As one of the most trusted voices of subconsciousness for Hip-Hop artists, Anthony Hamilton still holds rank as one of the most consistent developers of the rhythm and blues circuit. Gearing up for his sixth solo album titled The Point Of All, Mr. Hamilton shows why his outlook on life allows him to be the best musician, husband, and overall human being possible.

But akin to the album’s first single with David Banner and the President-elect Barack Obama, he just plays it “Cool.”

TSS: So the name Point Of It All sounds pretty serious. Has Anthony Hamilton reached his breaking point?

Anthony Hamilton: The Point Of It All is me getting to a place where I’m starting to realize, not only am I in a relationship and been going through things but the WHY? of it all. Why am I going through it, what made me tick, what made me mess up, what made me do good. You know, what made her change, what makes love: love. All these things, raise curiosity. But we’re doing it to a different tempo this album. You don’t always have to be contemplating things to a slow groove. So we’re picking up the pace with this one. Just like the first single “Cool.” It’s very important to me for people to enjoy Anthony Hamilton and get the best of what I’m saying.

I’d say it’s like one of those Kanye West Graduation albums. You know like the same but different all the well. Not saying that was my intention but now that I’m thinking of it that’s what it is.

TSS: So will fans of the “soulful” Anthony Hamilton be disappointed? You’re not completely flipping out on them are you?

Anthony Hamilton: Aw naw! They gonna be extremely pleased with this one.

TSS: So what made you up and decide to work with David Banner?

Anthony Hamilton: Oh you know, that’s my nig. We both country as corn with polyester and polyurethane draped around it. We had been talking about collaborating forever and we finally made it happen. Read the rest of this entry »

Bedford-Stuyvesant could secede from Brooklyn and still boast an unfuckwittable roster of emcees. There’s Big. There’s Jay. Mos and Fab. Can’t forget Kane. All slick wordsmiths borne of a time prior to ATL being rap’s capital (yep, it is). And all lyrically capable of switching their flow to accompany any beat they run across and, along the way, demolishing any opponent.

Jermaine “Maino” Coleman is an exception. One of the few New York emcees to break through for a minute, he doesn’t “over-rap” as he puts it. His allure is the rawness of his perspective, not witty metaphors. And unlike his neighborhood predecessors, his swag is thoroughly thug, not kingpin certified.

An embodiment of the real, the long scar across the right side of his face tells the story itself of his background and in turn, his journey. From the box to the cushy Manhattan offices of Atlantic records, the road to being a major label rapper has been winding. Building on the strength of his ’08 anthem “Hi Hater,” the next step is cementing his place among the legendary BK brethren.

As he preps for the release of his debut If Tomorrow Comes, the Crew’s D. Chanda cut it up with Maino to dig a little deeper into his story.

TSS: So what’ve you been asked the most today?

Maino: Where am I at—because I was late.

TSS: So why were you late?

Maino: Traffic.

TSS: You drove here (to the Atlantic offices)?

Maino: I always drive here.

TSS: What do you drive?

Maino: Escalade—some new shit.

TSS: You were the one that showed me those Rick Ross pics. Why’s that kinda thing such a big deal?

Maino: ‘Cause if it’s true, that’s some fucked up shit. Like “Damn, you were trying to be a real nigga!”

TSS: So for someone like yourself who prides yourself on being real, is that a slap in the face?

Maino: Yeah, but I’m not saying a C.O. nigga can’t rap. Everyone can do whatever they want to do because at the end of the day, niggas have to feed their families however that is. At the same time, you can’t have been a C.O. nigga claiming to be this kingpin. My pain over the matter is that I just represent real shit. I just don’t like phony shit. Now, I’m not saying it’s true or it’s not true. I don’t really know because the picture looks real but he said it’s not so who am I to say it is. Me and the nigga cool—I like the nigga personally. But to answer the question: that’s some fucked up shit. Real talk.

TSS: (Points to his face) How did you get that scar? Read the rest of this entry »

Words By Khalid Strickland

The last time Ruck (a.k.a. Sean Price) and Rock (a.k.a. Rockness Monstah) released a full album together as Heltah Skeltah, the world was different.

The Twin Towers were still standing. CD was the most popular music format. Only chicks wore skinny jeans. And people may have scoffed at the notion of a Black man occupying the Oval Office. It was 1998 when Heltah Skeltah dropped Magnum Force, an album which produced the hit single “I Ain’t Havin’ That.”

Although the times have changed, the duo of Ruck and Rock are still making potent, adamantium-hard music. Heltah Skeltah’s new album, D.I.R.T. (Da Incredible Rap Team), will be released by Duck Down Records on September 30th. That’s not to say that Ruck and Rock haven’t been keeping themselves busy since Magnum Force. Both emcees have been featured heavily on compilation albums and various projects released by their crew, the mighty Boot Camp Clik. Sean Price has earned a massive, die-hard following with his exceptional solo releases. Rock, who’s facing charges for an alleged attempted murder, recently locked the streets down with his latest mixtape, Shell Shocked. As the Hip-Hop nation becomes increasingly glitzy, the time is right for Heltah Skeltah to haul it back into the gutter.

TSS: How long have you guys been working on D.I.R.T.?

Sean Price: A couple of months.

