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Scarface Delivers One Of The Best Tiny Desk Performances Ever

Scarface is at an interesting point in his career. It has been over five years since the Houston Hip-Hop legend released an album (2017's Deeply Rooted: The Lost Files compilation). In that outage, Face has been quick to demonstrate his supreme Rap skills on songs with DJ Muggs, E-40, and... Read more

December 18, 2023 Trending Stories, Video

Missy Elliott Works It! She Brings Her Classic Videos To Life At The VMAs

Last night (August 26), Missy Elliott accepted the coveted legacy prize at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards. The 48-year-old Portsmouth, Virginia MC, producer, dancer, and philanthropist was on hand to receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard trophy, which puts her in the company of some of modern music's greatest... Read more

August 27, 2019 TV, TV/Film, Video

Kendrick Lamar Opens The Grammys With Dave Chappelle & A BANG (Video)

Kendrick Lamar opened the 60th Grammy Awards with a performance. Ahead of tonight's live televised event, the Compton, California MC was already awarded three trophies for "Best Music Video," "Best Rap Song," and "Best Rap Performance." In all three categories, it was DAMN. single "HUMBLE" that scored the win. When... Read more

January 28, 2018 Video

DMX Performs For The First Time Ever With A Live Band (Video)

Many of DMX's hits had a distinct sound. Especially in his work with Swizz Beatz, X had a synthetic sound that pulled Rap music away from the sample-covers of the late 1990s. While the Yonkers, New York superstar certainly tried his hand at that style too, tracks like "Ruff Ryders... Read more

December 1, 2017 Video

Joey Bada$$ Turns His Amerikkkan Idol Into A 2017 Version Of JAY-Z’s Dead Presidents (Video)

Joey Bada$$ is fast at work promoting his 2017 sophomore album. All AmeriKKKan Bada$$ is the Brooklyn, New Yorker's second consecutive #5 debut. While stopping by the BBC, the Pro Era front man performed LP closer "AMERIKKKAN IDOL." The DJ Khalil (of Self Scientific) cut features such strong lyrics as "Now you tryna... Read more

October 26, 2017 Video

The Roots & Bilal Give A Stunningly Powerful Performance With A Full Orchestra (Video)

Late last month, The Roots and Bilal released "It Ain't Fair." The Detroit soundtrack single is jarring, as it applies to racial and social injustice in 1967, as well as in 2017. The song and its message are not going away. This partial Soulquarians reunion is bigger than just one... Read more

August 8, 2017 TV, TV/Film, Video

Dru Hill Reunite For The Soul Train Awards & Sound As Great As Ever (Video)

It has been more than six years since Dru Hill released an album. The multi-platinum 1990s and 2000s Baltimore, Maryland group reunited for a 2016 Soul Train Awards performance. Opening the show, Sisqó, Jazz, Nokio, and Tao performed a medley of their hits, including the So So Def Remix of... Read more

November 28, 2016 Video

Common Is A Rap Pharaoh Building Pyramids Of Empowerment, With Words (Video)

One week ago today, Common released his 11th album, Black America Again. The LP had many a la carte looks before its release. "Pyramids" was a highlight. Produced by Karriem Riggins and Robert Glasper, the track is one of several with reverberating lyrics about the modern day Black experience, the... Read more

November 11, 2016 Video

Nas & Erykah Badu Perform Their New Song With The Intensity It Deserves (Video)

In July, Nas and Erykah Badu released "This Bitter Land." The collaboration was a standout single from The Land soundtrack, which belongs to a film that Nasir Jones co-produced. The song blends poetry with singing, as Nas returns to form spitting over sparse instrumentation that bares little resemblance to the... Read more

October 13, 2016 Video

Big K.R.I.T. Details Being Moved To Tears For His BET Performance (Video)

