Mc Abdul is in Cairo on a Monday night when I connect with him over Zoom. “I just got my family out of Gaza three days ago,” the Palestinian rapper says. “It’s the first time that I reunited with them in five months.”
Abdul, whose real name is Abdulrahman Al-Shantti, is only 15. As the eldest of five, his upbringing in Gaza was defined by looking after his siblings while navigating life under Israeli occupation. By his thirteenth birthday, he had lived through four major bombardments on his homeland. Last year,...
Abdul, whose real name is Abdulrahman Al-Shantti, is only 15. As the eldest of five, his upbringing in Gaza was defined by looking after his siblings while navigating life under Israeli occupation. By his thirteenth birthday, he had lived through four major bombardments on his homeland. Last year,...
- 3/21/2024
- by Boutayna Chokrane
- Rollingstone.com
There was a cipher going on outside the Hip-Hop 50 Live show at Yankee Stadium. One woman took the mic, intently closing her eyes while focusing on her next bar. As I walked away, she rhymed an improvisational derivative of recuperate, before spitting “that’s not even a word, I just be sayin’ shit.” The line set an apropos tone for the day. Hip-hop was bore out of rule-shirking and boundless imagination — and it made its way to “the house that Ruth built” to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
While Queens’ Rock...
While Queens’ Rock...
- 8/12/2023
- by Andre Gee
- Rollingstone.com
Returning to hip-hop’s birthplace, classic rappers who pioneered the sound — as well as those who have proudly carried the rap torch — joined forces to honor the genre’s 50th birthday and celebrate its historic and global impact on pop culture.
It was only fitting that a venue as iconic as Bronx’s Yankee Stadium became the home for the eight-hour celebration, which included three dozen performers and nearly 50,000 audience members.
The universal love for rap was at the center of the night, and rappers like Nas and Snoop Dogg owned the night while also honoring those who came before them.
During his set, Nas brought out hip-hop founding father DJ Kool Herc and told the crowd: “This is our love. This is our bloodline.” Herc, 68, earned a standing ovation and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. Kool G Rap also appeared onstage alongside Nas,...
It was only fitting that a venue as iconic as Bronx’s Yankee Stadium became the home for the eight-hour celebration, which included three dozen performers and nearly 50,000 audience members.
The universal love for rap was at the center of the night, and rappers like Nas and Snoop Dogg owned the night while also honoring those who came before them.
During his set, Nas brought out hip-hop founding father DJ Kool Herc and told the crowd: “This is our love. This is our bloodline.” Herc, 68, earned a standing ovation and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. Kool G Rap also appeared onstage alongside Nas,...
- 8/12/2023
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When grillz went mainstream in the Eighties and Nineties, there was one place to go to get the most original, flashiest, most inspired pieces. You traveled to Queens, New York, to seek out the grill daddy, Eddie Plein. The Surinamese immigrant jumped on the burgeoning trend and became a powerhouse jeweler in the music industry. Lyle Lindgreen, a filmmaker and writer who’s been documenting the rise of grillz since the late Eighties, told Huck magazine that “Eddie was like the king of New York.”
After making a pair for rapper Just-Ice,...
After making a pair for rapper Just-Ice,...
- 8/18/2022
- by Kyle Rice
- Rollingstone.com
Continuing to enjoy the success of his new album The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Eminem fronts the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine.
During his interview with the publication, the 41-year-old rapper shared details about how hip-hop saved his life while revealing the band that inspired his music.
Check out a few highlights from Eminem's Q&A session below. For more, be sure to visit Rolling Stone!
On his music career:
"I'm as happy as I can be, I guess. Hip-hop saved my life, man. It's the only thing I've ever been even decent at. I don't know how to do anything else. I think they have a word for the at -what do they call it? Idiot savant?"
On his Beastie Boys-inspired music:
"I knew we were about to show the 'Berzerk' video, so I was doing what I call the Berzek face. The whole song to me feels like vintage Beastie Boys.
During his interview with the publication, the 41-year-old rapper shared details about how hip-hop saved his life while revealing the band that inspired his music.
Check out a few highlights from Eminem's Q&A session below. For more, be sure to visit Rolling Stone!
On his music career:
"I'm as happy as I can be, I guess. Hip-hop saved my life, man. It's the only thing I've ever been even decent at. I don't know how to do anything else. I think they have a word for the at -what do they call it? Idiot savant?"
On his Beastie Boys-inspired music:
"I knew we were about to show the 'Berzerk' video, so I was doing what I call the Berzek face. The whole song to me feels like vintage Beastie Boys.
- 11/21/2013
- GossipCenter
Is Amanda Bynes a rap star in the making? The former Nickelodeon actress has been offered a record deal with a small East Coast hip-hop label to drop her very first album.
