The Notorious B.I.G. once proclaimed, “You’re nobody ‘til somebody kills you.” Cam’ron couldn’t possibly subscribe to the notion, because most of his trials have involved near death experiences in varying degrees. In 2005, an unknown assailant fired on the Harlem rapper in his Lamborghini, striking him in the right arm. Then, there was the near […]

On May 11, 2008 at 4:01 am, Alvin “Xzibit” Joiner welcomed a newborn son, Xavier Nathaniel Joiner, to the world. The Likwit Crew member and veteran West Coast Rap artist actually announced the child’s birth via MySpace on May 24, noting he was writing the message from the hospital, where he had been since Xavier’s […]

History is always up for debate. For instance, DJ Kool Herc, the Godfather of Hip-Hop, officially “started” Hip-Hop culture that fateful evening he DJ’d his sister’s birthday party in The Bronx in 1973, right? While those details are generally accepted as gospel, there are DJ’s in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, contemporaries of Herc, […]

Back in 2002 the South was not enjoying the prominence it is today. A then teenaged Archie “Mr. Evasocold” Eversole, randomly appeared and shocked the nation with his debut hit “We Ready.”   “I was fifteen years old; about to turn sixteen when I recorded it,” Archie reminisces. “I really didn’t have any expectations for […]

Chicago-bred MC Rhymefest is one of the industry’s, relatively, best kept secrets. He has gained notoriety for his clever battle-rap skills, where he outshined Eminem back in ’97 (see YouTube). He also penned Kanye’s Grammy-winning “Jesus Walks.” Now, ‘Fest is ready to show the world the total package.     This week, he will drop […]

Young Buck is stuck. The Cashville, Ten-A-Key (ahem, Nashville, TN) native was given his walking papers from G-Unit last year, but the rub is that he is still signed to G-Unit Records.   Despite his tenuous predicament Buck is willing and wanting to fulfill his recording obligations. But according to the exiled rapper his attempts […]

For a producer whose dark grooves helped define New York Hip-Hop’s aural landscape in the 90s, Havoc’s recent presence in the rap game has been underwhelming. The 34-year-old MC/producer displeased many fans two years ago when his long overdue solo venture, The Kush, came and went with dubious results. With his “other half” of the […]

2008 was like a reality show gone wrong for Yung Berg. And we watched.   Sure, he had two hits singles on the charts and dropped his proper debut, Look What You Made Me, but the Chi-Town representing MC was best known for controversy. Disagreements with rappers, catching a beat down and a slap, offending […]

Filmmaker Choke No Joke is a master at his craft and is the force behind indie film Code Blue (Sundy Carter, Vincent Pastore (The Sopranos), Gano Grills, JD Williams (The Wire), Jade Yorker, Chuck Zito, Dennis White). When Choke’s rap career did not move at the rate he anticipated, he decided to turn his focus […]

Long before Hip-Hop seemingly gave way to its vices – misogyny, violence, and drugs – there were The Elements. These cultural fundamentals still are DJing, B-Boying (aka Break dancing), Graffiti, and Emceeing. The climate of Hip-Hop, much like Rock and Roll before it, scared those who didn’t understand the intensity of the expression that resulted […]

Beef with Bad Boy Entertainment is nothing new in Hip-Hop. From Loon to the L.O.X., to Suge and Shyne Po, various cats have been disgruntled with Diddy’s movements at one point or another over the years.   Mark Curry, however, is a different case. The rapper/producer has written a new book, Dancing With the Devil […]

Just a little over five years into his career, Atlanta’s Lil Scrappy has experienced much success in Hip-Hop. The young MC came into the game with a co-sign from super-producer Lil Jon, reaching gold success on the Kings of Crunk compilation. From there, Scrappy partnered with 50 Cent to drop his Top 20, 2006 debut […]

David “DJ Quik” Blake is considered one of the rap game’s most talented music producers by fans worldwide. As an artist, he was first introduced to us on his early 90’s release Quik Is The Name and became one of the main pillars that the West Coast rap scene was built upon with tracks like […]

When Zion I cut their debut release, Mind Over Matter, in 2000, they garnered the respect of an underground community looking for the next sound. Since that debut, the combination of un-earthly production from AmpLive along with mutating lyrics from their dread-locked MC, Zumbi, has yet to fail.    Since Mind Over Matter, Zion I […]

Domingo has been around for quite some time and the Hip-Hop producer has been a master at his craft for quite some time as well. Through the years, he’s produced for the likes of Big Pun (“Dream Shatterer”), KRS-One (“The MC”), Tony Yayo (“Homicide”) and others like Rakim, Fat Joe, The Boogie Monsters and Joell […]

Project Pat, O.G. Memphis rapper and Three 6 Mafia affiliate, has endured a lot.  Growing up in the projects hustling to make ends meet, Pat dedicated years trying to acquire enough wealth to escape the hood by any means necessary.  Needless to say, although heavily involved with the Memphis movement along with brother Juicy J, […]

They say the third times a charm. For Yonkers bred rapper Jadakiss the third time is the last the chapter. After delivering the streets two well received solo albums, Kiss The Game Goodbye (2001) and Kiss of Death (2004), Jada is dropping The Last Kiss in just four short weeks.   With his Ne-Yo assisted […]

Lansing, Michigan.   50 Cent, G-Unit, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco, 88-Keys, & Jadakiss.   AKAI MPC 4000, Roland Fantom G & Studio Electronics SE-1   8 Years.   Growing up in the Midwest exposes you to all types of music, which is a beneficial when choosing the music industry as your career field of choice. Lansing, Michigan […]

Nipsey Hussle has managed to secure a major label record deal and the spot as lead hitter for the New West Coast all in about a year’s time. It may seem like dream come true to aspiring MCs, however his current position came with plenty of blood, sweat, and tears. “Growing up with a blue […]

Perhaps more unforgettable than the classic tracks on Public Enemy’s seminal album Yo! Bum Rush The Show is the album’s actual CD cover.  The timeless pose of all the members in dark berets gathered in a dimly lit room prove that Hip-Hop is just as much visual as it is audio.   But this is […]