HiPNOTT Records and Crazy Noise Productions come together to bring you the new single “Chess Never Checkers”, featuring Hip-Hop giants Kool G Rap and Guilty Simpson. Produced by DJ Dez and DJ Butter, this new banger can be found on the duo’s latest album, A Piece of The Action, available now on iTunes.

Where’s trap music without UGK? A lot of today’s EDM fanatics couldn’t care less about the pairing of the late great Pimp C and his brother in beats Bun B… but MiM0SA does.

Armed with a hard drive stocked with sonic sketches, Tigran Mimosa set off for Houston determined to track down the remaining member of UGK, and craft what would become the lead single for Future Trill Vol 2, the successor to the original collection he introduced last year, forthcoming on his own False Idol Musik.

A nod to the Port Arthur, TX sound that gave rise to the trap music movement, this straight-ahead banger reinvigorates the old rap roots that have rusted into disrepair.

The man loves his history, and gives credit where credit is due, which is great sign not only for the album, not only for its producer, but also for the scene as a whole.

Calliko returns with his debut single, “Wings” featuring international Taylor Gang General Wiz Khalifa, with instrumentation provided by long time collaborator Big Head Beats. There have been rumors of this record hitting the surface for over a year and, now, it has finally come to light. On this record, Calliko delivers his patent rapid fire delivery while Wiz contributes his original Kush and Orange Juice melody creating a hit single that is sure to take the world by storm. Be on the lookout for upcoming exclusives from Calliko as well as Wiz’s new album Blacc Hollywood dropping next month.

When you think of Australia the first thing that comes to mind isn’t Hip-Hop. Well if you leave it up to the young spitter from the suburbs of Perth city, Western Australia known by his peers as KNOE, He will change that perception.

KNOE is an integral part of the Perth music scene, he has opened up shows for Action Bronson, Himanshu Suri from Das Racist, David Dallas, P-Money and Skyzoo for the west coast leg of his Australian tour,‘ A Dream Deferred’.

Now, KNOE is ready to build his name in the USA with a new single called “End Of The Beginning” Ft. Skyzoo & Torae Produced by DJ Prince. This is a High energy record with a lot of wordplay coming from all parties involved. “Young White Australian kid arrogant as F**K now / writing with some hero’s I look up to from Bucktown” is how KNOE sets it off then Skyzoo & Torae manhandle the landscape like they normally do. This is some rugged Australia meets Brooklyn Hip-Hop that is sure to make some noise.

Pharrell Williams returned home to Virginia Beach on Saturday, June 7, 2014 and spent the day encouraging local students in his From One Hand to AnOTHER program and his alma mater Princess Anne High School to make their dreams reality.

Pharrell was honored at Princess Anne High School homecoming event where he announced FOHTA’s partnership with Everfi, which will provide digital learning opportunities for students taking part in FOHTA’s Summer Innovation Camp. Pharrell spoke on the importance of education, urging kids to “Pay Attention.” He honored his teachers, credited them with his achievements, in particular his Band Teacher Alan Sharps, who was in attendance. Pharrell also called for higher wages for teachers and pay equality between women and men teachers.

Pharrell was then presented with Key to the City of Virginia Beach and honored with a state proclamation to make June 7th, 2014 Pharrell Williams’ Day in the state of Virginia. Pharrell later performed at Z104′s Shaggfest.

With the release of his long-awaited album Grandeur, Kap Kallous drops a video for “Lonely Famous,” featuring XXL Freshman and newest Aftermath signee Jon Connor as well as Memphis rising star Preauxx. The frantic high speed chase vibe of Alexander O’Dell’s beat is matched by visuals that reference Frank Miller’s ‘Sin City’ and shine a spotlight on all three rappers as they take turns demonstrating what it takes to reach the top. Grandeur is available for free download below.

Where We Come From is the debut album from Jamaican superstar Popcaan. Executive produced by Dre Skull and featuring productions from Dre Skull, Dubbel Dutch, Jamie Roberts, Anju Blaxx and Adde Instrumentals, Popcaan’s first full length offering sees his signature melodies and uplifting tones on thirteen original tracks.

Hot of the heels of his collaborative album with Madlib, Pinata, Freddie Gibbs teams with Oakland producer DJ Fresh, aka The World’s Freshest for The Tonite Show. A concise ten tracks – three of them skits – Gibbs delivers an equally solid follow-up, with a slightly different flavor.

