mass appeal Archives

One Of J Dilla’s Most Respected Collaborative Peers Makes A Beat From Scratch In His Style (Video)

Nottz and J Dilla had a colorful history. Both production purists, these MC/producer double-threats each benefited from the support of Busta Rhymes, Skillz, and Ghostface Killah placements at critical career junctures. Thereby, the artists from Norfolk, Virginia and Detroit, Michigan (respectively) ended up on a few albums together. More than... Read more

April 22, 2016 Video

Rapsody’s Superhero Draws On Kindness, Inner-Beauty & One Bad Chariot (Video)

Most people have visions of superhero grandeur. Hip-Hop artists from Curren$y to Raekwon have described theirs. Rapsody's superhero alter-ego would be known simply as "Queen Rap'." Just as her albums The Idea Of Beautiful and Beauty And The Beast have done with sharp lyricism, the North Carolina MC would use... Read more

April 18, 2016 Video

Open The Book On J Dilla’s Last Vocal LP, “The Diary” (Album Stream)

Today (April 15) marks the true release of J Dilla's The Diary album. First recorded and plotted in 2001 and 2002, the project was then shelved by MCA Records. Seeing the album properly delivered to fans was a top priority of James Yancey at the time of his 2006 death.... Read more

April 15, 2016 Audio

From Kanye To Pete Rock, Get The Story On J Dilla’s “Diary” Over 15 Years (Audio)

Today (April 15), J Dilla's The Diary releases. The album featuring contributions from Nas, Snoop Dogg, Pete Rock, and many others has come a long way since its early 2000s plans to be an MCA Records release. Sadly, that never happened as planned. In 2016, it has been more than... Read more

April 15, 2016 Audio

Nas & J Dilla On A Madlib Track Is A Powerful Bookmark In “The Diary” (Audio)

In two days (April 15), J Dilla's posthumous album, The Diary, will finally release. With its beginnings dating back to the opening of the 2000s, the then-MCA Records solo artist and current Slum Village member plugged away at the LP that would never see release before his February 2006 death.... Read more

April 13, 2016 Audio

Pimp C’s Memory Is Cherished by Nas, Bun B & Family Insiders in New Documentary (Video)

In the years since his 2007 passing, Pimp C (born Chad Butler) remains a larger-than-life presence in Hip-Hop, especially when one considers his enduring influence in the way Southern Rap sounds. But regional impact aside, Pimp C was also a friend, a group mate, a husband, and a life-loving celebrant... Read more

April 4, 2016 Video

J Dilla’s Love For West Coast Rap Shines Alongside Snoop & Kokane (Audio)

Before J Dilla started working on his MCA Records debut known as The Diary, Slum Village had found great success with Fan-Tas-Tic, Vol. 2. While the LP memorably connected Jay Dee, Baatin, and T3 with the sounds of Q-Tip, D'Angelo, and DJ Jazzy Jeff, Kurupt was also a sought out... Read more

April 3, 2016 Audio

Sticks & Stones Will Not Stop Big K.R.I.T. From Winning (Audio)

One week ago (March 25), Big K.R.I.T. was the latest contestant of Mass Appeal's Rhythm Roulette game. While past producer/MCs have taken the challenge of blindly selecting three records from a store (Erick Sermon, El-P, Large Professor, to name a few of the most esteemed), Krizzle would break new ground.... Read more

March 30, 2016 Audio

Nas Plays A New J Dilla Collabo, Produced By Madlib (Video)

In October of 2014, Nas began a public pursuit of bringing recognition to the music of J Dilla. During a Mass Appeal Records release party for Run The Jewels' second album, the investor in the label shared his take on a Dilla "donut" beat. The track would be called "The... Read more

March 18, 2016 Video

Mannie Fresh & Lil Wayne Reunite. Juvenile Joins In On A Totally New Sound (Audio)

