After Documentary and before Thug Motivation, it was Kanye West’s Late Registration that held Hip-Hop’s marvel. Bolstered by big single, “Gold Digger”, Kanye’s follow-up became more like a follow-through on his seizure of the ears, eyes, and attitude of a culture. As “Gold Digger” spun on Urban stations, “Heard ‘Em Say” traveled to Pop radio, […]
Sean Price came out of left field like Barry Bonds between innings in the ’05. His solo debut, Monkey Barz was one of the grimiest, wittiest, and most honest records of this half-decade. What’s more is Sean’s in his thirties, finding his artistic renaissance at a time when many of his peers turned it in. […]
Producer of the Year: Swizz Beats Swizz Beats reinvented reinvention this year. While he had it at T.I. and Cassidy, Swizz continued to help his fellow man by rescuing Bone Thugs & Harmony, and feeding fire to Joe Budden, Young Gunz, and Memphis Bleek. The sound is brand new, and arguably better than ever! Swizzie. […]
Albums of the Year: The Game The Documentary (G-Unit/Aftermath) The Documentary begs the question “What if Ice Cube would have released Amerikkka’s Most Wanted BEFORE leaving N.W.A.?” Though this album may haunt fans as a precursor to one of the weirdest, and most hostile, arguably – most fabricated beefs in rap history, it remains one […]
When you hear the name Mr. Collipark, the Ying Yang Twin’s#### single “Whisper” comes directly to mind. But long before the Ying Yang Twins, DJ Smurf was burning up the turntables on the Southern Bass scene. After linking up with the only mixtape crew in Georgia, King Edwards J’s team in 1987, Michael Crooms, then […]
Never a stranger to it in his brilliantly short career, the intro to Notorious B.I.G’s “What?s Beef” asks listeners a very simple question: “Do you know what beef is?” For Biggie, it was being on the frontline of one of the greatest feuds in rap history with Tupac Shakur. For Philly’s award-winning, Number One mixtape […]
Like the Geto Boys, Slum Village has had a revolving door of personnel, label drama, and a sound that wouldn’t budge in spite of it. Now down the original leader T3 and the refined lyrical entry, Elzhi, the group maintains its premium blend of soulful Hip-Hop going into their recently released self-titled album. Now fully […]
It?s a few days before the scheduled execution of Stanley Tookie Williams. Snoop, Daz and Kurupt are in the middle of doing all they can to save a man many believe is innocent. An effort we now know wasn’t matched by those in power. Since his Pharrell single two years ago, Snoop Dogg has tried […]
Richard Pryor was America?s most provocative comedian of the twentieth century. He incorporated a totally different technique to his stand up performance, setting new standards from the minute he stepped out under the spot light. Not only was Richard Pryor infamous for his cutting-edge humor but because he overstepped boundaries with his ability to humorize […]
Mo Money, Mo Problems, To All My Fans… I know all of my fans are wondering what the f**k is going on with The Black Wall Street. Hear it from the horse’s mouth: I was forced to switch the domain of my former website theblackwallstreet.com to therealblackwallstreet.com due to the disrespect shown towards me from […]
In The Documentary’s liner notes, The Game credits Big Fase 100 for “moldin’ me into the man I am today.” However, Fase, paternal blood brother of Game, says he’s through with Black Wall Street – a company he helped found. Fase charges that he and others in his tightly knit Compton community rallied behind The […]
A plethora of albums and singles were released in 1995, a year of diverse sounds and rhymes. AllHipHop.com assembled some of those songs, albums and artists for older fans to recall an arguable better year than 2005 and younger fans can get acquainted with some Hip-Hop they weren’t exposed to as youth. For those that […]
Ten years can change a lot in the course of history. 2005 marks the age of technological ease, political strife across the globe, and flossy mega-entertainers. Just ten years ago, in 1995, Hip-Hop culture and music was steadily evolving with the fast-moving times. In fact, it can be argued that, compared to now, Hip-Hop back […]
After his mother’s death, an eight-year-old Jackson moved to his grandmother’s house on 161st Street in South Jamaica, where he fell under the hustlers’ spell. “I looked up to them because they had everything that we was looking for,” Jackson told New York magazine “When you grow up without finances it starts to feel like […]
Voletta Wallace is a living Hip-Hop martyr, albeit one bent on bringing murderers to justice. Christopher Wallace, professionally known as The Notorious B.I.G., was brutally stripped of life almost a decade ago, forever wounding her soul. But there is hope for Ms. Wallace’s spirit to be mended. Healing may come as Ms. Wallace moves extremely […]
Patience is most virtuous in Hip-Hop. Today’s rapper wants his recognition yesterday for what he promises he’ll do tomorrow. The result is rarely something that sticks to the ribs of the fans. Teflon, though his name is ironic, is lodged between the heart and the ribs of Hip-Hop. He has no intention of getting out. […]
The iconic MC’s of the New York 1990’s had one rite of passage above all else – they had to get by DJ Premier to be great. Biggie, Nas, Jay-Z, Big L, Rakim, Jeru, O.C., G Rap, Kane and countless others all ended up in D&D Studios, building with the pride of Prairie View Texas. […]
“My pops was a DJ, so I was always around it,” Floyd begins, while explaining his whole inception into music. “I really became interested when I first heard The Sugar Hill Gang — I was like four or five.” Hailing from Fitzgerald, Georgia, Floyd grew up on the 1960s and 70s era Jazz, Soul, and […]
At the arrival of Mos Def’s “Ms. Fat Booty”, Ayatollah’s deft reworking of an Aretha Franklin deep cut made him a sought-after producer. Rawkus may’ve been crucial to ‘Tollah’s arrival, but work followed with Ghostface, Rakim, and Smif-N’-Wessun, solidifying his staying power. The one-time Tragedy Khadafi DJ and student has risen to acclaimed ranks. Today […]
“A new producer’s on the rise? and you don’t want a problem with this guy.” No, really. The only thing slightly problematic nowadays is the overbearing corporate machine in the world of Hip-Hop music. One guy’s story combats this errie tradition. Needlz has a new sound and an old soul to break his own brand […]
