Raydar Ellis: Off the Radar
Brick Records has forged a reputation for building Bostons independent Hip-Hop market. Having put out cult-followed records for MF Doom, D-Tension, and 7L & Esoteric, the presence goes beyond Beantown too. But after over a decade of grinding, Brick brought it back home with an unlikely newcomer, Raydar Ellis. Ellis, a Berklee School of Music […]

Kanye Signs With William Morris Agency, Launches West Brands LLC
Kanye West has been announced as the newest addition to the William Morris Agency, the firm that also represents Sean “Diddy Combs.” William Morris will oversee and negotiate all aspects of the Chicago rapper’s recordings, production, publishing, touring, and endorsements. “We’ve always believed that Kanye West is one of the most talented, driven, important artists […]

EPMD Plotting World Tour, Group Reunites With DJ Scratch
The reunion of rap duo EPMD during VH1’s Hip-Hop Honors Week won’t be the only stop for the group, according to their DJ, Scratch. The pair is also in the early stages of planning a world tour. But in the meantime, EPMD will perform their first concert in eight years on Oct. 14 when they […]

Ludacris Scores That ‘Number One Spot,’ Hosting and Performing on SNL
Disturbing Tha Peace chief Ludacris has two reasons to celebrate this week with a new album and single atop the charts. Release Therapy, the rapper’s latest disc, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, selling 309,000 copies while the album’s lead single “Money Maker” featuring Pharrell also scored high, […]

Tupac-Related Lawsuit Dismissed
A Washington Supreme Court declined to reinstate a libel lawsuit that was initially filed by C. Delores Tucker, the deceased Civil Rights Activist and foe of the late Tupac Shakur.The lawsuit was directed to a pair of Philadelphia papers–The Philadelphia Daily News and The Legal Intelligencer–for reporting that Tucker’s sex life had suffered due to […]

KRS One Takes Temple of Hiphop OnThe Road
KRS-One and The Temple of Hiphop will embark on a tour of Florida during the I Am HipHop Preservation Tour, which will feature KRS-One offering what he dubs "edutainment," where he will educate and entertain crowds. The pioneering South Bronx rapper will teach crowds the art of emceeing and will focus on the strength and […]

Kandi: Money Maker
Atlanta native Kandi Burruss and her city have a lot in common. Both are laidback, stress-free and moving along at their own pace. Its the lifestyle – opposite to the one that New York is renowned for – that has seen Atlantas music scene thrive beyond everyones wildest imagine. It also explains Kandis years of […]

Sky Balla: Sky’s the Limit
Aside from the obvious legal problems, any financial advisor can give you a laundry list of reasons why pimping and hustling are bad options for diversifying your portfolio. Yet, when faced with the prospect of finishing high-school and waiting for royalty checks to slowly trickle in, thats exactly what Sky Balla did. The result was […]

Dolemite: Rudy Ray Moore Looks Back
Do your homework, Rudy Ray Moore is an icon. The singer turned comedian propelled himself into the spotlight with using four letter words way before Eddie Murphy. Most known for his leading role in the cult film Dolemite, Moore trademarked a rapping style of delivering classic lines such as Dolemite is my name, and f**king […]

Spike TV Cancels ‘Blade’ TV Series
Despite a successful launch, Spike TV has canceled the Blade television series which starred rapper Sticky Fingaz. Blade was Spike TV’s first original scripted action-adventure series, which featured Sticky Fingaz as Blade, an immortal half-man made famous by actor Wesley Snipes in the movie of the same name. The series drew record ratings for the […]

Peanut Butter Wolf Presents Chrome Children
Artist: Various ArtistsTitle: Peanut Butter Wolf Presents Chrome ChildrenRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Alex Thornton In the five years since its debut on Cartoon Network, Adult Swim has not only become famous for their brand of off-beat animated programming, but has more recently earned acclaim for their string of hip-hop releases (The Mouse and the […]

Foot In The Door
Artist: OddiseeTitle: Foot In The DoorRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Paine Washington DC producer/MC Oddisee stays busy. In two years, he’s released several instrumental mixtapes, produced on Kenn Starr tapes, and official and unofficial remix tapes. For his lyrical talents, he consulted the legendary Jazzy Jeff to get on the CDJs to take it a […]

Live 1999 Public Enemy Album To Go To Highest Bidder
One lucky person could walk away with the full rights to their own Public Enemy album, as a live disc by the legendary group is scheduled to be auctioned off Oct. 26 by Ocean Tomo, an intellectual property asset management firm. The 24-track set was recorded in Helsinki, Finland, during Public Enemy’s 1999 European tour, […]

Crooked Lettaz’ Kamikaze Spurs Student Boycott
Anti-Bush statements still don’t fly these days. The latest target is Jackson, Miss., rapper Kamikaze, who was recently banned by student representatives at Mississippi’s Millsaps College after he criticized the war in Iraq during a performance.Kamikaze, one-half of rap group Crooked Lettaz with David Banner, was invited to speak and perform at Millsaps as part […]

All Access DVD To Spinoff On TV; Features Young Dro, Lupe, Rick Ross
All Access DVD has partnered with Starz In Black to produce 12 original episodes of All Access TV, a monthly television show that premiered two weeks ago.The joint venture calls for Starz to air 12 episodes once a month as a part of the network’s In Black Original series production.The first episode, which has been […]

Born Hustlers Inc: Snap Star
Hate or it or love it, snap music has consumed this country. When the percussion finger-snap sounds and the bassline drops, anyone who is near the dance floor is moved to join into the crowds cycle of leaning, rocking, and snapping their fingers. Although this sound was born in the impoverished community of Bankhead in […]

Chingy: All Ballers Don’t Bounce
Some critics of Chingy wouldve never believed that the former St. Louis teen-star would be one day delivering a third album on a major label. Perhaps like Cassidy, Chingy has evolved from a rapper birthed in a bubblegum fanbase, driven to the battle, then returning to his Pop sensibilities. As Pulling Me Back became a […]

AHH Stray News: ‘Baby Boy’ Lawsuit Dimissed, Ying Yang Rename Album, Jay-Z/TNT
A copyright infringment lawsuit involving the #1 single "Baby Boy" by Beyonce Knowles was dismissed in a US District Court. In July 2004, Jennifer Armour filed a lawsuit against Beyonce and other writers and producers of the song, which include Scott Storch, rapper Jay-Z, Jamaican artist Sean Paul and Sony Music, claiming "Baby Boy" was […]

Papoose and Nation of Thugacation Rep For ‘Educated Thugs’
While some MCs would be content celebrating a new $1.5 million label deal with Jive, Brooklyn-bred rapper Papoose is already planning his future with the rap group the Nation of Thugacation. According to Papoose, group members Tydro, Snipe, Odogg, Flip, Cbrown, Ike enfa diamonds, and R&B singer Maleeke will have cameos on the rapper’s upcoming […]

Too Bad
Artist: Buju BantonTitle: Too BadRating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Metanoya Z. Webb The language is plain and simple. No hype, pop sheen, just 17 raw tracks that will undoubtedly take a 1990’s certified reggae lover down memory lane. Why is it that an ostracized, slick-talking, Rastaman veteran deejay had to usher in a wicked dancehall […]
