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 […]

7L & Esoteric may not be known for their political ideologies, but like many Americans, George W. Bush has sparked their interest. With one of the most important elections in US history right around the corner, the Boston duo are adamant about getting President Bush out of office. On their newest album Bars of Death, […]

Let us never forget the Beastie Boys. According to Russell Simmons’ autobiography "Life & Def," without their debut’s residual sales, Def Jam might’ve folded. Without the Beasties’ reaching audiences that Schooly D didn’t, Hip-Hop may’ve never blossomed to such mass appeal. Without the barriers broken by Brooklyn’s finest, would we march to the beat of […]

With his clever wordplay and impressive ability to spontaneously kick a freestyle verse better than most rappers could after days spent dawdling with a pen and a pad, Flatbush bred Wordsworth has long been considered one of underground Hip-Hop’s best emcees. But oddly enough it’s been nearly a decade, with no album, since he made […]

With few passing the test of time, rappers are here today and unfortunately gone today. As a teenager, Silkk The Shocker was playing with millions. He entered the rap game through his older brother Master P’s No Limit Records. The label exploded on to a scene dominated by New York and California at the time, […]

Does Hip-Hop have a Donald Trump? Before just the dollars and worth, Trump is renowned for his resilience after loss. To go from something to nothing and back up, that’s genius. Perhaps the most deserving Hip-Hop comparison lies in Lance “Un” Rivera. Un was responsible for a hearty size of Biggie’s success by way of […]

In today’s current Hip-Hop climate, there is no better promotional tool as effective as the mixtape. No longer do record companies hold the power to impose their data calculated will upon the Hip-Hop community. Thanks to this ever-popular medium, the streets now dictate who is hot. In 2002 mixtapes gave birth to Hip-Hop heavyweight 50 […]

No flash, no bling, no mess, Alchemist is about beats. For the better part of six years Alchemist has been one of the more reclusively successful producers in Hip Hop, producing grimy banger after grimy banger. In those six years, producers have risen to levels where their personalities and commercial draw equal, if not eclipse […]

Roc-A-Fella and its empire has shifted its position appreciably in the entertainment industry, similar to the way moving tectonic plates cause massive earthquakes. On facet, Roc-A-wear, one of Hip-Hop’s premiere urban clothing was founded in 1999 by moguls Damon “Dame” Dash, Jay-Z and Kareem “Biggs” Burke to the delight of urban and suburban dwellers worldwide. […]