DJ Naves has been rockin’ the South African airwaves with his Hip-Hop show since 2005. His show is the biggest of it’s kind in the country and some argue that it’s the biggest Hip-Hop show in Africa, period. Naves, a 23 year old from Johannesburg, South Africa, started deejaying at age 18 and has been […]

Normally, these feature stories start with a wordy, cute intro followed by an interview. This is not necessary with The Game, né Jayceon Taylor. This is what you need to know about the Compton rep. First, The Game has 100 songs to pick from for his upcoming album, L.A.X., expected to drop June 24. Second, […]

On the third re-up the Flavor of Love series and now the new sitcom “Under One Roof,” I can longer with any good conscious be silent. Yes, the skeezers who come out and kick it with Flav are tragically hilarious and the verdict is out on the new show. Enough is enough. This is a […]

What up producers?  Let’s first start off with last week’s battle. Wow, the hate was in full swing.  The whole idea was to challenge your skills.  Props to everyone that submitted, and those that were chosen.  Production encompasses many skills, and remixing is one of them. There are also times where an artist may request […]

The West Coast has a new movement of young artists that are rising up to be the faces of the future for the region. One of the artists in the forefront is a young rapper out of Carson, CA by the name of Roccett. Having labored on the Los Angeles underground scene for a few […]

Ballet gets ‘big’ boost from Big Boi She was dressed in a snow-white tutu, looking pure and sweet even though the lyrics she sang spoke of hardship and pain. Her eyes were bright as she manipulated her arms and legs in awkward moves, more like a contortionist than a ballerina. But this was no dancer. […]

It is no secret that female MC’s have struggled to gain and maintain credibility – not only for their lyrical ability, but for their image, femininity and intelligence as well. If you have seen the previews for VH1’s Miss Rap Supreme, then you already know that things haven’t changed much.   Veteran Hip-Hop star Yo-Yo […]

Last Friday (April 4), Hip-Hop’s leading couple of Jay-Z and Beyoncé finally, sort of, silenced rumors with a private wedding ceremony at Jay-Z’s penthouse apartment in Tribeca along with 30 guests. In 2002, many were a little skeptical about the budding relationship between the popular singing sensation and the Hip-Hop mogul, but time proved that […]

What’s up producers?  We are back again for another battle royal as usual. This week, we took an old sample from a Kanye West record, mixed with Dr. Dre’s ” Next Episode” to see what different beatmakers from around the world could do with it.  On the honest tip, some of you need to learn […]

Getting in where you fit has been a historical piece of advice handed down by Hip Hop greats, and a perfect example of heeding that motto are production team Da Riffs. Zed Kelley and Eric Goldman weren’t always making music together, but once they linked up the magic was undeniable and video game giant Electronic […]

Anyone who says Hip-Hop lacks diversity is not looking hard enough. From the holiest of Hip-Hop acts to the filthiest of sexually explicit verses to any and everything in between, there is something for everyone in the Hip-Hop Matrix. One MC thriving in the XXX-rated sector is Akinyele, the Queens MC who made ripples in […]

Currently, there’s a crop of progressive artists stretching the boundaries of Hip-Hop in every which direction. They’ve all but tossed conventional thought of what rap music should be to the wind in favor of a more experimental and care-free approach to making Hip-Hop. Leading this movement, we find the New Orleans bred-duo and brothers, the […]

Forgive the impending pun, but rappers often get a bad rap. Sometimes deservedly: [insert name of MC with inept law abiding skills here]. Other times, the said artist may boast an image that endears him to his hood friendly fans while simultaneously rising the ire of his, let’s say “sophisticated,” detractors. Such is the case […]

What’s up beatmakers? The week before last was a true Beat Melee. Everyone was fighting for the top spot that week. There were eleven competitors but probably about 20 submissions that could have made it.  If your remix wasn’t selected, you may have been right on the heels of being in that top eleven, so […]

The beauty of Hip-Hop is that there’s always a hungry MC out there making great music you’ve haven’t heard yet. Enter LA rapper Blu, who burst on the scene last year with the Exile produced album Below the Heavens. Since then, the young MC has had praises heaped on him everywhere from ?uestlove of the […]

From protests and rallies to petitions and marches, Berkeley has been the nation’s epicenter for change and revolution since the ‘60s. While enthusiasts and purists alike stress that the music industry needs its own revolution, one Berkeley artist isn’t interested in talking about this need for change. Following in the footsteps of so many great […]

With so many celebrity DJs trying to be down, there are few that don’t really care about having artist affiliation. It seems as if when Wayne said “That’s my DJ” every artist wanted to stake claim to a DJ and every DJ was trying to find a home.However, when DJ Kay Slay dropped Nas’ classic […]

Hip-Hop is saturated with emcees laying claim to a lifestyle they never lived. Turn the radio on and you hear tracks laced with rhymes about pulling triggers and pushing weight. Sure it sounds exciting but much of it is based upon fantasy for pure profit. That is why it is rare that we come across […]

There are female MCs, and then there’s Roxanne Shante. The original bad girl blindsided Hip-Hop fans in 1984 with the Marley Marl produced “Roxanne’s Revenge,” her clever lifting of UTFO’s “Roxanne, Roxanne.” At 14, she was already a superstar and began battling (many times unprovoked) everyone from Kurtis Blow to MC Lyte. At 21 she […]

You don’t need to be under the influence to appreciate a party-down performance by Tha Alkaholiks – but it sure is more fun. You don’t need to bring a girl with you to have a great time – but don’t expect there to be any good ones left after they shake the spot. You don’t […]