Kamaal is in fact abstract. Not to the point where he’s engulfed by the multiple pre-requisites (and stigmas) attached to the duty of being an MC of substance. After all, he was a “vivrant vivarant” at one time and has a penchant for tequila shots and cursing. But the Renaissance Man known as Q-Tip […]

This is part two of the 10 Track Commandments. In part one we discussed things that pertained more to the business aspect of production. In part two we will focus more on the originality and how to create a name for yourself by making great tracks.           6.       Know When It […]

        There are several men using the name Tone Capone in Hip-Hop. One in particular has separated himself from the pack with a stack of accolades at radio, labels, and now online dating back to 1990.         Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Brentwood, Long Island, the college student wanted to […]

    Right now the Living Legends are being drowned out by Public Enemy. It’s not the group’s fault. A concert organizer decided to place the B Stage of the Rock the Bells tour just off to the right of the Randall’s Island concert venue; what looks to be a safe distance from the main stage. […]

    Whether MC Ren, Jarobi or T-Mo Goodie, most prolific rap groups have a member that doesn’t quite fit into the spotlight. After three acclaimed albums, one of which toted as a classic, Black Moon’s middle member has always been 5FT.         As Buckshot became the Timberland-clad executive of Duck Down Records, Evil Dee’s […]

Remember the days when you purchased a twelve inch single from a new artist, and you knew what to expect from the rest of their album? Remember when albums had a consistency to them, so you could drop the needle and just let the music play? Jason “MoSS” Connoy remembers those days and albums, and […]

    Tupac Shakur once rhymed that “Every move is a calculated step, to bring me closer to embrace an early death.” 50 Cent is a man full of calculated steps, but self-destruction aside, he appears too smart for an early death. That doesn’t mean he can’t go out in a blaze of glory as he […]

Jazze Pha is easily known as one of the hardest working people in the industry.  Born Phalon Alexander, the son of James Alexander, bass player of Otis Redding’s Bar-Kays, and accomplished vocalist Denise Williams, Jazze Pha has the genetic make-up of a musical genius. Still, the dynamic producer pulls his own weight in an industry […]

    T.I. just couldn’t wait to be King. In 2006, if there were any other bidders for the crown of the South, Clifford “T.I.” Harris raised his hand and his voice – blocking out whatever and whoever else.     As his fast-selling T.I. vs. Tip album continues to find buyers, and get discovered through second […]

DJ Envy, CEO of Blok Entertainment has made his niche in the mixtape market by providing exclusive music and freestyles by the hottest rappers in the industry . Signed in early 2003 to Desert Storm Records, he released his commercial debut The Desert Storm Mixtape: DJ Envy, Blok party Vol. 1. DJ Whoo Kid put […]

    C-Rayz Walz may not be the most famous rapper in the world, but he’s arguably the most charismatic MC you “might have” heard of.  If you aren’t aware, he came up in the streets of New York as a stick-up kid who once tried to jux the Notorious B.I.G. for rockin’ a Coogi sweater. […]

    If you asked M.O.P. about ratchets, you’d get an entirely different explanation than you do from Hurricane Chris. Ratchet is a lifestyle in Shrevport, Louisiana – where the regional “Ay Bay Bay” has recently become commercial rap vernacular. The Pologrounds/J Records artist wants his face and talent to spread like the slang he’s helped […]

    Two of the most impressionable young faces in rap this year are Sean Kingston and Hot Dollar. As Hip-Hop stars appear to be at a changing-of-the-guard, making way for the next would-be T.I. or 50, perhaps both regional rappers are in the hat. The man who helped them get a bid is Jon Shapiro, […]

    With the Midwest upswing in full effect, St. Louis-bred Chingy put his own stamp on the movement in a major way.  His 2003 hit single “Right Thurr” and a Disturbing Tha Peace cosign made the rookie a one to watch in the coming years.  Unfortunately, things did not play out as originally planned.  Citing […]

What you get when you cross a fraternal music executive with an All-Star Hip-Hop lineup and a keyboard is the essence of one of Hip-Hop’s most underrated producers. Salaam Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, crept onto the music scene in the mid ‘80s as a keyboardist for Kurtis Blow’s 1986 hit, Kingdom Blow. Soon […]

Immortal Technique is probably the most relevant artist in the political Hip-Hop arena, barring long running, battle torn acts like Public Enemy. Although he has brethren in the struggle, he continues to speak out and he’s kept fans waiting for over three years for the Middle Passage. The looming album, the MC’s third opus, has […]

    Without vinyl, there would be no Hip-Hop. Whether it’s the classic scratches and mixes from Grandmaster Flash or the pitch-deprived spinning of DJ Screw, vinyl has made presentation and innovation possible in the music since its inception.    For almost as long, Unique Distribution, has had a major hand in the wax coming out. The […]

    As cliché as it may seem, patience still holds to be an important virtue for many. Spider Loc is one of them. After two years of running with Suge Knight at Tha Row and waiting in the wings of the G-Unit umbrella for another three calendars without a debut album, the West Coast heavyweight […]

Uh , Uhh It’s the 10 Track Commandments What!I been in this game for years, it made me an animal It’s rules to production, I wrote you a manual A step by step booklet for you to get Your beats in tact, not your tracks thrown back Follow these rules you’ll have mad bread to […]

    Can one blame someone for being skeptical of the “new” Rawkus Records? Let’s face it, after all of the stories that had come out about Rawkus concerning contract despites, label woes and an eventual going under, how can a record label that had earned so much respect in hip-hop, and lost it just as […]