In an industry full of loud, braggadocios rappers feeding gimmicks to the masses, it’s a relief to see that some of the strong who move quietly aren’t being silenced. AZ is definitely one of those who has been standing firm for over a decade, and has no plans for slowing down. One of the signs […]

Duece Poppi isn’t your average newcomer to the realms of rap music. In fact, he isn’t new at all. Cutting his teeth on high school chum, Trick Daddy’s 2001 release, Book of Thugs: AK Verses 47, and more notably, the single, “Shut Up”, the Atlanta-born rapper went on to work with South Florida rap elites […]

With Rick Ross being the one to “blow” up Miami as of late, a certain label colleague probably left some wondering if he indeed slipped into obscurity. Trick Daddy fans need not worry though, because Trick hasn’t been sitting idle – even though he won’t say he’s been busy either. Perhaps that’s just thug code, […]

Above The Law once rapped about a “Black Superman,” and with all due respect to Hip-Hop’s favorite nine-man super-group from Staten Island, no MC seems to fit the profile better than Nashville’s Count Bass D. The average rapper would have you believe they really are living in the lap of luxury; in reality their powers […]

Rhyme pays, but TV pays better. In 2006, Ice-T has little to no reason to still be making records. Between a leading role Law & Order: SVU and hosting Hip-Hop Honors, the original gangsta is a well-paid household name, who never lost one bit of his outspoken, street image. But for the love of the […]

For several years, the whereabouts of Del Tha Funkee Homosapien were a complete mystery. Resurfacing on a few tours, including some with his Hieroglyphics brethren, Del spent the past six years learning life lessons and educating himself on the science of music. The Cali native has come an incredibly long way from his debut LP […]

Jody Breeze may’ve started as a boy in the hood, but he’s made a successful rap career using his talents. From his humble beginnings in Macon, Georgia to the charts, Jody has seen it all. Young Jeezy, Jody’s former crew-member isn’t the only “Trap Star” either. Here, Jody breaks down the fine lined differences between […]

"[You] talking much junk like Mr. T is your back, but he’s not so don’t act cute." -EMPD on "You’re A Customer" Its hard to determine if he realizes it or not, but Mr. T is indelibly linked to Hip-Hop and many of the culture’s ingrained sensibilities. Legendary lyricists like Slick Rick, Bug Pun and […]

It can be said that most rappers only thank God when they get their awards. However, L.A.’s own Deon Holly, perhaps better known as Westside Bugg makes it clear that he is a man of the higher power. With the album, The Roach Motel coming in January on Native Records, Bugg is going to make […]

What’s new with The Game? Well, in his quest to dominate, the Compton rapper has started to produce Hip-Hop tracks under the tutelage of Scott Storch and J.R. Rotem. He’s squashed an old, rusty beef with Ja Rule and created new alliances with the likes of Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas. Doctor’s Advocate, the […]

The Game knows all too well the notion off the survival of the fittest. For Game, whose real name is Jayceon Taylor, survival is all he’s known from the days to selling drugs on the street, to getting shot up, to a highly volatile beef with one of rap’s dominant labels. As he prepares The […]

How cool would it be to say your junior high school teacher belonged to a celebrated Hip-Hop group? Wouldn’t that be awesome if your teacher could bust rhymes during recess, make a knuckle beat on the lunchroom table, or man the turntables at the high school dance? There exists three such teachers and together, they […]

It’s no question that presently, lyricism has taken a back seat to bouncing and snapping and “chicken noodle souping” for that matter, but there are still many artists out there old and new, from every region who consider rhymes to be an essential part of what makes a great song and an even greater MC. […]

For Omar Cruz, Hip-Hop was not just some temporary escape from his torrid reality of the ghettos of the West Coast. It was a form of self-expression and the key to a way out. ‘Cause you see, when the only support you have is the streets, then you literally have to adapt a do-or-die mentality. […]

Since the Diplomats first got noticed, Jim Jones was respected as a street entrepreneur, but rarely recognized for his song-making. While “Certified Gangstas” relied on plenty of lyrical help for the first album, “We Fly High” marks Jones’ first big unassisted hit. The Uptown anthem has bled its way onto the charts all over the […]

On Talib Kweli’s “Right About Now”, he chronicled the rise and subsequent fall of the largest independent Hip-Hop label of the late ‘90s: Rawkus Records. This label introduced the world to Mos Def, Company Flow, Kweli, and reintroduced Kool G Rap and Pharoahe Monch tragically faded in a flash of layoffs, mergers, and push-backs. But […]

Freekey Zekey’s thoughts in jail sound nothing like a “One Love” letter. Instead, the Harlem Diplomat original is likely just days away from hitting the bricks, and his excitement shows. In between paying homage to Tupac and Biggie as well as George Bush and Saddam, Zeke retraces the movement from its humble beginnings, to its […]

Lyrics Born has kept it live since the early ‘90s. Formerly half of Latryx, the San Jose MC has watched a solo career where his music continuously finds its way onto commercials, films, television, and even Adult Contemporary radio. As one of the head honchos at Quannum Projects, the veteran MC can also thank himself […]

You don’t get the nickname “the monster” by sitting around and letting things fall into your lap. When Swizz Beats burst onto the scene in the ’90s as the main musical force behind the Ruff Ryders, when the sky was the limit for the young super producer. A few years passed, and things cooled off […]

His life isn’t the average “rags to riches” Hip-Hop story. As a matter of fact, there are no rags or riches involved this time. Instead, it’s a story about understanding every framework of creative expression and hearing Hip-Hop in its purest form. Former Phat K.A.T.S member and current affiliate of Deepspace 5, Sivion has an […]