There is a thin line between fantasy and reality.  Where is the difference and in who’s mind and judgment constitute it? But if you believe it, wouldn’t that make it true?  This is the dilemma that seems to revolve around Rick Ross.  With his music depicting one way of life but accused of living another, [cont.]

By definition the term “Decalogue” refers to The Ten Commandments of the Bible.   Perhaps this is the reason why the highly anticipated Jedi Mind Trick beat smith’s debut album is a mere 10 tracks long. But in today’s hip-hop marketplace an album that is only 10 tracks needs to be considered a classic to be worth the consumer’s hard earned [cont.]

Starring regularly on HBO’s Entourage, being quoted in the Source Magazine without even having an album out, not to mention having two major label record deals with A-List producers like Mark Ronson and Just Blaze, you have to ask what went wrong with Saigon’s career? He carries the resume of your average, highly marketable street [cont.]

Although they saw the pinnacle of their success with their later singles “Watch Out Now” and “Off The Books”, most longtime fans of The Beatnuts will argue that the group was at its best during the Intoxicated Demons and Street Level era. During this period, which spanned 1992-1994, the ‘Nuts released the aforementioned two classic [cont.]

Let’s get one thing straight: Jadakiss is not retiring. Yes, his new joint is called The Last Kiss. but it’s not because he’s thinking about leaving the rap game. Instead, he sees it as the final part of a trilogy (with 2001′s Kiss Tha Game Goodbye and 2004′s Kiss of Death), even if a label [cont.]

The legendary D.I.T.C. crew is back and making moves like never before with their new release, The Movement. Lord Finesse, Party Arty, A.G., O.C. and Showbiz himself, are back in the basement and still diggin’ in the crates. With guest appearances by Brooklyn phenom, Joel Ortiz, Boss Money, and D-Flow, new flavor is added to an old [cont.]

Always a man of mystery, M.F. Doom has a long history of rhyming under different names and aliases, and subsequently releasing different albums with many different record labels. Having worked with many of the top indie imprints in the biz, including Fondle ‘Em, Stones Throw, and Rhymesayers, this time Doom is found back at Lex [cont.]

If you’re from the Midwest, it’s not enough to have talent.  Your work won’t get seen, your work won’t get heard.  Not unless you’re willing to out-work, out-hustle and just make music so good it can’t be denied.  Not to say that everything coming out of the Heartland is A+, but once it makes it past [cont.]

The female voice behind Timbaland’s mega-hit, “The Way I Are” was a virtual unknown for the longest time, even in spite of the song’s massive success. Starting out as a songwriter for artists like Ciara, Britney Spears, and Usher, Ms. Keri has been doing her thing behind the scenes for a minute now, even making [cont.]

A lot of rappers these days talk about “swagger”, as it seems to be the current buzz word in hip-hop, but how many of them really have it? Brother Ali rarely utters the word – in fact it probably hasn’t even come out of his mouth – however he exudes it. His confidence comes out [cont.]

Backed by the outstanding production of Peanut Butter Wolf and braggadocios rhymes to boot, since his 1998 debut Time Waits For No Man, Rasco has been emcee to watch.  Not only does he have a voice, flow and cadence unlike any other emcee, he has that uncompromising attitude that is so lacking in today’s hip-hop landscape.  Time Waits [cont.]

If there was a dollar floating around for every time a rapper changed his style upon tasting success or simply softened as the years rolled on, we probably wouldn’t be hearing daily stories about recessions and bailouts right now. Fortunately for fans of Mobb Deep’s Havoc, he’s returned to the street-focused mentality of his Infamous [cont.]

Today’s music fan believes that if artists truly want us to put down our hard-earned money for their products, they have to stop treating the music as disposable. But perhaps the other side of the argument can be presented instead: why should an artist put forth his or her best work on a project when music [cont.]

It has been a while since the R&B genre has seen a talent as impressive as The-Dream.  With intricate production and songwriting, Terius Nash comes off as a breath of fresh air in this post R. Kelly era. (Not disrespecting Kells, but he is obviously nowhere close to his zenith of the late 90s/Early 2000s)  [cont.]

Most hip-hop fans out there, this one included, are too young to know the music of Nat King Cole, other than his most famous hit, “Unforgettable”. As one of the most important and influential singers in the history of the United States, Cole was the first African-American to host a television variety show during the [cont.]

From the very beginning, Zion I has defeated expectations of what one might expect from this Bay Area indie hip-hop crew. Made up producer Amp Live and emcee Zumbi, when the crew stepped on the scene in 2000 with their debut Mind Over Matter, they experimented with groundbreaking sounds that DJ’s were spinning at the [cont.]

Before the “Rap-Up” series, and even before touring with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Skillz aka Mad Skillz was a little known rapper From Where??? “where” being Virginia. His debut album in 1996 is one of hip-hop’s most slept on LPs.  Fusing clever word play with raw lyrics and banging boom bap beats has always been Skillz [cont.]

Joe Budden can pretty much be summed up as “the average rapper,” defined. A walking one-hit-wonder, Budden broke through in 2003 with his Just Blaze produced single “Pump It Up”, but was deflated when his not surprisingly self-titled debut made little noise on the charts. While “Pump It Up” was a certified club banger, it [cont.]

It all started with an Saturday Night Live sketch called “Lazy Sunday”, a hardcore 90′s style gangster rap featuring a then unknown Andy Samberg along with Chris Parnell, who passionately rhymed about going to see The Chronicles Of Narnia in the theater. The trend continued, as Samberg and his Lonely Island comedy crew penned and [cont.]

Just who or what is N.A.S.A? That’s a question bound to be asked by many, once they see lineup included on the group’s debut album, The Spirit Of Apollo. The album boasts guest appearances from: Kanye West, M.I.A., Santogold, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kool Keith, Tom Waits, KRS-One, Jurassic 5, Z-Trip, DJ AM, Chuck D [cont.]