After years of speculation, the hit-making team of Lil Wayne, Mannie Fresh, and Juvenile finally showcases their new music. Mannie mentored both Weezy and Juvy at Cash Money Records in the late 1990s and early 2000s, before the Big Tymers member and label producer would exit to sign with Def... Read more

February 25, 2016 Audio

K-Def Takes His Rhythm Roulette Experiment To An Early ’90s-Sounding Paradise (Video)

K-Def has been making great Hip-Hop music for 25 years and counting. The New Jersey native just released two albums in The Way It Was and The Unpredictable Gemini. With lots to promote, the Redefinition Records honcho is the latest participant in Mass Appeal's Rhythm Roulette. Hitting up Jersey City's... Read more

February 24, 2016 Video

“Rubble Kings” Album Features Ghostface Killah, Run The Jewels, Bun B & More (Stream & Download)

Back in June, Heads got a serious history lesson with the release of Rubble Kings, a documentary exposing the real-life events in '70s New York City that led to the formation of what we now recognize as Hip-Hop culture. Now, the highly acclaimed film has an official soundtrack, featuring new... Read more

January 11, 2016 News

9th Wonder Shows The Pure Joy In Making A Neck-Snapping Beat (Video)

9th Wonder is the latest to step up and take Mass Appeal's Rhythm Roulette challenge, where he is blindfolded, chooses 3 random records and asked to make a beat using them. He joins a long line of impressive producers who have participated in the series, including Large Professor, Organized Noize,... Read more

December 25, 2015 Video

Large Professor Demonstrates His Beat-Making Process. Watch The Master At Work (Video)

Large Professor is the latest producer to try his hand at Mass Appeal's Rhythm Roulette challenge. In the ongoing series, beatmakers are blindfolded, asked to pick 3 random records and tasked to produce a track using their selections. Past installments have included everyone from Just Blaze to Mannie Fresh to... Read more

November 24, 2015 Video

Pimp C, Nas & Juicy J Take TLC’s What About Your Friends And Make It TRILL (Audio)

At the end of his life, Pimp C made no secrets about his unhappiness with the industry, and some of the folks in his circle. While Chad Butler and Bernard Freeman (a/k/a Bun B) maintained a brotherly bond in UGK that lasted nearly 20 years, other folks in Pimp C's... Read more

November 19, 2015 Audio, The Bridge

Pimp C’s Latest Posthumous Single Is Still Years Ahead Of Its Time (Audio)

Part of Pimp C's tremendous Hip-Hop legacy is making outrageous songs. UGK classics like "Feel Like I'm The One Who's Doin' Dope" and "I Left It Wet For You" played like The Wolf Of Wall Street in richly-produced audio. Chad Butler rhymed about drugs, sex, and violence unabashedly, influencing his... Read more

November 5, 2015 Audio

Dave East Is A Standout New Artist. With Nas, Pusha T & LOX, He Has an Army With Him (Mixtape)

Even before he was co-signed by Nas and Mass Appeal Records, Spanish Harlem's Dave East showed tremendous promise. An insightful street MC, Dave combines 2015's appreciation for grit with the present-day demand for intellectual verses. In an era when New York City is fast changing, East is a product of... Read more

October 2, 2015 Audio, Mixes

Nas & Dave East Celebrate Their Inevitable Rise to the Top on ‘Forbes List’ (Audio)

It takes a billionaire's mentality to achieve the unachievable, and for countless aspiring artists who hope to one day rise above the mediocre, there is perhaps no better gauge of "making it" than being listed alongside tycoons and moguls on Forbes magazine's list of the wealthiest in the world. Earlier... Read more

September 18, 2015 Audio

Just Blaze Has Made Smashes For Jay Z, Kanye West, T.I. & More. Watch How He Does It (Video)