Producer Daniel Herman of Chinga Chang Records, a New York-based music group founded in 2003, first told RadarOnline.com Monday that he extended an offer to Bynes for a deal with his rap label. He cleared the idea with The Orchard and Sony Entertainment, then went ahead and reached out to her attorney in Los Angeles.
"She's phenomenal and that's the crazy thing about this," Herman, CEO of Chinga Chang Records, told The Huffington Post during a phone call Tuesday morning. "This is the perfect home. This isn't just a gimmick."
Herman said he has yet to secure a contract with the 27-year-old, but he is "beyond confident" she will sign. He hopes to seal the deal later this week.
Producer Daniel Herman of Chinga Chang Records, a New York-based music group founded in 2003, first told RadarOnline.com Monday that he extended an offer to Bynes for a deal with his rap label. He cleared the idea with The Orchard and Sony Entertainment, then went ahead and reached out to her attorney in Los Angeles.
"She's phenomenal and that's the crazy thing about this," Herman, CEO of Chinga Chang Records, told The Huffington Post during a phone call Tuesday morning. "This is the perfect home. This isn't just a gimmick."
Herman said he has yet to secure a contract with the 27-year-old, but he is "beyond confident" she will sign. He hopes to seal the deal later this week.
- 6/11/2013
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
R.A. the Rugged Man
R.A. The Rugged Man is a Hip Hop artist from Long Island NY. He has worked with Mc’s such as The Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Jedi Mind Tricks, Tech N9ne, Hopsin, Talib Kweli, Masta Ace, Kool G Rap, Wu-Tang Clan, Rakim, Killah Priest, and producersTrackmasters, Erick Sermon, DJ Quik, Buckwild, Alchemist, and Ayatollah. He was featured on all three of Rawkus’s Soundbombing albums, as well as the platinum-selling WWF Aggression album, performing the theme song for Chris Jericho. The Notorious B.I.G. was once quoted as saying, “I thought I was the illest,” when referring to R.A.
In 2004 he released the album Die, ”Rugged Man, Die” on Brooklyn based label Nature Sounds. The October 2006 issue of The Source featured R.A.’s verse on “Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story” as its “Hip-Hop Quotable” of the month...
R.A. The Rugged Man is a Hip Hop artist from Long Island NY. He has worked with Mc’s such as The Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Jedi Mind Tricks, Tech N9ne, Hopsin, Talib Kweli, Masta Ace, Kool G Rap, Wu-Tang Clan, Rakim, Killah Priest, and producersTrackmasters, Erick Sermon, DJ Quik, Buckwild, Alchemist, and Ayatollah. He was featured on all three of Rawkus’s Soundbombing albums, as well as the platinum-selling WWF Aggression album, performing the theme song for Chris Jericho. The Notorious B.I.G. was once quoted as saying, “I thought I was the illest,” when referring to R.A.
In 2004 he released the album Die, ”Rugged Man, Die” on Brooklyn based label Nature Sounds. The October 2006 issue of The Source featured R.A.’s verse on “Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story” as its “Hip-Hop Quotable” of the month...
- 5/12/2013
- by Scott Ronan
- Obsessed with Film
Warning: I’m (still) a huge Kanye West fan, and I’m here to give you proof that rap goes perfectly even with the story which is set in nineteenth-century China! Right here, at FilmoFilia you can, you should, and you will listen the full album stream of The Man With The Iron Fists soundtrack! Bitch please, thank you and you’re welcome!
Ok, let’s be honest, it’s not all about Kanye West, this soundtrack includes tracks from Wiz Khalifa, My Chemical Romance, The Wu-Tang Clan…(the list does not and here, of course!) And the most important thing is that they all sound great!
Let’s get official for a second:
The Soundtrack features original songs created for the film by artists including The Black Keys, Kanye West, the Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah, Wiz Khalifa, Talib Kweli, Pusha T, Raekwon, Method Man and RZA who collaborates with...
Ok, let’s be honest, it’s not all about Kanye West, this soundtrack includes tracks from Wiz Khalifa, My Chemical Romance, The Wu-Tang Clan…(the list does not and here, of course!) And the most important thing is that they all sound great!
Let’s get official for a second:
The Soundtrack features original songs created for the film by artists including The Black Keys, Kanye West, the Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah, Wiz Khalifa, Talib Kweli, Pusha T, Raekwon, Method Man and RZA who collaborates with...
- 10/18/2012
- by Jeanne Standal
- Filmofilia
A new bit of Kanye West Music has made its way to the internet. "White Dress," a song off the soundtrack of the upcoming RZA film "Man With the Iron Fists," is a welcome return to the older, more thoughtful flow of early Kanye.
The snippet posted on Pusha-t's website sees West empathizing with his "baby," a woman who is trying to better herself and her style.
It's also a song about taking a woman from the nightclub to the altar (where she'll be wearing a white dress). RZA rapped West's hook in a red carpet appearance at the Bet Hip-Hop Awards. It goes like this: "I seen you in the club in a tight dress, but I picture you in church with a white dress." (Endearingly, RZA went on to explain the lyric's meaning: "So that's basically talking about, you know, some of these girls, you know, you want...
