Mirror Music
Artist: WordsworthTitle: Mirror MusicRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Kenny Rodriguez Wordsworth has worn many hats in the last ten years. Sure, hes co-starred on MTVs short-lived Lyricist Lounge Show, written pilot sitcoms for HBO, and appeared in a cinematic film or two, but the Hip-Hop community knows Words best for his ability to drop witty punchlines […]

North by Northwest
Artist: SoulSticeTitle: North by NorthwestRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Bill Low-Key Heinzelman With the windy city producing some of the best material these days, its only right that it is home to one of Hip-Hop’s best kept secrets, SoulStice. The Chi-town emcee started out as most emcees do, by rocking local parties and events to […]

6 O’Clock Straight
Artist: Truth EnolaTitle: 6 O’Clock StraightRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Paine On De La Soul 19TK album Stakes is High, Mos Def appeared on Big Brother Beat, confirming his Native Tongue status. Five years; Mos is famed as a b-boy, media darling, poet, and leader of the new school. Another young MC featured on that […]

AHH Stray News: 50 Cent, Diddy, Jay-Z, R. Kelly
Police in the United Kingdom are reportedly seeking 50 Cent for questioning, after a fan claimed the rapper threw a microphone in his face. The 18-year-old man claims the incident happened as 50 Cent was booed of the stage at the Reading Festival. As 50 was exiting the stage he allegedly threw the microphone into […]

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five Nominated For Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are semifinalists in nominations to be inducted into the world renowned Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The top 15 artists that tally the most votes will be this year’s nominees for consideration. Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. The nominating […]

Immortal Technique Talks The Majors And Money
In the last two years, Immortal Techniques voice has steadily gotten louder outside of his normal underground surroundings. The Harlem-bred lyricist is weighing his options before he releases another album, he said, but he spoke at length about where hes headed. Im coming back to the roots, what made me Immortal Technique – real raw. […]

Dr. Dre And Burt Bacharach Collaboration Coming Next Fall
Songwriting legend Burt Bacharach and Dr. Dre continue to work together on an untitled project, which was first announced in February of 2003. Bacharach, who is 76-years-old, said that working with Dr. Dre on the untitled project was comparable to his relationship with his famous songwriting partner, Hal David."Three of the four things I’ve already […]

The Beastie Boys: No Crossover
Let us never forget the Beastie Boys. According to Russell Simmons’ autobiography "Life & Def," without their debut’s residual sales, Def Jam might’ve folded. Without the Beasties’ reaching audiences that Schooly D didn’t, Hip-Hop may’ve never blossomed to such mass appeal. Without the barriers broken by Brooklyn’s finest, would we march to the beat of […]

Star & Hot 97 Battle Heating Up, Star Inks Cable Deal
Star of the radio team Star & Bucwild is planning his highly anticipated return to New York City, but the radio personality is facing legal action from former employer Hot 97 (WQHT). The brass at Hot 97, a station under Emmis Radio, claims that rival Clear Channel is trying to put the shock jock back […]

Kanye West Leads Source Award Nominees
The Source magazine announced the nominations for their 7th annual awards show. Kanye West led all nominees with seven nods, Ludacris earned six nominations and fellow Atlanta rapper Lil Jon snagged four. Other artists nominated include Jay-Z, Lil’ Flip, Juvenile and Twista, who will face off in the Artist of the Year category, while Outkast, […]

Tupac Shakur’s Works Turned Into Sheet Music
Aspiring piano players can now hone their skills by playing the music of Tupac Shakur, courtesy of The Tupac Shakur Collection, a sheet music song book for piano/vocal/chords that spans his entire career. The release of the sheet music comes on the eve of the eighth anniversary of Shakur, who was gunned down in 1996 […]

Loon Assault Charges Dropped
Bad Boy Records artist Loon has been cleared of felony assault charges after a Beverly Hills Superior Court judge dismissed the case stating there was a lack of evidence to go to trial. Loon and two associates, William Reyes and Teon Tanqueray were charged with felony assault after a bouncer was stabbed at a House […]

Dave Chappelle Hosts Block Party With Kanye, Talib, The Roots, Others
Comic Dave Chappelle has organized a block party that will feature seminal, like-minded artists like Kanye West, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill, Common, Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Dead Prez and The Roots, among others. Currently, there has been one party announced to be held in Brooklyn, New York at a to-be-announced secret location and […]

AHH Stray News: Jay-Z, Raekwon, Bootcamp
Rocawear was forced to scrap the name of a clothing and jewelry line called “Rocawear MUSE,” after a competitor claimed trademark infringement. According to a lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court, Rocawear competitor Maggy London International owns the “MUSE” trademark and has also sold women’s apparel and accessories as well. Rocawear also inked a deal […]

Whoo Kid Teams With Rock The Vote For Mixtape
Rock the Vote has teamed with DJ Whoo Kid to release a new mixtape they hope will lead Hip-Hop enthusiasts to the polls. The new mixtape features exclusive songs and freestyles from such heavyweights as Snoop Dogg, Lloyd Banks, Jadakiss, Pharrell Williams, Game and guest appearances by Nas, P. Diddy, Halle Berry and others. “This […]

Ruling On Sampling Could Have An Effect On Hip-Hop
A federal appeals court in Cincinnati, Ohio ruled yesterday (Sept. 7) that artists should pay for every sample included in their work, a ruling that could have an effect on Hip-Hop music, which often utilizes pieces of other copyrighted works. A three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals said that federal laws passed […]

Wordsworth: Reflection Eternal
With his clever wordplay and impressive ability to spontaneously kick a freestyle verse better than most rappers could after days spent dawdling with a pen and a pad, Flatbush bred Wordsworth has long been considered one of underground Hip-Hop’s best emcees. But oddly enough it’s been nearly a decade, with no album, since he made […]

50 Cent Claims To Tape Sex Acts
50 Cent has reportedly taken dramatic measures to ensure that he doesn’t have to endure a public trial like basketball star Kobe Bryant. According to Elite TV, the rapper claims to film all of sexual exploits that occur within his lavish mansion by utilizing a plethora of spy-like angles. “No matter what you do, it’s […]

Field Mob Member Arrested On Kidnapping Charges
Field Mob group member Shawn "Kalage" Johnson was arrested in Atlanta on kidnapping charges, according to reports. Police claim Johnson took a six-month-old girl that he believes he fathered and disappeared in July. While Johnson is in custody, police said he will not reveal the whereabouts of the child, who is still missing. In August […]

Twista Injured In Fatal Car Crash
Twista was injured in a car crash that killed a member of his entourage Monday (Sept. 7) morning in Pennsylvania. The rapper was treated and released after the van he was a passenger in crashed on Interstate 90, as Twista was heading from Syracuse, New York, to his hometown of Chicago. The van swerved off […]