When Notorious B.I.G left the planet in ’97, we were left with musical memoirs that reminded us of why he was crowned “legendary”. It wasn’t just B.I.G’s voice and lyrics that captured us, but the hypnotic beats that surrounded those vocals. Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie provided a considerable amount of those tailor-made beats to one of […]

MASTA ACE Masta Ace has done it right. Just like shrimps in a fine restaurant, a little goes a long way. For fifteen years, the Masta has been grinding, yet 2004 delivered only Ace’s fifth released album. There should be at least one more. Each album has played a role in Ace’s career as well […]

Surprises : Wha Happened? Mase What’s more? Grand re-opening, grand closing? Mase returned with some gusto and a reminder of why 1997 wasn’t a complete wash in Rap music. Still, just as things got cozy and Mase started to make moves, did the Dipset ruin his party? It’s hard to believe so much can happen […]

AllHipHop.com: The Grind Date has been already received as one of the better albums in your catalog. You’ve never made a poorly received album, but why do you think the album came together so well? Dave: It comes in several ways for us, man. We don’t really stick to one way of recording songs. Sometimes […]

Album Of Year : This Year Was A Good Year Kanye West The College Dropout (Def Jam) Arguably the album that ’04 will be most remembered by. This collage of comedy, spirituality, lyricism, and just party has borrowed from so many of the great albums past. Rightly, Kanye has quietly been a part of some […]

Like Eazy-E juggling success between N.W.A. and his illustrious solo career, GURU first proved that he could be huge whether the MC for Gangstarr or the host with the most on his Jazzmatazz releases. So many new talents have unveiled new labels and introduced boring artists while true visionaries like GURU have let his Ill […]

Slick Rick, Monie Love, and Maybach’s aren’t the only dope English exports to Hip-Hop. Mark Ronson’s audio vision has been running its course on Hip-Hop the last five years. From the soulful Gap ads, to providing the sweeter sounds behind Beanie Sigel and Dirt McGirt, to his criminally slept-on Here Comes the Fuzz album last […]

Game recognized The Game. Dr. Dre signed the Compton neophyte to Aftermath, 50 Cent marketed him as his West Coast G-Unit soldier, and The House That Jimmy Iovine Built, Interscope Records, will distribute his debut album. Not bad company for a fledging rapper. But with all the attention surrounding Game aka Chuck Taylor—whether due to […]

Nore has seen his share of beefs in hip-hop from the East/West turbulence to crew squabbles to petty rap bellyaching. These days, the original “What, What” man has settled down like sand in a calm pond. A long cry from his CNN days, and is enjoying the juicy fruits of his labor. Still, Nore’s got […]

Everybody wants to be a star, yet few are actually willing to put in the work required to achieve their goals. For former Bad Boy recording artist Loon, however, this wasn’t the case. As the latest in a long line of P.Diddy sidekicks, the Harlem-bred rapper paid his dues by ghostwriting the boss’s hits and […]

There are many figures in the relatively short history of Hip-Hop as a movement, a music and a cultural phenomenon. For every pro, there is a con—either gaining our admiration or our enmity via their service or lack thereof to our culture, respect.One central figure has earned both our respect and our anger at once. […]

Jay-Z is one of the greatest lyricists in rap history, but questions loom as to whether or not the multi-platinum semi-retired Brooklyn emcee is capable of running hip-hop’s most legendary record label as a vigilant decision-maker instead of an on-court player.   Following the official announcement of Jay-Z’s appointment as president of Def Jam Records, […]

He may not be a thug, hustler, or what one might label an emcee, but Nelly has somehow ensnared the rap world and beyond with his country charm. His 2000 street anthem “Country Grammar,” recognized as the playful rhyming tune (“Down, Down Baby”) the ‘hood used to chant back in the days, instantly connected to […]

Mobb Deep has gone to war to good and bad results with the best of them. When the West Coast began firing shots at the East on record, the Mobb was among the first ones to grab their verbal guns and fire back, as they licked off countless shots at Left Coast figures like the […]

Crunk is a man’s sport, even more so that traditional Hip-Hop. Fortunately, there are a few strong women that can breakup the testosterone party. Picking up trails blazed by pioneers like Gangsta Boo, Princess and Diamond represent the next generation of the genre with their Atlanta-based group Crime Mob, a group that’s got crowds crazy […]

AllHipHop.com: Can you speak on your new album? Mannie: The title if it is The Mind of Manny Fresh. That means the situation and things that have been happening in my life. If I had to describe it, I would say it is fun an escape from reality, an escape from the norm. AllHipHop.com: In […]

When you hear a Digital Underground album, or pay to see them perform, Shock G has always made sure that you have gotten your money’s worth. As the leader of the legendary Oakland-based group, he has morphed into many different characters over his career. His metamorphosis into the highly talented Piano Man or the world […]

AllHipHop.com: You’ve been calling yourself the ‘King of the South’ for a minute and a lot of cats agree, while it rubbed some the wrong way…now you’re on the way to superstardom… T.I.:(Sarcastically) Oh we are? AllHipHop.com: Yeah, so how does it feel having called yourself the ‘King of the South’ such a long time […]

For all his transgressions, Trick Daddy is surprisingly moral. The raunchy rapper—with a history of drug charges and jail time—holds strong opinions regarding education and police presence surrounding the hip-hop community. But much like his discography, the Miami native is often overlooked as a legitimate talking head. We all know Trick loves the kids, but […]

While many hearts hurt in the Hip-Hop community when John Kerry’s presidential results came in short. But as names like Kerry may fade, Edo G has been holding down Boston for fifteen years – with a top single, a debut album barking at Gold status, and a string of classics ever since. This year bodes […]