Atlanta’s Pastor Troy found himself entrenched in controversy before his latest record even hit the shelves. The uproar was caused by his original title choice for his new album-Saddam Hussein. As soon as Universal announced the album title, numerous retail outlets promised they would not carry it, which caused the suits at Universal to demand [cont.]

What began as a simple compilation project, took an awkward turn after the loss of J Dilla. With Waajeed and the Bling 47 collective decidedly moving in a direction more reflective of the state of current affairs, the compilation turned into an LP aptly titled War. With Waajeed of Platinum Pied Pipers holding down the [cont.]

The short history of M.I.A. can be summed up as a whirlwind series of events that began in her childhood, as the daughter of a Tamil revolutionary whom was hiding from the Sri Lankan army. Running off with her mother and the rest of her family, they ultimately ended up as refugees in London, where [cont.]

Aesop Rock is back again, entering the fold with his third full-length LP for Definitive Jux, None Shall Pass. Employing his usual style of cryptic poetry laced with biting sarcasm, Aes’s latest is the perfect follow-up to Bazooka Tooth, but this time an old friend has come back into the mix. While Bazooka Tooth had [cont.]

“I can’t be everything to everyone at the same time”    That line from the Madlib produced intro “Everything Man” epitomizes the career of Talib Kweli. Before any of the celebrity that Kweli has garnered over the past few years, Talib Kweli was a starving artist making a name for himself alongside Mos Def and [cont.]

    Texas duo of Pimp C and Bun B (U.G.K.) are pioneers of the southern rap scene, just as much as the Geto Boys before them, or Outkast whom came after. Their first foray into the game was on the Menace II Society soundtrack, of which they were the only southern act, surrounded by artists [cont.]

    From the inception of the Jazzmatazz series, Guru has used his clout as the lyrical half of Gangstarr to explore his extracurricular artistic interests that marry hip-hop with its musical forefathers and modern day brethren. It’s not a novel concept, but one that can be disastrous if not conducted carefully and thoughtfully.     While [cont.]

    Just who is Justice? Aren’t they that group from YouTube, featured in a clip of Kanye West pulling an O.D.B. at the European VMA’s? Rolling up on stage in protest that he didn’t win “Best Video”, Kanye totally eclipsed Justice’s acceptance speech. But that wasn’t exactly them – it was actually video director Jeremie [cont.]

    Keith Murray, at one time, was the premier lyricist in Hip-Hop. His extended vocabulary, aggressive flow and witty punchlines made Keith an anomaly of the artform. While The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World put him on the map, his subsequent releases haven’t fared quite as well. After a steady decline and a stint [cont.]

Mixtape Review; No Rating Given     Sean Price has become the darling of the underground with his much ballyhooed releases – Monkey Bars and Jesus Price Supastar. With the BCC going through a resurrection phase, Price has been the biggest beneficiary of the influx of 9th Wonder and Khrysis production, coupled with his ridiculous rhyme [cont.]

   Is Common the most consistent artist in the game? The Artist Formerly Known As Sense has long proven his worth, constantly changing with the game, finding new ways to reinvent himself, but more or less always coming correct. With a career now spanning seven LP’s, it’s arguable as to which of his albums is [cont.]

    Ah, another new album from Rawkus records. This is the label that was solely responsible for turning many fans on to quality hip hop in the late nineties. Their first two Soundbombing compilations were like the indie hip-hop Old and New Testament; providing a who’s who of the top ‘underground’ talent New York had to offer. [cont.]

     When artists reach the point of legendary status, the tribute album comes along. Usually these types of things come together many years after the artist is past the pinnacle of their career, with many of today’s artists covering songs in tribute to the original artist. Case in point are each Sergio Mendes’ Timeless, Bob [cont.]

    Otis Jackson Jr. is indeed a musical madman. Otherwise known as Madlib, Jackson has bent, flipped, tortured, scarred and carved every genre of music known to man on his way to creating soundscapes for everyone from the Lootpack and Alkoholiks to MF Doom and Talib Kweli. But there’s those times when Madlib drifts [cont.]

      Let’s face it – hip-hop has become stale as of late. We haven’t seen a classic debut from a new artist in who knows how long, or for that matter, even a really strong first offering. The major label market doesn’t know how to make a solid album (and are now paying for it), [cont.]

    Brooklyn is known for producing some of hip-hop’s most prized MCs.  From Big Daddy Kane to Jay-Z, from Notorious B.I.G. to Mos Def, this borough obviously has a knack for rearing talent.  As of late, Fabolous has emerged as the torch bearer for the future Brooklyn MC.  From his debut album Ghetto Fabolous in [cont.]

    After waxing poetics on the criminally slept on Project Move album Butterfly Theory (and before that as part of Electric Company’s other super overlooked piece of work, Life’s A Struggle), Beantown’s Raheem Jamal has chosen to set his sights on a solo offering to display his natural abilities. Coupled with producer Raydar Ellis for [cont.]

    Over the past few years, T.I. has gone from being just another obscure southern rapper to the self-proclaimed “King Of The South”, garnering respect from fans all over the country, despite coastal biases. Following the critical and commercial success of his Grammy nominated 2006 LP, King, T.I. looks to one-up himself (literally) with his [cont.]

    To most, the Beatnuts are Psycho Les and Juju, but for the group’s first two projects, the third of the trio was Kool Fashion. Fash went on to pursue a short-lived solo career as Al’ Tariq, citing religious regions for leaving the group, with his 1996 Correct Records LP, God Connections. Tariq also had [cont.]

    The supergroup is one of those things in Hip-Hop that never seems to pan out. Big names, big egos and big expectations usually lead to a project falling flat on its face. With Polyrhythm Addicts, the concept of supergroup can go right out the window. With a well respected but virtually unknown lineup that [cont.]