Over the years, Just Blaze has powered some of Hip-Hop biggest hits and most revered classics. The superstar producer is responsible for defining records by Jay Z ("Girls, Girls, Girls," "Song Cry," "Public Service Announcement"), Kanye West ("Touch the Sky"), T.I. and more. Though his style varies, he is known... Read more

September 10, 2015 Video

Georgia Anne Muldrow Fires Up Raging Basslines In Rhythm Roulette (Video)

Los Angeles, California producer/MC Georgia Anne Muldrow has amassed quite a career. A Mello Music Group artist, the real-life spouse of Dudley Perkins (a/k/a Declaime) has worked on acclaimed albums such as Mos Def's The Ecstatic and Erykah Badu's New Amerykah Part One and Part Two, plus Platinum Pied Pipers' Triple... Read more

September 8, 2015 Video

Exile Proves Why He Stands Alone as a Producer on ‘Rhythm Roulette’ (Video)

In the latest installment of "Rhythm Roulette" - a musically diabolical segment from Mass Appeal which challenges heavyweight producers with creating a beat live, based on three random finds at a record store - Exile is in the crosshairs. The Los Angeles native has helped create classic material from Open... Read more

September 3, 2015 Video

Mannie Fresh Makes Super Tough Beat Live, Using 3 Random Records (Video)

It's no accident that Mannie Fresh is one of the pioneers in defining the sound of Southern Hip-Hop in the 90s and beyond. His distinctive style of "bounce" music, built on punctuated horn samples, rolling bass lines and plenty of bling sounds, shifted the direction of Hip-Hop, much like the... Read more

August 28, 2015 Video

Fashawn Revisits Some ’96 Jay Z for a 5-Minute Freestyle (Audio)

Since releasing his second studio album, The Ecology, last year, Fresno MC Fashawn has continued to grow his fan base, one that has been expanding steadily since he released his 2009 debut Boy Meets World, a collaborative LP with producer Exile. In the years since, his visibility has grown exponentially... Read more

August 27, 2015 Audio

Bishop Nehru Celebrates His Birthday With 4 Songs Including A Visual (Audio/Video)

Bishop Nehru has accomplished a ton in just a teen-aged life. Turning 19 today (August 26), the Mass Appeal/Lex Records MC celebrated in a way that aligns with his tireless work ethic. The Spring Valley, New York native released four new songs, one of which already receives a standalone video.... Read more

August 26, 2015 Audio, Video

Gangrene Show Their Far-Reaching ’70s Film Inspiration For The New LP (Video)

As producers, Oh No and Alchemist dig deep. The two California natives appreciate getting a bit dusty to find just the right elements to orchestrate their gritty arrangements. Teaming together for a third studio LP as Gangrene, the pair did the same, thematically. In 1972, a burgeoning broadcast journalist named... Read more

August 25, 2015 Video

Gangrene & Havoc Opt for Solemn Tribute to Sean Price on “Sheet Music” (Video)

The tragic passing of rapper Sean Price earlier this month has left much of the Hip-Hop community reeling, including those who have collaborated with P over the years. Gangrene, the duo comprised of the Alchemist and Oh No, are among those who established not only a musical relationship with the... Read more

August 18, 2015 Video

Gangrene Markets Their New Single With A Clever Reversal (Audio)

Alchemist is a marketing genius. In the midst of plenty of Rap diversions this week, the Gangrene cofounder launches latest single "Reversals" into the digital super-highway with some sarcasm-marketing. No, the Mass Appeal Records single does not feature Drake, Meek Mill, or Jay Electronica, but it absolutely packs potent punches... Read more

July 31, 2015 Audio

Run The Jewels Cat-Scratch The First “Meow The Jewels” Single (Audio)

The fan-funded Meow The Jewels remix project by Run The Jewels is on the horizon. Following January's snippet reel, "Meowrly" marks the first single. With Killer Mike, El-P, and Boots' vocals still in tact from "Early," this version incorporates those "cat sounds" in a way that strangely feels anything by... Read more

