The 2008 DJ Technology Retreat and Convention
In the heart of downtown St. Louis, just blocks from the famous Gateway Arch and directly across the street from the St. Louis Cardinals Ballpark [Busch Stadium], DJs from all over the country and a few from as far as Germany, South Africa and Japan converged upon the elegant downtown Hilton Hotel to participate in the […]

Where Are They Now?: Smoothe Da Hustler
With the release of the hardcore classic Once Upon a Time in America, Smoothe Da Hustler took hardcore Hip-Hop repped with Brooklyn sensibility to another level. With the success of Broken Language, Smoothe, and his brother Trigga the Gambler, seemed poised to become the superstars they wanted to be. But sometimes what we want is […]

The Beat Melee Battle #7: The Biggie Battle
Here we go again. First off, last week was another classic melee. Both producers brought their “A” game, but Chuck LaWayne ran off with the victory in the end. His sampling techniques put it over the edge.This week was crazy and we acknowledge in advance that somebody will be upset in the end. It’s a […]

The Clipse & Re-Up Gang: Blowin’ Up The Spot
Call them the Fantastic Four. Except, their superpowers were not the result of cosmic radiation but a byproduct of an appreciation for the fundamentals of Hip-Hop lyricism; wordplay and delivery. Composed of VAs Malice and Pusha T of the Clipse and Philly brethren Ab-Liva (formerly of Major Figgas) and Sandman, this fearsome foursome call themselves […]

DJ Toomp: The Making of Jay-Zs Say Hello
DJ Toomp has quickly become a fan favorite, even though the veteran producer has been a staple in Hip-Hop since the late 80s with MC Shy D. N Zone Entertainment caught up with DJ Toomp as he produced the beat that Jay-Z would eventually use for Say Hello from the Brooklyn rappers American Gangster album. […]

Industry Spotlight: Massah David: Events With Kanye, AllHipHop, Def Jam
Name: Massah David Job Title: Vice President of Events & Marketing Company Name: MVD Inc. Industry: Entertainment Location: New York City Job Description: My job consists of creating concepts and handling production for all of our signature events; which varies from the smallest detail such as the color schemes and wording for our invitations to […]

One.Be.Lo: Be Lo the Influence
Posted up in Seattle on a breezy Saturday afternoon, One Be Lo awaits an evening performance as he discusses his formula for a humble rap career. The Pontiac, Michigan wordsmiths life thus far has been a whirlwind of worldwide touring and networking, having no real promotional vehicle to drive concertgoers other than himself. Lo possesses […]

The Beat Melee Battle #6
The battle rages on. Last week we had a head to head match up with Assassin the Chief and Furious Styles. Most of the comments gave props to Furious’ originality but the vote tally went to Assassin the Chief for being what people would want to hear. Both producers deserve props for those banging tracks. […]

Del the Funky Homosapien: Broadcasting Live from Planet Hella
Before Del the Funky Homosapien debuted as a solo artist he ghostwrote for N.W.A.’s ace writer, his cousin Ice Cube, who put him to work on AmeriKKK’s Most Wanted. Surrounding himself with brilliance even as a teenager, Del’s debut album, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, was well received. But it was his second […]

Rick Ross: The AllHipHop Interview, Pt. 2
Rick Ross: The AllHipHop Interview, Pt. 1AllHipHop.com: Once you have a certain amount of success, your lifestyle changes. With that being said, can fans expect your lyrical content to change on this album?Rick Ross: When it comes to making concepts and records theres different places you want to take people. Me, naturally, I talk about […]

Rick Ross: The AllHipHop Interview, Pt. 1
After coming into the game on the strength of a heavy street buzz and a presidential cosign from Jay-Z, Rick Ross beat the odds with the runaway success of his hit single “Hustlin.” His debut, Port of Miami, went on to near platinum status and his ringtone sales were beyond a million. Not bad for […]

Russell Simmons: From Hillary Clinton To Barack Obama: Why
Russell Simmons has some questions to answer regarding his recent ringing endorsement of presidential aspirant Senator Barack Obama. In a previous feature, Simmons told AllHipHop.com a plethora of rock-solid reasons for his support for New York Senator Hillary Clinton. He did not endorse the former First Lady, but it certainly sounded like a co-sign when […]

Glasses Malone & Mack 10: Beach Boys
Out in the wild wild West, its been said that the older artists in the rap game dont bring up any of the younger generation and in return the rappers lean in years dont show their elders enough respect. Two artists from the West Coast who are dispelling such ways of thinking are O.G. Inglewood […]

The Beat Melee: Battle #5
Here we go again, trudging on into war. Last week’s battle was utterly brutal. It was unfortunate to even have to pick a winner. It was closer than Barack and Hillary. Towards the end of the polls closing ( 12 am Saturday) Virus pulled out a tight one. Props to both producers though, who got […]

Five & Done: Omar Cruz
In regards to Rap, Los Angeles has been in a weird space for a minute now. Outside of the big boss Snoop Dogg and The Game, the Left Coast has had a very limited stream of talent to really make a commercial impact past Californias borderline. Some blame it on the South holding the crown, […]

Baby Bash: Child’s Play
Baby Bash is not tripping if you think he isnt hard enough [pause]. The Vallejo, CA native and Houston based artist has over three million downloads of his latest hit, Cyclone featuring T-Pain, the title track of his latest album. So, to his credit, hes got plenty of fans out there. While hits like Cyclone […]

Ludacris: Masterpiece Theater
On the evening of February 26th, New York’s City’s premier showcase venue Spotlight Live hosted another exclusive RnB Live production with Def Jam/Disturbing Tha Peace. Co-founders Ludacris and Chaka Zulu introduced performances by artists Steph Jones, Shareefa, and Bobby Valentino, while luminaries such as LA Reid and Kevin Liles sat in attendance. Presiding over a […]

Akrobatik: The Rep Grows Bigger
Rappers should always multi-task. No, not the standard, I got a clothing line and Im trying be an actor too, nonsense. But more in line with juggling duties like a radio gig on the Bostons JAMN 94.5s Morning Show kicking Sports Rap-Up freestyles or having your music featured on TV shows like The Wire or […]

DJ Felli Fel: Successful Moonlighting
DJs have long been the backbone of Hip-Hop music. Recently we have witnessed a surge in DJs stepping from behind the tables and into the limelight as recording artists and producers.DJ Felli Fel is now stepping into that same arena, armed, and poised to take over. The South Carolina native is currently one of the […]

The Beat Melee: Battle #4
Ok producers, the battle rages on. Last week we had a very close match up between Meta Maestro and Battle Axe. Meta Maestro was the overwhelming favorite because of his versatility. This week was a very difficult decision. In particular there were about 5 producers that could have been picked to compete, so we had […]