Video Archives

Brownsville Ka Gives Hope a Spin In The Face Of Ill Street Blues (Video)

When its made well, music can be escape. However, nobody said that escape guarantees relief. Ka (a/k/a Brownsville Ka) has built a revived solo career (post-Natural Elements) in making sparse, insightful music that shows a New York City underbelly, far removed from the doormen, yellow cabs, and posh bakeries. In... Read more

March 19, 2015 Video

Freddie Gibbs & Chill Moody Join Mr. Green’s Live From The Streets (Video)

Mr. Green has travelled the world on his "Live From The Streets" video series, recording and interviewing street artists from various cities and sampling their sounds to create original Rap beats. Throughout the series he's gotten MCs including KRS-One and Vinnie Paz to rap over his beats, and this time... Read more

March 19, 2015 Video

Snoop Dogg & Uncle Charlie Wilson Revive The Funk With Retro Pharrell (Video)

Snoop Dogg & Pharrell have BUSH planned for May 12. First single "Peaches N Cream" shows that this is a major progression from Tha Doggfathers 2000s-era comeback with Skateboard P. However, Snoop uses a driving bassline and a song rooted in raw attraction to take dead aim on the dance-floor.... Read more

March 18, 2015 Video

The Game Reveals Details About The Documentary 2 Including Its Release Date (Video)

Last Summer, Game heated things up when he put some hard and fast details to his plans to make a sequel to his breakthrough major label debut, 2005's The Documentary. The Compton, California MC confirmed that Dr. Dre (whose relationship with Game since has been speckled in hiatuses and reunions),... Read more

March 18, 2015 Video

J. Cole Reflects On His Art & Career With Tavis Smiley (Video)

In support of his album 2014 Forest Hills Drive and its corresponding 64-city world tour, J. Cole recently gave an interview on the Tavis Smiley show. The interview touches on a few things Cole has spoken about before, but also gives fans a more introspective look at Cole's past and... Read more

March 18, 2015 Video

Jill Scott Brings Down The House & The Tears In Her Grand Return (Video)

Jill Scott is something special. While the signs of Spring typically conjure up songs about new love, lust, or at least the pursuit—"Jilly from Philly" knows that not all are so lucky. Presumably marching towards her first album since 2011's The Light Of The Sun, the Atlantic/Warner Bros. Records star... Read more

March 17, 2015 Video

Big Shug & DJ Premier Wave The Gang Starr Flag In This Dedication To The Craft (Video)

Big Shug is more than 20 years strong in hittin' Heads off with straightforward, working man verses. The Boston, Massachusetts MC who was a member of Gang Starr prior to No More Mr. Nice Guy clearly put in his work. "I Bleed For This" focuses on that. With a slow and... Read more

March 17, 2015 Video

DJ Quik Talks Nate Dogg, Dr. Dre, Tupac, Kendrick Lamar, Eazy-E and More (Video)

DJ Quik is one of the best interviewees out right now. The same day Kendrick Lamar's early-bird release of To Pimp A Butterfly is drawing some Quik comparisons, Montreality released the interview with the Compton, California musical O.G. In this interview, Quik speaks on some highly topical issues, including T.P.A.B.,... Read more

March 16, 2015 Video

Want To Understand Lil Wayne’s $51 Million Lawsuit? Lawyer Combat Jack Breaks It Down… (Video)

Lawsuits in the entertainment media can be pretty damn confusing sometimes. Fresh off of the multi-million dollar "Blurred Lines" ruling in favor of Marvin Gaye's family/estate against Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and T.I., another high profile music case remains open. Currently, Lil Wayne is seeking $51 million from Cash Money... Read more

March 16, 2015 Video

Ultramagnetic MC’s Make A Colorful Vid To Ego Trippin’ Almost 30 Years Later (Video)

The Ultramagnetic MC's debut album, 1988's Critical Beatdown may be the Bronx, New York group's most celebrated work. However, the Next Plateau Records release lacked the emerging video medium enjoyed by many other top Hip-Hop acts of the time. MC Ultra would eventually travel through several other labels in their... Read more

