Music. The label founded by Black Moon's Buckshot and manager Dru Ha would launch with the release of 1996's Nocturnal album by Sean Price (as Ruck) and Rockness... Read more

August 15, 2016 Video

CyHi The Prynce & Locksmith Combine Their Superpower Skills In One Cypher (Video)

In the freestyle Hip-Hop community, CyHi The Prynce and Locksmith are two of the most exciting MCs out. From across the country (Georgia and North California, respectively), both of these fervent lyricists are able to jam substance into their fiery flows. These artists touch upon social issues in a way... Read more

August 15, 2016 Video

Akinyele Suggests An Unkept Promise Planted The Seeds For The Nas & JAY-Z Beef

Queens, New York veteran MC Akinyele has not released an album of new material in more than 15 years. However, the raspy-voice rapper remains very much tied to the Hip-Hop culture he came up through. DJ Khaled and Drake's current hit "For Free" is an homage to a 1997 single... Read more

August 14, 2016 Audio

DMX Says He Won Every Battle With Jay Z. Who Won The War? (Video)

In 1999, Jay Z and DMX embarked (and majorly cashed in) on the Hard Knock Life Tour. Although Jay Z's album gave the tour its name, the lineup was a joint headliner of the Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder and DMX. Both artists had become the flagship acts at Def Jam Records... Read more

August 13, 2016 Food for Thought, Video

Hot 97 vs Joe Budden: An Interview Turns Into A Personal War Of Words (Video)

On August 12, Joe Budden visited Hot 97 in New York City to presumably promote his forthcoming album with AraabMusik, Rage And the Machine. However, what ensued was a nearly hour-long war of words that devolved to the point that Budden walked out of the studio. It all began when... Read more

August 13, 2016 Video

An Argument For Why Redman Is The Greatest Rapper Of All-Time (Video)

It's been less than a year since Redman released his last solo album, Mudface, but the short time span has not quelled the fervent interest in what he's reportedly got on the horizon: Muddy Waters 2. This year marks the 20th anniversary of arguably one of his most celebrated albums... Read more

August 13, 2016 Video

Ab-Soul’s New Album Is Done & Jay Rock’s Is Close. He Previews A New Song (Video)

At the beginning of the year, Top Dawg, founder and owner of Top Dawg Entertainment promised the label would release 6 projects in 2016. Kendrick Lamar led off with untitled unmastered in March, and he was followed by ScHoolboy Q who dropped his Blank Face LP in July. Last week,... Read more

August 13, 2016 Fresh