by Alex Shtaerman In case you still don’t know, Rawkus Records is back. The acclaimed indie label that helped launch the careers of Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Pharaoh Monch is ready to make waves again in 2006 following a two year hiatus. Leading the Rawkus resurgence are…
by Alex Shtaerman After a period of relative inactivity, Hip-Hop fans will be hearing from the Flipmode Squad once again. As the Squad’s general, Busta Rhymes, prepares to send fans into orbit with his highly anticipated new LP, The Big Bang, Flipmode’s lieutenant, Rampage, wants to show you…
Any serious Hip-Hop fan knows how much pride we took in listening to Gangstarr in the ‘90’s. I remember getting in my car and turning up “Take It Personal” or “The Militia” as loud as the radio could go, driving down the street with the windows rolled all…
by Alex Shtaerman Nonchalantly shattering conventional boundaries in rap music for two decades, Kool Keith continues to prevail as one of Hip-Hop’s most enduring on the mic personalities. Part of the legendary Bronx rap group, the Ultramagnetic MCs, in 1995 Keith would embark on a storied solo career,…
by Alex Shtaerman As the front man for the legendary multi-platinum rap group 2 Live Crew, Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell shattered the boundaries of free expression and set off a nationwide culture war with the release of 2 Live Crew’s third album As Nasty As They Wanna Be…
by Alex Shtaerman Moving from Oakland to San Francisco’s Fillmore district at the age of three, San Quinn would come to prominence following in the footsteps of Fillmore legends such as Rappin’ 4-Tay and JT The Bigga Figga. After dropping his debut album as a freshman in high…
by Alex Shtaerman Recently named as one of Hip-Hop’s top ten mixtape artists by Rolling Stone magazine, Clinton Sparks starts 2006 off big, teaming with Kanye West to drop Touch The Sky, a 32-track preview of Clinton’s official album Get Familiar Vol. 1, due out later this year….
by Alex Shtaerman Catapulting to stardom alongside fellow Hot Boys, Juvenile, Lil’ Wayne and Young Turk, B.G. is widely regarded as one of the original building blocks in the Ca$h Money Records empire. It was B.G.’s initial success as an independent artist that helped pave the way for…
by Alex Shtaerman As one of the architects of postmodern Hip-Hop lyricism, Canibus has built a cult-like following delivering rhyme form sermons marked by an unparalleled level of cryptographic detail and verbal dexterity. Nearly a decade since defeating LL Cool J in one of Hip-Hop’s most legendary battles,…
by Alex Shtaerman Fiercely reasserting their boom bap roots on their fourth album 20/20, the Los Angeles based trio of Rakaa, Evidence and DJ Babu deliver that uncut raw Hip-Hop flavor straight to your eardrum. Dilated Peoples is the group, 20/20 is the new album and Back Again…
by Alex Shtaerman With a resounding endorsement from the legendary DJ Premier, Massachusetts native Termanology continues to build on a buzz that has already carried the Puerto Rican MC’s name far beyond the borders of his Hip-Hop deficient home state. “You know there’s nothing really in Mass, there’s…
by Alex Shtaerman Since exploding onto the scene in 1995 as one half of the Luniz, the Oakland duo responsible for the never-faded international weed smoking anthem I Got 5 On It, Yukmouth has continued to grind and build, maintaining his status in 2006 as one of the…
by Alex Shtaerman Met with unanimous acclaim from fans and critics alike, Christión’s 1997 Roc-A-Fella / Def Soul debut album Ghetto Cyrano featured the Oakland duo of Kenni Ski and Allen Anthony delivering deep soulful narratives in a fashion so compelling they were hailed by many as the…
by Alex Shtaerman Since snagging a Grammy for co-writing Kanye West’s breakout hit Jesus Walks, Chicago native Rhymefest continues to gain ground. Steering away from some of rap’s more redundant themes, Fest aims to chronicle the struggles of the average man on his aptly titled debut album Blue…
by Alex Shtaerman For more than a decade Tha Alkaholiks have been buying out the bar and tearing up shows from coast to coast. Building a cult like following through the ‘90’s, E-Swift, J-Ro & Tash earned critical acclaim infusing their trademark off the wall humor into an…
by Alex Shtaerman Throughout his career DJ Muggs has been an innovator. I remember when I first heard Hand On The Pump in 1991; I had never heard anything like it before and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. At the time I remember thinking Cypress…
by Alex Shtaerman With the release of Grandmasters, one of the deepest MCs to ever pick up a microphone breaks through the clutter yet again, adding a powerful new chapter to a legacy that began nearly three decades ago when a young Gary Grice first left his home…
by Alex Shtaerman At the heart of Detroit’s Hip-Hop scene since the late 90’s, Slum Village returns with a new self titled album, embarking on a new journey, dispelling old rumors and bringing the music back from the deli to the slums. “With Detroit Deli we was like…