Spending time in L.A. has definitely influenced the Gary, Indiana emcee, as evidenced here, as songs like “G Like That” and “On Me” (feat. Problem) show heavy west coast, g-funk influence. However its clear this EP was done on a budget, lacking the crisp mixing quality you might find from a Dr. Dre or similar artists from the region. In a sense, its decidedly lo-fi sound isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially following a similar approach from Madlib.

So its not to say that Fresh’s approach is a negative; it almost gives the album a retro feel, harking back to the eras when most hip-hop didn’t have a slick studio shine. Fresh’s sound is dope, as he channels the Cali ocean breeze into mellow, sunroof down tracks like “I Wanna Do It” and “Keep It Gangsta”. Still, we’d love to see what he could do with some more expensive equipment behind him.

While not the strongest release from Gibbs catalog, its not the weakest either. Its nice to see him team with a relatively new producer, and the album acts as a nice appetizer for whatever his next big release might be.

The Bay Area’s 100s is bringing West Coast rap back to the future. His new release, IVRY, is a glimpse into a melodic new chapter for the Berkeley artist, taking classic mack vibes to chic new heights. From the smoothed out “Ten Freaky Hoes” and the Rick James-worthy “Different Type Of Love” to the ice cold flows of “Inglish Outro” and “Thru My Veins,” 100s spits X-rated bedtime stories worthy of classic Too $hort, but with a modern attitude, approach, and peerless sense of style all his own. IVRY is a seductive experience, an “abstract world and storyline” as 100s himself puts it, a reintroduction to an artist listeners first met as a teenager on the acclaimed Ice Cold Perm, who has grown into a genre navigating master of ceremonies beyond his time.

The Los Angeles rapper has lived a lot of life in his 27 years. “I call myself All-American,” he says. “I done been an athlete, a gang member, drug dealer. I done been a kid that was kind of living on the fortunate side when my mama was starting to do good, and I was hustling just to hustle because, dude, my homies was doing it, you get what I’m saying? But then I ended up actually really needing to hustle. And out of all that s— I done did, I had a job — worked a job for two years. I worked at the railroad. Go to jail, get a strike. All this s— happened before I was even 21.” And then he started rapping.

ScHoolboy Q has released two mixtapes and, just this week, his major label debut — but he says he’s got two more albums all planned out. As a part of Top Dawg Entertainment, the company that gave rise to critical phenom Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q has played the role of the hard-boiled cut up. With Oxymoron, he says he wanted to make “a gangster rap L.A. dark album from a good student’s point of view.” When we sat down with him, the night before he performed brand new songs from the album, he spoke thoughtfully about addiction (his own and his uncle’s), why he used to think rappers were fake and how he grew up.

100s is taking West Coast rap back to the future. His upcoming Fool’s Gold EP, IVRY, is a glimpse into a melodic new chapter for the Berkeley MC. Daft Punk gone G-Funk? Prince’s lowrider playlist? IVRY takes classic mack vibes to chic new heights, and “Ten Freaky Hoes” is a perfect teaser of what 100s’ new release has in store. Over a smoothed out track from Vaughn Oliver of FG disco duo Oliver (with talkbox assist from Numbers’ resident funkster Redinho), 100s spits X-rated bedtime stories worthy of classic Too $hort, but with an attitude, approach, and peerless sense of style all his own.

One thing that Prince Po and Oh No have shared throughout their respective careers is being overshadowed by their peers. Pharoahe Monch always stole the show from Po during the Organized Konfusion days, while Oh No lived in the shadow of his older brother, Madlib. However both have carved out respectable individual fanbases for themselves, so with the two teaming for a collaborative album, Animal Serum, it begs the question of whether they can bring out the best in one another.

Oh No has really stepped up as a producer over the years, distancing himself from Madlib with projects like Gangrene and OhNomite, which have really showed off his talent. He continues that trend here, with a series of solid beats for Po, but never goes quite as experimental as Vodka & Ayahuasca or as conceptual as OhNoMite. Things more or less stay pretty grounded this go ’round, as Po’s style is very straightforward.

They are at their best together on tracks like the sordid street tale “Where U Been” or the soulful “Keep Reachin’”, which put Po over buttery beats that would have fit on any Organized Konfusion LP. They hark back to that era many times on the album, with a series of collaborations featuring other classic MC’s. Rock of Heltah Skeltah and Saafir join in on “U Ready”, while O.C. and Pharoahe Monch help out on “U Ready”. Sadat X chimes in on “Wavy”, however there is a bit of a forced feeling here when older rappers try to use today’s generation’s slang (which in the case of “wavy”, is a term that’s already had its run.)