TSS: What are you looking to accomplish with this new album?

Rock: First of all, we love Heltah Skeltah. We are Heltah Skeltah forever. It’s always fun to do a Heltah Skeltah project. We’re gonna always want to do one. We’re just also solo artists and we were trying to get that established. It just feels like it’s time…time permitted it. We be around each other but we be on our own missions or whatever. But now it seems like the time to reintroduce niggas to that shit right there. We ain’t expecting to take over the world, even though we are. We just trying to spread the gospel and get it out there. Because it don’t stop here, we’re working on other projects right now. Re-familiarize niggas with it.

TSS: It’s been about ten years since your last album together. Did ya’ll approach the making of this album any different than the others?

Sean: Not really. We found a dope beat and tore it down. That’s how it always go.

TSS: You both have a lot of new fans with all of the recent projects that you’ve done. For those who may not be familiar with ya’ll as a group, what do you bring to the table together?

Rock: Basically, me and my boy, we’re from that school of thought when rappers used to rhyme to impress you with the rhyme, not with what they’ve got and this, that and the third. You know, we like nice things; cars and all of that. But that’s not what we’re trying to impress you with. We’re trying to impress you with the rhyme, you understand? What we do is, we basically body every beat we hear. We get a beat that we like and we just body it. We disrespectinize and say the hardest, toughest, most disrespectful shit and combine it with the best flow in the world and that’s what we give niggas. Me and son, basically together we give you the yin and yang so we don’t leave no stone unturned. Whatever I don’t touch, he touch…you understand what I’m sayin’?

TSS: Being that it’s been nearly a decade since you’ve recorded an album together, do you feel that this is a debut album to a degree? Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll admit it, I slept on Shawn Jackson’s music.

It took weeks for me to put his debut First Of All in the deck, but once I did I couldn’t help but feel stupid. There isn’t anything complex about it. Nevertheless, as a complete project, it just makes sense. It’s not forced or fraudulent, and with varied flavors of beats we get to see several aspects of the sharp-witted MC.

Speaking of beats, dude’s got an ear for quality production, which makes the album listenable from front to back without having to press “next.” He’s not just rapping to rap and actually has substance to his rhymes while skillfully avoiding coming off boring.

Nap no longer, Shawn Jackson is the real.

To further understand the man behind First Of All, The Crew’s Corey Bloom caught up with Shawn in his native Los Angeles to talk about his upbringing in Hip-Hop, how he himself has contributed and continues to contribute and also the debate of Dutchs’ versus flavored Optimos.

Be sure to check the videos for “Feelin Jack,” “Soopafly” and “Countdown” at www.youtube.com/user/bigshawnstud

In the journey that is music, the ultimate destination is obviously us, the listener. We don’t see all the work artists endure to reach this goal-the long hours on tour and the relationships put on hold. Each career becomes a second hand moped-started then stopped and started all over again. Just like the mud-stained bike, it’s not guaranteed for another ride.

Stan B. Robinson is one of those journeymen. With jet black dreadlocks hanging off his shoulders, Stan’s initial scowl towards his audiences alters to a smile. The dude is charismatic as fuck. You’d buy an album from him without even hearing him spit. He’s an emcee’s emcee with the ability to make you laugh like the latest “yo mama” crack or hold down a story like a Morgan Freeman anecdotal voice over.

Known to the rest of the world as Substantial, the music has taken him from his roots in Maryland to the competitive world of the New York underground scene; notoriety in Japan, and then back home. After a seven year wait, his sophomore release, Sacrifice (QN5 Music) attempts to embody its title. The Crew’s Jason H. sat down to talk to Substantial – from his big dog status in the land of the rising sun, his definition of sacrifice and coming home to good ol’ “Murrrland.”

Photo by Eddie Tombs

TSS: So what’s going on man?

Substantial: The same old grind brother.

TSS: Word. Let’s get to it…You’ve been a staple on the New York underground scene for some time but you’re a Maryland native. Did holding it down in New York benefit your career?

Substantial: Definitely. I felt that if I could make a name for myself where it all started, then there would be nothing I couldn’t accomplish.

TSS: But now that you’re back in MD. How do you see the scene with artists such as Wale or Kev Brown emerging, as well as people’s perspectives of the area from shows like “The Wire“?

Substantial: I think the scene is bursting with potential. There are a lot of amazing artists coming out of the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) area and it’s only a matter of time before the world recognizes who we are. As far as “The Wire“, there’s a lot of truth in that show but that’s only one side of MD. There’s a lot of wonderful things happening here everyday that unfortunately get overshadowed by the negative.

TSS: With that said do you feel you bring the positive then with feel good tracks like “Resurrection of the House Party?”

Substantial: I definitely try to provide some balance. No one is one way all the time. It’s important to have that balance.

TSS: How bout your individual style? As a lyricist how do approach songwriting? Do you try to tackle themes or do you adhere to the emotion of the production?

Substantial: I usually like to write to the beat first. That’s how the topic comes to me a lot of times. I base it on the feel of the music. I feel that’s the best way to compliment the production. I also skat a little to figure out different ways to approach the flow.

TSS: Who then provided these beats to inspire your writing on Sacrifice? Read the rest of this entry »