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 […]

They was like. “For real, we gonna wait and see what Death Row do, we gonna wait and see what Chronic 2001 does. So we went to Elektra and these other places who kept saying, ‘We love you. Your sh*t is hot.’ But they all wanted me to wait and wait, and don’t pay the […]

Some would argue that it’s actually easier to get a death-row pardon in Texas than to wriggle out of a recording contract with Death Row Records. Just ask Crooked I, the decisive lyricist that emerged as one of the West Coast’s finest. Last year, he announced that he had departed the influential label but the […]

As he sits back and enjoys the current critical acclaim and public acceptance being garnered for his sixth album, R.U.L.E., Queens-bred veteran Ja Rule can’t help but look back on his dramatic career and appreciate just how far he has come. Enduring through highly-publicized beefs, premature count-outs, federal investigations, and a constant see-saw shifting of […]

For years, Bizzy Bone has been portrayed as the black sheep of Bone Thugs~N~Harmony. He was labeled as the dysfunctional alcoholic member who was always causing friction within the group by not showing up to video shoots, concerts, or press opportunities. This is the stigma Bizzy has had to live with. Well Bizzy strikes back […]

The move from an independent label to a major is one most artists aspire to make, but for Harlem’s proudest representatives The Diplomats, the exact opposite took place. As a result of Cam’ron’s signing to Roc-A-Fella Records, the crew (which, at the time, consisted mainly of Cam, Juelz Santana, Jim Jones, and Freeky Zeeky) released […]

While Boston native Krumbsnatcha is mainly considered a seasoned veteran in the underground scene, he sees himself as much more than that. Riding shotgun with Gang Starr since the release of the group’s Moment of Truth back in 1998, Krumbsnatcha has already issued three widely-appreciated indy records, including Respect All, Fear None for D&D Records. […]

Wu-Tang – Continental Airlines Arena. New Jersey Friday, November 12 “Who the f**k ain’t here?,” yelled Method Man Friday Nov. 12 at Wu-Tang’s first East Coast show in four years. The thousands of people at Continental Airlines Arena responded in unison: “ODB! ODB!” “There is no one man bigger than the Clan,” continued Meth with […]

Afrika Bambaataa can tell you how heavy the bricks are in the foundation of Hip-Hop, he laid down many of them. As a living, working icon, Bambaataa still releases albums, worldwide. In the celebration of his latest, Dark Matter Moving at the Speed of Light, we discussed the need for such records, as well as […]

The one producer in Los Angeles who broke the titanium wall of Hip-Hop namesake producers on the west is Fred Wreck. Like Dre and Quik, Fred has garnered success putting music behind a variety of people in an array of places. From MC Eiht, to KRS-One, to Snoop Dogg, to producing Game’s first track, Wreck […]