Last week, Big K.R.I.T. seemingly delivered the musical performance of his career to date. During the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards, the Mississippi MC/producer performed a remix to Kenneth Whalum's "Might Not Be OK" dressed as an officer of the law. In addition to the highly evocative lyrics, Krizzle's delivery... Read more

October 13, 2016 Video

Anderson .Paak & Free Nationals Transport NPR’s Offices To “Malibu” (Video)

Having one of the most exciting albums of the year is one thing. To see Anderson .Paak perform live is another world in of itself, which takes the album Malibu and casts a new shade entirely on the rich Empire-released LP. On the road, the Southern California native plays the... Read more

August 15, 2016 Video

Ghostface Killah, Twista & Cassidy Smash A Cypher Like Legends (Video)

Ghostface Killah, Twista, and Cassidy represent three vastly differently Hip-Hop stories. However, they prove they can perform together with finesse. In the early 1990s, G.F.K. and Tung Twista each burst onto the scene with unconventional, highly-gravitational deliveries. While the Speedknot Mobstaz O.G. spit his bars with AK-47 precision and nimble... Read more

August 9, 2016 Video

DMX Takes Over The Stage & Shows He’s Still Very Much Up In Here (Video)

One of the many highlights of the 2016 Roots Picnic, which took place on June 4, 2016, was seeing DMX back in tip-top form, taking over the stage. Two months prior, Swizz Beatz sent a shockwave through the digital world when he posted that Dark Man X was "focused, clean... Read more

June 21, 2016 Video

Anderson .Paak & T.I. Elevate “Come Down” Through A Dazzling Performance (Video)

Anderson .Paak's Malibu has many charms. "Come Down," produced by Reflection Eternal's Hi-Tek is just one. As the California singer, MC, and drummer continues to take his independent Empire release and garner acclaim, attention, and legions of new fans, the rest of the Hip-Hop space wants in. Now signed to... Read more

May 26, 2016 Video

Prince’s Cover Of An 1800’s Spiritual Shows All Aspects Of His Greatness (Video)

Part of what made Prince so great was his supreme talent on so many levels. He could dance, sing, play 27 instruments and, despite his prodigious gifts, his work ethic was legendary. To play with Prince was often a 24-hour a day job and required incredible precision. A video has... Read more

May 1, 2016 Video

Ever See The Time Prince Surprised Q-Tip On Stage & Started Jamming? (Video)

In addition to his mind-blowing talent and off the charts charisma, part of what made Prince so legendary was his mysteriousness. Even in a world where every millisecond is documented by a share, a photo or a video, he fiercely guarded his privacy, rarely granting interviews and simply letting his... Read more

April 23, 2016 Video

Anderson .Paak Slows Down The Tempo & Turns Up The Funk In A Performance With ScHoolboy Q (Video)

When Anderson .Paak released "Am I Wrong," his first single from his album Malibu, last Summer, it was an uptempo Funk jam that featured ScHoolboy Q and a retro, almost Disco feel. As with almost all of his music, .Paak changes things up on the live version. With Q joining... Read more

April 16, 2016 Video

Anthony Hamilton’s One-Of-A-Kind Voice Will Brighten Your Day (Video)

Over the last few years, NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series has become one of the richest platforms for showcasing great music, in its purest form. The franchise allowed artists like Oddisee and Rapsody to demo the richness and depth in their song-making, and completely re-introduced T-Pain to the world as... Read more

March 31, 2016 Video

Witness The Greatness Of Run-DMC With This Rare 1985 Concert (Video)

On this day in 1984 (March 27), Run-D.M.C. released their seminal debut eponymous album. In the canon of game-changing Hip-Hop albums, that album is one of the first, and possibly the biggest. Run, D.M.C., and Jam Master Jay synthesized the hardness they heard in the genre's pioneers, and adapted it... Read more

March 27, 2016 Throwback

Chance The Rapper Makes SNL History As Its First Independent Musical Guest (Video)