The snippet posted on Pusha-t's website sees West empathizing with his "baby," a woman who is trying to better herself and her style.
It's also a song about taking a woman from the nightclub to the altar (where she'll be wearing a white dress). RZA rapped West's hook in a red carpet appearance at the Bet Hip-Hop Awards. It goes like this: "I seen you in the club in a tight dress, but I picture you in church with a white dress." (Endearingly, RZA went on to explain the lyric's meaning: "So that's basically talking about, you know, some of these girls, you know, you want...
- 10/11/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
From a Run-d.M.C. classic to raps with not-so-merry sentiments, here's MTV News' nontraditional playlist.
By Rob Markman
Kanye West
Photo: Ben Hider/Getty Images
Sure, Michael Bublé and Justin Bieber are the current Christmas crown holders, but what if your yuletide tastes require a harder edge? While rappers aren't exactly known for spreading holiday cheer, hip-hop has given fans plenty of rap carols. Run-d.M.C.'s 1987 classic "Christmas in Hollis" may be the most-popular, but new-schoolers like Ludacris and Kanye West have kept rap's Xmas tradition alive.
If you've grown tired of listening to Nat King Cole's 1946 "The Christmas Song" or even Mariah Carey's more recent 1994 hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You," MTV News has compiled a 12-song playlist of rap's best Christmas-themed hits.
"Christmas in Hollis," Run-d.M.C.
No doubt the greatest rap carol ever recorded, this 1987 classic found Run and partner-in-rhyme D.
By Rob Markman
Kanye West
Photo: Ben Hider/Getty Images
Sure, Michael Bublé and Justin Bieber are the current Christmas crown holders, but what if your yuletide tastes require a harder edge? While rappers aren't exactly known for spreading holiday cheer, hip-hop has given fans plenty of rap carols. Run-d.M.C.'s 1987 classic "Christmas in Hollis" may be the most-popular, but new-schoolers like Ludacris and Kanye West have kept rap's Xmas tradition alive.
If you've grown tired of listening to Nat King Cole's 1946 "The Christmas Song" or even Mariah Carey's more recent 1994 hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You," MTV News has compiled a 12-song playlist of rap's best Christmas-themed hits.
"Christmas in Hollis," Run-d.M.C.
No doubt the greatest rap carol ever recorded, this 1987 classic found Run and partner-in-rhyme D.
- 12/24/2011
- MTV Music News
MTV News compiles the most memorable hits of his extensive catalog.
By Rob Markman
Heavy D
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
There will never be another Heavy D.
When the Mount Vernon, New York, Mc debuted in 1987 as part of the group Heavy D & the Boyz, he made an immediate impact with his infectious dance hits. For the most part, Heav directed his material toward the ladies and even dubbed himself the Overweight Lover. With his music, Waterbed Heav oozed sex appeal, paving the way for other big-boned MCs like the Notorious B.I.G., Fat Joe and Rick Ross to garner a female fanbase.
Heavy was also a noted dancer and paired each of his hits with well-choreographed steps. It's difficult to imagine where the likes of Soulja Boy and Cali Swag District would be without Heavy D's contributions.
On November 8, Heavy D left us, but his music will live on forever.
By Rob Markman
Heavy D
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
There will never be another Heavy D.
When the Mount Vernon, New York, Mc debuted in 1987 as part of the group Heavy D & the Boyz, he made an immediate impact with his infectious dance hits. For the most part, Heav directed his material toward the ladies and even dubbed himself the Overweight Lover. With his music, Waterbed Heav oozed sex appeal, paving the way for other big-boned MCs like the Notorious B.I.G., Fat Joe and Rick Ross to garner a female fanbase.
Heavy was also a noted dancer and paired each of his hits with well-choreographed steps. It's difficult to imagine where the likes of Soulja Boy and Cali Swag District would be without Heavy D's contributions.
On November 8, Heavy D left us, but his music will live on forever.
- 11/9/2011
- MTV Music News
Soul legend Syl Johnson claims duo used 1967 hit without permission.
By Gil Kaufman
Jay-z and Kanye West
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage
Jay-z and Kanye West have been sued by soul/blues icon Syl Johnson over allegations that they sampled one of his songs on their Watch the Throne album without permission.
The complaint, filed in Illinois federal court Friday, alleges that the dynamic duo sampled a portion of his 1967 hit "Different Strokes" on the Throne deluxe-edition song "The Joy," according to the Hollywood Reporter. Johnson claims the song was sampled without his permission and has was not credited in the album's liner notes. The song was produced by Pete Rock (Kanye West is credited as producer along with Mike Dean and Mike Bhaskar) and was originally part of the G.O.O.D. Fridays series of leaks.
The allegation of copyright infringement was first raised in late August, when archival...
