Fresno, California's Planet Asia has been posted up in New York City for the past couple of months. The purpose of the extended visit is to link up with like-minded rappers from all across the five boroughs and beyond. On top of recording an impressive amount of guest verses while... Read more

Since Planet Asia came on the scene towards the end of the 1990s, he has cooked up quality product at an impressive rate. Not only has the Fresno, California MC dropped countless albums, EPs, mixtapes, and collabs, he is behind the Gold Chain Military movement that includes a number of... Read more

Chicago has been getting plenty of attention in the last couple years due to a new generation of artists like the Save Money crew (Chance The Rapper, Vic Mensa, Joey Purp, etc.), Mick Jenkins, NoName, Saba, and more. However, the Windy City also has a rich vein of new wave... Read more

Planet Asia's Gold Chain Miltary has assembled a clan of lyrical assassins, two of which just happen to be women. One of those MCs is L.A. transplant Lyric Jones. "Nat Queen Cole" (as she calls herself in this cut) has been on her grind in the last couple months, dropping... Read more

Detroit, Michigan producer Apollo Brown has become a noteworthy crossroads for the MCs he meets in the studio. From O.C. to Ras Kass, Skyzoo to Guilty Simpson, Brown's grabbing Soul samples and hard drums bring something distinct out of MCs in their catalog. Like 9th Wonder was to Buckshot and... Read more

Planet Asia's career benefited greatly from Sway & King Tech's The Wake Up Show. When P.A. (along with Jurassic 5) were Interscope Records label picks from the West Coast Hip-Hop Underground, they got massive spots on 1999's This Or That, the hallmark album from Sway, Tech, and DJ Revolution. In... Read more

When Planet Asia eloquently stated "My mind shine harder than your chain" back in 2000, on Dilated Peoples' "Ear Drums Pop," it was clear that the Fresno, California MC was special. Trading an Interscope Records deal for full creative control, this Cali Agent has achieved strong independent success. Late in... Read more

Mello Music Group loves MC/producer tandem projects—especially combining complete strangers. They took veteran D.I.T.C. MC O.C. and introduced him to Detroit, Michigan producer Apollo Brown for 2012's Trophies. In the last 12 months, they took Fresno, Cali vet Planet Asia and linked him with New Yorker Gensu Dean for Abrasions.... Read more

While Gensu Dean's album with Planet Asia, Abrasions, dropped almost a year ago, Mello Music Group and the Queens-to-Fresno connect isn't done working the fan favorite. The pair drop a darker, poignant video for "Listen" from the LP. Bars and beats, to paraphrase Phonte, what more could you want? Related:... Read more

"Cha Cha Cha"-meets-"Cha, Cha, Chain" as Planet Asia and Killa Kali recreate MC Lyte's 1989 King Of Chill-produced single. Over three years removed from the group's Chain Of Command album, Asia—fresh from successes with 2012's Black Belt Theatre and this year's 360 Waves with his other, other crew, Durag Dynasty.... Read more