The same problem helms that pseudo-crossover attempt, “Starflyer Milez”, which sounds like something Missy might have spit on ten years ago, adding to the embarrassment. Some of these hooks could use some work too, such as the album opener “Machine Rages”, where Po chants over-and-over again, “RAGE. AGAINST. THE. MACHINE”. Do over.

While Oh No doesn’t rhyme on Animal Serum, perhaps a few bars would have benefitted the album, as it does begin to fall into monotony rather quickly. Thankfully, there are a number of collaborations on here that find Po sharing mic duties with other, respectable emcees. however like Outkast, A Tribe Called Quest, and countless other rap duos, we’ll always prefer both Po and Pharoahe Monch as a group. Despite these minor gripes, Animal Serum is still a solid LP, with a few memorable moments.

The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) today announced that the world premiere of the documentary Time is Illmatic, will open the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. The film follows the trajectory of Nas’ 1994 landmark debut album, Illmatic– widely considered one of the most important and revolutionary albums in hip-hop. The premiere, taking place on Wednesday, April 16, will be followed by a special musical performance where Nas will perform the groundbreaking album from front to back. Time is Illmatic, is directed by multimedia artist, One9, written by Erik Parker, and produced by One9, Parker, and Anthony Saleh. The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, will run through April 27th.

Time Is Illmatic traces Nas’s influences and the insurmountable odds he faced in creating the greatest work of music from hip-hop’s second golden era. The film tracks the musical legacy of the Jones family — handed down to Nas from his jazz musician father, Olu Dara, the support of his Queensbridge neighborhood crew, and the loyalty of his younger brother Jabari “Jungle” Fret. Twenty years after its release, Illmatic is widely recognized as a hip-hop benchmark that encapsulates the sociopolitical outlook, enduring spirit, and collective angst of a generation of young men searching for their voice in America. Time Is Illmatic is supported by The Ford Foundation’s Just Films and Tribeca Film Institute’s Tribeca All Access program.

“I want to thank the Tribeca Film Festival for supporting the film with the incredible platform they’ve built over the years,” said Nas. “It’s an honor to premiere this film in my hometown. I also want to thank One9 and Erik Parker for their persistence and hard work. Those guys and I come from the same place and era, which gives the doc an authenticity that is important to me. We wanted this film to represent the real, from the storyline all the way down to the directors and producers.”

“Like the Festival itself, Time is Illmatic and the groundbreaking body of work it recognizes has roots grounded in New York City, but represents and reaches communities far beyond,” said Jane Rosenthal, CEO and Co-founder of Tribeca Film Festival. “The film spotlights a musical journey with community and family at its core and we look forward to celebrating this pivotal moment in hip hop history as we open our 13th edition.”

“Throughout the journey, we see the metamorphosis of Nas as a young street poet, full of a rich musical legacy, transforming the pain and isolation of growing up in Queensbridge Houses into raw, honest lyrics, illuminating a spirit that inspired generations from the past, present, and the future. Experiencing the stories, passion, and energy of a modern day alchemist shaping lyrical dust to diamonds was truly an honor and we are extremely proud to premiere the film at Tribeca,” said One9. “I want to thank Nas, Jungle, Olu Dara, The Jones family, the Tribeca Film Institute, and Ford Foundation for allowing Erik Parker and me to create an authentic and unfiltered documentary film.”

Hip Hop luminary and multi-platinum artist, Nas, released his debut album Illmatic in 1994, and he has gone on to sell over 20 million albums worldwide. The legendary Queens rapper, son of jazz musician Olu Dara, is widely recognized as a visionary and lauded for a seminal body of work that spans a two-decade career. He has released nine solo albums and three compilations, and will release Illmatic XX, a special 20th anniversary edition of the landmark debut, on April 15 by SONY Legacy. Fans can now pre-order the 2CD set on iTunes and both the 2CD set and 1LP vinyl via Amazon.com.

The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival will announce its feature film slate the first week of March.

Los Angeles has long history of birthing some of the greatest Hip-Hop acts of all time. From N.W.A to Kendrick Lamar, the city’s distinct cadence and penchant for head snapping beats is what make the city a trail blazer, which leaves ample room for the newer cats like Pawz One to make a name for themselves. A talented emcee who’s passion and sickening work ethic led to a trio of well received mixtapes and a national tour, Pawz has what it takes to join the kings of the West Coast. Joining the likes of fellow statesman Ras Kass and Beantown’s Termanology, the Default produced “Mind Power” combines the best of both coasts. Chasing after the finer things in life, the track is the true journey from gutter life to thriving on top.

Only seven tracks, most of which were previously released? Do over, ProEra!