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 […]

England is notorious for its traditionalist values; change happens in the country eventually, but not as quickly as some would hope. The music industry is no different. One of England’s hottest exports this century has to be Pop Idol which translated state side as Fox’s####, American Idol. Rap, Hip-Hop, R&B has yet to be welcomed […]

In Los Angeles, a pair of 26-year-olds are making names for themselves by working hard and playing hard as they chase their Hip-Hop dreams. Reese One and Basik of the duo Bleu Collar have been on the grind for more than five years delivering rhymes filled with drunken party raps, mack-game boasts and threats to […]

Meanwhile, in Hollis, another storied street guy—Curtis Scoon—was seeking to trade his hustling past for a hip-hop future. Though he’d helped friend Freddie “Nickels” Moore recuperate from the Quad shooting at Moore’s 201st Street home in Hollis, Scoon still figured the music business to be safer than the streets. Indeed, by 1996 Scoon left the […]

While some youngsters may have seen him on Comedy Central’s Reno 911 and just laughed it up at the show’s slightly off centered humor, those who know Chino XL, know he’s no joke when it comes to the mic. When he was younger than Lil Bow Wow, Rick Rubin took what he saw as the […]

For all the street bluster that marked the Supreme Team’s reign in southeast Queens—the souped-up Mercedes armed with gun turrets and an oil slick, the matching jackets emblazoned with the crew’s logo, the packaging locations crowded with dozens of baggers who were forced to work in the nude so as not to walk off with […]

The Diggin’ in the Crates crew has a legacy paved in Gold. Though some of the records reached Gold status, it’s the bronzed respect of Hip-Hop that’s endured the group’s name. While Lord Finesse has taken a hiatus from releasing albums and producing, Buckwild has placed tracks on Game’s, 50 Cent’s, and Black Rob’s albums. […]

Skillz stops suddenly mid-sentence, glancing out of the corner of his eye. “He’s like, ‘You ever heard of Big L?’” he finally says, breaking the silence—almost with a giddy curiosity—from the other side of the table at Virgil’s BBQ in Times Square. He’s been eavesdropping intently on a fellow patron’s conversation. Seconds later, he’s turned […]

Many of us only saw the damage of Hurricane Katrina from our television sets, however, Young City was there to see it first hand. Born and raised in New Orleans, Chopper was one of the millions of people who were uprooted from the only homes they knew. While many people are still, four months later, […]

B-Legit is a hell of a lot more than E-40’s brother. After a decade plus, B has led by quiet example for his community, both as an artist signed to Jive and today, as an independent. His hemp-themed albums sat lovely with red-eyed cruisers everywhere, but in 2005, B-Legit brings it back to the block. […]

Troy Dunnit is making moves. Some may remember him from Montreal crew, Obscure Disorder, which also yielded Kanye West’s DJ, A-Trak. After a small success with Obscure Disorder, he has journeyed from the frozen north of Canada, to Kool G Rap’s proverbial mass-populated “streets of New York” to seek success. Perhaps it’s just as easy […]

Kardinal Offishall is a true contender. When releasing his freshman album, Firestarter Volume One: Quest for Fire, he was forced to deal with a record deal gone sour no thanks to MCA, or as Talib Kweli is calling it, “Music Cemetery of America.” Instead of complaining, Kardinal took his platinum-selling status and came back with […]

AllHipHop.com: We heard you got arrested recently? Joe Budden: No. No. No. No. No. No. [In my life,] I have been artested. I’ve been arrested quite a few times. AllHipHop.com: For what? Joe Budden: Oh, man. Bulls**t. Suspended license here, child support there, different bull—random bulls**t that people go to jail for for short periods […]

Joe Budden is easily one of Hip-Hop’s finest lyricists. He receives the adulation of countless fans that study his art via mixtapes or Internet leaks. He’s signed to one of the juggernauts of Hip-Hop, Def Jam. The New Jersey-bred MC has remained interesting through provocative, attention grabbing leaked records, but it’s still been over two […]

The Lone Catalysts aren’t the only independent group causing a change in Midwest Hip-Hop. But they may be one of the most under appreciated. They’ve toured in Japan and all over Europe, in places where the people can’t even speak English, but know their lyrics. However on American soil, the group just can’t seem to […]

In Hip-Hop, every year is major, and the year is not over yet. It’s the fourth quarter; 4th and inches, so only the star players are shuffling in the game to tally those critical points necessary to put the nail in the coffin. As Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, and Bun B got […]

The Hip-Hop supergroup is formed as needed. Diggin’ in The Crates arrived to attack stagnant production. The Wu-Tang Clan swarmed to return the ruggedness into raps. While individually, The Reavers may be unknown to many, this group of established underground artists united with social and musical cause. Vordul Megallah, Akir, Kong, Spiega, Dom Pacino, Billy […]