In the tradition of legendary stoners Cheech & Chong, Redman & Method Man, and Harold & Kumar, we have the inimitable Devin the Dude and his homies the Coughee Bros. Live from the Scoot Inn as part of SXSW festivities, Devin and crew took stage in the warm Austin air for what was truly an […]
In a career that has spanned ten years; Talib Kweli has accomplished what some may call the pantheon trials of an underground Hip-Hop legend. Now as CEO as Blacksmith Records, he hopes to achieve another type of status as the head of an independent label. To help these ends, he teams up with true school […]
While the underground collectively waits for the rumoured follow-up to Cannibal Ox’s seminal debut album Cold Vein, one half of the progressive Hip-Hop duo, Vast Aire has teamed with long-time friend and collaborator Karneige. They put forth some solid post-millennium product that bridges the gap between gritty street tales and a paranoid view of […]
Underground artists make their way into the mainstream after countless shows, touring, word of mouth promotion, and putting in that extra grind to make a name for themselves. Some like Common and Mos Def have gone on to build thriving careers in addition to music. Others while successful in their own rite, never seem […]
It’s hard to believe that Fat Joe is on album number eight. Best known for hot hits in the summer season (“Lean Back” and “Make it Rain”), why his albums never seem to be a total cohesive effort is a mystery. The Elephant In The Room (Terror Squad) doesn’t stray from such a label, but […]
History was made last week in New York City (3/5). WNYU’s esteemed Halftime Show celebrated its 10th anniversary. Hosts DJs Eclipse and Skizz had a jam packed show in store for the listeners. The master plan was to put on about twenty five emcees, some of Hip-Hop’s top producers and DJs under one roof and […]
When most artists encounter their second LP, it is usual for most critics and executives to fear the sophomore curse. For the uninitiated, the understanding of the curse is basically that an artist set the bar so high with his or her debut; that he unequivocally fails with the follow up. Rick Ross […]
Classic music is timeless, but great artists are not. Music trends and time can render a once influential artist obsolete; a relic of a forgotten era. Despite this harsh ending for some, other artists still retain their aura, maintaining a quiet dignity in light of the ever changing music scene. Brand Nubian falls in the […]
Build Or Destroy (Streetsweepers); two words that can be used to sum up Papoose’s career quite nicely. The former calls to the buzz he created when he was a form of mixtape heatrock in 2004 and 2005. The latter compactly describes his career past 2006 and 2007; going from the one point five million dollar man […]
“I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T…do you know what that means?” It means that once again, strong singles by independent artists are dominating mainstream Rap. Webbie is one of the youngsters hoping to be recognized as a credible, dominant southern powerhouse with his sophomore album, Savage Life 2 (Asylum). Led by the female friendly club hit “Independent,” Webbie’s album […]
Snoop Dogg’s presence in the game has become an industry standard; that very same industry continues to expand and change. Now we see Snoop as a large icon who, as he has said himself is “the only muthaf***a that can do p####, coach football, and have a cooking show,” and rap all at once. His […]
And the drama continues within the Dipset camp. As expected, Max Biggavel’s departure from The Diplomats and Byrdgang wouldn’t be complete without an independent mixtape and a few diss tracks. The rapper / crooner’s latest effort Million Dollar Baby 2 (Gain Green), glorifies his newfound independent stature, while giving a super sized middle finger […]
Black August (Warner Home Video), a film based on the story of George Jackson (Gary Dourdan), a San Quentin inmate serving a one year to life sentence for a $71 gas station robbery, captures the incendiary climate of the Black Panther movement in the 1960’s. Darren Bridgett plays David Dryer, a fidgety well-intentioned editor who […]
If you were ever wondering where music went, well Nicolay and Kay’s concept album Time:Line (Nicolay Music) has been holding it hostage. Together they are the epitome of everything the defines true school Rap – Nicolay, of Foreign Exchange fame, lays down the rhythm while Houston MC Kay brings that gritty bluesy soul that could […]
Friday night and I’m feeling a bit nervous heading out to CIAA festivities in Charlotte, NC. With friends doing other things, I’m left to roll solo to the Smirnoff Mix Series party in Uptown. And things couldn’t look any more packed. It’s late at night and traffic on the roads immediately bring to mind […]
A classic is timeless. It’s always current, yet never immediate.What happens when you meld the spirit of a classic with the immediacy of the present? This mixture was put to the test Tuesday when Smirnoff, along with true schoolers Q-tip, Common, and Blastmaster KRS-One, launched its Signature Mix Series. The event set off a campaign featuring […]
When you look at Rap music as a whole and more importantly understand its make up, the term classic should only be used sparingly. Too often the new Hip-Hop generation rushes to christen the latest release by a Johnny come lately as Godly. Whether or not they were musically raised by wack rappers or just […]
The club hit can be deemed a gift or a curse. It can be deemed a gift because it gives massive exposure to the particular artist. It can be a curse because the expectations are going to be set high for said artist to deliver a product that is up to par. D4L member […]
The self-proclaimed best rapper alive did it again for fans at the Newark Symphony Hall in Newark, NJ on Sunday night (2/24/08). In town for a court date stemming from a July arrest, Weezy decided he’d make the most of his time here by doing a charitable concert, with proceeds going to the city’s “Stop […]
It was a night of legends this past weekend (2/22) in Harlem, New York. The Legendary Roots Crew performed live at the Apollo Theater, capping off Heineken’s New Legend Concert Series. Sporting a brown sweater with some blue jeans and a baseball cap, Black Thought jumped on stage with a non-stop onslaught of lyrics. […]