July 18, 2015 Audio

Action Bronson & Gangrene Make A Rental Car An All-Terrain Vehicle (Video)

Gangrene's Alchemist and Oh No share a love of hijinks with Action Bronson. Together, the cross-country homies take a rental car out for a spin that is none too good. Directed by Decon/Mass Appeal's master videographer Jason Goldwatch, this will appeal to lovers of pranks, corporate upsetters, as well as... Read more

July 17, 2015 Video

Dave East & Nas Aren’t Just Running Together, They Overlap In Narratives… (Audio)

Dave East is one of the newer artists to join Nas' Mass Appeal Records family. The Spanish Harlem, New York MC may have serious buzz right now, but that clearly is not the only reason he's running with Nasir Jones. The "NY State Of Mind Freestyle (East Mix)" takes Dave's... Read more

July 11, 2015 Audio

Mass Appeal: This Gang Starr Mini-Documentary Is A Must Watch (Video)

Here's an amazing documentary detailing the history of Gang Starr. Though the film is ostensibly about the making of their hit song "Mass Appeal," from Hard to Earn, it begins with the stories of Guru and DJ Premier even before they met and chronicles the story of the duo's rise,... Read more

June 25, 2015 Throwback

Politics As Usual…Red Tape Derails Killer Mike’s Run For Office

Less than one day after announcing he was running for a Georgia State Congress seat, Killer Mike has called off write-in voters on his behalf. The Run The Jewels member took to Instagram (where he announced his brief campaign) to clarify: I can't run 😞 BUT 😀 For the folks... Read more

June 16, 2015 News

Killer Mike Is Running For Georgia State Representative

UPDATE: Politics As Usual…Red Tape Derails Killer Mike’s Run For Office From Uncle Luke to Rhymefest, Hip-Hop stars have attempted career moves into politics. Killer Mike may be the latest, starting right in his Atlanta, Georgia backyard. Today (June 15), the artist also known as Michael Render campaigned via Instagram... Read more

June 15, 2015 News

Run The Jewels Turn The Back Of A Taxi Cab Into A Stage (Video)

Taxis are held up for robbery often. But for once, Run The Jewels in a cab is a great thing. Killer Mike, El-P, and Boots are the latest in Black Cab Sessions. In a crammed taxi cab, the three artists perform "Early." One of the most pointed (and topical) songs... Read more

June 11, 2015 Video

Finding The GOAT (Round 6): Nas vs. Tupac…Who You Got?

UPDATE: THE POLL IS CLOSED. After an unfortunate event where certain people attempted to skew the results the first time, we are conducting a rematch between Nas and Tupac. With now only 5 MCs remaining, Round 6 is well under-way in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT... Read more

May 12, 2015 Throwback

Fashawn Takes An Above The Law Classic & Hits Freestyle Switches (Video)

Fashawn stopped by Tim Westwood's crib to freestyle. The mainstay British DJ knew just what to hit Fash' with. Beginning with Above The Law's "Black Superman," the Mass Appeal Records artist gets to work. Finding his own G-Funk lyrics, the Fresno, California MC seems to come off the dome in... Read more

May 9, 2015 Video

Finding The GOAT (Round 6): Nas vs. Tupac…Who You Got?

UPDATE: Due to attempts to tamper with the voting, this post has been updated with a new poll, which can be found here. With now only 5 MCs remaining, Round 6 is well under-way in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). The second of... Read more

May 8, 2015 Fresh

Kendrick Lamar Breaks Down To Pimp A Butterfly’s Cover Art and Its Significance (Video)

Kendrick Lamar recently sat down with Mass Appeal for an interview, of which an excerpt was released on video of him explaining the album cover of his highly lauded To Pimp A Butterfly. He explains that all the people on the album cover with him are friends and family from... Read more

April 28, 2015 Video

Here’s a Look at the Real-Life Settings for Some of Hip-Hop’s Most Iconic Album Covers (Photo)

