Producer Statik Selektah has very quickly risen to the top of the underground’s current crop of beat-makers over the last few years. He has not only released a steady stream of projects with several high-profile collaborators, but he’s also maintained a level of quality with each one. When working with the Shade45 resident, rappers know [cont.]

Let us get one thing understood, and that is that controversy sells. As someone who is certainly not oblivious to this, David Banner decides to experiment under that very premise. With his latest effort appropriately titled Sex, Drugs, and Video Games, Banner attempts to challenge the masses while feeding them what they want. All three [cont.]

Usher hasn’t seemed interested in making good music for some time now. Back when he put out Confessions, which feels like forever ago, he appeared to be taking his talent to new heights and evolving as an artist. But he’s made it clear with his last couple albums (Here I Stand and Raymond v. Raymond) [cont.]

What do Biz Markie, Busdriver, and Blueprint all have in common? Aside from the fact that all three have each made their mark on the hip-hop scene, they all seem as far apart in their lyrical and song delivery approach as possible. On his new album, Hope In Dirt City, Canada’s Cadence Weapon fuses the [cont.]

It must be hard being Bobby Ray. Here you have an artist with such immense talent that was spawned as one of Hip-Hop’s rising stars, who has achieved success by experimenting beyond the traditional genre. Obviously as Hip-Hop has evolved so has its children, so it’s not uncommon to hear a rapper doing much more [cont.]

It’s been five years since El-P’s I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead, his last studio full-length for the currently dormant Definitive Jux imprint. Moving on to Fat Possum, the very prolific emcee/producer has made up for lost time by releasing two side-by-side albums – his own Cancer 4 Cure – and Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music, both [cont.]

February 23, 1986: The LA Times’ Connie Johnson penned a young Janet Jackson had “truly arrived” after releasing her third studio album Control. “This is a story about control, my control,” Jackson declared on the album and title track intro. A year to date from that review a child was born, who on May 11, [cont.]

Killer Mike started out as one of the umpteenth members of The Dungeon Family – a Native Toungesque collective formed around Outkast and The Goodie Mob. No offense to the rest of the crew, but many of them have had a hard time carving out successful solo careers or building solid fanbases for themselves. Maybe [cont.]

Miami’s ¡MAYDAY! is a crew that has defined the art of paying dues. They first broke onto the scene with their local hit “Quicksand”, followed by their breakthrough smash single “Groundhog Day” (featuring Cee-Lo Green). The latter boasts over 2 million views on it’s first day on YouTube – much owed to the affiliation with [cont.]

Boasting a career that spans over two decades, Showbiz and A.G. are the post-Guru answer to Gang Starr – a seminal New York duo that has never lost it’s vision. As DJ Premier re-introduces them on this “free-album-before-the-album”, the two have settled in a natural vibe. From the sound of Mugshot Music: Pre-Loaded – a [cont.]

Stones Throw describes Quakers as  “a hip-hop collective boasting 35 members which orbits around a core of three producers: Fuzzface (Geoff Barrow), 7-Stu-7 and Katalyst.” For those that don’t know, Geoff Barrow is the backbone behind classic “trip-hop” pioneers Portishead, making the prospect of a hip-hop full-length produced by him quite exciting. Yet with so [cont.]

On paper, the prospect of an album from Diggy Simmons – the son of Rev. Run – seems like a big “no thank you”. Good looking kid rapper? Check. Born into money? Check. Skills…? Skills..? SKILLS??? Yes…..check. Yes, Run raised him right, as the young emcee definitely holds his own, as he first caught our [cont.]

De La Soul’s new concept album, First Serve, follows a rap duo starting out in the late 90s, as they rise to stardom, flame out and then get back together again. At this point in their career, with a deep catalog of classic and quality releases, it seems like the right time for the legendary [cont.]

Lee Bannon released the seven track, eleven minute Fantastic Plastic EP in September of last year on Plug Research, and talk about a teaser! For fans, it was only right he came back this February with a full length album of the same title. At first listen, it’s hard to believe Bannon hails from The [cont.]

As one of the most seasoned emcees in the game, Bumpy Knuckles has recorded nine albums over a massive 23-year period. So if anyone has a right to call out what exactly is wrong with hip-hop, it’s him – he’s seen and heard it all. Teaming with DJ Premier for The Kolexxxion, a sequel to [cont.]

Odd Future (full name Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All) seems to make a brand of music that is intentionally garbage – crass, crude, misogynist, lacking in any musicality or substance. It’s the kind of thing you don’t want your mom to catch you listening to, which maybe partially explains its appeal to teenagers [cont.]

In the reality era, there are a number of celebrities who are “famous for being famous.” We can now add Nicki Minaj to that list. After being parodied on SNL and performing with Madonna at the Superbowl halftime show, Minaj is hip hop’s latest larger than life personality (ironically the last one we had was [cont.]

“I’m here to tell the world man, I ain’t fuckin’ with PA Medallions.” So says Planet Asia on “Tell The World”, a soulful head-nodder three tracks into his latest LP, Black Belt Theatre, a return to form for the indie hip-hop movement pioneer. King Medallions was an alias for Planet Asia, midway through his career, [cont.]

It’s been a minute since we heard from Houston, Texas emcee Chamillionaire. Following his 2007 album, Ultimate Victory, Chamillitary left Universal Records, and most recently has been on the mixtape circuit. His 2005 debut album The Sound of Revenge brought two commercially successful singles in “Turn It Up” and “Ridin” to the masses and even [cont.]

It must be hard being Wiz Khalifa. Despite garnering commercial acclaim and solidifying himself as one of Hip Hop’s future stars, he’s done so at the risk of alienating his long time fans. We all know the story, underground artist builds up a loyal fan following, blows up, then deters away from the formula that [cont.]