The People’s Champ
Artist: Paul WallTitle: The People’s ChampRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jessica Dufresne What it do? The champ is officially here with his long-awaited debut, and he shows why you need to believe the hype. Paul Wall has been on the grind for years and while heads below the Mason-Dixon always knew about this Swisha House […]
The Poet
Artist: ShihanTitle: The PoetRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Paine Rapping as we know it, owes a lot of gratitude to The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Herons work in the early 1970s. Most street-poets today fancy themselves as rappers. However, Shihan, a former rap signee to MCA Records, now brings his talents to the medium of spoken-word […]
Russell Simmons, Rev. Run Talk VH1 Hip-Hop Honors
Russell Simmons and Reverend Run have united once again to host the second annual "VH1 Hip-Hop Honors," which pays homage to the Hip-Hop pioneers who’ve transformed the genre into a global phenomenon. This year’s celebration was taped last Thursday (Sept. 22) at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. The special, which airs tonight (Sept. 26) on […]
Beanie Sigel Acquitted Of Attempted Murder
Rapper Beanie Sigel was acquitted of attempted-murder charges today in a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania court, after jurors spent two days deciding the rapper’s guilt or innocence. The jury delivered their verdict today (Sept. 26) vindicating Sigel of shooting Terrance Speller in front of a Philadelphia bar on July 1, 2003. Damon Dash, CEO of Damon Dash […]
Dwele: On The Fence
It was apparent from the 2003 release of his official debut album Subject that pure harmony pumped through the veins of Detroits own Dwele. Whether blessing cameos through singing or production, or engaging in his own recordings, he is proof that soul wasnt left in the 70s. Born Andwele Gardner [Swahili for God has brought […]
R&B Singer D’Angelo Injured In SUV Crash, Lawyer Issues Statement
Soul singer D’Angelo was critically injured in a recent Sept. 19 accident in Powhatan County, Virginia. Virginia State Police said D’Angelo, born Michael Eugene Archer, was driving on Route 711 when his 2003 hummer ran off the road, struck a fence and flipped over. D’Angelo was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the […]
McDonald’s Rap Plan Stalls, Corporation Criticized By Watch Group
McDonald’s plan to pay rap artists to mention the Big Mac sandwich in their songs as a marketing strategy has come under fire by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, formerly Stop Commercial Exploitation of Children. CCFC is a national coalition of health care professionals, educators, advocacy groups and concerned parents that work to counter […]
Big Daddy Kane: The Smoothest Operator
Before Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G. came into prominence, there was Big Daddy Kane. A product of Brooklyn, Kane and others like him marked the era of the super emcee. However, Kane, a dark-skinned brother, was decidedly different that most emcees before and after him. Kane was able to astound males with his lyrical ferocity, […]
50 Cent, Snoop, The Game Set Ringtone Records
Fans have pushed ringtones by 50 Cent, Snoop Dog and The Game to record breaking status via Sprint PCS’ Music Tones service. 50 Cent has become the first artist on Sprint’s network to have two albums reach platinum/gold status, with more than one million Music Tones being downloaded from his album Get Rich or Die […]
Missy Elliott Undergoes Surgery For Torn Achilles Tendon
Missy Elliottt postponed numerous appearances after undergoing surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon. The accident happened while Elliott was rehearsing in Los Angeles for the TV Guide Emmy party that was scheduled to be held five days later. Elliott recently underwent extensive surgery at a private hospital on Manhattan’s East Side to repair the […]
Deemi: Diamond In The Rough
When you think of Brooklyn, New York, you think of the raw and gritty streets that reared emcees like the Notorious B.I.G, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown and Jay-Z. Although she is from the streets, Deemi is not an emcee – and shes definitely not your usual R&B diva. Born and raised in Bedford Stuyvesant, the […]
Keith Murray Hit With Lawsuit, Preparing 5th Album
Rapper Keith Murray has been hit with a lawsuit stemming from a stabbing at Webster Hall in New York last year. The lawsuit was filed in Kings County Court in Brooklyn, New York, claiming that the rapper allegedly stabbed a fan during a concert in the early morning hours of Christmas day of 2004. The […]
Sean Price: Oh Daddy
Some Hip-Hop fans mayve thought that Sean Price was forever Rocks wingman in Heltah Skeltah. Though he lacked the baritone delivery that sounded sweet on hooks, Seans solo debut, Monkey Barz is proving to be a lead-pony in Duck Down Records Triple Threat Summer of albums from Buckshot and Smiff-N-Wesson. Away from his partner, Sean […]
Trak Starz Dropping New Album, Scoring Film
Production duo Trak Starz [Zo and Sham] are gearing up to release their debut album Star Studded on the Trak Starz/Blackground Records. The duo has tracked hits for such stars as Chingy, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Britney Spears, Ludacris and others and the release in the first under a joint venture that the pair inked […]
NBA 2K6: The Tracks
Artist: Various ArtistsTitle: NBA 2K6: The TracksRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Max Herman Hip-Hop has become the sonic backbone for countless video games todaymore so than any other form of music. As developers often began utilizing virtual urban backdrops for their games a few years back, they also began looking to Hip-Hop to help compliment […]
Confessions of a Ghostwriter
Artist: SkillzTitle: Confessions of a GhostwriterRating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jay Peregrine Year after year, Skillz fans have been waiting for him to deliver that classic record that most of us know he is capable of. Every once in a while he teases his fans by releasing a song, usually right around new years time, […]
Rise Thru Da Ranks
Artist: Young BleedTitle: Rise Thru Da RanksRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Anthony Lil Koop Carr Imagine being on the roster of one of the hottest labels to emerge from the South. Imagine being on that same label and helping to create one of the hottest singles its released. Now imagine you drop your album, receive […]
Untold Story, Volume II
Artist: The GameTitle: Untold Story, Volume IIRating: 2 StarsReviewed by: Jay Peregrine If The Game is rap’s self proclaimed MVP for 2005, Then JT The Bigga Figga could be a candidate for raps 2005 Executive of the Year. Every couple of months JT puts out some old Game material that apparently, he has the rights […]
Ice-T: Hip-Hop Honor Roll
Ice-T is perhaps the most understated legend of hip-hop music. EVER. As the original gangster of hip-hop, his influence, is represented in nearly every aspect of the genre seen today. While Schoolly D fathered it, Ice populated it, making it possible for Eazy E. NWA, and every other n***a with an attitude to have a […]
Big Shug: The Counterpunch
Big Shug is that dude who held doors for everybody until there was no room left to get in. At least, thats how it would seem. Luckily, when youre as big as Shug, you can shove your way in whenever you want. Thats exactly what the Gang Starr Foundation father out of Boston is doing. […]
