by Alex Shtaerman While champions of New York City’s most infamous borough will likely point to the likes of Big Daddy Kane, Biggie Smalls and Jay-Z in highlighting Brooklyn’s profound Hip-Hop heritage, it is also worthy to note the importance of a slightly grittier rap pedigree that is…
by Alex Shtaerman In 1987 a song by a certain group some of you reading this may have heard of became forever etched in the consciousness of Hip-Hop culture. The group was Audio Two, consisting of brothers MC Milk Dee and Gizmo, and the song was an iconic…
by RiotSound contributing writer Todd Davis The man born Curtis Fisher, or as he is professionally known, Grandmaster Caz, is a Bronx, New York native, who was and very much still is, an integral part of Hip-Hop culture. Caz first became interested in the art of DJing after witnessing…
by Alex Shtaerman As the clown prince of the Detroit collective of MCs known to fans around the globe as D-12, Bizarre, born Rufus Johnson, is arguably the group’s most recognizable member outside of his superstar partner in rhyme Eminem, who’s success in the late 90’s and beyond…
by Alex Shtaerman If you truly know east coast Hip-Hop, you know you need to be checkin’ for Ed O.G. Reppin’ Boston since the early 90’s, the MC now also known as Edo G, has been a staple on the east coast since dropping his seminal classic Life…
by Alex Shtaerman Longtime members of the Gang Starr Foundation, Panchi and Shabeeno, aka the NYG’z, are finally getting their time to shine as the legendary DJ Premier will make their debut LP, Welcome To G-Dom, the first release on his brand new label Year Round Records. Originally…
by Alex Shtaerman To many, Richard “Crazy Legs” Colon needs no introduction. A b-boy icon and president of the legendary Rock Steady Crew, Legs traces his Hip-Hop roots back to the late ‘70’s, a time when Hip-Hop represented a way of life vastly different than what mainstream media…
by Alex Shtaerman Just when you thought it was safe…da na na na da na na na…bang! It’s Rap-Murr-Phobia! A disease crippling wack rappers? – No! Keith Murray is finally back with a brand new album! With the forthcoming release of his highly anticipated new LP on Koch…
by RiotSound contributing writer Todd Davis Brooklyn, New York City bred duo Das EFX, comprised of emcees Skoob and Krazy Drayzy, literally exploded onto the Hip-Hop scene in the early ‘90’s as integral members of EPMD’s, then, super-crew, the Hit Squad. Their ground-breaking debut, Dead Serious [1992], fueled…
by Alex Shtaerman By crafting, not to mention producing, one of the best Hip-Hop songs to be released this year in “Constance”, a chilling tale of child prostitution in the Philippines (accompanied by an equally gripping video), Mr. J. Medeiros has catapulted himself onto the radar screens of…
by Alex Shtaerman As the DJ for legendary rap group EPMD, DJ Scratch has just about seen it all in an illustrious career that has spanned over two decades. Originally tutored by none other than Run DMC’s iconic DJ, Jam Master Jay (R.I.P), Scratch would soon hone his…
by RiotSound contributing writer Todd Davis To some, the name Chip Fu may or may not ring a bell, but to real Hip-Hop heads the man born Roderick Roachford is, simply put, ‘the truth’. As the front man for the seminal early 90’s Hip-Hop group The Fu-Schnickens, Chip Fu’s…
by Alex Shtaerman Often touted as the 10th member of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, Cappadonna without question can lay claim to some of the most memorable verses ever spit in the realm of the Clan’s voluminous catalog. From “Winter Warz” to “Ice Cream” to his co-starring role on…
by Alex Shtaerman If Hip-Hop is dead, please don’t tell Joell Ortiz. To describe the Brooklyn MC in his own words, “He’s like a crib on the sun / Sittin’ next to the fireplace / With the heat on a million and one / This young man is…
by Alex Shtaerman For most MC’s “stacking chips” is just another expression in the broad encyclopedia of Hip-Hop jargon. However, when it comes to Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah and his Theodore Unit prodigy Shawn Wigs, the phrase takes on a whole new much more literal meaning. Since joining…
by Alex Shtaerman From putting Queensbridge on the map with one of the most memorable hood anthems ever recorded to battling it out with KRS One in a cross-borough beef which after two decades still stands among Hip-Hop’s all time greatest rivalries, MC Shan was knocking MCs out…
by Alex Shtaerman While some may contend, with good reason, that authentic Hip-Hop is in a state of decline, it must be dually noted that back in the Boogie Down Bronx the heartbeat of a now global culture continues to beat as it always has, indifferent to public…
by Alex Shtaerman One of the most versatile and omnipresent entertainers of his generation, Tyrese Gibson is many things to many people. Singer, actor, writer, producer and sex symbol, the star of Annapolis, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Waist Deep and Baby Boy can now add “MC” to an…
