by Alex Shtaerman While many trends in music have a tendency to come and go within the context of a single calendar year, there are those special legacies and traditions that are able to endure for decades despite seemingly endless attempts to erode them or dismiss them as…
by Alex Shtaerman As one of Hip-Hop’s most respected and prolific lyricists, over the last decade and a half AZ has built a cult like following spittin’ his signature brand of refined street knowledge, blending the experiences of a hardened East New York native with the complex insights…
by Alex Shtaerman If you don’t know about Onyx just ask anyone who was old enough to be in a club in ’93 about what would happen when “Slam” came on. To be brief, the crossover anthem would usually drive the crowd into a bewildered frenzy. If Hip-Hop…
by Alex Shtaerman While few can argue that Hip-Hop has undergone some drastic changes over the past decade and a generation gap has emerged within the culture, it is a rare event when someone actually tries to bridge the divide. In today’s world it seems like many of…
by Alex Shtaerman Regardless of whether you love them or hate them, one thing is clear: The last time anyone dominated the rap game the way G Unit has over the last five years was back when Snoop, Pac and Dre were rollin’ with Suge Knight in the…
by RiotSound contributing writer Todd Davis Recording artist, thespian and author are just a few of the many hats worn by Tracy Lauren Marrow, more famously known to his fans around the world as Ice T, the motherfuckin’ godfather of West Coast gangsta rap, in case you didn’t know!…
by RiotSound contributing writer Todd Davis Pioneering Hip-Hop DJ Joseph “Grandmaster Flash” Saddler is one of the chief architects of breakbeat DJing, cutting and mixing, as well as a founding member of the legendary Hip-Hop group Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. In his early years Flash played illegal…
by Alex Shtaerman As one of the most prominent reggaeton artists in the world, Daddy Yankee has won awards, gone platinum and set attendance records in a recent tour of South America. But if you think he’s just another new kid on the block, you might just need…
By RiotSound contributing writer Todd Davis Hailing from Oakland, California, Del the Funky Homosapien began his career honing his songwriting skills as a contributor on projects for his cousin Ice Cube and Cube’s protégés Da Lench Mob. In 1991, with his cousin’s help and musical input, Del dropped his…
by Alex Shtaerman As Hip-Hop continues to evolve in the new millennium it often feels like different artists rise to prominence or fall off on almost a daily basis. With too many crews and clicks to name, much less keep track of, sometimes, as a fan, it’s nice…
by Alex Shtaerman While some stubborn Hip-Hop fans may still be lamenting the breakup of Gang Starr, a union between two legends in Guru and DJ Premier that yielded arguably the most extensive catalog of hardcore east coast Hip-Hop ever put to wax, those who have kept their…
by RiotSound contributing writer Todd Davis Born Peter Phillips in the Bronx, New York in 1971, the now legendary Hip-Hop producer, known to his fans around the globe as Pete Rock, seems to have been destined for a career in music at an early age. As a young child…
by RiotSound contributing writer Todd Davis When one thinks of Hip-Hop, especially women in rap, it would be criminal not to include this veteran rhyme-stress in your favorites list of top ten MCs. Born Lana Moorer in Brooklyn, New York, MC Lyte fell in love with music at an…
by RiotSound contributing writer Todd Davis It’s been nearly two decades since the Mobb Deep saga initially began. Comprised of two young rappers, Albert Johnson, born in Hempstead, New York, and his future partner-in-rhyme Kejuan Muchita, the duo first met as teenagers while both attending the prestigious Art and…
by Alex Shtaerman Set to drop his latest album, Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman), December 4th, longtime street-hop favorite Styles P has continued to stay relevant amidst Hip-Hop’s changing eras in a way few MCs that started rhyming a decade ago have been able to do. A member of…
by Alex Shtaerman As one of New York’s most respected lyricists, Queensbridge icon Cormega has kept a relatively low profile in recent years. Quietly gathering momentum for what many fans have been anticipating for some time, on November 20th Mega is set to drop his first full length…
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…