The year 2015 is ending on a high for Hip-Hop. Earlier in the week, Kendrick Lamar was nominated for 11 Grammy Awards, the most ever for a Hip-Hop performer in a single year. And, tonight (12/12), Chance The Rapper became the first independent artist, in any genre, to perform on... Read more

December 13, 2015 Video

Kendrick Lamar Performs These Walls For the First Time on Television (Video)

Kendrick Lamar's song "These Walls" is one of the most complex in the dense stew that is To Pimp a Butterfly. The track, which features Anna Wise and Bilal, is as much Neo Soul as it is Hip-Hop, laced with lush instrumentation from Thundercat's bass, Terrace Martin's saxophone and keys... Read more

May 27, 2015 Video

Jodeci Reunites at The Soul Train Awards. Watch the Performance (Video)

Jodeci reunited for an extended medley at the 2014 Soul Train Awards. K-Ci, JoJo, DeVante and Mr. Dalvin took the stage in Las Vegas and ran through several of their classics, hitting seemingly all of the slow jams that made them one of the most revered groups of the New... Read more

November 30, 2014 Video

Was Kendrick Lamar’s SNL Performance a Tribute to Method Man & ODB? RZA Speaks (Video)

Last week, Kendrick Lamar took the stage on Saturday Night Live and gave an incredibly dynamic performance of his current single, "i." The rendition featured a live band and Kendrick showcasing some of the choreography from the song's video. Strikingly, K.Dot also wore black eye contacts and his hair in... Read more

November 21, 2014 Video

Prince Turns on the Funk Then Rocks Out on Saturday Night Live (Video)

Saturday Night Live now belongs to Prince. He took the SNL performance stage last night and held it hostage for 8+ minutes amidst a storm of unrelenting funk and rock. Accompanied by his group 3rdEyeGirl, Prince broke a 40-year SNL tradition by playing one monster set instead of two separate... Read more

November 2, 2014 Video

Kendrick Lamar Performs i After an Intro From Kevin Hart (Video)

If you've caught any of the NBA games this week, you've undoubtedly heard at least a snippet of Kendrick Lamar's single "i." Representing the theme song for the NBA's premiere week, Kendrick took the stage in Cleveland for the Cavs home opener to performer the Isley Brothers-powered single live, after... Read more

October 31, 2014 Video

J. Cole Lights it Up at Made in America in Philadelphia (Video)

J. Cole joined the likes of Kanye West, Big Daddy Kane and more yesterday at the Made in America festival in Philadelphia. Cole ran through a set that included songs from both his albums and his vaunted mixtapes. Check out the performance below. You can also watch a live stream... Read more

August 31, 2014 Video

D’Angelo & The Roots Cover Prince’s She’s Always in My Hair (Video)

This year's Afropunk Fest in Brooklyn concluded with surprise guests of epic proportions. The festival, which included performances by Me'shell Ndegeocello, SZA, The Internet, Fishbone, Body Count and more, culminated with a performance by D'Angelo with The Legendary Roots Crew. The ensemble tore through some of D's originals and an... Read more

August 27, 2014 Video

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Perform Summertime in Vegas (Video)

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince reunited to perform their classic "Summertime" in Las Vegas. Will this song ever get old?? Check out the video. Related: DJ Jazzy Jeff Recounts His Surprise Performance with The Fresh Prince on Graham Norton (Video)... Read more

August 16, 2014 Video

Dilated Peoples Perform Music From Their New Album on Sway in the Morning (Video)

Dilated Peoples held a mini concert on the Sway in the Morning show, performing "Show Me the Way" and the DJ Premier-produced "Good as Gone" from their new album Directors of Photography. Welcome back, fellas...Check it out. Related: Dilated Peoples Freestyle Off the Top on Toca Tuesdays (Video)... Read more

August 12, 2014 Video

Disclosure Performs Latch with Sam Smith on Jimmy Kimmel Live (Video)

