RZA’s directorial debut, The Man With The Iron Fists, may have left something to be desired, but filling that void is it’s soundtrack, which once again proves where his true strengths lie. Acting more as the executive producer of the project, RZA’s fingerprint is all over the soundtrack, not only producing four of the album’s [cont.]

Kendrick Lamar has slowly built up a loyal fanbase over the last ten years, most recently raising eyebrows with 2011′s Section.80, his independently released debut album, which reviewed to great critical acclaim. He caught the eye of Dr. Dre just before it’s release, which led him to working on the mythical Detox LP, and subsequently [cont.]

One of The 48 Laws Of Power states: “Too much circulation makes the price go down: the more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to [cont.]

The story of Macklemore is pretty interesting. Here is a man, based in Seattle, completely removed from the hip-hop scenes of New York, Los Angeles, and down south, who hasn’t released an album in seven years, and then proceeds to open his first week on Billboard with around 60,000 sold, independently no less? We imagine [cont.]

Gary, Indiana’s Freddie Gibbs returns with Baby Face Killa, which doubles as both his new Gangsta Grillz mixtape, and an indie album debut, available on iTunes without the added flair from DJ Drama. After signing with Young Jeezy’s CTE imprint, one might expect Gibbs to release a tape full of trap anthems and freestyles over [cont.]

“Celebrating the win/ Celebrate what it meant, Do remember and celebrate it again” The first lyrics recited by Skyzoo on his sophomore album not only set the tone for A Dream Deferred, but put his whole career to this point in perspective. It’s been three years since the release of his debut album, The Salvation. [cont.]

It’s possible that heads will never listen to an instrumental or turntablist hip-hop record without comparing it to DJ Shadow’s seminal Endtroducing. That album has reigned supreme for sixteen years as one of, if not the best, hip-hop instrumental albums ever. From the diversity of samples to the gritty vibe, even DJ Shadow himself hasn’t [cont.]

It’s been six years since the release of Chino XL’s last solo album, Poison Pen, the third LP from the Mensa certified (yes, really) emcee. Chino’s known for taking at least five year breaks between LP’s, which leaves his fanbase clamoring for his brand of mind-bending punchlines, twisted social commentary, and Chuck Norris-esque feats of [cont.]

After the disappointingly pop and overly slick Lasers, Lupe Fiasco has returned with his fourth album, the somewhat ridiculously titled Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1. Does this mean there will be a Food & Liquor II: Pt. 2? That seems like a fairly ludicrous possibility. More likely, there won’t [cont.]

The cover art of Brother Ali’s Mourning In America, Dreaming In Color is designed to draw a strong reaction. Some might find it entirely disrespectful, as there’s an unwritten law suggesting that the American flag should never be laid on the ground. Some might find it even more disrespectful that Ali, an American Muslim, is [cont.]

It’s been a little over a year since the release of Big Sean’s debut album, Finally Famous, and his presence has certainly been felt. From keeping the charts occupied with a number of singles to lending his vocals to several key features, the G.O.O.D. Music wonder kid has been all over the place. His star [cont.]

With all of the competition in the current rap space, the big dogs of hip-hop are snatching up all of the new talent fast, in order to build Wu-Tang-esque clans, crews, and cliques. It wasn’t quite like this ten or fifteen years ago, as you pretty much had the Wu and the BCC, and then [cont.]

One might keep the new carpet crisp and clean by slipping on a pair of house shoes when indoors. Detroit bred, and now LA based, producer House Shoes brings a similar style to the production on his debut Let It Go. Following in a line of talented beatsmiths from the land of Lions and Tigers [cont.]

It’s been quite some time since we’ve heard from Columbus, Ohio emcee Illogic. His last project was in 2009, the little heard Diabolical Fun LP. While he has always rolled with the right crew, collaborating with artists such as Blueprint and Aesop Rock over the years, he was never quick to make the leap to [cont.]

When it was first revealed to the public that the supergroup Slaughterhouse would be taking their talents to the house that Shady built, there was reason to cheer. A collective comprised of some of Hip-Hop’s biggest underdogs, fans couldn’t wait to see what the group would do under a major label umbrella. Joe Budden, Royce [cont.]

Production duo Stu Bangas and Vanderslice have been providing beats for the underground set for the last couple of years, and with their debut album, Diggaz With Attitude, they call on some of those same collaborators to return the favor. With a guest list that reads like the HipHopSite.Com 12” vinyl section circa 2002, a [cont.]

DJ Shadow’s latest actually collects many of his earliest recordings. If you were digging in a record store in the early 90′s, in between the “rap/hip-hop” and “techno/house” sections was the “electronica/trip-hop” section, where you might find 12″ singles from a breed of instrumental producers like Coldcut, Automator, DJ Krush, and DJ Shadow. This era [cont.]

With the passing of Guru, it’s up to the rest of the Gang Starr Foundation to carry on the Boston-to-Brooklyn legacy. Freddie Foxxx aka Bumpy Knuckles has done a great job of carving out his own niche, while DJ Premier has never had a problem staying relevant in the game. 1/3 of the original Militia, [cont.]

A recent promotional video for Busta Rhymes new album, Year Of The Dragon, touts him as having the longest run of relevancy in the game, pre-dating even Nas’ Illmatic, in his early years with Leaders Of The New School. This may be true – (Dr. Dre hasn’t dropped in how long now?) – as Busta [cont.]

M.F. Doom ends his rhyming hiatus after a three-year absence since his last release, Born Like This. Originally born in the U.K., Doom was denied entry back into the U.S. after travelling with a U.K. visa, forcing him to stay in London, where he recorded the entirety of his new record, J.J. Doom. A collaboration [cont.]