Melding elements of rap, rock, R&B, and funk into one cohesive and melodic sound, upstate New York’s Gym Class Heroes had diverse appeal based on their impressive musical dexterity. Often touring with indie rock and pop-punk bands, they didn’t fit comfortably into one specific genre; the quartet’s music was rooted in traditional Hip-Hop, but featured […]

It’s pretty obvious that both Bow Wow and Omarion grew up right before our eyes in the spotlight. When they individually hit the scene at the turn of the century, it was clear that the next generation of music was approaching. Having gone through some stage changes along the way– Bow Wow dropping the Lil’ […]

It’s not often you come across a DJ who cares less about their individual plight in the game, but rather cares more about the progression of the entire culture of the music.  Assassin, leader of the new generation of dancehall artists, according to Sean Paul, is bringing dancehall to the next level. On Assassin’s uncensored […]

What’s happening everyone? Here we are as we welcome the end of another five days. From the beach house fire that killed seven college students in North Carolina to Dog the Bounty Hunter’s use of the N-word in reference to his son’s girlfriend during a heated argument to rumored talks of bringing Kobe Bryant to […]

Playing a Jimi Hendrix-type in a ‘60s-era movie (that may be a 2007 critical darling) is a big surprise for singer Martin Luther. Known around the underground for his 2004 release, Rebel Soul Music, musician Martin Luther was known for being a Black rocker, who has toured with The Roots and worked diligently to carve […]

Generally when an artist or writer gets hot, a lot of people jump on the bandwagon and then the cool thing to do is to be the person that finds something wrong with what’s popular. Blogging has made it increasingly popular and easy to hate on artists, because bloggers have the option to remain anonymous. […]

Rock stars are known to have a reputation for not having the best hygiene, but that doesn’t apply to Jonathan Davis, the vocalist of Korn. It’s midnight and the long-haired singer just finished putting on a vigorous performance with his metal outfit in Portland, Maine. Once the sweaty dynamo leaves the stage, he heads backstage […]

What it is, smart people? We got the end of another week upon us. With wildfires gripping San Diego, Hillary Clinton calling Vice President Dick Cheney Darth Vader and Jackie Chan trying to sing instead of fight, it was a another week in paradise.I gotta join Illseed in sending my congratulations to actress Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon […]

When Hip-Hop meets Reggaeton, Tego Calderón is chillin’ at the intersection. The non-Spanish speaking audience may not understand his lyrics completely on remixes of Fat Joe’s “Lean Back” and 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.” but they are sure drawn to the voice. Making his worldwide debut with El Abayarde (his alias meaning a Puerto Rican insect similar […]

Songwriters turned singers is the new hustle. When singer Trey Songz got his feet wet in the music industry, he unintentionally took the same route. Being able to write his own songs gave him an edge over R&B artists that were used to crooning to other people’s words. The 22-year old songwriter turned performer has […]

With a single that is the most unHip-hop offering on his sophomore album Overtones, recent nominations prove that some are still toying with how to classify Just Jack. A fusion of disco, house and pop with his simplistic narration has been mistaken as Hip-Hop by some. But North London based Jack is quick to shoot […]

How’s life everyone? The week is over and the weekend is upon us. So let’s reminisce over bomb explosions killing 124 people and injuring 320 near the motorcade of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the supposed blood link between Vice President Dick Cheney and his distant cousin Barack Obama, and Ellen Degeneres putting her […]

Over the years, Atlanta has introduced more than its fair share of artists into the spotlight. However, it is safe to say that there have been none quite like Ray Lavender. From the A by way of Monroe, Louisiana, this country crooner has finally surfaced for the masses with his sexy, bold, and enticingly edgy […]

This music industry has witnessed countless crazy events in the lineups of our favorite groups. We’ve seen them start out with four members and swap out two of their members; trading them like baseball cards. We’ve witnessed a four-person group become a three person group, then go on to do better than the original quartet. […]

The last time we spoke to Che’Nelle, way back in March of 2006, Jay-Z had signed some UK rapper called Lady Sovereign (remember her?) and it finally seemed like global artists were going to break the American market. Over a year later, a lot has changed. For starters, that whole international thing didn’t blow up […]

Herbie Hancock is from the land of the “Go.” That’s Chicago, and it’s a longshot, but maybe part of the Windy City’s proficiency in Hip-Hop music can be traced back to Hancock’s use of scratching in “Rockit” [Note: Peace to Grandmixter DXT]. After all, though Hancock had long been considered a giant in jazz circles, […]

Hey young world. What’s good? The week has passed and we’re talking about Fred Thompson’s Republican debate performance, DC sniper Lee Boyd Malvo regretting his role in the sniper killings, New York Yankees manager Joe Torre waiting to see if he will still have a job, and the 14-year-old student who police discovered with a […]

Keyshia Cole keeps it 100% real at all times, though some may say “too real.” Cole expresses growth and maturity in her newest project with the sophomore release Just Like You. Leaving a place of hurt, this project is themed around retrospective thoughts and lessons learned. With a smash single on the radio and a […]

Nowadays it’s harder than ever for new artists to stand out in the ever so competitive world of independent music. One emerging young female singer from Queens, New York, Lydia Caesar, is familiar with that grind all too well. With N.Y.C. being the most concentrated place for music artists to shine through, Lydia managed to […]

While hardcore dancehall was a mainstay of music in the early to mid ‘90s, its presence began to wean with the emergence of new artistic expressions of music, such as neo-soul and reggaeton. Yet, somewhere between the sheets, Jamaican born Wayne Wonder found a niche and introduced the world to reggae music with an R&B […]