Disclosure teamed up with Sam Smith on Jimmy Kimmel Live for an animated performance (literally) of their song of the Summer, "Latch." Check out the video. Related: Disclosure Gives Usher’s Good Kisser a Deep House Remix (Audio)... Read more

August 6, 2014 Video

Watch Common’s First Ever Live Performances From Nobody’s Smiling (Video)

Last night (7/21), Common held a release party at NYC's Gramercy Theatre for his new album, Nobody's Smiling. He treated an intimate but extremely hyped crowd to an energetic performance of many of the album's songs for the first time, as well as a run through many of his classics.... Read more

July 22, 2014 Video

Kendrick Lamar Resurfaces for a Performance of Babylon with SZA (Video)

Kendrick Lamar has been quiet lately. The TDE MC who largely owned 2013 has been holed up in the lab preparing to control 2014...He recently resurfaced, however, in support of his TDE label mate, SZA. Check out the video of their performance of Babylon from her album. Related: SZA Makes... Read more

May 29, 2014 Throwback

Vic Mensa Goes Back to Hollywood LA with a Dynamic Performance (Video)

Vic Mensa renders a dynamic performance of "Hollywood LA," one of the many standout cuts on his Innanet Tape, at Truth Studios in Los Angeles. His dynamic delivery emphasizes the intricate wordplay embedded in the deceptively laid back song. Check out the video. Related: Vic Mensa Releases One of the... Read more

May 27, 2014 Video

Witness a Taste of The Roots “First Opera” (Video)

The Legendary Roots Crew took the stage last week at NYC's Public Theater and did a live rendition of their forthcoming album "...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin." Rather than a straight performance, they presented the work as a high art project, calling it their "first opera." Here's a trailer... Read more

May 19, 2014 Video

Kendrick Lamar Covers 2Pac and Rocks It. THIS IS CALIFORNIA LOVE (Video)

Kendrick Lamar has been consistent in his praise for 2Pac as one of his favorite artists. At the iHeartRadio Awards, he paid homage to Pac and Dr. Dre with a rousing rendition of California Love (and some m.A.A.d. City), backed by a live band. This is the ultimate symbol that... Read more

May 1, 2014 Video

Arsenio Gets the First Performance of Sanctified From Rick Ross, Kanye West & Big Sean (Video)

Arsenio scored the first ever live performance of Sanctified from Rick Ross, Kanye West & Big Sean (and with a full band, no less). Now THAT'S boss...Check out the video. Related: Rick Ross Finally Speaks on Being a Correctional Officer (Video)... Read more

March 7, 2014 Video

At Age 55, Prince is Still One of the Baddest [“ShutYoMouth’s”] in the Business. See For Yourself (Video)

At the tender age of 55, Prince remains one of the greatest performers in music. The Purple One took over the Arsenio show with a rare interview and performances of She's Always in My Hair and Mutiny. Though he no longer curses, he's still a bad [shutyomouth]. Check out the... Read more

March 6, 2014 Video

CyHi The Prynce is a STAR. Here’s an Amazing Interview, Performance & Co-Sign From Rev. Run (Video)

CyHi The Prynce has been 1 of the most talented MCs in the game for years. He burst onto the scene in 2011 when he joined Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music and he's experienced a renaissance this year with his Black Hystori Project mixtape. This week, he did an extended interview... Read more

March 1, 2014 Video

Pharoahe Monch & Sway Have a Heavyweight Hip-Hop Convo & Monch Performs (Video)

Pharoahe Monch has been in the game a long time. Long enough, in fact, to help put Eminem on. The Hip-Hop Heavyweight sat down with Sway to discuss his career, being a record label owner, staying inspired, his new album and more. Pharoahe also performs a killer version of his... Read more

February 8, 2014 Video

RIP to James Brown Who Passed Away 7 Years Ago Today. Here Are His Soul Train Performances (Video)

James Brown, the Godfather of Soul (and Hip-Hop) passed away 7 years ago today. Having been sampled thousands of times, particularly in the 80's and 90's, there are few who had a deeper impact on the foundation of Hip-Hop. Here's a highlight video of some of his most electrifying Soul... Read more

