Twenty years ago today (October 12, 1999), Mos Def released his solo debut, Black On Both Sides. After two decades of testing time, the Rawkus Records album remains a hallmark from the Underground Hip-Hop boom. On his own strict terms, Dante Smith crafted an LP driven by creativity, piercing commentary,... Read more

Nearly two years ago, Kool G. Rap, Large Professor and Big Noyd released "Naturally Born" as part of Coalmine Records' Unearthed compilation. The track, which was produced by Ayatollah, featured a soulful sample and strong verses from each of the veteran wordsmiths. Now, Cookin' Soul, the production duo known for... Read more

From Mos Def to Ghostface Killah to R.A. The Rugged Man, producer Ayatollah has been cooking up beats for well over 15 years. A descendant of the Rawkus Records era, 'Tollah found a home in Nature Sounds Records (J Dilla, Blu, Havoc), where he released several instrumental LPs. This week,... Read more