The West wasn’t heavy on the national radar last year, but that doesn’t mean the Westside struggled to put out quality music. Acts like Exile (Radio) and Blu (Sene’s A Day Late & A Dollar Short) used 2009 to experiment with concepts and song arrangements, while others like Jay Rock and Nipsey Hussle continued their […]

Atlanta rapper Alfamega has experienced some rough times since thesmokinggun.com published his criminal record, which revealed that he served as an informant in a drug case, to have time shaven 18 months shaved off a prison 110 month sentence for selling guns. Since the news broke, his one-time ally T.I. kicked him out of Grand […]

Most Slept On (Max. 5): We loathed the jokes. It seemed like everybody and their mother had some sort of link to SoundScan sales in 2009 and that was somehow and indication of how good or bad and album was. For example, M.O.P. sold a meager 2,100 units their first week, but the Mash Out […]

In 2009, one of hip-Hop’s most well-known couples called it quits when Kelis filed for divorce from Nas on the grounds of “irreconcilable differences.” News hit the media on April 30 when the singer filed papers in Los Angeles through high-powered attorney Laura Wasser. Complicating matters was the fact Kelis was seven months pregnant with […]

Like the best albums category, there’s much to consider when appointing the best of the best when it comes to the beats. Still, there is one thing we know for certain, a lot of producers stood out in major ways this year. Whether it was the potency of Just Blaze to the melodious J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League […]

 The best major albums category has always been a major and contentious topic for Hip-Hop fans and critics. There are so many factors to consider, including sales, societal impact, artistic merits, among a plethora of other matters. And, the indies arguably have it worse. They dwell in a world where every fan is a rapper […]

Joe Budden has always been a fixture on the internet with his personal blogs, but the New Jersey emcee upped the ante in 2009 with a very public breakup with longtime girlfriend Tahiry, and notable beefs with Saigon and the Wu-Tang Clan. In January 2009, Budden launched the first diss track entitled “Letter to Saigon” […]

  Rappers have always maintained contentious connection with law enforcement at best, but this year saw two emcees receive hefty sentences for their misdeeds.   C-Murder’s (Corey Miller) 9- year homicide case came to close in August when the rapper was sentenced to life in prison for the 2002 shooting of 16 year old Steven […]

It’s no secret by now that Hip-Hop music has evened out considerably since the Golden Era when the music was fundamentally trendsetting and impactful. 2009, was no different, and we have seen our fair share of disappointment in the music over the past year. While many have made AllHipHop.com’s Biggest Disappointment list, Dr. Dre’s default […]

  Part 1-King of the East   For part 2 of our 4-part series, we turned to the underrated Midwest..Detroit and Chicago continued their dominance of the regions’s Hip-Hop scene in 2009. Along with the usual suspects, vets like Twista (Category F5) and Royce da 5’9 (Street Hop) showed they were still sharp, and new […]

There’s one life/One love/So there can only be one king –Nas “The Message”   Last year, AllHipHop.com held the first annual Kings of Hip-Hop. The purpose of the 4 part series was to select an artist from each region (East, West, South, and Midwest) that made the most lasting impact in 2009. While other factors […]

The year 2009 saw the Hip-Hop world get devastated by several unexpected and tragic deaths.     Francis M, a trailblazing figure for music and fashion in the Philippines, died in March after a long battle with leukemia.   Powered by the hit song “Kababayan (My Countrymen),” Francis dropped Yo!, the first commercially released Hip-Hop […]

For years, we have given out “The Sausage Award” for Bad Hip-Hop Beef. When the “award” first started, there was a distinct difference between good Hip-Hop beef and bad Hip-Hop beef. For, example Nas vs Jay-Z was considered a good Hip-Hop beef, because there was a certain build up and lyrical competition attached to it. […]

Twitter gave the fan, the stan and the voyeur something to talk about over and over again in the year year 2009. As more and more artists jumped on, they left more and more to converse about. The social network was used in a number of different ways. Early adopters like MC Hammer made huge […]

Hey party people,Nobody on the AllHipHop staff wanted to write about this one so it was immediately ordered that illseed would write about it. I deal with Epic Fails on a daily basis and, I guess, they felt like I should be the one to continue with it – but with artists. But, truth be […]

Rebellion 1 : opposition to one in authority or dominance 2 a : open, armed, and usually unsuccessful defiance of or resistance to an established government b : an instance of such defiance or resistance Hip-Hop, at its core, is a rebellion. It is a cultural and musical rebellion that has continued to redefine just […]

In 2008, Alfamega gained more prominence as the close friend of superstar T.I. and supposed “street muscle” for his Grand Hustle label. But in 2009, Alfamega’s rap career was stalled after documents leaked confirming his past as a federal informant.   The documents were first published by thesmokinggun.com in May. The information detailed that in […]

    Scott Storch is quietly making his return, yet shunning opportunity to exploit himself. In returning to the scene, the producer is re-considering the media (canceling reality shows), steering clear of w###### himself out (Twitter) and even reflects on the loves of his life (Lil’ Kim). Through it all, “The Piano Man” is ready […]

Most of the United States has been in a recession of sorts for a little over a year, but producer Scott Storch has been experienced his own personal slump. In the last few years, the New York native had succumbed to an addiction to cocaine that contributed to a matching financial calamity as well. From […]

As we bear witness to the close of another year, the inevitable reflections occur. I reflect on the supposed, presumed and possible premature Death of Autotune. Sure, we all know the Jay-Z record that more or less stuck a fork in the trend that had previously swept the Hip-Hop Nation through agents like T-Pain and […]