Words By Samir S.

In 2010, Canadian rapper Shad quietly dropped one of the better albums of the year in TSOL, a concise showcase of Shad’s wit, technical expertise, and overall relatability. This year, the London, Ontario-bred MC has kept up his grind by jumping on a slew of collaborations — ranging from tracks with Canadian indie synth-pop darling Lights (“Flux and Flow”) to team-ups with Seattle underground favorites Blue Scholars (“Dawn Song Remix”). Thankfully, for those of us who find it a chore to keep up to date with loose MP3s, Shad and his right-hand producer DJ TLO have put together a collection of Shad’s guest-starring appearances Read the rest of this entry »

You would think that Jamie Kennedy’s comical depiction of a wannabe rich MC from Los Angeles would transfer well from film to reality. However, check Alchemist for biographical credentials and you’re bound to find he’s bucking the stereotype, as the man behind the boards hails from Beverly Hills. Read the rest of this entry »

Continuing on his recent media run, Common appeared as a guest on Sway & Dev’s radio show this morning and pretty much confirmed the intended target of the poisonous darts in “Sweet” were aimed at one, no longer anonymous MC. Read the rest of this entry »

Asher Roth is joined by The Blended Babies and friends as he brings out his latest project, the Pabst & Jazz mixtape. Pour up, then cue it up and enjoy. Read the rest of this entry »

Occasion, the fourth studio album from Kidz In The Hall, sees the duo throwing every radio-friendly spaghetti noodle at their disposal against the wall, hoping that anything will stick. The duo dabbles in a wide array of sound, exploring everything from the synth-hop to tougher, more traditional cuts. This diversity is great on some levels: no matter your favorite flavor, something on Occasion will catch your attention. Read the rest of this entry »

The ratio of Lloyd’s female to male fanbase is probably equivalent to something mean Canibus said to LL back in the day, but the King of Hearts crooner is looking out for the fellas in his next mini-movie that employs a few ladies with possible “daddy issues.” Just the way most of y’all like ‘em. Read the rest of this entry »

Fans always demand their artists represent to the fullest even though there’s little fanfare to be had. Kweli “Spruce to the tree, Bruce to the Lee” has never had any problems walking the talk nor worrying about who was going to cling to it and as promised, he’s in the trenches of Occupy Wall Street to get to the root of the movement. Read the rest of this entry »

Before eLZhi dropped his homage to Nas, I questioned whether or not we needed another reiteration of the storied LP. Looking back on my doubt now though, being wrong never felt so good. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you familiar with Azealia Banks? Well, if you’re not, you will be, as the baby-faced singer/MC has had quite a month and plans on a full-scale takeover for 2012. Read the rest of this entry »

Thank you to “The Champions Of The Dirty South,” otherwise known as our friends at We Are The Process. The Tanker letterman will work lovely in the chilly, windy weather I’ll be faced with over the coming weeks. Read the rest of this entry »

The logical basketball fan in me says: it’s the first preseason game, the Lakers still have Kobe Bryant which is enough at least for a playoff spot and, if I haven’t mentioned it, this was the first damn preseason game. However, the knee-jerk reaction in me says, “WELCOME TO LOB CITY, B*TCH!!” Read the rest of this entry »

With his latest mixtape, Feature PREZentation II, Inglewood native El Prez is treating his fans to one more project before his full-length, Leadersh!t drops next year (which isn’t really as far away as it sounds). As has everything in 2011, the tape’s cover is fully 3D ready, so strap on your red-and-blues for optimal viewing. Read the rest of this entry »

“Bitch talkin’ she the Queen, when she look like a lab rat/ I’m Angie, you Jennifer, c’mon bitch, you see where Brad at”

Oh, good lord. Just as E Weekly called “Super Bass” the best song of 2011, Nicki’s new Roman Reloaded single dropped and it’s safe to say the only list it’ll be seeing is the one Santa keeps for naughty little boys and girls. Read the rest of this entry »

No, your eyes do not deceive you. Yahoo! reports Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, just announced that he will pour $300 million into our favorite fit-what-you-can-in-under-140-characters social networking site. Read the rest of this entry »

Sensationalism and gossip are unbeatable parasites of headlines and attention grabbing. It’s a shame really, considering there are parallel opposites out there doing as much good as they do in irritation. Take The League of Young Voters for example. They work continuously to ensure that our children remain our future even in the dimming light of empty promises made by politicians and crumbling education system in the public schools. Read the rest of this entry »