By Gil Kaufman
Jay-z and Kanye West
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage
Jay-z and Kanye West have been sued by soul/blues icon Syl Johnson over allegations that they sampled one of his songs on their Watch the Throne album without permission.
The complaint, filed in Illinois federal court Friday, alleges that the dynamic duo sampled a portion of his 1967 hit "Different Strokes" on the Throne deluxe-edition song "The Joy," according to the Hollywood Reporter. Johnson claims the song was sampled without his permission and has was not credited in the album's liner notes. The song was produced by Pete Rock (Kanye West is credited as producer along with Mike Dean and Mike Bhaskar) and was originally part of the G.O.O.D. Fridays series of leaks.
The allegation of copyright infringement was first raised in late August, when archival...
- 10/18/2011
- MTV Music News
Barry Levinson will be directing John Travolta, Lindsay Lohan and Joe Pesci in the upcoming Gotti biopic, Gotti: Three Generations.
Since this is one of the most notable crime families of the past several decades, it will be interesting to see where screenwriter Leo Rossi and Levinson take the film. While most viewers may be expecting something more sensationalized, of the likes of Goodfellas, Casino or The Sopranos, one would think that this creative team will strive to focus more on the inner workings of Gotti’s home life first. From there, they could see how life in the Gambino crime family intermingled with the Gotti’s very atypical New York family.
Who knows. Levinson and Rossi may also show off a hot dog eating contest or two in Ozone Park.
Travolta stars as John Gotti Jr. and Lohan will play his wife Kim. The age difference is a little dramatic between the two actors,...
Since this is one of the most notable crime families of the past several decades, it will be interesting to see where screenwriter Leo Rossi and Levinson take the film. While most viewers may be expecting something more sensationalized, of the likes of Goodfellas, Casino or The Sopranos, one would think that this creative team will strive to focus more on the inner workings of Gotti’s home life first. From there, they could see how life in the Gambino crime family intermingled with the Gotti’s very atypical New York family.
Who knows. Levinson and Rossi may also show off a hot dog eating contest or two in Ozone Park.
Travolta stars as John Gotti Jr. and Lohan will play his wife Kim. The age difference is a little dramatic between the two actors,...
- 5/4/2011
- by Bags
- BuzzFocus.com
The Jonas Brothers have a very clear, straight-ahead sound, but the individual members have more esoteric aspirations that come alive in their individual work. Last year's album by Nick Jonas and the Administration traded in power pop for a throwback brand of synthed-up funk rock, and Joe Jonas' upcoming solo project promises to dive headlong into a more electronic place. In a recent conversation with MTV News, Joe revealed that his biggest inspirations lately have been acts like Daft Punk and Justice. "Artists you can dance to, electro stuff, DJs in Europe — they're all very exciting to me," he explained while sitting next to producer Danja.
Of course, dance music crossed over into the pop world in a big way in 2010, with a handful of DJs grabbing mainstream attention (like David Guetta and the members of Swedish House Mafia) and many high-profile stars (including Usher, whose "Omg" was declared...
Of course, dance music crossed over into the pop world in a big way in 2010, with a handful of DJs grabbing mainstream attention (like David Guetta and the members of Swedish House Mafia) and many high-profile stars (including Usher, whose "Omg" was declared...
- 1/19/2011
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
Kool G Rap press day at Times Square in New York City.Photo copyright Bernadette Giacomazzo/PR Photos. Kool G Rap press day at Times Square in New York City.Photo copyright Bernadette Giacomazzo/PR Photos. Kool G Rap press day at Times Square in New York City.Photo copyright Bernadette Giacomazzo/PR Photos. Kool G Rap press day at Times Square in New York City.Photo copyright Bernadette Giacomazzo/PR Photos. Kool G Rap press day at Times Square in New York City.Photo copyright Bernadette Giacomazzo/PR Photos. 01/13/2011 - Kool G Rap - Kool G Rap Press Day at Times Square in New York City on January 13, 2011 - Times Square - New York City, NY, USA © Bernadette Giacomazzo/PR Photos...
- 1/17/2011
- by Michelle Wray
- Monsters and Critics
With all the hype surrounding the controversial album cover, the upcoming short film and the ongoing "G.O.O.D. Fridays" project, there is one fascinating story that has gotten a bit lost in the run up to the release of Kanye West's new album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. During the Los Angeles premiere of "Runaway," West revealed that the next single from the album (the third overall, after "Power" and "Runaway") will be a track called "All of the Lights," and it will feature a staggering list of guest stars. On that track, there are drop-ins from Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Fergie, John Legend, The-Dream, Tony Williams, Kid Cudi, Charlie Wilson, Ryan Leslie and La Roux's Elly Jackson. "It's completely seamless and completely ghetto as f---," West said of the track.
Not only is that a huge number of collaborators for one song (that's 11 total, which...
Not only is that a huge number of collaborators for one song (that's 11 total, which...