December 25, 2013 Throwback

Arsenio Hall Gives Chance the Rapper His First Shot on Latenight TV. Check out the Performance (Video)

In the 90's, The Arsenio Hall show was one of the few places on TV that was friendly to Hip-Hop. At the time, no other latenight talk shows were supporting the genre. Things have changed since then, but Arsenio is still giving some artists their first shots on the big... Read more

December 20, 2013 Video

Lauryn Hill Performs an Inspired 11-Minute Reggae-Influenced Version of Ex-Factor (Video)

Over the years, Lauryn Hill has re-arranged her classics many times with varying results. Recently, she performed at New York's Bowery Ball Room and unleashed this version of Ex-Factor. It replaces the tender soul of the original with a muscular reggae-tinged groove. It's different but also very compelling. Check out... Read more

December 18, 2013 TV

Eminem Still Breathes Different Life Into Stan 13 Years Later (Video)

Eminem's had four #1 singles. 2000's "Stan" is not one of them. However, in a career that's paved in humorous pop culture mockery as well as inspirational records, "Stan" always showed another, even deeper side of Em. The concept record co-produced by Flavor Unit co-founder 45 King introduced American audiences... Read more

November 22, 2013 Fresh, Video

A Behind the Scenes Look Inside a Concert With Kendrick Lamar (Video)

Here's a look inside a concert with Kendrick Lamar, as described by K. Dot, himself. Kendrick discusses how he prepares for shows, how he involves the crowd, his writing process and more. The video also features a lot of high quality footage from Kendrick's live show which now includes a... Read more

October 11, 2013 Video

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Pay Tribute to Eazy-E, Tupac & The Notorious B.I.G. (Video)

Which group in Hip-Hop has recorded with each of Biggie, Tupac and Eazy-E? That's correct...Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. The group recently paid tribute to each of the fallen legends by performing a medley of their collabos. Check out the video of Bone performing Foe Tha Love Of $, Thug Luv and Notorious... Read more

September 25, 2013 Video

Drake & Kanye West Perform at the 2013 VMAs in Brooklyn (Video)

Drake and Kanye West each took the stage at the first ever VMAs in Brooklyn. Drake performed Hold On, We're Going Home and Started From the Bottom and Kanye performed Blood on the Leaves. You can check out both performances below. Related: Kanye West Says He and Jay-Z Made Watch... Read more

August 26, 2013 Video

Mayer Hawthorne Performs on Jimmy Kimmel Live (Video)

Mayer Hawthorne's music has hints of The Doobie Brothers and old Hall & Oates, update to feel contemporary and uniquely his own. His album, Where Does This Door Go, is one of the best soul releases of the year. He recently performed his single Her Favorite Song, as well as... Read more

August 11, 2013 Video

J. Cole Performs Crooked Smile and Power Trip at the BET Awards (Video)

J. Cole also got his shine on the BET Awards. Check out his performances of Crooked Smile and Power Trip with Miguel. Related: J. Cole Discusses and Performs Crooked Smile ft TLC (Video)... Read more

July 1, 2013 Video

Kendrick Lamar Performs at the BET Awards (Video)

Kendrick Lamar had a BIG look at the BET Awards last night, being the only performer to hit the stage 3 times. Check out his performances of Problems with A$AP Rocky & 2 Chainz, How Many Drinks with Miguel, m.A.A.d. city and B*tch, Don't Kill My Vibe with the one... Read more

July 1, 2013 Video

J. Cole Discusses and Performs Crooked Smile ft TLC (Video)

Fresh off selling nearly 300,000 copies of Born Sinner and taking the #2 spot on the album chart, J. Cole sat down to discuss Crooked Smile, his uplifting song featuring TLC. He also did a stirring in-studio performance of the song. Check out the video. Related: J. Cole – Let... Read more

June 29, 2013 Video