Part of the experience of enjoying an album, Hip-Hop or otherwise, is taking in the cover art that comes with the music. Technology and the Internet have made it so that fewer people actually pay attention to the cover art when they download an album, but recently the internet gave... Read more

April 20, 2015 Throwback

Alchemist & Oh No Bring Grand Theft Audio To Los Santos (Album Stream)

Alchemist and Oh No infected many ears with their Gangrene work. Not a Gangrene project, Alan The Chemist and Oh No The Disrupt come together for Welcome To Los Santos. Releasing tomorrow (April 14), the Mass Appeal Records effort welcomes an array of genre (E-40, Ab-Soul, MC Eiht, Curren$y, Little... Read more

April 13, 2015 Audio

Finding The GOAT (Round 4): Nas vs. Black Thought…Who You Got?

We have now reached the critical Round 4 in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 21 MCs remaining (with the largest winning margin, Rakim receives a bye for the round), things are really coming down to 10 match-ups, leading AFH's bracket-style series towards... Read more

April 13, 2015 Fresh

Many Think DJ QBert Is The Best Turntablist Alive. Listen As He Obliterates a ’60s Soul (Mix)

Chances are that if you own a pair of turntables, you know who DJ QBert is. The San Francisco, California DJ helped coin the term turntablism. The front man of the Invizbl Skratch Piklz crew (which also includes Beastie Boys' DJ Mixmaster Mike, and Fool's Gold Records founder DJ A-Trak,... Read more

April 4, 2015 Audio

There’s a Reason Why Nas Signed Bishop Nehru. Just Listen (Audio)

Imagine you're an 18-year old up and coming MC and you get the opportunity to work with DOOM...and Nas decides to sign you. Those dreams come true represent just a portion of the good tidings that have come to Bishop Nehru over the last few years. The Rockland County, NY... Read more

March 24, 2015 Audio

Finding The GOAT (Round 3): Nas vs. Ghostface Killah…Who You Got?

We have reached the third round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 42 MCs remaining, we are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into... Read more

March 9, 2015 Fresh

Gangrene Sound Bigger Than Life Without Losing Their Grimy Edge (Audio)

Gangrene played it especially cool in 2014. Alchemist got busy with Evidence as Step Brothers, while Oh No freaked his own brand of Funk alongside Prince Po for Animal Serum. A new year brings new moves for the California duo known for hallucinatory Hip-Hop, raw to the core. Alc' and... Read more

March 8, 2015 Audio

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

A Mini-Doc With Nas Behind It Shows Fashawn’s World, From An Addict Mom To Years Of The Grind (Video)

Although it's been available for days for stream, today (February 24) is the true release date for Fashawn's The Ecology. The sophomore studio album finds the MC now backed by Nas (care of Mass Appeal Records), releasing a plethora of visuals, and clearing his samples. As was the case with... Read more

February 24, 2015 Video

Fashawn’s New Album Features Nas, Busta Rhymes & More. Take a Listen (Album Stream)

Five days before release, Fashawn's sophomore solo LP, The Ecology comes to full stream. The Fresno, California MC celebrates his first go-round with Nas' Mass Appeal Records, and updates fans after a near six-year break from solo studio releases. After a Duck Down Music venture with Murs, co-signs from Wiz Khalifa,... Read more

February 20, 2015 Audio

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): Busta Rhymes vs. Killer Mike…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). We are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups... Read more

February 19, 2015 Fresh

Nas & Fashawn Give Us Something To Believe In With Support From Aloe Blacc (Audio)

When he released his first album, Boy Meets World, Fashawn garnered comparisons to the introspective Nas. When Fash' followed with Ode To Illmatic mixtape, the influence was overt. Last year, Nas signed Fashawn to his Mass Appeal imprint, making the proverbial cypher complete. Clearly, Nas something in Fashawn that he... Read more

February 19, 2015 Audio