- 10/19/2010
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
'We knew exactly what we were doing when we made this album,' hip-hop pioneer says of Boogie Down Productions' 1987 breakthrough.
By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway
Krs-One
Photo: MTV News
Making of the Moment: Criminal Minded
Krs-One is both known for dropping jewels to cultivate minds and dropping bombs to blow minds. The Bronx bred hip-hop pioneer has lived up to both his titles — The Teacha and The Blastmaster — over his almost 25-year career. T was considered Hall of Fame/ Greatest of All-Time list over ten years ago. Over the past decade, Krs has been expanding his artistic reach, releasing the gospel-tinged album Spiritual Minded in 2002 and the book "The Gospel of Hip-Hop: First Instrument" in 2009. But as the title of his most recent album, Back to the L.A.B. (Lyrical Ass Beating), shows, he's still down to tear the lining out of the sound booth walls.
By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway
Krs-One
Photo: MTV News
Making of the Moment: Criminal Minded
Krs-One is both known for dropping jewels to cultivate minds and dropping bombs to blow minds. The Bronx bred hip-hop pioneer has lived up to both his titles — The Teacha and The Blastmaster — over his almost 25-year career. T was considered Hall of Fame/ Greatest of All-Time list over ten years ago. Over the past decade, Krs has been expanding his artistic reach, releasing the gospel-tinged album Spiritual Minded in 2002 and the book "The Gospel of Hip-Hop: First Instrument" in 2009. But as the title of his most recent album, Back to the L.A.B. (Lyrical Ass Beating), shows, he's still down to tear the lining out of the sound booth walls.
- 8/27/2010
- MTV Music News
'We knew that people was trying to make us clash,' the Paid in Full Mc says of onetime beef with legendary Big Daddy Kane.
By Shaheem Reid
Big Daddy Kane and Rakim
Photo: The Life Files
Cornerstone Credentials: Rakim
It's probably the greatest rap battle that didn't happen. Icon vs. Icon, the God vs. the Prince of Darkness: Rakim going mic to mic with Big Daddy Kane. Back in the late '80s, fans were buzzing about whether the two New York legends would engage in an epic face-off, a matchup of perhaps the two best MCs in the game at the time.
On "Set It Off" from 1988's Long Live the Kane, Kane famously spit, "rap soloist, you don't want none of this." Of course, he rapped those lines during a period that saw Rakim ringing off crazy with "Eric B. Is President" from Paid in Full,...
By Shaheem Reid
Big Daddy Kane and Rakim
Photo: The Life Files
Cornerstone Credentials: Rakim
It's probably the greatest rap battle that didn't happen. Icon vs. Icon, the God vs. the Prince of Darkness: Rakim going mic to mic with Big Daddy Kane. Back in the late '80s, fans were buzzing about whether the two New York legends would engage in an epic face-off, a matchup of perhaps the two best MCs in the game at the time.
On "Set It Off" from 1988's Long Live the Kane, Kane famously spit, "rap soloist, you don't want none of this." Of course, he rapped those lines during a period that saw Rakim ringing off crazy with "Eric B. Is President" from Paid in Full,...
- 8/26/2010
- MTV Music News
With his tape dominating the streets, the Bawse tells Mixtape Daily how he got into 'war' mode to resuscitate his career.
By Shaheem Reid
Rick Ross on his new mixtape, <i>Albert Anastasia</i>
Photo: Maybach Music
Mid-Season Salute: The Albert Anastasia Ep
Last year about this time, Rick Ross was in war mode, fighting for his career. People had questioned his street credibility and 50 Cent was straight going for his head. This year though, it's rosy for Ricky Rozay. He has "Super High" getting spins on the radio and the records "(B.M.F.) Blowin' Money Fast" and "Mc Hammer" are dominating the streets. Ross' whole outlook has changed.
"That's the beauty of art," Ross told us. "You can take it and channel it any way you want to. Of course, I realize I put a lot of pollution out there as well that I wouldn't this year. That was a part of me learning.
By Shaheem Reid
Rick Ross on his new mixtape, <i>Albert Anastasia</i>
Photo: Maybach Music
Mid-Season Salute: The Albert Anastasia Ep
Last year about this time, Rick Ross was in war mode, fighting for his career. People had questioned his street credibility and 50 Cent was straight going for his head. This year though, it's rosy for Ricky Rozay. He has "Super High" getting spins on the radio and the records "(B.M.F.) Blowin' Money Fast" and "Mc Hammer" are dominating the streets. Ross' whole outlook has changed.
"That's the beauty of art," Ross told us. "You can take it and channel it any way you want to. Of course, I realize I put a lot of pollution out there as well that I wouldn't this year. That was a part of me learning.
- 7/12/2010
- MTV Music News
With his tape dominating the streets, the Bawse tells Mixtape Daily how he got into 'war' mode to resuscitate his career.
