I was hoping that Run grabbed the microphone and proclaimed, “We have a whole lot of superstars appearing on this stage tonight, but I want yall to know one thing, this is my motherf**kin’ house!” It didn’t quite go down like that. I just returned from Cleveland and thanks to my wife, I had the privilege […]

Patience is not without its consequences. Following his close July 2007 loss to Bernard Hopkins, Winky Wright was still considered one of the Top 5 Pound for Pound fighters in the sport. Then suddenly Wright stopped fighting, claiming both lack of suitable opponents and financial compensation for a fighter of his caliber. Now 21 months […]

“… If I may interject/ Rap these days is like a pain up in the neck/ Cornier and phonier than a play fight/” —MF Doom, “Benzie Box,” The Mouse and the Mask (2005). “What if I was another corny rapper?/” —Jadakiss ft. Nas, “What If,” The Last Kiss (2009). “Rapper-jocks need to put a sock […]

  Developer/Publisher: Rockstar LeedsPlatform: Nintendo DS (Exclusive)   Players: 1 / Online MultiplayerRelease Date: 3/17/09   Rating: A   Amongst a never ending cloud of controversy, Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series still remains one of the most respected gaming brands. So after eleven years of success it’s no surprise the title has been given shot […]

Alador & Smith was founded by two New York natives, Pascal Alouidor and Derek Smith. Within months after debuting the collection at Las Vegas’ MAGIC trade show in 2006, it was featured in XXL, Entertainment Weekly, and Source magazine among others. The collection has a gritty street feel, with clever messages like “Fix your Face” […]

  Developer/Publisher: CapcomPlatform: XBOX 360   Players: 1-2(Co-op/Online)Release Date: 3/13/09   Rating: B+   Capcom has been known over the years for the break-out success of one of its top franchises, the Resident Evil series. Known for its terrifying and gory fun, the series garnered a following because of its ability to keep players on […]

The modern athlete and Hip-Hop go together like OJ Simpson and gloves. Consequently, there is quite a lot of cross-pollination between the two. The only thing is, rappers cannot typically cross over into sports due to the extreme physicality associated with athletics. Then there is the other side – sports men that attempt to rap. […]

**This Is Dedicated To Men That Don’t Hit Women, But Still Deal With Bird S**t** This isn’t about Chris Brown and Rihanna – I promise. But the plight of the young lovebirds sure has got me thinking. I am what I consider to be a good man. I work very hard. I provide. I work […]

I haven’t been food shopping in over a month.   I should grown my own food, but don’t. Jay-z said “dig a hole” and maybe I should. Fill it with some seeds, sprinkle with water and some TLC. I’ll be feasting on next season’s dinner in no time.   Seriously, I would love to eat […]

Sitting in the audience last night inside the crowded 37 Street Arts Theater in Manhattan Off Broadway, I witnessed another great Damon Dash contribution, one that takes hip-hop culture to another significant level of accomplishment.        Sony Entertainment and Damon Dash produced, “Hip-Hop Monologues: the Life and the Mind of Jim Jones.” It was a […]

Hip Hop and sex have always gone hand in hand.  However, the carnal endeavors our culture has attached itself to have definitely become more and more salacious over the years.  Like anything else, the more you see it, more commonplace it becomes. With this in mind, could the image of the Hip-Hop female as an […]

“Strangeness, you don’t control this, you barely hold this/ Screaming brand new, when they just sanitized the old s###/ Suppose it’s, just another clever Jedi mind trick/ That they been runnin across stars through all the time with/ –          Black Star, Thieves In The Night, Black Star (1998). “They don’t know, who we be/” –          […]

  Developer/Publisher: Swordfish/THQPlatform: XBOX 360   Players: 1-2(Online)Release Date: 2/24/09   Rating: C   With the massive popularity of Curtis Jackson’s Rap persona, it is no surprise his brand has transcended past music onto clothing, movies, television, and beverages. In 2005, 50 Cent took his Southside Queens hustle to a platform Hip-Hop has often failed […]

Recently, some friends and I were sitting around shooting the s### about Slaughterhouse.  Since no one I hang with is part of the online Hip Hop community, it was actually me shooting the s### all by my lonely as they looked on with faces crumpled up like used napkins. Then they channeled Woodsy. “Who?” One […]

It’s St. Patrick’s Day but there are always plenty of shoes to make you green with envy any day of the year. Nevertheless, here are a couple of St. Patty’s Day specials. Shout out to the Irish massive.   You can’t front, House of Pain had spots bumping with their hit “Jump Around.” Don’t sleep […]

Barrera: “I am not your stepping stone.” Today (March 14), Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera (65-6, 43 KOs) is on a mission to prove that he’s still an elite fighter. The test comes in the form of young British sensation Amir Khan (19-1, 15 KOs), who’ll face the cagey veteran in the toughest bout of his […]

So Prodigy is still up on his one man rant from behind the walls of the correctional facility in upstate New York he’s going to be calling home at least till sometime late this summer. Part of his latest handwritten homage to everything you don’t know, but he is willing to share, is his top 40 […]

On January 30th 2009, America once again had reason to celebrate. Former Maryland Lt. Governor, Michael Steele became the first African American appointed as National Chairman of the Republican Party. This came just over one week after the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. The Obama campaign sparked […]

In Hip-Hop, when the Notorious B.I.G. spoke, the world listened. When the late, great rapper said he was prone to “stash more cash than Bert Padell,” he revealed an industry secret to the masses. Padell has a client list that could stretch across the nation. Past and present customers include EPMD, Big Daddy Kane, Run […]

Developer/Publisher: CapcomPlatform: XBOX 360   Players: 1-2Release Date: 2/17/09   Rating: A-   It’s been nearly twelve years since Street Fighter III. After two subsequent installments and die-hard Street Fighter fans questioning Capcom about the next title, the company finally decided it was about time to give us what we wanted. Despite the fact that […]