by Alex Shtaerman In today’s all too familiar landscape of cookie cutter artists L.A. Symphony sticks out like a sore thumb. With five members from different ethnic backgrounds and a unique style that attempts to bridge the growing divide between authentic Hip-Hop and pop, L.A. Symphony falls into…
by Alex Shtaerman Part of the Gangstarr Foundation, Big Shug has appeared alongside Guru and Premier for over a decade as a guest on Gangstarr’s albums as well as on Guru’s Jazzmatazz projects. Few can forget Big Shug, Guru & Freddy Foxxx tearing up the track on the…
by Alex Shtaerman For someone many fans thought had retired, Jin has been quite busy of late. The battle tested MC was in the news again after suffering a high profile loss in the finals of a New York City freestyle battle tournament staged by Fight Klub and…
by Alex Shtaerman Usually we reserve the term “Hip-Hop pioneer” for artists that debuted in the ’80’s and ’70’s. Remember all the conversations with that dumb friend of yours? You tried and tried but you could never get dude to realize anything. What an idiot. It makes you…
by Alex Shtaerman It’s easy to say that you understand what Hip-Hop is “really” about. For many it has become as easy as reciting a short list of names. Just spit out the right names and you’re in; KRS One, Big Daddy Kane, Chuck D, Melle Mel. What,…
by Alex Shtaerman Haling from South Jamaica, Queens, Domination rose through the same struggle that six years ago claimed the life of his cousin. On March 28th, 1999 Freaky Tah was gunned down early Sunday morning while leaving a party at the Sheraton Hotel in Jamaica, Queens. He…
by Alex Shtaerman To say that Smif ‘n’ Wessun’s third album has been highly anticipated would be a gross understatement to say the least. To say that fans have been hungry for this release would also be inaccurate. We were hungry back in 2000 and 2001, it’s now…
by Alex Shtaerman The sun is constant, setting in the West only to rise again in the East. The cycle can never be broken. The sun is vibrant; the sun is in constant motion. One light. When the world descends into darkness, take heed, the sun will return….
by Alex Shtaerman The world first met Consequence in 1996 as a teen rhyming alongside Phife and Q-Tip on A Tribe Called Quest’s fourth LP Beats, Rhymes and Life. Featured on six of the album’s fifteen tracks, Cons was quickly dubbed as Tribe’s unofficial fourth member. With a…
by Alex Shtaerman Whether you know them as the Lox, Double R or D-Block, make no mistake about it, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch and Styles P have had this rap shit on lock since 1997. Flawlessly traversing the divide between mainstream exposure and street credibility, the three childhood friends…
by Alex Shtaerman After staying relatively dormant for several years it appears the tribe of nine lyrical swordsmen known to fans around the globe as the Wu-Tang Clan is experiencing a resurgence. With multiple clansmen due to drop solo albums in the coming months, momentum is building for…
by Alex Shtaerman After ripping through BET’s 106 & Park Freestyle Fridays for seven straight weeks SunN.Y. became the first artist signed to Virgin Records by Virgin’s new President of Urban Music Jermaine Dupri. JD ran on stage to offer the Rochester rapper a recording contract after SunN.Y….
by Alex Shtaerman Tony Touch is a Hip-Hop icon; a Brooklyn mixtape king from the 90’s and a member of the legendary Rock Steady Crew – either recognize or act like you know. Tony Touch is best known for dropping some of the hottest mixtapes ever recorded in…
by Alex Shtaerman If you still think Chicago rappers can’t come hard, just take one listen to Swing. Hailing from Chi-town’s infamous Cabrini Green housing projects, Swing might just change the way you look at Chicago MCs from this day forward. In many ways Hip-Hop has always been…
by Alex Shtaerman A lot has changed since Enta Da Stage dropped in 1993 but in 2005 the BCC continues to build. I remember watching BET over ten years ago in my bedroom waiting for the top ten countdown to wind down, ’cause I knew that’s when I…
by Alex Shtaerman When it comes to female MCs in Hip-Hop the truth is that we’ve had far too few, especially when it comes to lyricists. Many female rappers who reach the mainstream have often preferred to sell sex and style over dope lyrics and substance. But they…
by Alex Shtaerman Tame One the Nottyheaded Terror is back again with his sophomore LP on Eastern Conference Records. After a brief hiatus from the game following a falling out and parting of the ways with former Artifacts cohort El Da Sensei, Tame returned to bless us with…
by Alex Shtaerman Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica, Tony “CD” Kelly has produced more crossover hits than any other dancehall producer in the history of the dancehall/reggae genre. Starting his career with a stint at Bob Marley’s legendary Tuff Gong Studios, Tony crafted tracks for Shabba Ranks, Patra, Mad…