By Shaheem Reid
Rick Ross on his new mixtape, <i>Albert Anastasia</i>
Photo: Maybach Music
Mid-Season Salute: The Albert Anastasia Ep
Last year about this time, Rick Ross was in war mode, fighting for his career. People had questioned his street credibility and 50 Cent was straight going for his head. This year though, it's rosy for Ricky Rozay. He has "Super High" getting spins on the radio and the records "(B.M.F.) Blowin' Money Fast" and "Mc Hammer" are dominating the streets. Ross' whole outlook has changed.
"That's the beauty of art," Ross told us. "You can take it and channel it any way you want to. Of course, I realize I put a lot of pollution out there as well that I wouldn't this year. That was a part of me learning.
By Shaheem Reid
Rick Ross on his new mixtape, <i>Albert Anastasia</i>
Photo: Maybach Music
Mid-Season Salute: The Albert Anastasia Ep
Last year about this time, Rick Ross was in war mode, fighting for his career. People had questioned his street credibility and 50 Cent was straight going for his head. This year though, it's rosy for Ricky Rozay. He has "Super High" getting spins on the radio and the records "(B.M.F.) Blowin' Money Fast" and "Mc Hammer" are dominating the streets. Ross' whole outlook has changed.
"That's the beauty of art," Ross told us. "You can take it and channel it any way you want to. Of course, I realize I put a lot of pollution out there as well that I wouldn't this year. That was a part of me learning.
- 7/12/2010
- MTV Music News
Late on Thursday (June 3), the latest leaked track from Eminem's eagerly-anticipated sixth album Recovery hit the Internet. "Won't Back Down" is a powerful burner that features some shout-along verses from Slim Shady that bounce and dart all over a bottom-heavy, bluesy track built by DJ Khalil. Though some fans were skeptical of the fact that Pink was on the track, her rugged-but-pretty pipes add a great twist to the chorus. Past Emimem albums haven't contained a ton of guest spots, so each and every tag-team Shady chooses is gone over with a fine tooth comb. But "Won't Back Down" ranks up there with some of Eminem's best songs, which means the team-up with Pink should be considered a gigantic success.
On paper, Eminem and Pink don't seem like they would work very well together. Though Pink has brushed up against the hip-hop world in the past (most notably on the...
On paper, Eminem and Pink don't seem like they would work very well together. Though Pink has brushed up against the hip-hop world in the past (most notably on the...
- 6/4/2010
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
MTV News correspondent and radio partner King Tech release follow-up to Eminem-assisted posse cut on MTV Jams.
By MTV News staff
Sway in 2010 Wake Up Show Anthem"
Photo: MTV News
MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway and his "World Famous Wake Up Show" radio partner King Tech will premiere the video for their new "2010 Wake Up Show Anthem" on MTV Jams this Sunday. The track — featuring Cypress Hill's B-Real, Ras Kass, Tech N9ne, Crooked I, Kam Moye and Bay Area rapper Locksmith — is the follow-up to the duo's breakout hit, 1999's "The Anthem," which featured an array of MCs, including Eminem, Wu-Tang Clan's the RZA, Xzibit, Pharoahe Monch and Kool G. Rap, among others.
The original track became the standout on the longtime radio hosts' album This or That. "The Anthem" also served as an audio pep rally for Sway and Tech's historic radio show, which has showcased once-upcoming MCs like Em,...
By MTV News staff
Sway in 2010 Wake Up Show Anthem"
Photo: MTV News
MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway and his "World Famous Wake Up Show" radio partner King Tech will premiere the video for their new "2010 Wake Up Show Anthem" on MTV Jams this Sunday. The track — featuring Cypress Hill's B-Real, Ras Kass, Tech N9ne, Crooked I, Kam Moye and Bay Area rapper Locksmith — is the follow-up to the duo's breakout hit, 1999's "The Anthem," which featured an array of MCs, including Eminem, Wu-Tang Clan's the RZA, Xzibit, Pharoahe Monch and Kool G. Rap, among others.
The original track became the standout on the longtime radio hosts' album This or That. "The Anthem" also served as an audio pep rally for Sway and Tech's historic radio show, which has showcased once-upcoming MCs like Em,...
- 6/2/2010
- MTV Music News
MTV News correspondent and radio partner King Tech release follow-up to Eminem-assisted posse cut on MTV Jams.
By MTV News staff
Sway in 2010 Wake Up Show Anthem"
Photo: MTV News
MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway and his "World Famous Wake Up Show" radio partner King Tech will premiere the video for their new "2010 Wake Up Show Anthem" on MTV Jams this Sunday. The track — featuring Cypress Hill's B-Real, Ras Kass, Tech N9ne, Crooked I, Kam Moye and Bay Area rapper Locksmith — is the follow-up to the duo's breakout hit, 1999's "The Anthem," which featured an array of MCs, including Eminem, Wu-Tang Clan's the RZA, Xzibit, Pharoahe Monch and Kool G. Rap, among others.
