Usually when popular producers take young, unknown MCs under their wing and unleash them on the industry, the results make Hip-Hop history. Puffy did it for Biggie, Dre did it for Eminem, and Large Professor did it for Nas. In 2007, enter Sean Kingston, the first artist to be signed by super-producer Jonathan ‘J.R.’ Rotem […]

Legions of rap fans love to scan websites for forgotten gems of the video era while others comb MP3 databases looking for the next talent to tell their friends about. These worlds collide at Music Nation, where hopefuls enter their videos for the chance to win some cash and a contract with Epic Records. Amidst […]

A decade ago, then-Snoop Doggy Dogg with the help of L.T. Hutton, freaked a Zapp sample for what would become “Beware of My Crew” for The Line Thin Between Love & Hate Soundtrack. The period found the rapper on a frugal label, taking responsibilities into his own hands to make hit after hit. Following his […]

When full story of Hip-Hop is told, much more credit will be given to the West Coast rap scene. While many of the world’s hardest Bronx-centric Hip-Hop historians might try to downplay the lyrical and political impact of the West, it cannot be ignored. Case in point, MC Eiht. Before most of today’s so-called gangster […]

In the words of Sage Francis himself, “A lot of s**t has happened since A Healthy Distrust.” The poetic, lyricist, battle MC, political dissident and one-time ice cream server has amassed a collection of thought-provoking songs and molded them into his latest album, Human the Death Dance, out this month on Epitaph Records. With a […]

Women rappers don’t get nearly enough credit. Often times, radio pushes messages about “Lip Gloss” or “No Panties” when there are some truly ferocious or groundbreaking MCs out there. AllHipHop.com tracked it back, not to the biggest, the most successful, or even the most underground moments, instead, we’ve highlighted 10 tracks that show that the […]

Working to establish respect among the elite MCs in the rap game, Hip-Hop enthusiast Lucy Diamonds came along way from taking shots at Jay-Z, to now working on receiving the stamp of approval from common ears. Often in Hip-Hop struggle is used as fuel to aspiring artists teaching them to be hungry yet humble. Lucy […]

If you’re a quality DJ you better know how to juggle. Not just the one’s and two’s, but actual multi-tasking: deejaying, production, mixtapes, life. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve heard about January 16, 2006—the day the RIAA sent federal agents to arrest DJ Drama and DJ Don Cannon of the Aphiliates Music […]

Over the last five years, many of us have watched music stores either condense or remove vinyl from their inventory. Besides a very niche community, who’s buying it? Moreover, who’s playing it? DJ Eclipse is not only playing it, he’s keeping it sold in stores. By day, Eclipse manages the sacred grounds of New York’s […]

You don’t interview Russell Simmons, you just hang on for the ride. The mogul’s mind travels a mile a minute, and he switches from anecdotes to small-talk to revelations to advice. Just days before appearing on Oprah, Simmons, sitting across the desk from his brother Reverend Run, discusses his book Do You: 12 Laws to […]

Hip-Hop has many detractors, but the Honorable Louis Minister Farrakhan is not one of them. The Minister witnessed the birth and the rise of the music across the world, and after traveling the globe, believes that Hip-Hop music will be the force to usher in change. While rap music is under an unprecedented attack in […]

Aesop Rock has been dope for years. A longtime Def Jux staple, fans of his catalog seek out even his earliest work, which can command prices on eBay of hundreds of dollars. The classically trained painter who doesn’t paint, Aesop Rock the individual is hard to pigeonhole. As a word maven and beat smith of […]

DJ Jazzy Jeff admits to being stopped often, to dismissive fans asking, “Jeff, what are you up these days?” While he’s chosen a different light than his former MC partner Will Smith, Philadelphia’s beloved DJ has been successfully keeping Hip-Hop very much alive, worldwide. The former champion of the turntables has blossomed to a producer […]

Growing up in the spotlight of show business ain’t easy, just ask the cast of Diff’rent Strokes. So many child-stars have fallen quickly out-of-favou with their adoring public over the years. And in the world of music, look no further than the once-beloved Michael Jackson to see the effects of celebrity status early on in […]

The concept of established artists fronting a group effort is about as original as a duet with Akon, creating a clothing line, or dropping a DJ Drama assisted mixtape. Someone must have forgotten to tell Young Jeezy—he’s managed to release two certified multi-platinum albums and stretch his fan base as if it were one of […]

Through samples, through peace meetings and through friendships The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has been speaking to Hip-Hop for decades. Today, with his health not as certain, Minister Farrakhan speaks to Hip-Hop. Minister Farrakhan’s words at Saviours Day stressed unity – of race and religion. Though the politics may not have changed, the walls that […]

When Spoonie Gee spit a verse, he typically had a lot more than 48 bars in his raps. Two decades later, Gabriel Jackson is a man of a few words. But as one of the first nationally-known Harlem MCs, Spoonie’s legacy speaks for him. Starting with “Spoonin’ Rap” in 1979, the MC had hits including […]

With every major player in Hip-Hop, there is always someone behind the scenes ensuring all the business is being handled. In the case of multi-platinum trap star Young Jeezy, Demetrius “Kinky B” Ellerbee is the man behind the man. An equal partner in Corporate Thugz Entertainment, Kink plays an intricate role behind in the day-to-day […]

Considering that he’s built like a fullback, it’s only fitting that Phat Kat was the co-founder of a group named 1st Down. Long before the legion of hipsters bought their “Dilla Changed My Life” t-shirts, Kat and a virtually unknown Jay Dee teamed up to become the first Hip-Hop act from Detroit to secure a […]