Fam-Lay has always been a personal favorite, if only because people from his part of VA sound almost exactly like people from DC. Before Wale shook his dreads into the mainstream, Fam’s exaggerated drawl represented the closest thing I had to a hometown hero. Read the rest of this entry »

With Big K.R.I.T. on the hook and beat, Jet Lifer and Cinematic Music Group affiliate Smoke DZA talks that talk about his favorite subject: the stickiest of the icky. “Havin Thangs” is a breezy summer night set to music. Read the rest of this entry »

In the latest installment of the 2Dopeboyz/Restless Films “VS” series, Curren$y spits a classic Pimp C verse (who we at TSS love, as you should) from the song “Dirty Money” after sharing why it inspired him. Read the rest of this entry »

Young Money loves to help young ladies looking to make a better way for themselves. After making a stop at the Rack City National Bank, Tyga drops in on a friend in the “Dancin’ 4 Dollas” video. Read the rest of this entry »

When I saw “Rah Digga disses Fat Trel and Tyler the Creator” in the subject heading of an email, I fully expected something about least likely hypothetical songs, or some sort of late April Fool’s Day joke to be in the body. What I found was a real track that happened to be surprisingly decent Read the rest of this entry »

Queens, NY upstart T.Shirt drops the temperature on the first few weeks of Spring with “The Coolest Winter.” Steel Tipped Dove’s neo-blues bounce provides the backdrop for Shirt to stomp all over the track like a pair of 40 Belows in a foot of snow. Read the rest of this entry »

After falling out with Wale and having the original version of Nightmare On E Street seemingly held hostage by his management, Fat Trel has still managed to keep his name bubbling just below the surface on a national level. He’s on the cusp, and his next move could be the one to thrust him out of Read the rest of this entry »

Stalley and the Block Beattaz are developing some real chemistry. On their latest collaboration, “Hammers & Vogues,” smoothed out production meets the bearded Ohio native’s trademark introspection and Curren$y’s unique strain of Read the rest of this entry »

Most recently seen busting guns with Jim Jones and assorted goons, DC’s Kingpen Slim sweetens it up for the ladies on his first single “Lollipop.” Playful keys and claps accentuate the familiar barbershop pop Read the rest of this entry »

Showing love to his fellow Michiganite, Flint native Jon Connor has chosen to wreak havoc over Eminem instrumentals for the next entry in his “Best In The World” series, The People’s Rapper LP. The first leak from this project is Connor’s take on The Eminem Show’s “Soldier.” Read the rest of this entry »

Fresh off of his newly released mixtape, The Heir Up There and performing on the Club Paradise tour with some rapper from Canada, flamboyant Surf Club producer and emcee Chase N. Cashe is right back to work with his new Skeme-featured release, “Black Paisley.” Read the rest of this entry »

Just in time for some unseasonably warm weather’s arrival on the east coast, ATL’s own Scotty arrives with the perfect addition to a spring day. The Fiend and REi-featured track, “Wreckunii” could make an ’87 Toyota Tercel feel like Read the rest of this entry »

“You know God made black beautiful. God made Boobie beautiful. Black and Strong, and when Boobie knocks some fools out, Boobie gonna knock ‘em out with black Nikes on his feet. Ain’t that right? And I’m a smile when I do.” Read the rest of this entry »

Jay-Z’s exclamations of “He’s only 16!!!” during Young Chris’ turn on the mic in the Hot 97 studios some 11 years ago immediately came to mind after watching Joey Bada$$ perform the opening verse of “Survival Tactics.” A year older than the former Young Gun was during his coming out party in NY, Brooklyn native Joey possesses the same sort of charisma and Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a special place in my heart for Guy Ritchie’s East London-based ensemble crime flicks, so when I heard a quote from the somewhat obscure Rock N Rolla as the intro to Eldorado Red’s similarly-named “Rock & Role,” I was already sold. Read the rest of this entry »