The movement created by the New York rap collective The Diplomats appears to be gaining more strength each year, and as the Dipset drops more albums and gains bigger exposure, their projects seem to include an increased number of unknown producers looking for shine. It’s from the Dips’ penchant for soliciting the work of new […]
Five years ago, Three 6 Mafia fans would have their fingers crossed watching the Source Awards on UPN. In 2006, the Memphis Tennessee boys took home Oscar gold – on the biggest night in Hollywood. As a result, their songs rose to the top of the iTunes charts and Most Known Unknown got a second […]
At 27 years old, T-K.A.S.H. sounds well beyond his years in wisdom. Aligned with Paris, the Bay Area radio personality and MC has a major agenda. He’s scaring the streets straight with true-life experiences of his time on the curbs, mixed with his education on a better tomorrow. In person, there’s nothing scary about T-K.A.S.H. […]
F or sixteen years, Paris has held the mic like a grudge, as his records have approached just under four million sold. Contemporary Hip-Hop may seem far removed from the socially and politically challenging records of the early 90’s, but the themes aren’t. Sleeping With the Enemy dealt with a Middle East war, a Bush […]
IIn their independence, Public Enemy has released some outstanding albums. Still, according to some critics, those albums struggled to reach the masses. For the last two years, there has been talk of Public Enemy allowing their creative vessels to be directed by Bay Area legend, Paris in Rebirth of a Nation. This album, written and […]
T he opening theme to the Andy Milonakis Show with the show’s namesake spitting such balderdash as, “I got peas on my head but don’t call me a pea-head, bees on my head but don’t call me a bee-head,” isn’t very convincing of a b-boy. But Fat Joe, Lil’ Jon, the Ying Yang Twins, and […]
O nce upon a time in Hip-Hop, there was a King and his Queen who lived happily together, working closely with their family making music and ensuring they continued to provide nourishment for their fans. Then one day a figure from the King’s past began to play two-way games with him, thus enraging the Queen. […]
O n May 23rd, Lake and Cormega are releasing a collaborative album. Two Queensbridge street legends converge at different stages in their rap careers: one, a “hood platinum” Hip-Hop veteran, the other, a talented rapper out to prove his lyrical worth. Normally, the table would be set for an interesting conversation piece. But like his […]
Q ueens, New York native J-Love brings a whole different flavor to the mixtape game. Rather than chase what’s hot, J-Love frequently pays homage to past greats and living legends. Most recently, J-Love linked up with artist, La the Darkman for “Return of the Darkman.” Though an unlikely decision to some, this furthers J-Love’s reputation […]
O ne rapper who seemingly has lived up to his name is La the Darkman. After moving 300,000 units independently on his Heist of the Century debut, La vanished because of personal conflicts. In 1998’s freshmen class, a lot of La’s peers are no longer making music. Quite probably, many of them took day-jobs. La […]
P rozack Turner knows how quickly things can change. When DreamWorks Records signed the Bay area native in 2002, he seemed destined for success. A generous advance and recording budget allowed him to bounce across the country to work with Pete Rock, Organized Noize, J Dilla, and the Alchemist. The production Dream Team helped Prozack […]
S o you wanna be a major label emcee? You want the big money, fast woman and fancy cars. You want to live the life you see depicted by every emcee with a video on BET. Unfortunately, its not that easy, just ask Apathy. As a member of the underground super group The Demigodz, Apathy […]
The name translates to “10 mo’ [more] brothers buried” or 334 MoBB, a tribute to their fallen friends. This dynamic duo represents the mighty region of Montgomery, Alabama. Flexing on many Southern underground mixtapes, the group has surfaced and signed with Island Def Jam. With that backing, the brothers are in a position to become […]
Bubba Sparxxx has consistently been a victim of bad timing. Although ?Ugly? was a hot record in 2001, the Georgian suffered as the press took jabs at him following Eminem?s newly laid footprints. Then, as Bubba returned for an imaginative follow-up album, Deliverance Hip-Hop turned away in search of Crunk ? then, all the rage. […]
The Ave is self-proclaimed as “a street movement in print.” The magazine has created a niche for taking the same artists and celebrities found in the other magazines, and showing them in different lights. The Brooklyn-based publication currently finds 40,000 readers, but has plans to quickly double that. Near it’s second birthday, The Ave has […]
In the Gang Starr classic, “Mass Appeal,” Guru opens with, “No way, you’ll make it, come with the weak s**t, I break kids.” Though Mass Appeal got its name from the Hard to Earn gem, they have certainly made it for themselves. A hobby magazine turned into one of the leading culture publications out there. […]
Anybody’s who has ever picked up an issue of Elemental remembers the comics. “Aight” uses a recurring character who whips pristine Cadillacs, guzzles 40’s, bumps Steady B, and always gets the girl and the gusto. The character is drawn by “Phat Matt” Wright, creator and Publisher of Elemental magazine. As this feature affirms, the cars, […]
When Def Jam released Licensed to Ill in1986, the Beastie Boys got down with no delay, turning the then dorm-room serviced rap imprint into a full-fledged powerhouse label with their frat boy antics, all the while helping to establish Hip-Hop as a worldly phenomenon with pop cultural clout. Compiling a timeline of the three white […]
The ride to the top has been an exciting one for Mimi Valdes, Editor-In-Chief of VIBE magazine. As a fresh-faced college graduate, Valdes’ journalism career was birthed at said urban magazine. While her professional path has had its fair share of twist and turns, the compass has always lead back to VIBE. These days, VIBE […]
In real life, the ozone layer above the Earth’s surface is depleting at a rate so fast scientists agonize that the gradual rise in temperature will eventually upset the planet’s natural processes. Conversely, Ozone magazine appears to be building at such a rate that it appears on pace to upset Hip-Hop’s long-standing order. Through the […]
