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 […]

Videographer: SlimVideo Producer: Quadre Owens    Within Mobb Deep, Havoc and Prodigy have played two very different positions. Usually the mouthpiece, P has been visible in the industry, released two solo albums, and often poured gasoline on fiery rivalries and disputes. Havoc on the other hand, is quiet, has done limited production for others outside of […]

Face the facts, the Hip-Hop you grew up on and hold dear, whether it be a harmonizing B-Boy, a shiny suited entertainer or a ratchet toting gangsta, is never going to be the same again. So in that regard, cherish those fleeting moments before whatever your Hip-Hop or rap “ideal” may be changed, and enjoy […]

The Rock Steady Crew is a testament to all the possibilities Hip-Hop has to offer, besides just rocking a microphone. As the legendary b-boy crew’s President, Richard “Crazy Legs” Colón is its most prominent member. Getting down with Rock Steady in 1979, just two years after its inception, Legs’ graceful moves and soulful struts have […]

We tried to get at Fred “Fab 5 Freddy” Brathwaite, for real we did. But he never got back. There is no love lost though. When the foundations of Hip-Hop were being laid, Fab 5 was there as participant and orchestrator, hob nobbing it up with the likes of Basquiat, LEE Quinones and even Blondie.  […]

    As Houston artists like Trae, Lil’ Keke or Z-Ro finally saunter into the limelight they deserve, one can often wonder about other Southern cities. As the most decadent city of the South, Miami rappers have often adorned major label deals muchlike the diamonds on their neck. Even with Pitbull and DJ Khaled, on TVT […]

    Grandmaster Caz shouldn’t need an introduction…but he does.  That’s because many of the fans that love Hip-Hop don’t truly know who he is. Grandmaster Caz is one of the founders of the music that dominates today’s airwaves, and is also involved in most of the “firsts” that occurred in Hip-Hop.  The culture’s first parties, […]