The original track became the standout on the longtime radio hosts' album This or That. "The Anthem" also served as an audio pep rally for Sway and Tech's historic radio show, which has showcased once-upcoming MCs like Em,...
By MTV News staff
Sway in 2010 Wake Up Show Anthem"
Photo: MTV News
MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway and his "World Famous Wake Up Show" radio partner King Tech will premiere the video for their new "2010 Wake Up Show Anthem" on MTV Jams this Sunday. The track — featuring Cypress Hill's B-Real, Ras Kass, Tech N9ne, Crooked I, Kam Moye and Bay Area rapper Locksmith — is the follow-up to the duo's breakout hit, 1999's "The Anthem," which featured an array of MCs, including Eminem, Wu-Tang Clan's the RZA, Xzibit, Pharoahe Monch and Kool G. Rap, among others.
The original track became the standout on the longtime radio hosts' album This or That. "The Anthem" also served as an audio pep rally for Sway and Tech's historic radio show, which has showcased once-upcoming MCs like Em,...
- 6/2/2010
- MTV Music News
Mixtape is composed of 'completely new music, new beats' Ross says, in Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid
Rick Ross
Photo: Maybach Music
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive
Big up to the homey, video director Spiff TV (Waka Flocka Flame's "O Let's Do It" remix and a slew of Rick Ross clips including "Rich Off Cocaine"). His close friend and manager Rick Ross may be doing huge-budgeted mini-movies with the likes of Diddy and director F. Gary Gray, but the Miami Bawse promises that he'll never stop doing the straight-to-the-Net videos Spiff directed — videos that his fans have grown to love over the past couple of years.
"Of course, man. You know we'll never stop releasing those black-and-whites, those virals," Ross explained. "We're actually editing a slew of them right now. So get ready. ... That's just another way we bring [the music] to life. We add color to the situation.
By Shaheem Reid
Rick Ross
Photo: Maybach Music
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive
Big up to the homey, video director Spiff TV (Waka Flocka Flame's "O Let's Do It" remix and a slew of Rick Ross clips including "Rich Off Cocaine"). His close friend and manager Rick Ross may be doing huge-budgeted mini-movies with the likes of Diddy and director F. Gary Gray, but the Miami Bawse promises that he'll never stop doing the straight-to-the-Net videos Spiff directed — videos that his fans have grown to love over the past couple of years.
"Of course, man. You know we'll never stop releasing those black-and-whites, those virals," Ross explained. "We're actually editing a slew of them right now. So get ready. ... That's just another way we bring [the music] to life. We add color to the situation.
- 5/27/2010
- MTV Music News
Mixtape is composed of 'completely new music, new beats' Ross says, in Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid
Rick Ross
Photo: Akshay Bhansali
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive
Big up to the homey, video director Spiff TV (Waka Flocka Flame's "O Let's Do It" remix and a slew of Rick Ross clips including "Rich Off Cocaine"). His close friend and manager Rick Ross may be doing huge-budgeted mini-movies with the likes of Diddy and director F. Gary Gray, but the Miami Bawse promises that he'll never stop doing the straight-to-the-Net videos Spiff directed — videos that his fans have grown to love over the past couple of years.
"Of course, man. You know we'll never stop releasing those black-and-whites, those virals," Ross explained. "We're actually editing a slew of them right now. So get ready. ... That's just another way we bring [the music] to life. We add color to the situation.
By Shaheem Reid
Rick Ross
Photo: Akshay Bhansali
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive
Big up to the homey, video director Spiff TV (Waka Flocka Flame's "O Let's Do It" remix and a slew of Rick Ross clips including "Rich Off Cocaine"). His close friend and manager Rick Ross may be doing huge-budgeted mini-movies with the likes of Diddy and director F. Gary Gray, but the Miami Bawse promises that he'll never stop doing the straight-to-the-Net videos Spiff directed — videos that his fans have grown to love over the past couple of years.
"Of course, man. You know we'll never stop releasing those black-and-whites, those virals," Ross explained. "We're actually editing a slew of them right now. So get ready. ... That's just another way we bring [the music] to life. We add color to the situation.
- 5/27/2010
- MTV Music News
By Rahman Dukes
Happy Born Day to the "Punch Line King" Lloyd Banks, who turns 28 today. Banks (aka Boy Wonder, aka Blue Hefner) has a lot to celebrate this year. He has a smash record ("Beamer, Benz or Bentley"), arguably the hottest independent record label (G-Unit Records) and he's in the midst of a bidding war between labels who are vying to release the sequel to his classic 2004 debut The Hunger for More.
As a Southside, Jamaica Queens native, I've had the pleasure of watching Banks' career blossom. His success is nothing new to any cat from Queens, who will tell ya we breed Kings from the borough (Run Dmc, LL Cool J, Nas, 50 Cent, Lost Boyz, Onyx, Kool G. Rap and the Juice Crew, just to name a few).
