C lassic albums come along few and far between in the music world. The hunt for the perfect combination of lyricist and production chemistry can sometimes resemble a well-developed scientific experiment. The aim is to get a cohesive effort that gels and soothes listening ears, and at best, you get a mix that combusts to […]

B ack in 2002, Troy “Smack” Mitchell probably never thought that his DVD magazine would become a phenomenon in Hip-Hop culture. But some element of belief kept him tapping rappers on the shoulders, and begging them for a voyeuristic look at the lives of the lyricist. Everything about the S.M.A.C.K. DVDs captures that “fly on […]

T wenty-three and with a flow scratched out of sandpaper rawness, Chaz “G.A.G.E.” Scott is Aftermath’s newest and youngest signee. And while his sometimes-nickname — “Shottie” — implies the kind of double-barreled sawed-off that left Cuba Gooding Jr. screaming “Ricky!” in an alley, G.A.G.E.’s rap handle has little to do with guns. Born, raised and […]

T he gods over at Google must invest in irony, because upon searching for the Georgian group Field Mob, the description lists them as artists from New York. Surely anyone with even an earlobe to the street knows of the current situation regarding the Albany, Georgia natives and their take on the New York Hip-Hop […]

T he American Airlines Arena is usually jumping when the Miami Heat are playing, but it’s not always Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade causing the excitement. The person electrifying fans is often DJ Irie, the official DJ of the Miami Heat. During the pre-game warm-up, timeouts, and intermissions, Irie transforms the AAA into “one big […]

If you read the liner notes to any major Hip-Hop album from early ‘90s on, chances are you’ll see Bobbito’s name in the shout outs. If you a go to an New York street-ball event or Madison Square Garden halftime show, chances are, you’ll see Bobbito teasing the crowd with his mesmerizing handle. The same […]

“Dead beat dad is what the media say/ best father in the world is what my son will say.” On Christina Milian’s “Say I,” Young Jeezy shared a bit of his personal life – rare form for the Snowman. Since the boy from the hood first reached the charts, his name has been tossed around […]

F or the first time in his career, Fabolous appears to have had almost a year to “breathe.” After his Just Blaze-laced banger towered the Hip-Hop charts, it failed to match Fab’s previous work in reaching Top 40 radio. Meanwhile, the Elektra Records star was stranded in an Atlantic merger, where his marketing strategies fell […]

A s more and more rappers claim they’re in it to “get money,” how many really understand the origins of Hip-Hop? While Eldorado Red isn’t bashful in his pursuits to prosperity, this Harlem street dude began his career around Jazzy Jay and Afrika Bambaataa. Equally unique, the Uptown spitter is backed by a producer widely […]

W hen San Francisco and Oakland’s Hip-Hop communities went into hibernation, at least on the national scale, one producer had no problem bringing food home. Whether he was producing hits for Jay-Z, Xzibit, or Busta Rhymes, Rick Rock stayed on the charts with his various sounds. The Alabama and Bay representative keeps sounds on file […]

U ntil the captivating writing and gritty cinematography of The Wire, Hip-Hop seems to have been slow to embrace Baltimore. But as one of the few remaining checkpoints on I-95 gets its due, Aaron Lacrate rejoices after years of work in the effort. The DJ/producer has been getting the Baltimore City name up with spray […]

A brother with strong business acumen is extremely important in today’s America, especially when you’re dealing with the pythons and cobras of the recording industry. Devo Harris is in a real G.O.O.D spot. He proudly encourages, “Naysayer, please show me one example why Kanye’s crew ain’t the s**t and I could refute you with five,” […]

I n the Hip-Hop world, a memorable cameo appearance and endorsements from A-List artists can be both a gift and a curse. After impressive guest spots alongside one-time mentors on EPMD’s “Hardcore” and Dr. Dre’s “Deep Cover,” Redman and Snoop Dogg respectively proved that artists can parlay a quality 16-bar verse into a successful solo […]

B rother J of the X-Clan once rapped, “I’ll walk with the lions, stalk with the elephant / pivot like gorilla, pigs become irrelevant.” Fifteen years ago, Hip-Hop and nature seem to have existed on a much more parallel plane than today. However, gear peddler extraordinaire, Marc Ecko seeks to change that. For decades, Ecko […]

O ne year ago, Smitty released his single “Diamonds on My Neck.” Though it promoted an album that’s still unreleased, the knocker affirmed a buzz that the Miami native, born Varick Smith had been building for five years. Still on a journey that paired him with Dr. Dre, P Diddy, and Jay-Z for different periods, […]

S ometimes people get very close to their dreams, and realize that their current path is not the right one. After opening a show for Pastor Troy and Lil’ Scrappy in 2004, Spark Dawg was allegedly courted by Scrappy’s management. The Atlanta up-and-comers were impressed the rapper from central Texas. The 22 year-old says he […]

DJ Khaled believes he was born to be an entertainer. That’s understandable, considering that the 30-year-old New Orleans native has spent more than half of his life DJing. Even his birth name, Khaled Khaled, makes it seem like his life was never intended to be ordinary. For the past 15 years, that predestined entertainer has […]

T here are only two reactions to adversity – win or lose. Roadblocks are certain to affect progress in an environment as political and shark-infested as the music industry. Hit-making machine Dame Grease has gotten the job done time and time again, but has seemingly hit a glass ceiling when its time for that special […]

As a founder of the D.I.T.C. crew, Buckwild has been producing some of rap’s most memorable songs for over a decade, underground and commercial. Whether it was the soulful strings of Game’s “Like Father, Like Son,” the hard drums of Sadat X’s “The Lump Lump” or the hypnotic rhythm of Black Rob’s “Whoa,” Buckwild has […]

I t’s probably a safe bet to say Lloyd Banks has been with more women than your average 24 year old. The G-Unit soldier lives a lifestyle many people merely dream about, admit it or not. He’s won Adult Video News awards, he’s partied with Hugh Hefner, and he’s just gotten the green light to […]