Celebrated the world over for his prophetic words on the mic, Tupac Shakur was not only a gifted lyricist but also an accomplished poet. Bridging "thug life" with "fine art," the controversial MC brought up amidst the worlds of political activism, theater, and dance was killed before reaching his full... Read more

"I want when they see me, they know that every day that I'm breathing, it's for Us to go farther. Every time I speak, I want the truth to come out. Every time I speak, I want a shiver. I don't want them to [predict] what I'm gonna say 'cause... Read more

"I loved my childhood, even though it was bad. I love it. I feel like it's taught me so much. Nothing can faze me. Nothing in this world can surprise me. It might set me back, but only momentarily can it set me back. I think it's helped me to... Read more

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

Chicago, Illinois is proving to be one of the MVPs in putting forth artists whose inventive sounds are helping to define an entire generation of Hip-Hop and Soul. From Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book, Vic Mensa's There's Alot Going On, to Jamila Woods' HEAVN, the Windy City is birthing a... Read more

In the course of his extensive career, Nas has sometimes decided to strip away all of the traditional Hip-Hop production to present himself (as he said on "Nas Is Like") as a "thug poet." In turn, records like smash hit "One Mic," or pivotal moments including "Queens Get The Money"... Read more

Recently, Common performed "This War We Fight" at The White House, in honor of Veteran's Day and those who served in the United States Armed Forces. On the day of remembrance (November 11), Comm' releases the video of him delivering the rhyming, Spoken Word poem. Looking out the window in... Read more

Leila Steinberg, the first manager of Tupac Shakur, has shared some never before released hand-written poetry from Tupac when he was 17-years old. The poems, "Things That Make Hearts Break," "Cupid's Smile II" and "A Love Unspoken" were published via Citizens of Humanity and offer an early glimpse into the... Read more

The late poet/musician Gil Scott Heron is arguably one of those figures that was rapping before Hip-Hop even came to form. The Harlem, New York luminary warned Heads everywhere that "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," and then he made an assortment of other powerful pieces on the subject of... Read more