Mac Dre Gunned Down In Kansas City, MO
According to sources, Vallejo rapper Mac Dre was killed in a shooting and crash in Kansas City Missouri. Investigators revealed that two men in a car were headed north on Highway 71 near 85th Street earlier this morning when another car pulled up and opened fire. The driver of the vehicle fired upon went into […]
Hip Hops Intergenerational Power In Politics
This year has been truly a nation wide grass root movement to remind people the significance of voting. With hot topics like the war in Iraq, a declining economy, civil liberties in jeopardy and the welfare of future generation, some of our celebrated superstars have helped bring urgency to the voting process. Hip-Hop jumpstarted a […]
DMC: Remembering Jam Master Jay
October 30, 2002 is a day that will live in infamy. That is the day Hip-Hop lost a giant, Jam Master Jay, due to a gunshot wound to the head in his Jamaica, Queens studio, blocks away from a police precinct. Jay’s death is symbolic to us. The anger that arose in America after those […]
League of P##### Off Voters Gives Tips For Election Day
A record number of hip-hop heads are expected to cast their votes Tuesday—a historic enrollment that may swing the presidential election against Republican incumbent George Bush. But William "Upski" Wimsatt, Director of The League of P#####-Off Voters, has a message for hip-hop voters: Don’t forget the other 90% of the ballot. "Most of us go […]
Jay-Z/R.Kelly Collabo Expected To Debut At #1
Jay-Z and R. Kelly’s collaboration album Unfinished Business is expected to debut at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 charts. The album moved over 280,000 units during its first week in stores. The pair’s highly touted collaboration enjoyed extra publicity, due to a very public falling out between the two men on their Best of Both […]
My Own Worst Enemy
Artist: Edo. G featuring Pete RockTitle: My Own Worst EnemyRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Matt Barone Uniting the microphone abilities of Boston veteran Edo. G with the board skills of Mount Vernon legend Pete Rock would have surely been a high-profile collaboration a decade ago. As an unfortunate sign of the times, however, My Own Worst […]
Entrepreneurs Create ‘Blingware’ Eating Utensils
Inspired by rap’s lavish lifestyle, known to many as “bling-bling,” entrepreneurs Erroll and Nicole Footman have combined “ice” with luxury flatware to create Blingware. Noticing the flashy jewelry celebrities frequently showcase on awards shows, the Footman’s procured the design for their flatware that includes knives, forks and spoons. The married couple experimented on the construction […]
Ambush
Artist: MaroonsTitle: AmbushRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Jason Newman As Quannum heads anxiously begin their 6-month countdown for the new Blackalicious album, they hopefully will not overlook the release of Ambush (Quannum), the ambitious and innovative debut from Maroons AKA Latyrxs Lateef the Truth Speaker and Blackalicious DJ Chief Xcel. A precursor to next years release […]
Unfinished Business
Artist: R. Kelly & jay ZTitle: Unfinished BusinessRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Jayson Rodriguez If The Best Of Both Worlds was Jay-Z and R.Kellys Fiesta-fueled Friday night then Unfinished Business (Def Jam), the duos second collaborative album, is their Saturday night sequel. Jigga and Kells re-team with the intention of flaunting their fantasy-inducing fairy tales, but […]
AHH: Stray News: Kerry & Eminem, Bungalo Records, Bubba Sparxxx
John Kerry talked about Eminem’s latest single, “Mosh,” in which he attacks President Bush and labels the president a “coward.” “I heard Eminem on "Saturday Night Live" last night,” Kerry told MTV. “I heard the song that he did. I don’t know if that’s part of his new [album] or not. I liked it. But […]
Shyne: Critical Resistance
The hype surrounding Shyne has dwindled but the rapper –still serving a 10-year jail bid – has thoughts on everything from the presidential election to 50 Cent to life behind bars. Still seeking an appeal for a first-degree assault conviction, here is what’s going on with Jamal Barrow. AllHipHop.com: Lets talk politics. Any thoughts? Shyne: […]
MoNique: First Lady Of Laughter
Comedic genius is often measured by the ability to attach laughter to some of lifes most troublesome issues. MoNique is a master of intertwining comedy and confusion, and she has brought happiness to millions of people with her take no prisoners brand of humor. The Baltimore comedienne is best known for her now syndicated sitcom, […]
Roy Ayers: Feel the Vibe, Pt 1
Roy Ayers has experienced an unparalleled life in music. Born and raised in Los Angeles, the Jazz vibraphonist has enjoyed a phenomenal career that spans five decades and even more musical genres, including Jazz, Funk and Disco, to name a few. Whether his music is sparking countless games of Who sampled that? or he himself […]
Roy Ayers: Feel the Vibe, Pt 2
AHHA: Who are some of the current acts that you are into? RA: Jill Scott [she] sampled one of my songs on her current record. She sampled No Stranger to Love. The names go on from Will Smith, to…there’s just so many people. Mary J. Blige is probably the biggest sample I ever had […]
Raphael Saadiq: Still Ray
You can call Raphael Saadiq a lot of things: singer, songwriter, and producer are the first to come to mind. The former Tony Toni Toné lead singer has spent the better part of the last decade establishing himself as a one-man showcase for urban music, crafting hits for the likes of DAngelo, Total, and, of […]
Everyone Wants to Drive Now…
Now that Hip-Hop’s been commercialized… I mean, grown into global acceptance, has anyone else besides me stopped listening to what’s new? Does anyone else remember when ‘droppin’ gems on ‘em’ was an emcee’s theme that didn’t involve flashing gaudy jewelry at us? Our cultural vehicle of speech is now driven by corporate influence. Is it […]
Asian-American Hip-Hop: A Commentary
Their Time to Shine?: Asian-American artists are gradually making their mark in hip-hop. But mainstream success is still out of reach. Now, the task seems to be resting on one man’s shoulders. It’s two o’ clock in the afternoon on a relatively quiet Saturday along the shores of Venice Beach, CA. A couple of rollerbladers […]
U Know The Flex, Vol. 1
Artist: Mos Def/Medina GreenTitle: U Know The Flex, Vol. 1Rating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Boudreaux The Love Child Everyone is proud of their hometown but Brooklyn, NY citizens are especially fanatical about reppin their habitat. That devotion is evident throughout U Know The Flex Mixtape Vol. 1. Presented by the Mighty Mos Def and Illson […]
R. Kelly Says His Life Was Threatened At Concert
Almost a half-hour after Jay-Z appeared on Hot 97 to discuss R. Kelly’s now infamous abrupt departure from their Madison Square Garden concert Friday night (Oct. 29), the singer appeared on the station, with his side of the story. Kelly dismissed the notion that he was jealous of Jay-Z and instead, offered a more ominous […]
R. Kelly Doesn’t Perform At NY Concert, Jay-Z Airs It Out
Friday, the private problems between Jay-Z and R.Kelly bubbled over publicly as Kelly abruptly left the highly touted hometown Best of Both Worlds tour date at Madison Square Garden in New York City. According to Kelly’s publicist, Kelly and two bodyguards was pepper sprayed by members of Jay-Z’s entourage, forcing him to go to the […]