Independent’s Day
Artist: Royce Da 5’9″Title: Independent’s DayRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Bill “Low-Key” Heinzelman Fresh off the most successful year of his career, Royce 5’9″ is trying to earn his stripes as Hip-Hop’s hardest working emcee. While many doubted the rock city veteran, Royce proved the naysayers wrong with Death Is Certain and the M.I.C. Mixtape Vol. […]
Fear Factory Guitarist Moonlights As Hip-Hop Producer
Christian Wolbers is not a name known to many in the Hip-Hop crowd, but his work is. Well known as the bass/guitarist in the Metal band Fear Factory, he is also a Hip-Hop DJ, programmer, and producer all under which he is credited as "The Edgemaster". "The Edgemaster" has worked with such artists as Snoop […]
AHH Stray News: Sean John Sued, Snoop Teams With Chrysler, Qualo Signs, Luke Records Sued
Sean “P. Diddy” Combs has been hit with a lawsuit over the slogan for his Sean John clothing line. Gregory Hilderbrand filed a lawsuit in Chicago Federal Court, claiming that the brand’s slogan “It’s no just a label, it’s a lifestyle” violates his registered trademark “It’s a lifestyle.” Hilderbrand alleges that his own clothing line […]
Tha Dogg Pound: Doggie Bag
Who would have thought? After all of the things that have been said, and all the harsh words, Daz and Kurupt are finally back together the most significant reunion since The Fugees and A Tribe Called Quest. While once bitter enemies, through the help of Snoop Dogg and his push for West Coast unity, […]
Proof: Body of the Life Force
The days of concept albums appeared to be a thing of the past. Recently, people have been concentrating on quantity over quality – and real music lovers often feel cheated when purchasing a CD. Proof, an essential ingredient of D-12 is dropping his debut and not only is it a concept album, it is packed […]
New Generation Of Rappers Featured In Madden 2006
For the past 15 years, EA Sports and John Madden have written the book on creating the perfect franchise football game. Within the last few years, the game has also become an extremely useful marketing vehicle for brand new artists that are featured on the Madden Soundtrack. Tapping new and proven talent alike, this year’s […]
DJ Kay Slay Coming To Sirius Satellite Radio
DJ Kay Slay has been tapped to host a new weekly mix show on Sirius Satellite Radio called "Streetsweeper Radio." The Harlem native will host the four-hour mix show on the Eminem backed Shade 45 Channel every Wednesday from 8pm to 12 midnight ET. Highly regarded for his street-edged mixtapes, the Drama King is looking […]
Adidas Buying Reebok For $3.8 Billion
Sporting-goods manufacturer Adidas has announced its will buy out rival Reebok, in a deal worth a reported $3.8 billion. Adidas is ranked at number two behind Nike in the sporting-goods industry, with Reebok in third. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine two of the most respected and well-known companies in the worldwide sporting goods […]
Director Ben Mor Talks T.I. MTV Video Nomination, New Blood of Abraham LP Coming
Ben Mor (a.k.a Benyad) who is best known for being one half of the Hip-Hop duo Blood of Abraham, has been nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for T.I.’s video "U Don’t Know Me", which he directed. “I know it’s cliché but it truly is an honor to be nominated", Ben Mor said. "Considering […]
EA-Ski & The Frontline: Bring ‘Em Out
A little over a year ago people started seeing a change in the sound from the Bay. It was getting thicker, harder and the rhyme schemes over them had a new edge. Pretty soon everybody was gettin’ “hyphy”. Hyphy is to the Bay what Crunk is to the South. It drives hard, gets people wild […]
KLC: Medicated Music
The Southern regions of the America have boasted a host of hot, classic songs over the last ten years. Rising from an auspices of just the faithful few to receiving spins in the North, the East, the West, and around the globe. Below the Mason-Dixie, the key difference from other Hip-Hop tracks is the beat. […]
50 Cent Reveals Details Of Autobiography
Rapper 50 Cent’s has teamed up with MTV to release his autobiography, titled "From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside, Queens." The Queens bred emcee teamed with MTV Books to release an autobiography based on his life, discussing his childhood, the death of his mother and his road to stardom. "The book […]
Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101
Artist: Young JeezyTitle: Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101Rating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Houston Williams T.I. maybe the King of the South, but Young Jeezy is the street-appointed King of The Trap and after much urban lore the street hustler releases his debut, Thug Motivation 101 (Corporate Thugz/Def Jam). With the streets in the palm of […]
Sir Mix-A-Lot Likes ‘Big Backpacks’
Sir Mix-A-Lot’s once controversial hit “Baby Got Back” is now the base of a department store’s national back-to-school ad campaign. Target retail chain has adopted 1992’s “Baby Got Back,” but the rapper has tweaked the lyrics to encourage the purchase of school supplies. Now dubbed “Baby Got Backpack,” Sir Mix A-Lot kicks lyrics that say […]
Game, Kanye West, Fat Joe Participate In BMI Awards
Organizers of the 5th Annual BMI Urban Awards have announced this year’s event will include participation from The Game, Fat Joe and Kanye West. The event will be hosted by the President and CEO of BMI, Del R. Bryant, and Catherine Brewton, who serves as Vice President of Writer/Publisher Relations. The Gap Band will also […]
Quincy Jones On Board To Score ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin”
Producer and musical genius Quincy Jones has been tapped to score “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” the semi-autobiographical account of rapper 50 Cent’s life. Jones will be teamed with the other composers of the film to create original music. The legendary producer will work directly with 50 Cent, Gavin Friday, Maurice Seezer and director Jim […]
The Cookbook
Artist: Missy ElliottTitle: The CookbookRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Imani Dawson When it comes to Hip-Hop, call Missy Elliott the last woman standing. Other female MCs lean heavily on cliques and rap icons for support, credibility and often, lyrical assistance. Missy however, is an independent woman and a respected rapper, sought after songwriter and hit-making […]
‘Jack Johnson Collection’ Coming From Sean John
As an entrepreneur, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs is a known fighter, but the mogul is applying that ethos to the "Jack Johnson Collection," a new line of clothing under his Sean John umbrella. The collection is named after Jack Johnson, the first African-American boxing heavyweight champion. Johnson’s remarkable and highly controversial career was captured in […]
Monkey Barz
Artist: Sean PriceTitle: Monkey BarzRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Orisanmi Burton You may remember Sean Price as one-half of Heltah Skeltah, the duo that helped cement Boot Camp Clicks legacy in the early 90s (see Nocturnal, Chosen Few, Magnum Force). During this period, the collective amassed a cult like following among Hip-Hop heads who favored their […]
HSAN Supports Emmett Till Film, New Twist From Mayor, David Banner Comments
The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) has joined forces with documentary filmmaker Keith Beauchamp to shed increased light on the murder of Emmett Till and in support of Beauchamp’s documentary film titled "The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till." “The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till” will showcase the life and death of the African […]
