Nas: Carry on Tradition

Nas’ mission isn’t over. Hip Hop is Dead has moved appriximately 355,000 units according to SoundScan and blessed him with his third Number One album in the 12 years since many of us pulled the plastic off Illmatic. Fans and critics still talk about whether or not the genre is actually deceased, which has offered […]

Consequence: This or That?

Often times, rappers are marginalized. One gun reference makes you a gangster rapper, and one push for piece makes you conscious. Kanye, GLC, and Common make G.O.O.D. Music hard to classify under these umbrellas, but Consequence may be even tougher. Birthed into the industry by way of A Tribe Called Quest’s Beats Rhymes & Life, […]

AllHipHop Christmas 2006

James Brown once sang “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto.” Certainly, that’s not always the case. But as many Hip-Hop and R&B stars will tell you, there are memories of all sorts. From the shoreline of Coney Island to the traps of Bankhead, AllHipHop asked various personalities to reflect on the nicer things they’ve […]

Trina: Ladies First

Trina might seem one-dimensional in the eyes of some skeptics. The same woman who’s recorded songs such as “No Panties” and “69 Ways” has a soft spot…in her heart. Take note, the rap world didn’t accept her based solely on her voluptuous, southern curves or dirty mouth. Trina’s got substance on and off the mic. […]

DJ Clue: Quiet Storm

2006 has been a year where the DJ returned to the mainstream consciousness of Hip-Hop. DJ Khaled supplied a crossover album in Listennn while DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz mixtapes brought the best out in everybody from Little Brother to Lil’ Wayne. Michael “5000” Watts chopped and screwed numerous albums as DJ Nasty produced bangers for […]

Semtex: Oceans Apart

If you look up the word Semtex in the English dictionary, you would find the definition: A general-purpose plastic explosive. But ask anyone from the UK to define Semtex and you would get: Hip Hop Radio/ Tour DJ, Def Jam UK Head A&R/ Marketing Honcho and UK Music Ambassador. With an insight in both the […]

Styles P: Black is Back

Regardless of any current trend in Hip-Hop, Styles P continues to remain one of the street’s most provocatively blunt and respected lyricists over time. His career and personal life has seen many changes since 1998. He went from being a Bad Boy to being a Ruff Ryder, from getting jiggy to getting high, from enjoying […]

Tech N9ne: Fully Loaded

Having already garnered an extensive fan base worldwide, an impressive catalog of recordings, and amassed individual album sales far beyond the 500,000 mark, Kansas City, Missouri’s own reigning rap champ, Tech N9ne, unbelievably, is still not quite a household name yet. Although He has continually toured around the globe, been featured on platinum soundtracks, and […]