by Alex Shtaerman Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, Swollen Members is the best selling Canadian rap group of all time. With close ties to the West Coast underground as well as the legendary Rock Steady Crew, MCs Mad Child and Prevail have been putting it down since 1996,…
by Alex Shtaerman RIOTSOUND.COM: End Of The Weak is the world’s longest running weekly open mic. How was E.O.W. originally established? Looking back on the success you’ve had, did you ever think it was possible for an open mic to gain this much momentum? PROPAYNE: End Of The…
by Alex Shtaerman After evading authorities for months and at one point eluding police in a high speed chase across the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Area rapper Mac Minister was apprehended by the FBI in March of 2006 shortly after being profiled on the long-running Fox television series…
by Alex Shtaerman One of the most critically acclaimed groups of conscious Hip-Hop’s golden era, X-Clan’s 1990 debut LP, To The East, Backwards, stands unequivocally on par with Hip-Hop’s greatest classics; yet following the 1992 release of their well-received sophomore set, Xodus, the group disbanded and hasn’t been…
by Alex Shtaerman With millions upon millions of records sold, very few rap groups have ever tasted the type of commercial success enjoyed by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and by the same token, very few have ever faced as much industry adversity and internal strife. Following the tragic passing of…
by Alex Shtaerman For over a decade he’s been the public face of the Wu-Tang Clan. From crossover hits, to feature films, to HBO, Mr. Mef has long been at the forefront of the Wu-Tang sphere of influence. Whether rhyming alongside fellow blunt brother Redman or with his…
by Alex Shtaerman Known for dropping game on albums such as The Hemp Museum and Hempin’ Ain’t Easy, B-Legit The Savage has stood as a formidable force in the Bay Area since the era of Mobb Music, a sound that has become synonymous with the rise of Northern…
by Alex Shtaerman With commercial rap music squarely dominating radio airwaves and mainstream media outlets, many new artists have resorted to wielding the sword of Hip-Hop authenticity in an effort to enhance their credibility in a market saturated with here-today, gone-tomorrow bubble gum rappers. But who’s for real…
by Alex Shtaerman Striking platinum with his well-received Shady Records debut album, Cheers, Obie Trice is back with his much anticipated sophomore effort, Second Round’s On Me. With production from Eminem, Jonathan JR Rotem and Emile as well as guest spots from Em, Nate Dogg and 50 Cent,…
by Alex Shtaerman Spawned out of an impromptu union between two crews frequenting The Good Life Health Food Café, a famed Los Angeles open mic venue in the early 90’s, Jurassic 5 has over the last ten years emerged as one of L.A.’s most critically acclaimed Hip-Hop acts…
by Alex Shtaerman From making history at Death Row to blazing the underground, Daz Dillinger has seen his share of ups and downs in a career that’s spanned a decade and a half, frequently bringing the West Coast stalwart in and out of the public’s eye. Recently reuniting…
by Alex Shtaerman As the conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, we are thankful for this unique opportunity to look at the state of events not through the eyes of yet another politician or news anchorman but rather through the eyes of an MC who is…
by Alex Shtaerman New Orleans’ native son Choppa returns home and urges his friends and neighbors to follow suit as the former No Limit affiliate teams with pound for pound boxing king Roy Jones Jr. to release his new album Coming Back Home. RIOTSOUND.COM: Being from New Orleans,…
by Alex Shtaerman The resurgence of the Boot Camp Clik is no longer just wishful thinking; rather, it is a bright and beautiful reality that has Hip-Hop fans from coast to coast and around the world reveling in the essence of Brooklyn once again. At the core of…
by Alex Shtaerman Coasting to gold status on the strength of the top-ten hit single “Never Scared”, Bone Crusher’s 2003 debut album AttenCHUN! positioned the jumbo-sized MC as a rising star among Atlanta’s Hip-Hop heavyweights. With his sophomore LP, Release The Beast, dropping July 18th, we sit down…
by Alex Shtaerman If one accepts Hip-Hop to be a modern day renaissance, it goes without saying that DJ Spooky ranks among the movement’s preeminent scholars. An acclaimed writer, musician and conceptual artist, Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid has collaborated with everyone from Yoko…
by Alex Shtaerman Since putting their differences aside and reuniting with Snoop for the 2005 “How The West Was One” tour, Daz and Kurupt – better known to fans worldwide as Tha Dogg Pound – are showing no signs of slowing down. With a highly anticipated new Dogg…
by Alex Shtaerman A rising producer and DJ, Disco D has cut tracks for Trick Daddy, 50 Cent and Kevin Federline, but by no stretch of the imagination is this your average Hip-Hop beatsmith. With roots in the Detroit rave scene, Disco currently splits time between Brooklyn, New…
