Since the video for Actual Proof and 9th Wonder’s mellow-hype posse cut “Super Genius” hadn’t made the jump from tracklist to green-screen yet, Skewby took it upon himself to take the track off the back-burner and shot a visual for strictly his sixteen off the production-trio’s Talented Tenth compilation. Read the rest of this entry »

One of my favorite episodes of Everybody Hates Chris was when he made the wrestling team. Long story short, he did so because he believed having a letterman jacket would allow him to experience a different world socially. The same can be said, somewhat, about the DMV’s own Phil Adé. Read the rest of this entry »

She may be new to the scene, but Compton’s Ill Camille has a polished product on her hands with her debut LP. Matching strong production from respected West Coast beatmakers like Terrace Martin and Battlecat with heat from undiscovered talents like ESharp and Sega, The Pre-Write demonstrates the budding MC’s personality, her versatility and insight into what makes her tick. Read the rest of this entry »

The B-Girl’s back but don’t expect any simplistic rhyme cadences from Rapsody. North Carolina’s lyrical Wonder Woman lives up to her name because she ensures that her bars won’t be taken in vain. And with that, some congratulations and a healthy round of applause are in order. This MC is spitting at the notion of the sophomore slump and saving it for the microphone so you can Thank H.E.R. Now. Read the rest of this entry »

So far, everything about The Great Debater has been excellent. “The Definitive Prayer” kicked things off with a bang a little less than a month ago, as Skyzoo put on a dazzling display of lyrical skill. As the weeks passed, he continued to drop strong tracks, only increasing my excitement about this project. Hell, even the Cosby-inspired art that accompanied each release was unique and cool. Now, finally, the mixtape is here. Read the rest of this entry »

No matter the amount of success 9th Wonder manages to achieve yearly, there’s still no slowing his quest to reach even more untouched ground that lay ahead of him. With It’s A Wonderful World Music Group getting their feet wet through his and Rapsody’s projects last year, Big Remo is stepping in for The Away Team to make a bruising impact with weighty bars and tales of taking from the rich with Robin Hood Ree. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo By UPI

The above picture was taken at a gas station in my hometown of Washington, DC. As I contemplated how long it would take to commute to downtown DC on a skateboard, I shuddered at the thought of prices rising even higher during the approaching summer. Read the rest of this entry »

This summer, when we figured out why Based God was so damn strange, half of us realized there would be a point in time where his gimmick would work and the attention would lead to legitimate connects with legitimate artists. Then, with money in tow and opportunities to shine present, the Pack man’s lyrics would become less cooked and more bearable. Read the rest of this entry »

Almost quiet as can be, this Devi Devi and Terrace Martin series – #DeviTerraceTuesday – has been an enjoyable one. It is a big reason why Terrace’s The Sex EP has such ceiling breaking potential and why my I am constantly going back to revisit last year’s incredibly dope Here, My Dear. We’re already a month and a half into the chain of releases, yet this one may be the highlight of them all. Read the rest of this entry »

The Kid Daytona is unique. From his clothes, to his voice, to his flow, there is no one in the industry quite like the young Bronx representative. So, it’s no surprise that this video has something I’ve never seen before: seaplanes. Read the rest of this entry »

In his essay The Talented Tenth, W.E.B. DuBois reasoned that one in ten black men would rise to be leaders in the world & that in turn more classical education would be needed to help them reach their potential. Raleigh, NC duo Actual Proof, Sundown & Enigma, are striving to carry on that line of thinking after fittingly meeting at 9th Wonder’s Hip-Hop In Context course at N.C. Central University. Read the rest of this entry »

With such slick pictures of Young Gliss posted in the Bentley, you wouldn’t expect this Philly MC to be spitting tarnished bars like these. “My man told me Gliss, you really wanna’ rise?/ Grab a down south beat and go’n ride the tide/ I said naw, homie, I’m a man with pride, because it’s easy to be Gucci Mane it’s harder to be Nas.” So, yeah, those four lines of prideful and unfortunate truth – coupled with 9th Wonder’s vibe-out music – should be sufficient to get your listen. Read the rest of this entry »

The byproduct of good chemistry could be the gateway to endless positive outcomes. Chemistry, it’s something we preach over here at TSS as you should know by now, all of our reviews are formulated through discussion from Crew members to eliminate personal bias. And speaking of chemistry, up next on our palette is an artist who tries to bring it out of everyone he creates a beat for pitted with another, who, for some reason has struggled with the science of mixing his thoughts with the proper mood and production. Read the rest of this entry »

It won’t be cold forever this year and if you’re looking forward to lamping in the Hamptons like the distinguished members of the Atlantic coast, L-R-G, some your favorite artists and an eclectic mix of sportsters will show you how to look cool when you’re catching a cool breeze. Read the rest of this entry »

As fans of many Hip-Hop purists’ favorite trio from the past decade, it’s been a shame to see Little Brother fall apart for whatever reason, especially since we here @ TSS have grown up alongside them, to a certain extent. However, via the wonderful Twitter wire, ‘Tay shares proof he and 9th Wonder have worked out their personal kinks Read the rest of this entry »