March 16, 2015 Throwback, Video

Lil Fame Talks Production Techniques, M.O.P. Beginnings and Biggie Smalls (Video Premiere)

Following last week's opening entry to the "Learn From The Legends" video series (Da Beatminerz), producer Rodney Hazard stays in Brooklyn, New York to talk to another 20-plus-year innovator in Lil Fame. These days, simply "Fame," the M.O.P. co-founding MC/producer has not only supplied some of his group's biggest hits,... Read more

March 16, 2015 Exclusive, Video

Charles Hamilton Gets Deep About His Struggles With Mental Illness and Reviving His Career (Video)

Earlier this week, Sway in the Morning released a 6+ minute Charles Hamilton freestyle that stands among the best of the year, so far. Prior to destroying the 5 Fingers of Death MC challenge with stellar off the top verses, Hamilton spoke with Sway for forty minutes in an incredibly... Read more

March 14, 2015 Video

Method Man Clarifies Once Upon A Time In Shaolin Confusion, Criticizes Hip-Hop Media (Video)

Method Man recently sat down with HuffPost Live to clear the air on the recent confusion regarding the Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon A Time In Shaolin album, and also to talk about his upcoming film with Adam Sandler, The Cobbler (March 13). Before getting into the music, they start by... Read more

March 12, 2015 Video

Charles Hamilton Has Everything To Prove In A 5 Fingers Of Death Freestyle (Video)

Five years ago, Charles Hamilton was seemingly on top of the world. The Harlem, New York MC who happens to be MC Lyte's cousin had inked a deal with the dominant Interscope Records. Hamilton was releasing spotlight-grabbing mixtapes at a breakneck speed. Along with peers Wale, B.o.B., and Asher Roth,... Read more

March 12, 2015 Video

Kendrick Lamar’s Full Biggie Freestyle Tribute is 7 Minutes of Madness Over 4 Biggie Classics (Video)

Yesterday (March 9th), iconic LA DJ Big Boy hosted Kendrick Lamar as his first guest on his new show on Real 92.3 FM. Given the anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.'s passing, Big Boy had Kendrick freestyle over some of Biggie's classic tracks and released a snippet. Now, the full interview... Read more

March 10, 2015 Video

Pete Rock Brings Out the Best in Edo. G. Listen to the Music They Make (Video)

Edo. G does not just rap about it, he lives it. Roxbury, Boston's star MC for more than 25 years takes his Pete Rock-produced "Make Music" track, and sets it smack dab in his city. Pete also appears in the visual. From the record stores, to the train platform, to... Read more

March 10, 2015 Video

Snoop, Pharrell & Charlie Wilson Reunite for More Soulful Goodness (Lyric Video)

Almost ten years ago to the day, Snoop Dogg released "Signs" as the third single from his album R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece. The song featured the vocal talents of Justin Timberlake and Charlie Wilson, and production from The Neptunes. Now, in 2015, 3/5 of that tandem has reunited... Read more

March 10, 2015 Video

Da Beatminerz Share Their Production Secrets with an Up and Coming Producer (Video Premiere)

For more than 20 years, Da Beatminerz helped define a predominant, defiantly Brooklyn, New York sound. With low end bass, heavily filtered samples, and rich sonic textures, the Bushwick-based crew has been sought out by major labels and indie labels alike, making 12" deep cuts and Rap classics played everyday... Read more

March 10, 2015 Video

Saukrates Makes A Poignant Return, Highlighting Industry Rule #4080 (Video)

Saukrates has been 20 years deep in Hip-Hop. An early Canadian staple as both an MC/producer, the Toronto, Ontario native was working with Xzibit long before Dr. Dre and Rockwilder did, making jams with Common before G.O.O.D. Music was established, and producing Choclair albums when Priority Records was still owned... Read more

March 9, 2015 Video

Footage Released Of Suge Knight’s Fatal Hit And Run (Video)

