Detroit emcee eLZhi has been heralded as one of hip-hop’s most talented for years now, but to some, there was something missing. Despite the witty punchlines, multi-syllabic rhyme patterns and conceptual genius shown on songs like “Guessing Game” and “Rules of Rap,” harsher critics said he couldn’t evoke emotion—one of musician’s most important tasks. Well, [cont.]

While the collaboration has always been a staple in rap music, these days, they’re commonly limited to one artist enlisting the services of the A-List producer or MC of the moment in order to boost sales. But dead prez and The Outlawz are doing things differently: the Tallahassee duo (made of M-1 and stic.man) and [cont.]

Harlemite LaRon James, known throughout the rap world as Juelz Santana, has a lot in common with a similarly-named NBA up-and-comer.  While their hustles are different, they share more similarities than differences: both got their starts in their respective industries before hitting age 20, both have extended their initial occupations to eat from profitable outside [cont.]

HHS: Give me a run-down of you guys’ history. Shiest: Basically, the Purple City mixtapes started two and a half years ago.  The first mixtape was called Purple City Vs. Taliban.  The core members are myself, Un Kasa, and Agallah.  Besides us, the whole Diplomat movement. HHS: How did you guys hook up with the [cont.]

     Hip-hop experimentation is hit or miss.  Common seemed to hit rock bottom when he dropped the organic-heavy Electric Circus, while Outkast’s Andre 3000 “Hey Ya”‘d his way to diamond sales.  Fred Durst and his Limp Bizkit couldn’t even gain acceptance in the hood with a Method Man cameo, but Jay-Z’s “Encore” meshed perfectly with [cont.]

Whether it’s dishing the assist or taking it to the hoop on his own, Nashid Sulaiman has proven that he can play all positions on the hip-hop court.  Under the name OneManArmy, him and friend Senim Silla teamed up as Binary Star and proceeded to take over the Midwestern hip-hop scene.  Featuring narratives like “Glen [cont.]

While 2004 saw Lil Jon emerge as the King of Crunk and Kanye West make soul-sampling his signature sound, Necro has gained a reputation under the radar as the monarch of horrorcore rap. Arguably hip-hop’s hardest-working producer, he laced every cut from the artists on his Psycho Logical Records imprint: Sabac’s Sabacalypse, Goretex’s The Art [cont.]

With the way that Edo G. has been holding down Boston for the past decade, he should be considered an honorary member of the World Series champion Red Sox.  Since his 1991 debut album Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto with The Bulldogs, the Roxbury native has built a lengthy resume that includes another [cont.]

If there’s one thing that De La Soul knows well, it’s consistency.  Ever since their 1989 Tommy Boy debut 3 Feet High and Rising, the Long Island trio of Kelvin “Posdnuos” Mercer, Dave “Trugoy” Jolicoeur, and DJ Vincent “Maseo” Mason – or Plugs One, Two and Three – have been releasing gem after gem, changing [cont.]

If there is anyone who truly embodies the spirit of hip-hop it’s Marley Marl. In Marley’s 15-year career he has seen it all; from his early pioneering work with the Juice Crew (Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap & Polo, Masta Ace, Craig G), to a now legendary battle with those same All-Stars vs. a [cont.]