Tupac Shakur will cover the next issue of XXL Magazine in celebration of the entertainer’s life and recognition of the 15th anniversary of his death. Featured profiles include Pac’s ex-wife Keisha Morris, his first manager and mentor Leila Steinberg, the Outlawz, stepfather Mutulu Shakur and Pac’s biological father, Billy Garland. Read the rest of this entry »

Our favorite “it” girl and one of the hottest chicks on the planet is killing ‘em in the latest issue of The Source, just like that deadly schoolgirl from Kill Bill Vol. 1. Never too good for a wife beater, sweats and authetic J’s, Va$htie gets dolled up for the camera and does the pretty girl rock without so much as batting an eyelash. Read the rest of this entry »

Or, does The Sauce just not have enough clout to pull Eminem and Yeezy for their year-capping “2010 Biggest Moments” issue? Either way, this cover looks like two separate pictures the design team taped together with Elmers glue, after they passed around the bottle to sniff up ideas. Read the rest of this entry »

Can’t even remember where I swiped stored this one from. Prolly Up North Trips. I do remember when it originally appeared in the back pages of The Source though.

Beirzhette Amyre

Tiger Woods Apology Boosts His Standing Online [All Things Digital]

TV’s Rising Black Actors: Young, Gifted and African-American [Inside TV]

Is The Source’s New Website A Rip-off Of Complex.com? [WoooHa]

Waka Flocka Flame’s “Brick Squad” Chain Makes an Appearance? [GOT] Read the rest of this entry »

It looks like YN’s angry, less relevant doppelganger is at it again. I honestly thought he was dead, but apparently not. And thank goodness, because I was feeling so hopeful about the state of Black people after Chris Brown’s bowtie took over last night that I really needed something to bring me down.

Thanks, Benzie.

I don’t even know where to start with this as Benzino has so many morsels of ignorance that make me giddy with self-hatred. Read the rest of this entry »

The Great Dego a.k.a. The Charlie Rose of Hip-Hop a.k.a. Emilio Sparks put the capo of Rap Radar in the hot seat for an interesting interview where YN reveals he left The Source over a rating dispute over Kurupt’s Kuruption! Read the rest of this entry »

While I was speaking with Mick & 6th the other day, we were gathering pics to use with the interview. I told 6th I couldn’t fit this pic into that piece but if it was the Lord’s will, I’d one day find a use for it.

That day is today. Read the rest of this entry »

Cover courtesy of thimk

January’s cover, February’s Tape. Deal with it.

It’s not like the combination of the two is just conveniently laying around anywhere. Plus when was the last time you heard anyone mention Jemini The Gifted One or Indo G. & Lil Blunt? I do remember when “Supa Star” was required on every mixtape out of NYC though.

Tracklisting & link after the break. Read the rest of this entry »

Cover courtesy of thimk

Quite a bit of heat on this, including the Face & Cube track, Redman, the Artifacts’ remix with Busta, Rae & Ghost and the Eddie F. (wow lol) posse cut. Tracklisting & link after the break. Read the rest of this entry »

Cover courtesy of thimk

Don’t ask me why “Vapors” appeared on this one. But take joy that this was from a time when songs like “Hit Me With That” and “Playa Playa” appeared together perfectly fine IMO.

Tracklisting & link after the break. Read the rest of this entry »

Cover courtesy of thimk

“Time’s Up,” “I Used To Love H.E.R.,” “Shook Ones”…Ahh! August was a bad ass month it seems.

Tracklisting & link after the break. Read the rest of this entry »

Cover courtesy of thimk

And another one © Biggie

Tracklisting & link after the break. Read the rest of this entry »

Cover courtesy of thimk

Title ring a bell to you? Remember these old things? Read the rest of this entry »

All of this talk of 1998, greatness & classics, it lead me to do some thinking and digging. We’re all consciously aware that most Hip-Hop periodicals have lost quite a bit of their relevancy & credibility. But there was indeed a time when what they said mattered. When they rated albums, you were hard-pressed to argue against them because, before payola & scandal beset them, the periodicals & their respective staffs showed a keen knowledge for was/wasn’t that knock.

Looking back left me wondering, where are you on the The Source‘s list of 5 Mic Albums? Read the rest of this entry »