In the latest update in what is seemingly Hip-Hop's biggest story of 2015, video footage has been made public (by TMZ) of Marion "Suge" Knight's fatal hit and run. Taking place in Compton, California on January 29, the footage involves the former Death Row Records co-founder/CEO, actor Cle "Bone" Sloan,... Read more

March 9, 2015 Video

Joey Bada$$ & Maverick Sabre Make A Soulful Counter To Police Profiling (Video)

After Joey Bada$$ & Maverick Sabre's B4.Da.$$ collaboration, single "On & On" received a video inspired partly by police brutality, the pair extend the conversation. "We Don't Wanna Be" shows footage of protesting, and police confronting citizens. Sabre and Badman also appear, in the United Kingdom, showing that the plight... Read more

March 9, 2015 Video

J-Live Heads West for Some Sun and FUNK…and He Pays It Forward (Video)

J-Live is an oft unheralded underground king. Justice Allah was once a school teacher and now, he saves his lessons for lesser rappers. The NYC born and bred MC headed out West for his latest visual, "Pay It Forward." In addition to taking in some sun, he seems to have... Read more

March 7, 2015 Video

Rick Ross Needs No Assistance Movin’ Bass In His Latest Visual (Video)

Rick Ross' "Movin' Bass" was the latest in a 10-year run of major collaborations between he and Jay Z. The Hood Billionaire and the near real-life billionaire blitz with bars about former D-boys making hits. For the video, Jay Z sat it out (something he's made a habit of in... Read more

March 6, 2015 Video

Juvenile Says He’ll Retire A Cash Money Soldier, Talks No Limit Rivalry (Video)

In all honesty, Juvenile is not an MC whose hit records have equated to compelling interviews. Like his breakthrough hit "Ha," the Hot Boy-turned-Rich Gang member is not a man of many words when the music stops. Appearing on The Breakfast Club Thursday (March 5), that was not the case.... Read more

March 6, 2015 Video

Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent & Paul Rosenberg Tell The Story of Shady Records (Video)

In 1999, Eminem and Paul Rosenberg founded Shady Records. While the expectations might have been great, few could have predicted that Eminem would go on to become the best-selling artist of the next decade, making Shady Records one of the most powerful labels in Hip-Hop. Even with Eminem's massive success,... Read more

March 5, 2015 TV/Film

Action Bronson Leaks Behind-The-Scenes Footage with Mark Ronson (Video)

Just days after releasing the single "Baby Blue" featuring Chance The Rapper, Action Bronson released some behind-the-scenes footage of him and producer Mark Ronson creating the song in-studio. The video shows Ronson recording on piano and guitar, and Bronson coming up with lyrics and laying them down in the vocal... Read more

March 5, 2015 Video

Curren$y Drops Some More Audio Dope From His Pilot Talk 3 Re-Up (Video)

Curren$y and Ski Beatz have a special chemistry. Spitta has a penchant for dark, soulful beats, and Ski, as one of the architects of Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt and Camp Lo's Uptown Saturday Night, has what seems like an endless supply. To many, Ski Beatz brought out the best in Curren$y... Read more

March 5, 2015 Video

Freeway Gets Emotional Remembering The Jacka (Video)

There are moments in Hip-Hop that show just how deep wounds can be. Treach's tearful remembrance of Tupac Shakur is etched in the minds of many who witnessed the 1996 tragic murder of the icon. O.C., A.G. and Lord Finesse's "Tribute" to Big L was both deeply heartfelt and telling... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Keep An Eye Out For Raz Simone And The Rest Of “Them” (Video)

It appears that Raz Simone is gearing up for 2015 to be his true coming out party. Powerful and intuitive, Raz stacks content chocked full of social and cultural commentary within incredibly insightful track work, including his recent, "Drake & Macklemore's Platform" and "Macklemore & Chief Keef." To add to... Read more

March 4, 2015 Fresh, Video

Crazy Legs Says That The Credit For Hip-Hop’s Creation Needs To Be Shared (Video)

