In 1986, Dennis Hopper’s Colors depicted gang violence in gripping terms that made people far removed from south and eastern Los Angeles see the microcosm of the ghetto. Although it introduced the world to today’s stars Don Cheadle and Damon Wayans, the film bent to fit the heartstrings of a Hollywood audience. Cle Sloan […]
“Nowadays, rappers are comin’ half-hearted / Commercial like Pop, or underground like Black markets / Where were you the day Hip-Hop died? / Is it too early to mourn, is it too late to ride? “ – Talib Kweli, “Too Late” (2000, Rawkus) Less than a month after Little Brother moved away from 9th Wonder’s […]
If you get a room full of Black folks together to talk about the condition of our community, you can bet that the hottest topic of the evening will be “What the heck is wrong with Black leadership?” Many would probably argue that all Black leaders need to be but put on the unemployment line, […]
The situation with the murder of Sean Bell by the NYPD has been a serious topic as of late. I am sure, for many Americans who are not minorities, this case means very little- emotionally speaking. Most of White America seems to feel that the topic of police profiling and physical abuse by police in […]
It has become an annual ritual. Every year around March 9, the rap world honors the late Christopher Wallace, better known as the Notorious B.I.G. But are we celebrating Biggie’s life, or his death? This year, that question is more relevant than ever. On the tenth anniversary of his murder several rap mags and other […]
“So you wanna be hardcore, with your hat to the back, talkin’ bout the gats in your raps?” – Notorious B.I.G., “Machine Gun Funk” Despite Kobe Bryant’s changing his number from 8 to 24, and a whole portfolio of clippings on Lebron James, there will never be another Michael Jordan. It’s sinful media hype to […]
You know it’s time to evaluate our collective selves when we have ‘other folk’ speaking sensible truths about the plight of our culture. More to the point, when a website such as ALLHIPHOP.com posts an interview with Gene Simmons of KISS, a White ROCK band, who effectively tells us that we need to watch the […]
When AllHipHop.com heads down to Las Vegas twice a year for the MAGIC Convention, we like to find the hottest and newest fashion trends amidst the sea of celebrities and “who’s who” of the fashion industry. When we heard that rock legend Gene Simmons would be at the Dussault booth in the Street Wear […]
What up world! Yeah, your man is back at it again, journalizing my thoughts and internalizing my sport, hypothesizing and prophesizing theories on this outrageously turbulent game that I’ve subjected myself to. So for this installment I might as well make the subject myself: Serius Jones. As you can see, I’m taking this opportunity to […]
Whatup? Since my last entry, there’s been a whole lot goin on over here. I’m putting the finishing touches on my second mixtape ESSObama: The Champagne Campaign and I’ve also been working on another project called Separated At Birth that I recorded last week with IB3, an artist out of Houston that’s signed to Mathew […]
When I think about the assassinations of Black Leaders such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King and reflect upon the Black Community’s reaction to these tragedies, I’m compelled to question whether the deaths of Biggie and Tupac affected the Hip-Hop Community in the same manner. The length of this comparison begins and ends with […]
With so many visiting and viewing the demise of Hip-Hop in its public hospice, has anyone given any thought to exactly WHO is directly responsible for its ravaged condition? Granted, it’s easy to say that many have contributed to spreading life-threatening poison that have left it in a state of septic shock; I argue that […]
R.I.P. Disco D I gotta take a second to say goodbye to a good friend of mine that was lost last week when he took his life. I’ve seen a lot of reports over the last week about the death of Disco D (Dave Shayman), and it pains me to have to say goodbye to […]
“Now Little Brother gonna break up / Everyday I wake up”… It was almost four years ago to the date. I was interviewing J. Rawls, and shortly before we closed our drab questions and answers, I asked the Lone Catalysts producer what records he was presently feeling. “I can’t stop playing ‘Whatever You Say’ by […]
“If Hip-Hop should die before I’m great I’ma do more than just murder a mixtape” -Chamillionaire (Hip-Hop Murder from Mixtape Messiah II) Whatup everybody? 2007 is already lookin like an interesting year…and a whole lot of signs are starting to pop up to let me know that we just might be near the beginning of […]
There have been and probably will be numerous articles on the January 16, 2007 RIAA raid of the Aphilliates Music Group studio and arrest of my brother Tyree "DJ Drama" Simmons and DJ Don Cannon. There have been and will be numerous articles on what the implications of this raid will not only have on […]
After much internal deliberation, pondering and personal infighting, I have decided that there will be no 2006 Person of the year appointed by illseed. NOBODY. Why? Nothing in 2006 really moved me as an individual. For those that don’t know, I attempt to defy convention in my own little way and the Person of the […]
Hip-Hop consciousness brings a new, fresh meaning to historical moments and events of the past. As millions of people in America and throughout the world prepare to recognize and celebrate the 78th birthday of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it is important to take note of the relevance of Hip-Hop culture today to […]
Growing up, I loved to hate James Brown. Those were the good ol’ days. See, back then, my father was a James Brown fanatic for all the right reasons. The dark-skinned entertainer was so cool, charismatic, commanding and inspirational to his generation – you know, the olden days. To my fresh, new Hip-Hop generation, he […]
Whatup? Had to double back and let you know what I been up to. I just had one of the best weeks of my life, so without any further ado I’m just gonna get into it. Monday December 4th might go down as one of the days that really changed the course of my career. […]
