Murphy Lee: Grown Man B.I.
D uring his formative years, a young Torhi Harpers close family stressed that luck was a delicate combination of preparation and opportunity. When most teenagers slaved at their sorry part-time jobs and prepped for the SAT’s, Torhi, or Murphy Lee and friends, the St. Lunatics, worked to fulfill their dreams as rap stars in the […]
Jim Jones Talks New Album, DVD And ‘Killa Season’
Dipset capo Jim Jones is gearing up for the release of his next album Summer Was Fun due this fall. The first single from the album is titled “We Fly High” and the album features appearances from fellow Dipset members like Cam’ron and Juelz Santana, as well as other unaffiliated rappers, said Jones. “I got […]
Wood Work
Artist: Da BackWudzTitle: Wood WorkRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Paine Having achieved monumental success as an R&B and Pop producer, Dallas Austin is still itching for a hit Hip-Hop act. The last time he eyed up a Southern rap talent, it was Poison Clans JT Money and the nauseating Who Dat chants that followed. Seven years […]
Letters To A Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny (Book)
Artist: Hill HarperTitle: Letters To A Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny (Book)Rating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Danielle Cabell Maybe all that taping of CSI: NY caused Hill Harper to miss the popular memo de stereotype: Young black men dont read. So devoting 173 pages of words to them probably isnt the smartest idea. Then again, […]
Suge Knight Appears In Court, Denies Having Foreign Investments
Rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight testified at a bankruptcy hearing Friday (May 5) that Death Row Records has struggled financially because of his frequent incarcerations, in addition to a $107 million lawsuit filed by the label’s alleged co-founders. The hearing was set to allow creditors to question Knight about his massive debt, which totals over […]
McNally Smith College of Music Announces ‘Ice Cube Scholarship’
Rapper/actor Ice Cube visited the St. Paul, Minnesota campus of McNally Smith College of Music last week, to announce the “Ice Cube Scholarship.” Ice Cube, students and executives from the McNally Smith College of Music were on hand for the announcement on Thursday (May 4). The Ice Cube Scholarship will be awarded each year to […]
Pick A Bigger Weapon
Artist: The CoupTitle: Pick A Bigger WeaponRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Michael P###### Like walking into a party drunk and pissing on the coats, Pick a Bigger Weapon (Epitaph), The Coups fifth album, is no less unpredictable and vitriolic than anything theyve done before. MC Boots Riley is still in Richard Pryor-sharing-an-apartment-with-George Clinton-mode, still getting all […]
Never Drank The Kool-Aid (Book)
Artist: TouréTitle: Never Drank The Kool-Aid (Book)Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Sidik Fofana Touré has a nice gig. An esteemed journalist for Rolling Stone magazine, The New Yorker and a slew of other highly reputable publications, former host of MTV Spoke n Heard, and current BET correspondent, Touré makes a living out of deconstructing Hip-Hop culture […]
Stay Tru
Artist: Pastor TroyTitle: Stay TruRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Paine Since his mildly publicized feud with Master P five years ago, Pastor Troy has been an Atlanta workaholic, yet still without the level of notoriety of his peers. On the heels of some new exposure via Chamillionaires Southern Takeover, Troy drops his seemingly mandatory yearly installment […]
J. Bully: The Intelligent Hoodlum
W hat MC dare call himself an educated thug in this era of Hip-Hop? J.Bully represents a new breed of lyricist and a movement he deems Educated Thug Muzik, an interest group that intends to balance the genre a bit. In many ways, Bully represents the paranormal to rap though. He teaches a Hip-Hop course […]
K-Hill: Livin’ Proof
S traight out of Wilson, North Carolina, K-Hill is one of the states brightest talents of today and tomorrow. The producer and MC gained notoriety from producing throwback-minded joints on Kazes Spirit of 94 project three years ago. While he says he wasnt aware of the theme at the time, this is an artist with […]
Van Hunt: Funky Ride
Van Hunts debut self-titled album was critically acclaimed. He even earned a Grammy nod for the nod-worthy Dust, but people found it hard trying to classify the singer in a sea of R&B pretty boys. Hunts newest effort On The Jungle Floor doesnt sound like Prince, and it doesnt sound like Jimi Hendrix. It is […]
The Square Egg: Round Here
From the sound of the name, The Square Egg, sounds very contradictory to the ear. One may wonder why and how a group could come up with such an obscure name. Is it for the attention? It may be hard to put your finger on it, but its not as complex as one might think. […]
DJ Chela: New Girl Order
T he female Hip-Hop head appears to resemble the Black man at first glace: an endangered species. However, upon deeper analysis and sincere study, its apparent that they are flourishing in some ways, while languishing in others. DJ Chela may not be a household name, but the spin-doctor seeks to change that notion and marshal […]
AHH Stray News: Police Fear Revenge In TI Shooting, Whoo Kid, Ice-T, Chaka Khan
In an attempt to thwart a violent retaliation, Cincinnati police have increased their patrols and undercover officers’ work, after a shooting that killed one person and hurt three members of Atlanta rapper T.I.’s entourage. The extra security measures were taken after detectives received several credible tips that retaliation was planned. Lt. Col. James Whalen reported […]
Master P Claims Sony Exec’s Blocking Lil’ Romeo, Filing $500 Million Lawsuit
Hip-Hop mogul Master P said he is filing a $500 million lawsuit against Sony Music, alleging that its executives are trying to keep Lil’ Romeo’s, “U Can’t Shine Like Me” from getting played on radio. The song, which responds to Bow Wow’s “Fresh Azimiz,” began playing on Los Angeles radio station KKBT in February. Apparently […]
Source Founder Dave Mays Files For Bankruptcy Protection, Majority Stake In Mag To Hit Auction Block
The Source Magazine’s founder and former CEO Dave Mays has filed for bankruptcy protection, temporarily halting an auction sale of his stock in the Hip-Hop publication. The auction of his share was halted for a second time in light of Mays’ declaration of bankruptcy yesterday morning (May 4). Mays lost control of the magazine after […]
Suge Knight Heads to Bankruptcy Court, Rap Mogul Claims He’s Broke
Death Row Records chief Marion “Suge” Knight will appear before a bankruptcy trustee today (May 5) to answer questions for creditors. The rap mogul, who says he doesn’t own any cars or real estate, claims he has $11 in his Washington Mutual checking account as well as $25,000 worth of “personal jewelry,” $1,000 worth of […]
Edgar Allen Floe: Floetry
H ailing from North Carolina, Edgar Allen Floe has made a name for himself, writing and producing as one of 15 members in Hip-Hops Knights of the Round Table, the Justus League. One might think that by having more members in your group than the Wu-Tang Clan, he would get a case of middle child […]
Little Brother: Most Slept On
N orth Carolinas agents are always on their grind to get quality Hip-Hop out to the masses. Little Brothers sophomore album The Minstrel Show dropped this past September, and since then, the trio hasnt stopped working. Most recently, they linked with DJ Drama for a Gangsta Grillz mixtape that connected the group to Mos Def […]
