HipHopSite: Do you mind briefly talking about the album, in terms of the producers you used, artist features, and what you want listeners to walk away with after hearing it? Big Noyd: 80% of the album was done by Alchemist and Havoc.  The other 20% was by Noyd Inc. which are producers coming underneath my [cont.]

Just to give you a lil’ brief history towards that particular era, again we’re coming pretty much fresh from the deaths of the Notorious B.I.G. and 2 Pac. The climate of hip hop at that time was such that even though I don’t think it necessarily emanated from where the culture really emanates from, the [cont.]

Although it’s been a while since his album, Exit dropped in early 2003, hearing this Toronto-based emcee is always another step forward towards understanding humanity in a little more detail. His analytical skills are so abnormal when compared to other artists in hip hop, it must be warned that he’s not here to try desperately [cont.]

HHS: How did you guys come up with concept of “Meat Shake” Andy Cooper: Meat Shake is a Long Beach fast food chain where we all met in the early 90′s, when we got out of high school. It was my first job, aside from summer jobs with my dad, it was my first independent [cont.]

How’s the tour going? The tour is cool. It has its ups and downs, but as a whole if I look at it as if it’s bad or good it’s been good. All of the shows have been cool. With Prince Paul I’m learning a lot and I get a chance to be with somebody [cont.]

By Toshi Kondo Boston, MA – Unfortunately the city of Boston is traditionally known for having some very antediluvian perspectives on race relations and all things associated with minorities.  Having an understanding of this would make one realize how monumental the hosting of the first annual Hiphop Peace & Unity Festival in this great city [cont.]

HHS: First, with Sin-A-Matic anyone who doubted your ability to craft a full-length LP have certainly been proven wrong.  How does it feel? LL: Yeah!!! these are the kind of questions I LIKE to be asked. The one’s that provide me with the opportunity to spout endlessly about the merits of my work.  All non-believers [cont.]

Guru: What’s up Pizzo, how you? HHS: Cool what’s going on? Guru: Nah just making it happen baby. We got like two whole weeks to finish mixing up the joint, it’s real hot. HHS: Word up man, what can we expect from the new album, how will it differ from your previous albums? Guru: It’s [cont.]

Tell me about the new Hit Squad? Well the new Hit Squad is PMD, Don Fuquan who’s from the lower east side in Manhattan, and 275 are from Dayton Ohio. All my groups that I work with I ran into them on the road while I was doing a show. So what’s special is that [cont.]

With a resume that includes work with Black Star, J-Live, and Dose One (among many others), as well as partnerships in both the Lone Catalysts (with J. Sands) and 3582 (with Fat Jon), not to mention his own solo projects, J. Rawls is nothing if not busy. On the heels of his first instrumental project, [cont.]

HipHopSite: What has changed now where you don’t see yourself participating in any organized battles anymore? Brother Ali: First of all I never won them, ha ha. That had a big part to do with it. What I really realized over the course of doing that is that I’m not a person that’s able to [cont.]

The three heads forming The Juggaknots are fam. Literally. The crew includes brothers Breeze Brewin and Buddy Slim, along with their younger sister Heroine (who recorded with the Indelible MC’s project and was always involved in Juggaknots, but too young to be an official member until recently). Now that their formerly out of print debut [cont.]

LATHAM, NY – Def Jam recording artist, Keith Murray, was in town to speak to troubled youth at Tryon Institute in Johnstown, NY.  Murray, who served 3 years in prison, shared his story as a rapper and how being involved in an altercation at a nightclub, cost him his freedom. Keith Murray’s career started in [cont.]

HHS: What does the name Little Brother represent? Phonte:  The name Little Brother represents the homage that we pay to the artists who came before us; the Jungle Bros, Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, the Roots, etc…  They were like our big brothers coming up in the game.  Now, that we’ve decided to make music, [cont.]

HHS: Its been six years since you split with El and everyone pretty much associates you as being an Artifact, since the break-up has it been challenging for you to break that correlation? Tame: Only to the media.  Everyone else accepts it and don’t/won’t even bring his name up in my presence.  Individually we started [cont.]

Tell me a little about the “The Lost Freestyle Files.”  It seems like a good sample for the fans before the real album comes out. It’s a collection of freestyles from throughout the years that [I've] done on the radio in conjunction with a few written songs. It’s going to be a good sample that’s [cont.]

Matt Conaway HHS: Over the past year, we have seen you undergo a very interesting transition, from being known primarily as a producer to wearing both hats (producing and emceeing).  Was this your goal from the start, to juggle both aspects? Blueprint:  I don’t know if it was necessarily a goal of mine to juggle [cont.]

Detroit rhymer Royce Da 5’9′s had a pinball like existence after bouncing around four labels in six years. At one time or another, he’s been with Tommy Boy, Game, Columbia and Koch. At the moment, he’s signed to both Columbia and Koch. “It’s like I got two record deals,” he tells HipHopSite. Koch just dropped [cont.]

Interview by Marlon Regis. HHS: I think with your production credentials being so overwhelming, most listeners fail to realize a great part of your focus has always been emceeing as well. How do you separate or find the time to tackle either successfully? Extra P: “Ahm, not really ’cause it’s just a flow of energy [cont.]

HHS: First, tell us about your name, RJD2, sounds like it should be reserved for R2D2′s offspring…. Are you a Star Wars fan? RJD2: yeah, I’m a fan, but the name really came from this cat Gomer, who was my first partner in rhyme. My real name is RJ, and he would fuck around in [cont.]