K evin Powell has long stood as the voice of activism, politics, Hip-Hop, poetry, and revolution since the dawn of the 90’s. One of the most assertive voices of our time, Kevin emotionally connects to every line he writes. As a soldier for Hip-Hop, his work with VIBE Magazine echoes to this day through his […]

N ot all lessons are learned on the first try. Around the time Trick Daddy was telling haters to “Shut Up,” Panama City, Florida’s Blood Raw was supposed to follow-up the sunshine-state charge. While label drama was one thing, it was ultimately Federal agents that halted Blood Raw’s charge to the game. A drug-trafficking conviction […]

T hroughout the history of Hip-Hop, it would seem that artists who come into the game as the protégé of another artists never quite live up to the hype, or even to the success of the friend, mentor or whatever who put them on. You can argue that record sales don’t always reflect the popularity […]

A product of Mt. Vernon, New York, CL Smooth and former counterpart, Pete Rock, took Hip-Hop by storm with their colorful sound. The 1991 EP All Souled Out and 1992’s Mecca and the Soul Brother LP, spawned memorable cuts like “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) ” and the self-titled “Mecca and the Soul Brother,” tagging […]

AllHipHop.com: You’ve already said that you’re reluctant to take credit but you’ve played a big role in this hybrid of skateboard and Hip-Hop culture. What do you think of the fact that there are kids with trucker hats skateboarding in Harlem now? Pharrell: Yessir, it makes me proud ‘cause I grew up like that. I […]

Don Ferquan, better known as Quan, wants us to know he’s back with a lyrical vengeance. After Nas introduced him to the world on the single “Just A Moment” from the Street’s Disciple album, the no-nonsense artist has matured both mentally and spiritually since his constant legal run-ins and greater background role at Nas’s Ill […]

J-Zone named his acclaimed 2002 album Pimps Don’t Pay Taxes, and while the IRS hasn’t sniffed him out yet, plenty of beat-buyers have. The Queens slick-talker, known for his penchant for early ‘90s gangsta rap, now has greater desire to be the respected producer that he’s become on the low, having produced for Biz Markie, […]

AllHipHop.com: Since the late ‘90s, a lot of artists have complained about the South’s dominance, but by all accounts you guys are tight with a lot of East Coast artists, including Brand Nubian. How was that experience? Pimp C: Yeah, they’re friends of ours. As a matter of fact, I was a fan of theirs […]

Feel free to nod in agreement if you’ve heard this one before. Rapper on the brink of huge crossover finds his success stalled by the inevitable penitentiary sentence; in a shocking turn of events his subsequent prison stay not only creates more of a buzz for the hugely successful album but also generates street credibility […]

S t. Louis, usually known as “the gateway to the west,” has a new movement forming and Da Banggaz are right in the middle helping it cross the river. With hopes of going beyond the niche that Nelly and the St. Lunatics carved, Da Banggaz aspire to bring in a “New St. Louis” still respecting […]

A li, the elder statesman of the St. Lunatics has done something that has some in Hip-Hop furling their eyebrows. He’s lent his Pop Star notoriety to the lyrical and eclectic flows of Big Gipp of Goodie Mob fame. Hip-Hop evolving the way it has it seems only right for the two artists to try […]

F For the relatives who call themselves, Generalz, their music and their lives represent every aspect of West Coast living. For Pro Styles the streets was the beat that he marched to, leaving home at the young age of 14 sleeping in the “g-rides” he used to steal. Whereas life in the suburbs for Tee […]

R ap-A-Lot Records has helped make local luminaries Houston Hip-Hop royalty for the last 20 years. The label’s most recent experiment has been Trae, a longtime affiliate of both The Screwed Up Click and Guerilla Maab. A cousin to Z-Ro, Trae has watched his friends and family’s lives forever changed by the legal system. In […]

W hile the sickle on Rawkus Records’ logo popped the jiggy balloon in ‘90s New York, Jurassic 5 led the charge out West. The six man crew combined harmonious choruses, sample-stacked beats, and tangible concepts to release the critically acclaimed Quality Control, followed by a respected Power in Numbers. However, in the three years since, […]

A fter years of holding down as producer and DJ for Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli, Cut Chemist’s love of music is hard to match. However, anybody who spends time with the record collector knows that his love of ‘60s and ‘70s dynamite Soul compares to his affinity for Star Wars. The Hip-Hop George Lucas shares […]

efore anyone cared who Mike Jones was or how Chamillionaire was riding, there was Lil’ Troy. One of the first rappers out of H-Town, Lil Troy has been in the game for nearly 20 years. Oddly enough though, Troy quickly asserts that he’s long been more of a businessman than an MC. Still, the man’s […]

I n the tight-lipped political world of Hip-Hop, perhaps Jim Jones is a revolutionary. The Diplomats’ movement has grown to one of the biggest forces in Hip-Hop, and their Capo still kicks it with street-corner candor. Maybe that’s why, if any rapper’s voyeuristic documentary appeals, A Day in the Fastlife lives up to its name. […]

I t’s been almost four years since a pair of Virginia-based brothers showed everyone what it meant to truly grind. While Malice and Pusha T say that the next Clipse album has no resemblance to Lord Willin’, that hustle will be tested once more. Originally from The Bronx, the Thorton brothers will return home to […]

W ith visibility ever-important for record sales, Lloyd Banks knows there’s no better marketing machine than himself. With his sophomore release, Rotten Apple on track for a September 19 release, Banks wants to unveil some of his album to the very city that inspired it in. Lloyd Banks breaks from his busy schedule to discuss […]

O n his acclaimed eight-minute mixtape track, “Dumb Out,” Joe Budden professed, “Let me find out Hip-Hop turned Republican.” In the election for “King of New York,” perhaps Joe is a worthy third-party candidate. With hit records like the current assist on Ne-Yo’s “Sexy Love” and a rich history of introspective verses, Budden meets the […]