Olu Dara is the father of one of Hip-Hop’s brightest stars, Nas. Dara obviously passed some good genes and wisdom to his son, who has seen the heights of the rap industry. Dara himself is an accomplished trumpet player and member of the Mississippi Music Hall of Fame. Nas fans will recall his airy trumpet, […]

Roxanne Shante’s name recently surfaced and grabbed headlines due to a recent lawsuit she filed against R&B diva Janet Jackson. For those old enough to remember, Shante was [is] one of the most well known and well respected early figures from rap. As part of Marley Marl’s Juice Crew, Shante, at the tender age of […]

There are not many rappers that release their debut albums under a dark clouded sea of controversy. Guerilla Black is one of those rare artists, but he is obviously not concerned by the extra attention. In fact, it is his full intent to use the negativity and spin it into a positive sales and marketing […]

How many of 2000’s releases stay in your car? While KRS was certainly right when he denied the criticism that Hip-Hop was a phase, how many of our Rap records are timeless? With all the money invested, how much are artists investing their souls in a project? And with so little room left on the […]

After an exhaustive search, I managed to find Willie D of the world famous Geto Boys. In my July ’04 editorial, I let it be known. If you missed it, please take a moment to reacquaint yourself to my views on the H-Town legend. The D was infamous way before Houston exports like today’s Lil’ […]

Ask any real Hip Hop head, and they’ll fondly recall the reign of Natural Elements. In the late 90’s, L-Swift, A Butta and Mr. VooDoo brought the underground to life as the Indie-Era was coming to an end. By the year 2000, Natural Elements had killed their short-lived career with Tommy Boy Records and the […]

Legendary hip-hop names Russell Simmons and Notorious B.I.G., besides their iconic status, have a link between them that is known only by the experienced culture follower: respect and awareness of the one and only, R.A. The Rugged Man. Without ever releasing an official album, R.A. has endured through a career that would make for a […]

R.A. The Rugged Man – Industry’s Nighmare Part 2 AllHipHop.com: These next lyrics relate to popular producers, as well. “Alchemist, you’re still my little buddy, even though you stole that Royce Da 5’9 beat from me.” R.A.: He just remade a beat that I had made. Me and my boy Kap stayed up one night […]

On November 8, 2002, two complete strangers came together and smacked the s**t out of the streets! Bronx-native, Craig Davis and Queens-native Smack united to create Smack DVD, which means Streets, Music, Arts, Culture and Knowledge. Smack DVDs have become one of the hottest commodities on the streets, whether bought, borrowed or bootlegged. Craig, Smack […]

It’s widely proven that the Hip-Hop generation fills the seats in movie theaters. While we might talk during the film, or leave our cell phones on, we love cinema. Throughout the last decade, Hip-Hoppers of all sorts have supported two of our own, Allen and Albert Hughes. Since their early years as music video directors […]

Slim Thug is the absolute embodiment of the hustler mentality. Not only does he tell you that he sees Hip-Hop only as a means of getting cash, he actually out-hustles those who steps in his realm and eats better than most off the land that he cultivates. The Houston native loves his cash more than […]

For an entertainer, Fabolous has been through a lot in the last couple years. With crossover success, he’s seemingly had more encounters with the police, who seemed to be on convert operations against the BK rep. Nevertheless, no legal adversity thrown at him stuck and Fab offers the state of affairs as Real Talk, his […]

Early on, authors like Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim captured hip-hop’s street sensibilities scribing books that explored the seedier side of urban living in the ’60s and early ’70s. The Life of Goines has be resurrected this year for a new generation of hip-hop fans that have really been consuming the his work for years. […]

In a time when DJs are receiving nearly the same levels of acclaim that MCs are garnering, the hard work and keen business mind of Clinton Sparks are welcome with open arms. Hailing from Boston, the DJ and producer double threat is making a big name for himself these days, dropping unique mixtapes on the […]

It’s easy for LL Cool J and Ice Cube to have released so many albums. At least, it’s easier when you’re backed by a major label. What about the others though? Who are the veteran’s of Hip-Hop? Who’s managed to make the most records, and still get up in the morning to rap? MC Eiht […]

The way that Little Brother’s Phonte met producer Nicolay is not that unique, after all people who meet in chat rooms are marrying each other these days. However, how Phonte and Nicolay, together known as Foreign Exchange, completed their first LP is not only unique, but has become Hip Hop folklore. When you listen to […]

Who: Dave Chappelle, The Roots, Kanye West, Kool G Rap, Jill Scott, Freeway, Fred Hampton Jr., dead prez, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, The Fugees and others. Where: Brooklyn, NY When: September 18, 2004 The Report: For years, critics and die-hard fans alike have proclaimed that hip-hop is dead, but Dave Chappelle’s Block […]

Some Hip-Hoppers never heard of The Relativez. But they’re probably in your album collection. Still, this act has been largely responsible for the way gangs have been represented on wax. While signed to Death Row Records in the early and mid-nineties, Big Wy and Suga Booga were the leaders of the Young Soldierz, who hit […]

If you aren’t a fan of crunk music, you may fall out of love with Hip-Hop. Even the most proven artists in rap are dabbling with that derrty mash out sound. Even though the south is getting a new appeal, lots of yesterday’s stars are dealing with antiquation and conformation. Many of the people who […]

Philly rap staple Beanie Sigel is mere days away from one of the biggest turning points in his life. Beanie’s fighting for his freedom, his family, and his future all at once. As the numbered days grow closer, the deadlines get tighter and he’s about to bless the public with what might be his best […]