Eminem has D-12. Curtis enlisted G-Unit. Ludacris hyped DTP. Nas brought us The Bravehearts. Jeezy put on the USDA Crew. And, of course, Neighborhood Nipsey shares the corner with his crew The Slauson Boyz. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s playing the keys and causing straight havoc on the boards. Billy Preston definitely did the latter on “Outa Space” as he lead his band in an all out jam session. They way his he and the band came together on this track is something like organized chaos. But the clavinet, and his masterful play on it, really set it apart from the mass of funk records that came before or since. Read the rest of this entry »

Shaquille O’Neal & Hakeem Olajuwon battling during the ’95 Finals, aka the non-Mike years. Read the rest of this entry »

If you checked out Playboy Tre’s The Last Call, then you already know that it had plenty of his insightful wisdoms and soul food for thought. But there wasn’t any shortage of his comedic genius either. Noticeably absent was a primetime DJ’s name smackered on the front cover. It’s probably because of scenarios like this hilarious encounter with DJ Produce. (He got that fruit baby!) Read the rest of this entry »

A Labor Day Weekend road trip alerted me to how dope this track actually is. I’ve never been Wale’s biggest fan, but when looking back at the destruction of Tiger Woods, Mr. Folarin’s account may prove to stand the test of time. Read the rest of this entry »

These boys Ronnie & Matt from Nice Kicks aren’t playing fair. After teaming up previously, they’re reupping with a “Nice Kicks 2.0″ release. Details forthcoming but expect an October launch. Read the rest of this entry »

A tad later than expected, but this still constitutes as week two. For this edition, we travel back to earlier this year when Dro found himself on a trunk banger alongside fellow ATL native Alley Boy. Read the rest of this entry »

Honestly, the first two times I listened to Maino, it was for the other emcee on the track. And both times Maino ripped it. Then, I heard “Retaliate” and it was game over. Whether it is sorrow, elation or rage, the man possesses the widely coveted ability to convincingly portray his mentality and emotions in a very raw and uncensored fashion. Read the rest of this entry »

When you have Hip-Hop aspirations growing up in Kansas, it’s kind of an uphill battle escaping the shadow of stereotype ruby slippers and twisters cast. But the kid XV has broke the through the glass ceiling; looking to be the biggest commercial rap presence at of the flat state yet. Capping off an incredible summer that including autographing his name on a Warner Bros. contract, Vizzy Zone looks to get everyone on the same page that XV is reading from. Read the rest of this entry »

This song was definitely made after it was named. Chiller than Clark Kent and about as spaced out his flying alter-ego, Left Coast virtuoso Terrace Martin’s freshly folded single from his Marvin-Gaye-inspired Here, My Dear mixtape sets the low-key tone for his most personal project to date. The Taylor Gang leader seems to be sitting in the living room for this one, as his slow-motion flow finds a home on this rapper/producer’s live soundscape. Read the rest of this entry »

You may or probably won’t remember MTV2′s 8-show series, Buzzin,’ which featured rapper Shwayze and his producer counterpart Cisco Adler parading around Malibu acting like Entourage was real life. Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes when we listen to music, it’s easy to get taken away to a lifestyle that will never be feasible to great majority of us. Popping bottles every week deals more with Miller High Life® than Patrón. Partying with video vixens is cool when its written on paper and constructed in your mind. And driving the latest luxury cars sounds great, but most would settle for a job that pays $50,000 a year and no student loans. Read the rest of this entry »

“I got a smart mind, plus a stupid pistol…”

While the rest of the have been sporadic, Ruger Rell’s been the most consistent of the once strong Dips and for that he should receive a “Standing Ovation.” A little bit more of that street savvy music from Rell’s You Need People Like Me. Read the rest of this entry »

Redhead Robyn continues to make music that males have no business singing out loud but will secretly enjoy. With all the vacationing she does when she should be promoting her album, you’d think studio time was out of the question. But she’s a baller, bitch. She makes it happen. Gearing up for the 2nd RiRi album in under a year, she links up with the duo who should name their kids Ne-Yo & Rihanna: Stargate. Read the rest of this entry »

Back in my day, we demanded our MTV and spent countless hours in front of television sets alternating between it and Nickelodeon. Today’s generation – who I’ve dubbed “the Intangibles” because they’ll grow up having held few if any cd’s, books and magazines – still deems MTV their number one source for music entertainment, except they prefer to visit the web portal instead of the boob tube version. Read the rest of this entry »