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, […]
In Hip-Hop, wack freestyles are like teenagers trying to purchase alcohol before they turn 21. They aren’t going to get very far, and they can be guaranteed a gas-face or two along the way. The art of "off the top of the head rhymes" is a lost, but precious skill, tried by many but mastered […]
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. […]
AHH: In the past week, all Hell has broken loose in the media and the Internet, just tell me what your reaction is to the way everyone responded to you specifically (not d-12) and Royce? Proof: I ain’t checkin’ the site. AHH: Well, is it out of hand? Proof: What are you hearing, so I […]
AHH: In the past week, all Hell has broken loose in the media and the Internet, just tell me what your reaction is to the way everyone responded to you specifically? Royce: It was bound to happen. Those brothers obviously doing what they gotta do to get they attention. It’s just a situation where I’m […]
Of all the records released in the past year, only a few will still have us studying them in say, another five years. Little Brother’s The Listening deserves to hold one of those honored ranks. The North Carolina trio has supplied the masses with a record that pays homage to records with themes, ideas, and […]
Crooked I took some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions from AllHipHop’s Ill Community. Peep it… Allhiphop: SweetCheeba asked; do you get tired of people asking you about your relationship with Suge? CI: Not really ‘cause I know people want to know what’s up with that and I’m always happy to […]
I don’t typically release statements, but I have heard about all of the sh*t Proof has been talking on his website and I felt I needed to respond. First, I did not start of all this bullsh*t (diss tracks). I’ve said sh*t about them out of anger and vice versa. If Eminem and I are […]
Allhiphop: Can you speak about your background a little bit, a lot of people know your name, but not too many know about your background? Crooked I: I was born in L.A. and I spent the majority of my life in Long Beach but I have lived other places. I lived in Okalahoma for a […]
Crooked I: Leader of the New School By Jigsaw It’s often been clichéd that a rolling stone gathers no moss, but the same principle hardly pertains to hip-hop rhyme styles. Tha Row’s (Death Row) hungry, battle-tested upstart Crooked I has laid his hat in many cities, and its apparent after hearing him spit, that he […]
Ms. Voletta Wallace is a martyr to the casualties of hip-hop. No mother raises a child to be slain over greed, pride, and envy. Ms. Wallace has endured that cruelest of fates, and still is willing to share. Almost six years to the day after he son was gunned down on the lawless streets of […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
25 year old Supastition got the rap bug at the tender age of 9, when he first heard Dougie Fresh’s "The Show." After stints on such labels as Lo Key Records (owned by Kurtis Blow) and Mends Recordings, Supa has shared microphone duties with such rap acts as Pumpkinhead, Bad Seed, Jean Grae, Yaggfu Front, […]
While Amil’s first album was met with lukewarm reviews, it is generally accepted as a solid first album effort. If not for being on white hot Roc-A-Fella Records at the time, the album may have been met with better reviews. For some unknown reason, Amil has been publicly crucified and hated. Without a bitter bone […]
Joe Budden proclaims his freshman album will drop once “Def Jam gets off its ass.” Mighty words from a relative neophyte to the overcrowd game of hip-hop. However, Budden isn’t your average rookie. Through mix tapes and high-powered, visible associations [DJ Clue, Envy], he’s managed to skip Junior varsity squad and jump straight to the […]
There was something captured in the early 1980’s New York Hip-Hop culture that we may never have back: A carefree attitude, and the music to match it. In a year that eulogizes Run-DMC as the pioneers of taking Hip-Hop to the suburbs, I recall another pioneer who helped bring hip-hop to the dance floor. Steve […]
Whether it be original "Trouble Man" Marvin Gaye or embattled crooner R.Kelly, R&B men who exhibit abnormal or illicit behavior are often viewed as victims of a painful childhood. However, when rappers cross the line of respectable behavior they are viewed as deviants and delinquents. Critics then denigrate select lyrics from said rapper’s catalogue as […]
Dirty power house Houston, Texas has been atop the mix-tape circuit far longer than heads realize. Follow if you will. Important, but often overlooked segments of the mixtape underworld are DJ Screw, the Swisha House and the Freestyle Kings. Now, one Freestyle King that garnered national attention happens to be Lil’ Flip, who broke platinum […]
