George Foreman’s Sons Enter Into Distribution Biz, Launch R&B, Hip-Hop Labels
George Foreman Jr., the eldest son of legendary heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman, has invested in Brilliant Entertainment Inc., which provides major distribution and promotion for independent artists. Under the new deal, George Jr. and George Foreman III will launch their own labels, with George Jr. focusing on classic R&B, while George III will […]
Sage Francis: Human The Death Dance
Rhode Islands Sage Francis is the kind of MC that purists love to support given his articulate, socially conscious material. Unfortunately, wanting an album to be good doesnt make it so. On paper, Sages latest, Human the Death Dance (Strange Famous/Epitaph) is everything a hip-hop album supposedly should be, but on vinyl, the overall work […]
William Jelani Cobb: To The Break Of Dawn
Hip-Hop writers are subtly proving that they may be doing more for the genre than emcees themselves. William Jelani Cobbs To the Break of Dawn (NYU Press) breaks down the storied tradition behind the haloed craft of emceeing. Cobbs book serves as a schematic to rapping, decomposing the nuances of MC technique and analyzing lyrical […]
Snoop Dogg Presents: The Big Squeeze
Snoop Dogg described his latest album release in a recent Los Angeles Times article as trying to squeeze more out of the rap game. Its a simple statement that offers up little more about the compilation album than the title itself states: The Big Squeeze (Doggy Style/Koch). In many respects, the album could be thought […]
Cee-Lo Green Launches Radiculture Record Label
As a standout member of Goodie Mob and Gnarls Barkley, Cee-Lo Green knows how to create a unique path for success. Now, the Grammy Award winning singer/rapper/writer/producer will celebrate the launch of his new label Radiculture, which is distributed by Atlantic Records. “I’ve been in the music business for quite some time now. I’ve had […]
Solange Knowles’ 2-Year-Old Son Juelz New Spokesman For ‘Kid’s Rap Radio’
Mathew Knowles’ Music World Music has announced the release date for Kid’s Rap Radio Vol. 3, the latest in the company’s series of Hip-Hop friendly music produced for children ages 2-10. The new spokesman for the releases is also a child, Knowles’ 2-year-old grandson Juelz. According to Juelz’ mother Solange, her young son […]
Dr. Ian Smith: Spice Of Life
Dr. Ian Smiths middle name might as well be multi-task. While millions of people know the young doctor as the intensely polite nutrition expert on VH-1s Celebrity Fit Club, he is also a scholar (Harvard, Columbia University, Dartmouth and Chicago Universitys Pritzker School of medicine), author (five books and contributing editor for Mens Health […]
Ivan Matias: Hip-Hop’s Secret Trapped in the Closet
How far can a joke on Hip-Hop go? According to Ivan Matias, far enough. Matias is the wizard behind the invention and rhymes of Jason Caushun Herndon, Hip-Hops first openly gay rapper. Garnering media attention for an openly gay MC proved to be no small feat. After calling into Hot 97s Funk Master Flexs show […]
New Russell Simmons Book Makes Debut on New York Times Bestsellers List
Russell Simmons’ new book Do You! 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success has landed onto the New York Times’ Bestsellers List. Do You! currently sits high with a debut at No. 4 on this week’s Hardcover Advice list. “I am very grateful, humble and excited that so many […]
Streets is Talking: Young Buck Part One
Whether sales are through the roof or below average, one thing that remains constant at all times with G-Unit is drama. Minus the infamous awards show melee, Young Buck usually plays it cool, staying below the gossip radar. Now with recent allegations of members of the crew assaulting a minor, unsanctioned truces with enemies, and […]
Streets is Talking: Young Buck Part Two
AllHipHop.com: How did you come out about speaking to Game to dead the beef? Young Buck: I was on a promotional tour for radio. I was making sure that all my records get played around, being I got a hit record Get Buck. Once I got to L.A., the politics of the music had people […]
Gemstar Da Goldenchild: Star Quality
Finding substance in the South isnt hard to find, in Lexington, South Carolina, Gemstar Da Goldenchild is a prime example of an artist that sticks to kicking raw rhymes as opposed to leanin and rockin. Gemstar embodies the essence of a MC capable to spitting metaphoric rhymes and witty punchlines, a style once thought to […]
Sean Kingston: Trenchtown Rap
Usually when popular producers take young, unknown MCs under their wing and unleash them on the industry, the results make Hip-Hop history. Puffy did it for Biggie, Dre did it for Eminem, and Large Professor did it for Nas. In 2007, enter Sean Kingston, the first artist to be signed by super-producer Jonathan J.R. Rotem […]
The Music Nation Quarterfinalists
Legions of rap fans love to scan websites for forgotten gems of the video era while others comb MP3 databases looking for the next talent to tell their friends about. These worlds collide at Music Nation, where hopefuls enter their videos for the chance to win some cash and a contract with Epic Records. Amidst […]
Snoop Dogg: Boss at the Boards
A decade ago, then-Snoop Doggy Dogg with the help of L.T. Hutton, freaked a Zapp sample for what would become Beware of My Crew for The Line Thin Between Love & Hate Soundtrack. The period found the rapper on a frugal label, taking responsibilities into his own hands to make hit after hit. Following his […]
MC Eiht of Warzone: Compton’s Uncrowned King
When full story of Hip-Hop is told, much more credit will be given to the West Coast rap scene. While many of the worlds hardest Bronx-centric Hip-Hop historians might try to downplay the lyrical and political impact of the West, it cannot be ignored. Case in point, MC Eiht. Before most of todays so-called gangster […]
Royce Da 5’9″: The Bar Exam
Weve all heard about that one kid with talent. The one guy where the world is literally waiting to be his oyster. Its the kid thats about to get the full scholarship to Princeton. Its Len Bias coming out of college. Its Ryan Royce Da 59 Montgomery spitting rhyme for rhyme with Eminem circa 98. […]
Ne-Yo: Because Of You
While Def Jam MCs are complaining left and right about slow release schedules and lackluster marketing, the labels R&B artists dont seem to be having any problems. Like labelmate Rihanna, singer/songwriter Ne-Yo is quickly following up his successful debut with Because of You (Def Jam), a focused and mature look at the artist that puts […]
Bravez Team Hyphy: All Systems Go
With the hyphy (or hyphie) craze invading the music industry and permeating the ears of the Hip-Hop lovers the last few years, it was only a question of when – not if. With Bravez Team Hyphy, the sub-genre’s first foray into the boy band idiom has officially started. Unfortunately, it’s not All Systems Go (Stand Up/Green Light), as […]
Sage Francis: Non-Profit Prophet
In the words of Sage Francis himself, A lot of s**t has happened since A Healthy Distrust. The poetic, lyricist, battle MC, political dissident and one-time ice cream server has amassed a collection of thought-provoking songs and molded them into his latest album, Human the Death Dance, out this month on Epitaph Records. With a […]
