“Why you wanna f*ck wit my Boot Camp?”

Don’t ask my why but this was the first song in my head this morning. Read the rest of this entry »

Sure, Monumental was a bit underwhelming as a whole. But Steele and Tek definitely pulled things together for “Roses,” one of my favorite tracks off the album. Read the rest of this entry »

Get Pete Rock on the boards and watch successful projects manifest. In recent memory Jay-Z and Mr. West know what happens when they allow Rock to “let the needle drop.” Besides providing the Throne guys a Curtis Mayfield loop, Rock’s still assembling his own projects. Monumental sees the New York production maestro link up with fellow Big Apple veterans, Smif-N-Wessun, and a bevy of A-list MCs. Read the rest of this entry »

When darkness falls, all the wolves hit the block in search of blood. So it should come as no surprise that Duck Down Records comes with one of the grittiest videos of the year, really not doing anything extraordinary but just hanging out, yes Main Source. Read the rest of this entry »

Smif-N-Wessun and Pete Rock. Pete Rock and Smif-N-Wessun. A trio of well-versed New York Hip-Hop staples trying their hand at purposefully creating something of epic proportions. Or should I say something Monumental? Such is a life when the aforementioned contingent join forces and highjack a tourist bus to show the people the real side of Hip-Hop. Derek Pike’s trusty camera lens was on site to capture all the action. Read the rest of this entry »

The sentiments towards fathers in the Hip-Hop community is unsurprisingly low. It is a notorious scenario for dad’s to take the back route in lower income families and there’s several rappers out there who can relate to that. However, that doesn’t mean the cycle has to repeat itself. Read the rest of this entry »

New music from Pete Rock & Smif N Wessun’s upcoming Monumental release. The album comes entirely produced by Pete Rock Read the rest of this entry »

Instrumentals from one of Bucktown’s beloved duos, Tek & Steele of Smif-N-Wessun. Today’s feature presentation is comprised of Beatminerz’s productions. Read the rest of this entry »

Words By Jesse H.

There’s something about Brooklyn.

After you’ve lived in New York City long enough to understand the subtle nuances of the subway system (knowing the color of the train you need and the actual letter of the train you need is a very pivotal difference), you begin to have a certain respect for the intrinsic cultural differences of each borough-especially as a Hip-Hop fan.

Staten heads don’t even refer to the island by it’s formal name, thanks to you know what crew. Harlem heads champion Cam’s street stubbornness. Queens residents rock hoodies and Timberlands in mid-summer and fiend for grimey ghetto-narratives. Bronx folk are the old heads who glower at the mention of Solja Boy and the latest dance trend. But there’s something interesting about Brooklyn. Brooklynites like their lyricists pure, their drum snaps crisp and their looped samples mid-tempo. And while Brooklyn fans arguably are the snobbiest (ask any Brooklyn resident, and they’ll tell you ad nauseum about how they “refined” the craft), the list of top-20 caliber emcees that call Brooklyn home is indisputably impressive. So what better place for an independent New York Hip-Hop festival to call home? All the requisite pure-Hip Hop characteristics were on display in excess at Brooklyn Bodega’s 5th Annual Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival.

The event got a righteous initiation on Friday with the kick-off party (salute to Noah from BB for organizing). Brooklyn Brewery supplied the booze, DJ’s spun throwback Read the rest of this entry »