Obie Trice: No Gimmicks

Before anybody knew Obie Trice they knew his name. Eminem set it up perfectly on the intro to his smash single, "Without Me," allowing the Detroit rapper to open the song proclaiming "Obie Trice, real name, no gimmicks." Obie Trice has patiently waited for the limelight, putting in work and building a name for himself […]

Twista: Coat Of Arms

Twista’s dreams of hip-hop superstardom have been deferred more times than a little bit. Twista is widely accepted as one of the rap word’s most talented wordsmiths. His rhythmic, staccato delivery has endeared him to legions of fans while mainstream notoriety, of the MTV and endorsement deal variety, has continually eluded his grasp. Lacking any […]

David Banner: The Fire This Time

"What has four eyes, but can’t see?" Gene Hackman queries his co-star Willem Defoe in the landmark 1988 film, "Mississippi Burning." Defoe replies, "I don’t know. What has four eyes, but can’t see?" Hackman answers, "Mississippi." Playing two FBI agents who’ve been sent to Mississippi in 1964 to investigate the disappearance and eventual murder of […]

HI-TEK: MIDWEST SWANG Pt 1

When you think of musical Mecca’s, Cincinnati, Ohio may not be the first place that comes to mind. However, for the better part of three decades, from the nineteen-sixties up through the late nineteen-eighties, the ‘Nati was the birthplace of some of the most important R&B, funk, and soul records to ever be produced. Legendary […]

HI-TEK: MIDWEST SWANG

ALLHIPHOP: So what’s your current situation with MCA, is it a label deal, production deal, artist deal? HI-TEK: It’s an artist deal, Hi-Tek as an artist. I just do whatever kinda album I wanna do. That’s what MCA is really about. ALLHIPHOP: So are you gonna have the option of introducing new artists, bringing new […]

Mr. Cheeks: Super Star

Before Mr. Cheeks was a household name in hip-hop, the dreded rapper gained critical acclaim as a member of the Lost Boys. When Lost Boyz member Freaky Tah was gunned down, the group soon disbanded. In 2001 Cheeks broke the silence with his solo debut, John P. Kelly, which spawned the hit single "Lights, Camera, […]

T.I.: The Grand Hustler

His debut disc I’m Serious sported production credits from the omnipresent Neptunes and Jazze Pha, yet the combination of stellar beats with his laid-back but intense southern tinged delivery failed to garner widespread recognition (read: sales). Nevertheless it was a regional success with T.I. being a household name in states below the Mason Dixon line. […]

Vita: Stand Up

Last year New Jersey-based rapper Vita anticipated that her long-awaited album, La Vita Dolce ("The Good Life"), would drop under the Murder Inc. banner. Her hopes would never come to fruition. Instead the original female on Murder Inc. would walk away after being signed to the label for over two years. Now, the former Murder […]

Ras Kass: Catch Him If You Can

Much like Van Gogh, a 19th century artist who never attained any real commercial success until after his death, Priority Records recording artist Ras Kass is struggling with similar obstacles to those of the famed painter. The fact that Ras Kass’ never-released third album was entitled Van Gogh, speaks volumes about the frustration felt by […]

Choppa: Line Em

New Orleans is quite possibly Hip-Hop’s best-kept secret and Choppa is set to become the Dirty South’s brightest star. At the tender age of 21, No Limit’s newest protégé is on the verge of taking the N.O. to even bigger heights. With his booming voice, unrelenting personality, and aggressive bounce style of music, Choppa is […]