O n May 23rd, Lake and Cormega are releasing a collaborative album. Two Queensbridge street legends converge at different stages in their rap careers: one, a “hood platinum” Hip-Hop veteran, the other, a talented rapper out to prove his lyrical worth. Normally, the table would be set for an interesting conversation piece. But like his […]
Q ueens, New York native J-Love brings a whole different flavor to the mixtape game. Rather than chase what’s hot, J-Love frequently pays homage to past greats and living legends. Most recently, J-Love linked up with artist, La the Darkman for “Return of the Darkman.” Though an unlikely decision to some, this furthers J-Love’s reputation […]
O ne rapper who seemingly has lived up to his name is La the Darkman. After moving 300,000 units independently on his Heist of the Century debut, La vanished because of personal conflicts. In 1998’s freshmen class, a lot of La’s peers are no longer making music. Quite probably, many of them took day-jobs. La […]
P rozack Turner knows how quickly things can change. When DreamWorks Records signed the Bay area native in 2002, he seemed destined for success. A generous advance and recording budget allowed him to bounce across the country to work with Pete Rock, Organized Noize, J Dilla, and the Alchemist. The production Dream Team helped Prozack […]
S o you wanna be a major label emcee? You want the big money, fast woman and fancy cars. You want to live the life you see depicted by every emcee with a video on BET. Unfortunately, its not that easy, just ask Apathy. As a member of the underground super group The Demigodz, Apathy […]
The name translates to “10 mo’ [more] brothers buried” or 334 MoBB, a tribute to their fallen friends. This dynamic duo represents the mighty region of Montgomery, Alabama. Flexing on many Southern underground mixtapes, the group has surfaced and signed with Island Def Jam. With that backing, the brothers are in a position to become […]
Bubba Sparxxx has consistently been a victim of bad timing. Although ?Ugly? was a hot record in 2001, the Georgian suffered as the press took jabs at him following Eminem?s newly laid footprints. Then, as Bubba returned for an imaginative follow-up album, Deliverance Hip-Hop turned away in search of Crunk ? then, all the rage. […]
The Ave is self-proclaimed as “a street movement in print.” The magazine has created a niche for taking the same artists and celebrities found in the other magazines, and showing them in different lights. The Brooklyn-based publication currently finds 40,000 readers, but has plans to quickly double that. Near it’s second birthday, The Ave has […]
In the Gang Starr classic, “Mass Appeal,” Guru opens with, “No way, you’ll make it, come with the weak s**t, I break kids.” Though Mass Appeal got its name from the Hard to Earn gem, they have certainly made it for themselves. A hobby magazine turned into one of the leading culture publications out there. […]
Anybody’s who has ever picked up an issue of Elemental remembers the comics. “Aight” uses a recurring character who whips pristine Cadillacs, guzzles 40’s, bumps Steady B, and always gets the girl and the gusto. The character is drawn by “Phat Matt” Wright, creator and Publisher of Elemental magazine. As this feature affirms, the cars, […]
When Def Jam released Licensed to Ill in1986, the Beastie Boys got down with no delay, turning the then dorm-room serviced rap imprint into a full-fledged powerhouse label with their frat boy antics, all the while helping to establish Hip-Hop as a worldly phenomenon with pop cultural clout. Compiling a timeline of the three white […]
The ride to the top has been an exciting one for Mimi Valdes, Editor-In-Chief of VIBE magazine. As a fresh-faced college graduate, Valdes’ journalism career was birthed at said urban magazine. While her professional path has had its fair share of twist and turns, the compass has always lead back to VIBE. These days, VIBE […]
In real life, the ozone layer above the Earth’s surface is depleting at a rate so fast scientists agonize that the gradual rise in temperature will eventually upset the planet’s natural processes. Conversely, Ozone magazine appears to be building at such a rate that it appears on pace to upset Hip-Hop’s long-standing order. Through the […]
J erry Barrow. The general population may not know his name at this moment, but the New York native has quietly helped shape the way you perceive Hip-Hop through his work at The Source, Trace magazine, Right-On magazine and even a short stint with AllHipHop. But the self-proclaimed beat junkie has found his calling at […]
Jeremy Miller traveled a long way to join The Source in the early 90’s. The Oklahoma native relocated to New York to be closer to the Hip-Hop culture he loved. Then, as an intern while studying at the prestigious NYU, he ascended up the ladder to become a Source exec in the magazine’s glory years. […]
Super heroes have often been linked to saving lives, fighting evil, and overcoming tremendous odds. With titles like Super, Incredible, and Fantastic, they are expected to travel far beyond the realm of human capabilities to widen the difference between human and Immortal. Although The Green Lantern has yet to become super-human, his growing profile does […]
H aving produced for All Natural, Cali Agents, and 7L & Esoteric, the Molemen are largely thought of as Chicago’s beat-society. But as Panik and Memo plug away at the boards, the microphone is gripped by an admitted fiend. Vakill has been releasing twelve-inch singles for a decade. In 2004, his Darkest Cloud album was […]
Atlanta is typically known as the hot-bed for music coming out of the South, but Columbus Ga. has something to say about that. The Scoundrels, comprised of Big Bo, Christyles, Cutta, and Mr. Malt, are the team that can best be described as society’s villains creating an undesirable variation from the standard. With their Pastor […]
Over the past 20 years, Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell has been no stranger to making mouths drop. But whether in shock or awe, the fact that the father to both the Southern Bass sound and the sexual music video movement, has fought his way for and in an industry that in his opinion doesn’t appreciate […]
F ans of West Coast music and Hip-Hop aficionados can remember Techniec introducing himself to the rap world by ripping a guest spot on “Keep It Real” from Snoop Dogg’s Tha Doggfather LP back in 1997. Brief stints on Doggystyle and Hoo Bangin’ Records that were ended due to creative differences and industry politics left […]
