By the top of the 2000s, Rawkus was beginning to permeate the mainstream. Meanwhile, one of that label's former flagship artists had left to create an imprint with the same sort of early DIY aesthetic and unpredictability. New York-based indie label Definitive Jux released a crate full of classic records... Read more

Very few artists have the rare talent to do it all, especially well. But Blueprint is one such craftsman, who single-handedly pilots every component of his craft, and makes it look easy. Just ahead of his latest album release, Two-Headed Monster (May 22), the Columbus, Ohio MC/producer/singer shared a video... Read more

Perhaps the upcoming Straight Outta Compton N.W.A. biopic will show the Gangsta Rap group selling 12" singles and tapes out of Eazy-E's car. This is a documented part of history in the careers of not only N.W.A., but also T La Rock and DJ Jazzy Jay, E-40 and The Click,... Read more

Columbus, Ohio MC/producer Blueprint just released King, No Crown on his own Weightless label. The Soul Position/Greenhouse member is one of the enduring figures of the late '90s, early 2000s Underground Hip-Hop glory days. Still, while some of 'Print's close associates (RJD2, Slug) have garnered mainstream recognition and strong commercial... Read more

"I may not ever see more cheddar than you, but I bet you I can windmill better than you." - 'Printmatic. MC/producer Blueprint gives props to the B-boys and B-girls of the world in "Just Move." Built around a charged jam that makes breakers want to build momentum, 'Print salutes... Read more

If you're not up on Blueprint, now's as good of a time as any to familiarize yourself with the Columbus, Ohio veteran. The front-man for the Greenhouse crew, this MC/producer is also RJD2's partner in Soul Position, and a veteran artist down with the Rhymesayers collective. After conceptual works like... Read more

In the mid-1980s, was there anybody cooler than Pee-Wee Herman? Adults laughed along as Paul Rubins created a children's character that was zany, off-the-wall, and filled with various cultural inspirations. Before his later legal woes, Pee-Wee famously had a Rube Goldberg operation in his kitchen to make eggs, toast, orange... Read more

Fuse's Crate Diggers series continues with Philly-based RJD2. A founding member of the MHz with Copywriter, Camu Tao, and others, RJ became famous in the early 2000s for his solo works on Def Jux. Since those days, RJ's laced joints for Little Brother, Aceyalone, and Cage, among many others. His... Read more