Isaac Hayes was a musical genius. Chances are if you check the credits you will find your favorite artist has rhymed over a Hayes assisted beat creation at one point or another. So selecting a small portion of Black Moses’ extensive catalogue that’s been sampled by Hip-Hop artists and labeling it “best” is a fool’s […]

The D-Boyz are rappers Lac and Stone, former Cash Money Records artists with star power of their own. The duo recently released Life of a D-Boy on 404 Records (home to MJG) and the album is a throwback to the halcyon days of their former recording home. With features from Juvenile, BG and Lil Wayne […]

It takes a thorough and savvy individual to prosper during an economic downturn. Considering the current conditions within the music industry, Jay Jenkins certainly feels no pressure. But Young Jeezy has always made good out of any situation. Still under his original moniker, Lil J, he would make his name early on with his independent […]

At this point in their career there is no reason to expect anything from OutKast…and that’s not a bad thing. Since their debut the duo composed of Andre “3000” Benjamin and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton, has consistently put out good music that the public didn’t see coming. Did anyone expect the extraterrestrial edge of ATLiens […]

Luther Campbell and Uncle Luke are two different people…or so it may seem to the viewers of the new VH1 series Luke’s Parental Advisory. As most of his fans know, Uncle Luke entered the national spotlight over two decades ago when he brought the California duo 2 Live Crew out to Miami to spearhead the […]

Dipset’s smoking barrel, Hell Rell is aiming to survive in this fickle industry where yesterday is referred to as back in the day. The inner turmoil that plague the once triumphant Harlem Diplomats has bared its ugly head resulting in a reported two million dollar sale of Juelz Santana to Def Jam, amidst Jim Jones’ […]

  The Bishop ain’t just up in church.  A man of status of Scarborough’s saturated Hip-Hop scene, Bishop Brigante has cleared a spot for his name out of the brush—leading him into a pasture laden with opportunity.  You know you’ve heard of him.  If you’re looking for album names to tie him to, don’t hold […]

What’s in a name? Everything. It can be haphazardly given, a carefully contemplated nom de plume or even a wayward nickname that sticks, but eventually your name will come to represent the many facets of your being. “Freeway” Ricky Ross—the man serving out a bid in the Texarkana Federal Correctional Institution for drug trafficking—takes pride […]

It’s been a winding road for the Virginia duo know as the Clipse. But through it all they continue to grind and are now set to release Clipse Presents The Re-Up Gang via Koch Records. The album will serve as formal introduction, in case you’ve been lost the last few years, to the group’s affiliates […]

A revolution is brewing in Hip-Hop and it’s the liberating sounds from Minnesotan producers K-Salaam and Beatnick that fight to resurrect the vacant soul of a dying culture. On their debut, conveniently entitled Whose World Is This? [VP], the duo set out on a mission to find the “answer” to this invigorating question. The result: […]

It hasn’t been a smooth road for the Outlawz. Early in their career they lost Tupac Shakur, who was both their mentor and the founder of the Outlawz, and experienced the death of another member, Kadafi, the same year. Add in a lack of mainstream recognition with a revolving door of members and you the […]

When Killer Mike released his critically acclaimed manifesto I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II earlier this month, he joined a long tradition of political protest music. From Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” to Ice Cube’s “Endangered Species,” music in the 20th century had regularly spoken to the soul of man by challenging societal ills exacerbated […]

Tech N9ne is nothing like your typical rapper; he doesn’t need big name producers or an outsized budget to generate sales. His new double-disc album Killer is on deck, and it’s generating momentum toward his millionth album sold independently. There is also a thirty-city Strange Noize tour about to take life, as well as his […]

“I was probably your co-worker or your classmate, I need people to understand that,” says Brooklyn rap wunderkind Joell Ortiz. “I just write rhymes.” Far from the average Joe, don’t mistake the former Aftermath Records signee’s humility for weakness on the mic. Lyrically, he does this, with the endless number of blistering freestyles or his […]

First introduced as a part of the Diplomats with a tremendous freestyle battle rep, 40 Cal was almost a hidden secret for a while. But for the past two years, the Harlem rapper has gradually grown out of the long shadow cast by his multi-talented Dipset crew, sharpening his own versatility by moving beyond battle […]

In the days where music is regional and one dimensional, there is a DJ who personifies the phrase “triple threat.”  He is the official DJ of Cancun for MTV and American Eagle, has a couple of radio shows including Sirus Satellite Radio’s Hot Jams 50’s FlashMash, and has hosted major events such as Funkmaster Flex […]

In 2006 Skillz was nominated “Most Likely To Embarrass Your Favorite Rapper.” Ok, so maybe he wasn’t, but the Virginia MC should have been. Since the 1990’s the former known “Mad Skillz” has been bending metaphors to his will leaving charred microphones and egos in his wake. His first CD, From Where???, put him on […]

Skateboard P is running behind on his interviews. Posted up in New York’s Four Seasons hotel, the ProducerMC/Singer/Fashion Icon is promoting his latest venture with Converse – one that according to him is strictly creative. The recent genius of Pharrell Williams is one that has manifested itself in everything from N.E.R.D. and the Glow in […]

LL Cool J is a man of many firsts. James Todd Smith was the first artist on the house that Rush and Rick built. Uncle L was also one of the first successful rapper turned actors, and pioneered what is now an industry staple, the chick record.  With 12 albums released, movies, books, clothing, television […]

We’ve seen it a million times, reality stars turning themselves into full fledged entertainment stars. Or, doing their best at it. The MTV reality show Run’s House introduced Rev Run, a Hip-Hop pioneer, to a new class of viewers who may not know his history while simultaneously thrusting his family into the bright lights of […]