Kardinal Offishall is a true contender. When releasing his freshman album, Firestarter Volume One: Quest for Fire, he was forced to deal with a record deal gone sour no thanks to MCA, or as Talib Kweli is calling it, “Music Cemetery of America.” Instead of complaining, Kardinal took his platinum-selling status and came back with […]
AllHipHop.com: We heard you got arrested recently? Joe Budden: No. No. No. No. No. No. [In my life,] I have been artested. I’ve been arrested quite a few times. AllHipHop.com: For what? Joe Budden: Oh, man. Bulls**t. Suspended license here, child support there, different bull—random bulls**t that people go to jail for for short periods […]
Joe Budden is easily one of Hip-Hop’s finest lyricists. He receives the adulation of countless fans that study his art via mixtapes or Internet leaks. He’s signed to one of the juggernauts of Hip-Hop, Def Jam. The New Jersey-bred MC has remained interesting through provocative, attention grabbing leaked records, but it’s still been over two […]
The Lone Catalysts aren’t the only independent group causing a change in Midwest Hip-Hop. But they may be one of the most under appreciated. They’ve toured in Japan and all over Europe, in places where the people can’t even speak English, but know their lyrics. However on American soil, the group just can’t seem to […]
In Hip-Hop, every year is major, and the year is not over yet. It’s the fourth quarter; 4th and inches, so only the star players are shuffling in the game to tally those critical points necessary to put the nail in the coffin. As Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, and Bun B got […]
The Hip-Hop supergroup is formed as needed. Diggin’ in The Crates arrived to attack stagnant production. The Wu-Tang Clan swarmed to return the ruggedness into raps. While individually, The Reavers may be unknown to many, this group of established underground artists united with social and musical cause. Vordul Megallah, Akir, Kong, Spiega, Dom Pacino, Billy […]
High off the crest of a hit remix featuring Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat and Bow-Wow, Dem Franchise Boyz are ready to take the success of “I Think They Like Me” to the next level on their forthcoming sophomore LP, On Top Of Our Game. With the ink still wet on their very, very lucrative contract […]
When you’re signed to a deal at 17, people watch and listen. Years later, when you ask to be released from your deal, few pay attention. This emotional rollercoaster is nothing new to Hip-Hop, and a way of life for Lady Luck. From her early attention earning appearances with Funkmaster Flex and EPMD, Luck never […]
Pitbull’s had a tremendous year for himself. At the start of 2005, Pitbull was unknown to many, and by the close, hundreds of thousands of people have supported the album, and thus – Pit’s money issues. But amidst all the rise, Pitbull has stayed socially vocal, and at times, outspoken. The demand for the independent […]
By now you might have heard yourself humming – if not, flat out singing – the chart-climbing song by D4L, “Laffy Taffy”. The metaphoric reference is a favorite – but is it a bit push-pop? D4L frontman, Mookie B has his own opinions. The rapper chimed in with AllHipHop.com to discuss the little known, but […]
Juelz Santana has long been lumped between the success of Cam’ron, and the character of Jim Jones. But as the youngest of the Diplomats shot-callers, Juelz is out to fix that. With his sophomore album, What the Game’s Been Missing! – Juelz has seen more buzz off of two hit singles, than his debut arguably […]
In Hip-Hop, image is paramount component of the culture. Whether it’s a video, hood regalia, or diminutive speech; image solidifies an artist’s position among his or her peers. Imagery stands as a physical rendering of the intricate thought patterns and mental perceptions one hopes to elicit. Incredible reflections of life come in the form or […]
Part of the mystique in Ras Kass’ Van Gogh album was its portrait cover. Hip-Hop sees itself as meaningful, like we endear our musical artists. This is why there’s something so visually pleasing in seeing talented painters, photographers, and sculptors devote their energies to Hip-Hop’s beauty. Charnier Corey is a Fort Wayne, Indiana native who […]
Ricky Powell’s lens never lies. Neither does he. Ricky Powell is one of the reasons this writer has a manual focus camera. The strikingly humble “fourth Beastie Boy” has been capturing numerous snaps of MC’s, DJ’s, 70’s cinema extras, and dimes since the mid 1980’s. These images have developed into a visual archive of what […]
When you think of the Hip-Hop scene in Virginia, artists such as The Clipse, Missy Timbaland and The Neptunes immediately come to mind. And while Virginia Beach has produced some of Hip-Hop’s biggest names, the rest of the state has been virtually ignored. An artist looking to change that is Doujah Raze. Repping the Northern […]
One of the quiet, but well-received albums from California this year has been Self-Scientific’s Change. In many circles, the group is far from new, having released a compilation several years ago, as well as plenty guest work. DJ Khalil has since become one of Dr. Dre’s Aftermath producers, putting in work with Xzibit, Raekwon, and […]
The Black Eyed Peas are large. Love them or hate ’em, BEP is on top. This crew went from being underground b-boyin’ MC’s to moving multi-platinum units and achieving multi-cultural success on several continents. In between all the hits these guys have been doing music for cartoons like Samurai Jack and Dexter’s Laboratory, as well […]
Over the years, people have come up with more than a few different recipes for success. But one thing that is always included is perseverance, believing that, some day, your efforts will pay off. Despite only being in his mid-twenties, DJ Don Cannon, knows a thing or two about perseverance; probably more than many of […]
XXL has had a banner year. From a comprehensive expose of Jay-Z’s move to the Carter Administration, to a plethora of XL ratings on numerous major and indie releases, now to their very own CD, 2005 watched XXL fly high. However, some critics argue that if Interscope Records is doing good, it’s only natural that […]
When the legendary Bay Area crew Hieroglyphics as first formed, Jive asked me to write Casual’s bio. I went to meet him at Domino’s house, suprised to meet a tall, semi-husky kid playing Shinobi, on a video game console. Those were different times. Now fast forward a decade and some change. When AllHipHop.com called me […]