One of the pioneers of Hip-Hop in on the ground floor of the culture is Crazy Legs. The President of the Rock Steady Crew, Richard Colón has been am ambassador of breakin', fashion, and the Hip-Hop attitude for more than 35 years. Crazy Legs appeared in Wild Style, Style Wars,... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Give the Drummer Some. Questlove Raps & Freestyles on a Deep Roots Cut (Video)

Questlove is from an era when some great producers were equally phenomenal rappers. Large Professor, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, DJ Quik, and Andre 3000 are just some of the double-threat MCs. While Questlove is a drummer, producer, DJ, filmmaker, and all around funny guy, he never really got into rapping.... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Dame Dash Lets Sway Ask Him Anything & The Tables Seem To Turn (Video)

Whether he's running Roc-A-Fella Records, producing films, or pursuing fashion, publishing, and independent record labels like DD172 and BluRoc, Damon Dash is entertaining. One part Martin Scorsese character, one part Nikki Barnes, Dame's fast-talking, street-informed style has absolutely changed the face of the Hip-Hop culture over the last 20 years.... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

GZA, Tom Morello, The Roots & Crazy Legs Are All In Together (Video)

The Wu-Tang Clan's GZA stopped by "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" last night (March 3) to perform his recently released single "The Mexican." While he was backed by The Roots, Tom Morello (of Rage Against The Machine) joined GZA with his guitar, and Kara of K.I.D. sang the chorus.... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Even A Cappella Your Old Droog Has Nutty Bars (Video)

On tour with PRhyme and Boldy James, Your Old Droog is enjoying the opportunities of the road. In Chicago, Illinois, the Brooklynite blessed Windy City showgoers later on with a verse that's as cold as the air from Lake Michigan. This freestyle includes the usual Droog charms of childhood flashbacks,... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Snoop Dogg & The Pharcyde Have HISTORY. Imani & Bootie Brown Open Up (Video)

It's a forgotten fact that The Pharcyde's Bizarre II The Pharcyde and Dr. Dre's The Chronic released less than a month apart. Hip-Hop historians may see a major dividing line between the Los Angeles, California quartet and the Compton-to-Long Beach connection of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, but it's not... Read more

March 3, 2015 Video

50 Cent Says Suge Knight Was Going to Kill Dr. Dre. G-Unit Gets Real with The Breakfast Club (Video)

Today (March 3), G-Unit's Beast Is G-Unit EP released. 50 Cent's crew's second EP in as many years is sure to move the charts around. The best promotion though, is a quality interview with Fif, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks—the core of the Unit since the Columbia Records days. The... Read more

March 3, 2015 Video

Dipset Release Their Comeback Visual In Proper Fashion (Video)

The Diplomats—better known as Dipset—are hitting the road. Moreover, Cam'ron, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, and Freekey Zekey are bringing Funkmaster Flex out on the buses and planes with them. Flex, a veteran DJ who played many clubs across the globe, is returning to the road for the first time in... Read more

March 3, 2015 Video

Are There 3 Hotter Rappers In 2015 Than Big Sean, Drake & Kanye West? (Video)

Although 2015 is only in its third month, are there three bigger Rap artists for the current calendar than Big Sean, Drake, and Kanye West? Kanye's latest media swarm has everybody abuzz, leading up to God Help Me. Drake shocked the universe last month with his second gold-selling mixtape, If... Read more

March 3, 2015 Video

Yelawolf is a True Son of Anarchy With His Whiskey in a Bottle (Video)

Last year, Yelawolf got a high profile song placement in the final season of Sons of Anarchy, with his song "Till It's Gone." With the video for "Whiskey in a Bottle," Catfish Billy shows some of the many sides of his real-life rebel mode. The visuals find Yelawolf seemingly going... Read more

March 3, 2015 Video

Chris Rivers Maps His Path To The Top Of The Class (Video)

Chris Rivers never seems to sleep. Baby Pun, as he was formerly known, works as hard on videos, songs, and mixtapes as he does when he's in the booth. It's all calculated moves, and "The Statement 2.0" seems to prove it. Shot with some black-light effects, the visual shows Rivers... Read more

