In the mid-1990s, two of the biggest stars in music were rappers, Coolio and Tupac Shakur. At the 38th Grammy Awards in February of 1996, the two men competed for "Best Rap Solo Performance." Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" took the trophy home, while Tupac's "Dear Mama" joined singles by Biggie, Dr.... Read more

In January of this year, Hip-Hop lost a talented DJ and producer in Crazy Toones. Passing away on the ninth day of the year, Toones was part of WC & The M.a.a.D Circle ('Dub is his brother) and worked with Ice Cube, Westside Connection, and Kurupt. Part of MC Eiht's... Read more

News today has broken that DJ Crazy Toones (born Lamar Dupré Calhoun) has passed away. An accomplished DJ and producer, Toones joined Coolio as a member of WC & The Maad Circle for much of the 1990s. The real-life brother of WC, Crazy Toones worked closely with Westside Connection and... Read more

Present day Hip-Hop relies heavily on serial albums. From The Blueprint to Detox, there is momentum in many great artists' catalogs that keeps the listener engaged while threading a concept. Twenty five years ago this week, Ice Cube released Death Certificate. This platinum album followed 1990's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted solo breakout,... Read more

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Coolio seemed to be living in the shadows. A product of Southern California, the MC born Artis Leon Ivey, Jr. made some of his first noise alongside WC, DJ Crazy Toones and the collective known as WC & The Maad Circle. As the... Read more

Today (June 15), MC/actor Ice Cube turns 46 years old. As he gears up for the Straight Outta Compton N.W.A. biopic (August 14), an on-stage reunion with MC Ren and DJ Yella, and a Barbershop 3 costarring Common, it seems safe to say it will be a good year for... Read more