Everybody’s from somewhere and rappers, more than artists in any other genre, always seem to be the first to big up their cities on wax. No matter the state, country or ward they were birthed, MCs can’t help but put on for their area code. Read the rest of this entry »

XV’s a populist at heart, whether that’s evident through his choice of jittery club-ready production or tasty cultural allusions. On his latest video for “Batteries” he incorporates both, appealing to fans across the Hip-Hop spectrum. Read the rest of this entry »

More so than most artists currently grinding out their living via Hip-Hop, XV makes concept songs. It’s an aspect of his music that separates the Wichita rhymer from those MCs simply trying to show & prove their lyrical or monetary weight and also one that may hinder his mainstream acceptance going further. Read the rest of this entry »

Since everyone seems to be flying these days, XV powered down all his electronics and turned up the intensity for his brand-new course in pilot prep, “Learn To Fly.” Featuring the sultry voice of Betty Trouble on the hook and a plethora of impressive keys that prove Awesome Sound continually lives up to his moniker, this peak into Vizzy’s upcoming EP delivers more of the reflective raps we’ve become accustomed to hearing Read the rest of this entry »

With his latest mixtape, Feature PREZentation II, Inglewood native El Prez is treating his fans to one more project before his full-length, Leadersh!t drops next year (which isn’t really as far away as it sounds). As has everything in 2011, the tape’s cover is fully 3D ready, so strap on your red-and-blues for optimal viewing. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve ever attended college, whether you paid tuition or not, you’re well aware Pabst is a staple of classy campuses across the US. But, for Asher Roth, that prestigious Blue Ribbon may be the only thing the Morrisville MC has left in common with his school days, as this comatose title cut from his upcoming Pabst & Jazz project proves Read the rest of this entry »

Aside from XV, what other rapper out right now could get away with combining the Queen Of Funk with a boss bad guy from Mortal Kombat? Nobody. But, that’s why Vizzy’s…Vizzy. He came out the gate playing with Star Wars figures and freezing beats in carbonite, so it should surprise no one when the Wichita kid comes up with something like, “Chaka Shao Khan.” Read the rest of this entry »

The kid with the green backpack is making damn sure you remember his 2011 as more and more releases keep popping in. The Kansas chief has been balling with a budget as of late—literally as the video for NBA 2K12′s “Awesome” just hit the scene. It’s good to know that somebody out there has the league’s best interest in mind. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s only a few days after the release of his latest project, Success Served Cold, and Donny Goines is upset. That’s right, the New Yorker’s a tad mad he recorded multiple records worth of material for this street LP, but people are still classifying it as a mixtape. Read the rest of this entry »

While Michael Jackson’s personal doctor is on suicide watch for accidentally killing his close friend, the Hip-Hop world isn’t exactly breaking out the handkerchiefs for him. With assistance from Vizzy, Bay Area rapper J-Doe has turned out a whole song about offing his competition, using a hashtag-style punchline about Murray as the hook. Read the rest of this entry »

If you were wondering what Vizzy and crew were doing in the A3C recap pics with their creeped-out clown masks, the answer can be found in “U.F.C.,” the latest visual from his album-like Zero Heroes. The kid with the green backpack threw on some bank-robber-garb and flailed around Chi-Town to scare the crap out of trick or treaters and reinforce the fact he indeed may be crazy. Read the rest of this entry »

“Now the kid in band class’s got’em on the bandwagon.”

XV and friends craft a song for those who played them to the left back before each artist’s name started ringin’ bells. Read the rest of this entry »

This little slice of epicness slipped passed our radar while indulging in our A3C festivities over this past weekend. But, the fact I happened to catch Donny rock his “Champions Anthem” about five times in its midst made sure I wouldn’t forget to spread the glory. Read the rest of this entry »

Considering everyone from Bobby Ray to Jay-Z are catering their sound around the power of this expanding Dubstep genre, it surprises me Vizzy is the first person I’ve heard spit over Skrillex’s chaotic “Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites.” Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve seen this before: artist tours relentlessly, builds a rabid grassroots fanbase, drops plenty of free, quality material and becomes the genre’s next mainstream superstar. Wiz completed this manic four-step program last year and XV is aiming to be the latest example. Read the rest of this entry »