Kemba has been turning heads since age 19, with the release of his debut mixtape, You're Welcome, which dropped back in 2010. The project set a promising stage for the young rapper as the tape portrayed an artist in the midst of developing a voice, but never revealing any sense of... Read more

Some may know Kemba as the artist that shut it down with an acappella after Kendrick Lamar pulled him onstage in the Bronx two years ago. Others may remember the MC from albums including You're Welcome (2010), Fall FWD (2011), and GNK (2013) released under his previous moniker "YC The... Read more

Bronx, New York-bred rapper Kemba, a staple of the city’s Hip-Hop scene, changed his name from former moniker YC The Cynic to release his Negus album last year. More than just an aesthetic decision, his reintroduction symbolized a shift in his musical direction. When Kendrick Lamar pulled him up onstage... Read more

Entrenched within Ethiopian and Eritrean history, the word "Negus" has recently enjoyed a renaissance of sorts, thanks in part to Kendrick Lamar's use of it on To Pimp a Butterfly's "i." But the word's rich cultural and contextual history stretches back millennia and while there exists debate about how it... Read more

Chicago's Mick Jenkins, less than a week removed from the release of his deeply conceptual mixtape, The Water[s], links up with Brooklyn based MC, YC The Cynic for the cut, "Keep It 100." Full of confidence and braggadocio, Mick and YC boast bars dedicated to spitting "the real" over smooth,... Read more

Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis don't do many free Rock & Roll shows. The Clash don't play too many Punk shows anymore. However, Hip-Hop Heads are blessed with the opportunity to still see pioneers at work, and for not a single penny. This weekend, Hip-Hop's Godfather, DJ Kool Herc,... Read more

This week, Lupe Fiasco delivered a freestyle that put him in Sway's top 10 of ALL-TIME. Ab-Soul decoded his Stigmata verse using strictly Jay Z lyrics. Pharoahe Monch flexed his surprisingly strong singing skills. M.O.P. blew out Summer Jam with The Roots. A$AP Mob rocked an off the dome cypher.... Read more

Brooklyn artist YC The Cynic dons the sinister rabbit mask from the movie "Donnie Darko" in his latest visual effort, "Night Thoughts." The video, directed by Breeze Embalm, boasts mischievous production, fantastical vocal loops, and a taste of Black Moon's "How Many MC's," powered by Yuri Beats. The stage is... Read more

This week in video brought a new video from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, an extended interview of Tajai from Souls of Mischief discussing the 20th Anniversary of 93 'til..., Kendrick Lamar talking guest verses, DJ Premier explaining symbolism of the Gang Starr logo and much more. Check out the video playlist below... Read more

With the never ending flood of music that comes our way, it’s sometimes easy to forget just how much time and hard work an artist puts into each song. Well, YC The Cynic sends critics and commenters a lyrical reminder with his new video for the track “The Heaviest Cross,... Read more

Brooklyn's YC The Cynic pulls from Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Slick Rick and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony in this polished lyric video to "Murphy's Law." If you're not up on one of the quietly dominating players of NYC's underground scene, this is an appropriate first look. The simple video has a lot of... Read more