Curtis Scoon is a product of Hollis, Queens, the birthplace of some of Hip-Hop’s most influential artists. Scoon, who was never involved in the rap industry, suddenly found himself the unlikely center of it – as a suspect in the murder of Jam Master Jay. Scoon does not hide his former life as a street […]
If you were making a list of Hip-Hop moguls to clone, you would definitely find Andre Harrell in the top five. After 20-plus years in the music industry, he certainly isn’t slowing down. He is continually striving to take Hip-Hop, a culture he can take a certain amount of credit for, to new markets. His […]
When it comes to creating a marketing and promotions plan for a new or established artist the odds of success are a crap shoot. However, for Jimmy Iovine and Interscope Records, a bet on Black is usually a safe bet when it comes to innovation in marketing strategy. As Vice President of Interscope Rap Marketing […]
AllHipHop.com: Later on, Eazy was extremely hurt by Dre’s departure, both businesswise and mentally. What was the climate at Ruthless after Dr. Dre left? Jerry Heller: We lost the principles we started under, which was working on one album at a time. Eazy was searching for producers, sometimes we would have 15, 20 projects going […]
Today, most Hip-Hop fans can spout off the names of every label’s CEO, and maybe even an A&R or two. But in 1986, Jerry Heller became one of the first behind-the-scenes moguls to emerge when he aligned with Eric “”Eazy-E”” Wright to form Ruthless Records. The label would change Hip-Hop forever with its introduction of […]
The city to be reckoned with this year in Hip-Hop is without argument Houston, Texas. With artists surging the market in various cameo’s, videos, and documentaries; everyone is getting a taste of the H-town. As newer artists like Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, or Short Dawg rise, one could wonder what inspired these young gentlemen […]
Less than a month away from his 23rd birthday, Lil’ Boosie is in position to score big. After almost a decade of independent grinding, the Baton Rouge rapper will unveil his first Asylum Records-backed project, Bad Azz, with mentor Pimp C out of jail. That was not the case last year, when former partner and […]
You’re fresh from your local Tower Records, you pop in the latest CD from your favorite rapper or singer and from the very first listen of the album you find yourself saying one of two things, “Damn this is a hot CD!” or “What in the world was he/she thinking when they recorded this crap?” […]
When keeping it real goes right, there was Willie D. The most outspoken Geto Boy, Willie spoke bluntly about race, class, sex, and money. The Houston rapper suffered for this. His “loved by few, hated by many” attitude spent years in the shadows of GB brother, Scarface. But 20 years later, Willie has never bit […]
As Rap-A-Lot Records turns 20 years old, a lot of the people who made the label what it is aren’t there to blow out the candles. Most would concur that there’s none bigger than Brad Jordan, better known as Mr. Scarface. Since 1988’s Making Trouble, the Geto Boys did just that, for anybody who was […]
When you’re driving in a cold highway, you never see Black Ice coming. It can throw you from the road, and it can shake your consciousness just enough to provoke a reformation. Black Ice is a fitting title for Philadelphia poet and artist. For the last five years, he’s been shocking fans with blunt artistry […]
If New York Hip-Hop is dead, L.A. rap has decomposed. The Game not withstanding, most fans are likely to draw blanks if asked to name one of the new MCs to hail from the left coast. But as the year winds down—and new blood like Saigon and Papoose look to put New York back on […]
AllHipHop.com: As far as image, you come across as a very serious person most of the time but you did a skit with Andy Milonakis, who is probably one of the craziest people in the world. Do you think that people misunderstand your personality sometimes and don’t see that you’re a fun guy? Fat Joe: […]
T he fact that an artist can have a successful career beyond a debut album these days is often testimony to something greater than just talent. Fat Joe is one of the tried and true artists of our time, a man with over a decade of albums and a string of street-savvy hits. While some […]
Alex Alonso is a street gang scholar unlike any other in Hip-Hop. The L.A. resident by way of the Bronx has been holding it out down when it comes to studying the B’s and C’s and others in the ivory tower for a minute, giving lectures, producing documentaries and giving expert testimony in court cases. […]
Not many people in Hip-Hop can claim to have been there from the beginning. From B-boy to DJ, MC to producer, actor to preacher, Kurtis Blow has done it all. One of Hip-Hop’s renaissance men, Blow has been in the game since its infancy and shows no signs of slowing down. As many of his […]
N ine out of ten doctors would agree, that chicken noodle soup with soda on the side isn’t a balanced meal. However, “Chicken Noodle Soup” made for one hell of a dance craze this summer. Previous unknowns, DJ Webstar and Young B made a teenage impression on the game, with a little help from some […]
St. Louis is known as the gateway to the west. Within rap, the city has served as a starting-point for talent looking for staying power. Both Nelly and Chingy represented the city, with memorable hook-driven songs, that soon led to cult-followings and radio interest. Much younger than his predecessors, 15-year-old Jibbs aims to do the […]
To a lot of today’s youth, the name K-Solo doesn’t ring a bell. But ask any Hip-Hop historian or most people over the age of 28 about him, and watch how quickly their eyes get wider. Remembering his days with EPMD, songs like “Spellbound” and “Letterman” and his storied beef with DMX. And a lot […]
What happens to the people when a revolutionary movement such as Hip-Hop goes to sleep? Some people with film TV shows at their extravagant mansions where they pick from a harem of 20 bachelorettes, but for a soldier like Brother J of X-Clan, one of the ‘90s powerhouse ensembles, that is a trick question. A […]
