Every so often, an MC completely captures the love of the art, with the jaded response of those who receive the music (fans and otherwise). Records like Main Flow & Talib Kweli's "Hip-Hop Worth Dying For," Little Brother's "The Listening," Torae & Marco Polo's "Crashing Down," catches the zeitgeist of... Read more

In an era when the compilation seems obsolete, Mello Music Group is focused on fighting the great fight. Following Phonte and Oddisee's deeply-compelling "Requiem," the upcoming Persona (March 10) sheds another captivating track. Diamond District's yU, who has released a series of strong solo albums with Mello, combines with fellow... Read more

Tomorrow (January 27), DMV music scene veteran Kenn Starr will release his sophomore album, Square One. As the title suggests, the LP is a return to form for one of Oddisee's earliest collaborators, and a member of the Low Budget crew that includes Oddy, Kev Brown, Peter Rosenberg, and Sean... Read more

Late last year, Bronx, New York MC/producer/DJ Diamond D released his fourth album, The Diam Piece (which remains available for full, authorized stream on YouTube), in addition to Google Play and iTunes). The Diggin' In The Crates (D.I.T.C.) co-founder produced the album, released on his own Dymond Mine Records and... Read more

Detroit, Michigan is historically, a fighter’s city. The sharp elbows of the Bad Boy-era Pistons, the unbreakable spirit of the autoworkers through the decline of the industry’s bountifulness, and the cold, harsh conditions of everyday life make for the Great Lakes State to be rugged, never smooth. In the context... Read more

Red Pill has been one of the budding forces at Tucson, Arizona-based Mello Music Group. A member of Ugly Heroes with Verbal Kent and Apollo Brown, the Lansing, Michigan native announced this young week that he has signed a multi-album deal with the label that's been a home/outpost for Oddisee,... Read more

In October, Diamond District delivered another potent album in March On Washington. An ode to their home city, Oddisee, yU, and X.O. maintained their level of range and consistentcy on the Mello Music Group release. Two months later, it's the Redux. Mello's in-house squad of Apollo Brown, Quelle Chris, and... Read more

Diamond D is an exceptional producer at those guitar-driven tracks, with dusty, accentuated grooves. He's given these type of joints to Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs, Ras Kass, and of course, The Fugees. In 2014, he hits off his shelf-mates in the record store, Diamond District, with a remix to... Read more

True remixes are a rarity these days. Remember the days when The Beatnuts might remix PMD, Diamond D might remix Outkast, or Marley Marl remix DJ Pooh? It's a little different in 2014. However, when Black Milk spins his take on an Oddisee-produced track, it's worth noting, and absolutely worth... Read more

Diamond District is compromised of three vastly different artists in Oddisee, yU, and X.O. If only basing a union on their solo projects, this is an improbable trio. However, for two full-lengths, the Washington D.C. natives have mirrored the complexities of their city in extremely current, hard-hitting, forward-thinking music. March... Read more

Today, Ill Adrenaline Records is releasing That Grit by Low Budget producer Kev Brown and MC Hassaan Mackey. The Landover, Maryland-meets-Rochester, New York connection's album is a continuation of a decade of championed independent works from Kev, since his days as a pupil in Jazzy Jeff's A Touch Of Jazz... Read more

Mello Music Group has been around for almost a decade. After acclaimed involving O.C., Oddisee, and Planet Asia, the just-released Blasphemy by Ras Kass & Apollo Brown seems to be reaching the furthest into the industry, just days in. After stopping through the "106 & Park" Backroom, Ras Kass appears... Read more

During A3C week earlier this month, 9th Wonder served as Reggie Osse's latest guest for a live taping of The Combat Jack Show. Per usual, the conversation spanned the career of the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina producer/DJ/sometimes-MC. However, there are certainly some impromptu side discussions and points made that make this... Read more

Quietly and consistently, Boaz has built a strong career. The Rostrum Records artist (Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, etc.) is nothing like his label-mates/homies new or old, instead, he's got a street-struck grittiness, with an introspection that few artists naturally possess. Intuition lives up to its name, and with D-Block, Fashawn,... Read more

Diamond District, the collective of yU, Oddisee and Uptown XO, release their visuals for "First Step." The Oddisee-laced track is a return to the Boom Bap with some trunk-rumbling keys. Check out the video. Related: Diamond District Really Has Something In Their March On Washington (Audio)... Read more

After sharing their "First Step" towards sophomore album, March On Washington (October 14) a month ago, Oddisee, yU, and X.O are back for more. "Lost Cause" is a very experimental beat from Oddy, with some powerful lyrics on the hopelessness and recklessness in society, this song really leaves marks. With... Read more

Diamond District's March On Washington is coming on October 14. With the Mello Music Group release from Oddisee, yU, and X.O. available for pre-order, the acclaimed District of Columbia trio dropped off some highly anticipated new music. "First Step" is a fitting first glimpse from the March. With an electrofied... Read more

Both Mello Music Group and Murs are based in the deserts of Tucson, Arizona. The former Warner Bros. Records artist and the thriving indie are working more together. Thereby, Murray joined Ugly Heroes, the trio of Michigan's Apollo Brown and Red Pill and Chicago vet Verbal Kent. "Good Things Die"... Read more

Throughout June, Public Enemy's Chuck D and HOT 97's Peter Rosenberg had a debate-possibly perceived as a war of words on social media. The Hip-Hop legend—who has long run an online radio platform, RapStation.com, called out the New York City station's 2014 Summer Jam event, in regards to the station's... Read more

Chance The Rapper's growing movement has been mostly with in-house producers (Nate Fox Blended Babies), give or a take a few looks from the likes of Jake One or BrandUn Deshay. However, in a rather surprising move, C.T.R. let loose a joint he made with Detroit, Michigan-based Apollo Brown. Apollo... Read more

Mello Music Group has made some truly amazing albums in the last five years. They linked Apollo Brown and O.C. for last year's Trophies LP that have everybody feeling like winners. They released another Apollo project, with Journalist103 and DJ Soko as The Left, whose Gas Mask left softcore Rap... Read more

The DMV is a great a place to dig for records (and we're not just talking about Biz Markie's second crib full of wax). A hot-bed for dusty loops, it's little surprise that the region has spawned Oddissee, Nick Tha 1da, and Damu The Fudgemunk. The latter is a name... Read more

The Interstate 95 circuit comes alive in this King Mez and Oddisee collaboration. North Carolina and Washington D.C. rooted (respectively), with New York addresses. This is believed to stem from LLTK2 (Long Live The King 2). As for the contents of the song, more related to automobile interiors than 12"... Read more

Here's a high BPM new song TiRon and Ayomari that was produced by Oddisee. Check out They Go. Related: Oddisee - Hustle Off They Go (prod. by Oddisee) by The Cafeteria Line... Read more

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