March 1, 2015 Video

Raekwon Explains Ghostface’s Biggie Diss on The Purple Tape. Goes Deep on Wu History (Video)

After more than 20 years in Hip-Hop, Raekwon has some stories...lots of them. He sat down with Sway and had as deep of a conversation as you will ever hear from the Wu-Tang Clan killer bee. The OGs covered a lot of ground, starting with how the Wu changed the... Read more

February 28, 2015 Video

Kid Rock Gives the Real Story on His Fight with Tommy Lee and Kicks a Verse (Video)

Few artists have been as successful and versatile as Kid Rock. The Detroit artist has excelled at Rock, Country, Bluegrass and more, but his roots are in Hip-Hop. Rock recently visited the Sway in the Morning show to promote his new album, First Kiss. They touched on the album, his... Read more

February 28, 2015 Video

Common Speaks on Why He Left Oprah Hanging at The Oscars (Video)

Common has deservedly received a lot of attention this week after winning his first Oscar, along with John Legend and Rhymefest, for Best Original Song for "Glory," from the movie Selma. His performance and acceptance speech were highlights of the Academy Awards. However, something that occurred immediately prior to his... Read more

February 27, 2015 Video

Action Bronson Is The Wizard of Oz. Take A Look Behind the Curtain (Video)

Action Bronson's five-year plan has paid off. Once an underground New York Hip-Hop MC, Bam-Bam is now a major label artist, hitting the charts, and starring in an HBO-distributed food series. He's working with Rap's elite veteran class, and still has the humor, charm, and gritty imagery that brought him... Read more

February 27, 2015 Video

Watch Wayne Brady SMASH This Sway Freestyle on the Craziest Topics (Video)

Wayne Brady is an unbelievable talent. The comedian/actor/singer/host/MC returned to Sway in the Morning to promote his recent gig as host of BET Honors. Though he is not a full-time rapper, Brady is known for his ability to get busy on the mic, "off the top." In fact, Brady was... Read more

February 27, 2015 Video

Diamond D Gets Some Super Hero Theme Music From DJ Scratch (Video)

Diamond D is an iconic Hip-Hop producer. So who does he turn to when he needs a beat? Another legend, of course. DJ Scratch (EPMD, Jay Z, Method Man & Redman) laces Diamond with an anthemic track fit for a super hero on "Superman," from Diamond's The Diam Piece album.... Read more

February 26, 2015 Video

The Breakfast Club Puts Chance the Rapper to the Test. He Passes with Flying Colors (Video)

Chance The Rapper and his bandmate Donnie Trumpet recently stopped by The Breakfast Club to chop it up with DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God and Angela Yee. While he does give some more detail about his upcoming album (which is revealed to not exactly be his—as first thought), the interview... Read more

February 26, 2015 Video

Get to Know the Kinder, Gentler Kanye West in this Candid Interview (Video)

On The Low End Theory, Q-Tip famously rapped about "the way things work in cycles." That being said, Kanye West is hitting specific media spots, and doing complete 180's from his late 2013 campaign. Once perceived as angry, arrogant, and easily aggravated during his post-Yeezus run, 'Ye is righting his... Read more

February 26, 2015 Video

Dame Dash & Kanye West Share A Glimpse Of Their Film In Segments Starring The LOX, Smoke DZA & More (Video)

In Hip-Hop, film and music videos are often of blurred lines. From Krush Groove to Murder Was The Case, plots often pause to show artists expressing themselves in cinematic vignettes. Loisaidas, the new film executive produced by Damon Dash and Kanye West is no exception. In a 17-minute reel-style "episode,"... Read more

February 26, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Fashawn Adds To A Major Week In His Career With A Dazzling Freestyle (Video)

With The Ecology out, Fashawn may be having the week of his career. The Fresno, California MC hit Statik Selektah's ShowOff Radio show. There, the 100 Proof collaborators linked up to allow Fash' to kick a quite-nice freestyle over beats by Souls Of Mischief and Gang Starr. With wit, impeccable... Read more

February 26, 2015 Video