In my early days at MTV, I had the pleasure of receiving frequent visits from famed producer Sha Money, who...
Happy Born Day to the "Punch Line King" Lloyd Banks, who turns 28 today. Banks (aka Boy Wonder, aka Blue Hefner) has a lot to celebrate this year. He has a smash record ("Beamer, Benz or Bentley"), arguably the hottest independent record label (G-Unit Records) and he's in the midst of a bidding war between labels who are vying to release the sequel to his classic 2004 debut The Hunger for More.
As a Southside, Jamaica Queens native, I've had the pleasure of watching Banks' career blossom. His success is nothing new to any cat from Queens, who will tell ya we breed Kings from the borough (Run Dmc, LL Cool J, Nas, 50 Cent, Lost Boyz, Onyx, Kool G. Rap and the Juice Crew, just to name a few).
In my early days at MTV, I had the pleasure of receiving frequent visits from famed producer Sha Money, who...
- 4/30/2010
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
By Jayson Rodriguez
"Every Saturday 'Rap Attack,' Mr. Magic, Marley Marl ..." — Notorious B.I.G., "Juicy"
Biggie immortalized him in rhyme, but by the time the Brooklyn Mc name-checked Mr. Magic on 1994's Ready to Die, the DJ was already a living legend. It was confirmed today that Mr. Magic passed away after suffering a heart attack. (At press time it was unknown how old he was.)
Magic, born John Rivas, was a pioneer in hip-hop and made his mark as the first DJ to host a mixshow hour on commercial radio, which was revolutionary in the early 1980s but as common as a rap CD with a "Parental Advisory" sticker on it today. Back in 1982 when Mr. Magic, along with Marley Marl as his DJ and Tyrone "Fly Ty" Williams as co-producer, kick-started "Rap Attack," the program's launch was arguably as significant to music history as when the Moonman planted...
"Every Saturday 'Rap Attack,' Mr. Magic, Marley Marl ..." — Notorious B.I.G., "Juicy"
Biggie immortalized him in rhyme, but by the time the Brooklyn Mc name-checked Mr. Magic on 1994's Ready to Die, the DJ was already a living legend. It was confirmed today that Mr. Magic passed away after suffering a heart attack. (At press time it was unknown how old he was.)
Magic, born John Rivas, was a pioneer in hip-hop and made his mark as the first DJ to host a mixshow hour on commercial radio, which was revolutionary in the early 1980s but as common as a rap CD with a "Parental Advisory" sticker on it today. Back in 1982 when Mr. Magic, along with Marley Marl as his DJ and Tyrone "Fly Ty" Williams as co-producer, kick-started "Rap Attack," the program's launch was arguably as significant to music history as when the Moonman planted...
- 10/2/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
We debate the MCs joining forces for the 'Forever' collabo, in Off the Dome.
By Shaheem Reid
Drake
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images
Why do we do it? Tell' em that it's human nature (shout-out to Mike the Greatest). As hip-hop fans, when we hear a rap posse cut — especially a huge rap posse cut — we have to sit down and assess who had the best verse. It's just what we do.
Remember bickering if it was Big Daddy Kane over Kool G Rap on "The Symphony"? And you, yes you, swore up and down that nobody could measure up to Notorious B.I.G.'s lead-off verse on "The Points" about a decade ago. More recently, it was the "Swagga Like Us" debate — my personal favorite on that record was Kanye West. Now we move to "Forever": Drake, Eminem, Lil Wayne and Kanye West. That lineup is impeccable.
"Forever," like "Swagga,...
By Shaheem Reid
Drake
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images
Why do we do it? Tell' em that it's human nature (shout-out to Mike the Greatest). As hip-hop fans, when we hear a rap posse cut — especially a huge rap posse cut — we have to sit down and assess who had the best verse. It's just what we do.
Remember bickering if it was Big Daddy Kane over Kool G Rap on "The Symphony"? And you, yes you, swore up and down that nobody could measure up to Notorious B.I.G.'s lead-off verse on "The Points" about a decade ago. More recently, it was the "Swagga Like Us" debate — my personal favorite on that record was Kanye West. Now we move to "Forever": Drake, Eminem, Lil Wayne and Kanye West. That lineup is impeccable.
"Forever," like "Swagga,...
- 8/27/2009
- MTV Music News
DJ Hero doesn't come out until October, but it's not the only turntable game in town: Hip Hop All Star, for ye olde iPhone or iPod touch, scratches (get it?!) more or less the same itch. Play as one of four DJs -- including actual person DJ Green Lantern -- and, as in other games in the genre, tap when the spirit says tap. Er, when the buttons line up. Hhas comes out Sept. 13, but I got to try it this week, and my real-life DJ skills (do you guys not want to listen to the same Blind Pilot song on repeat, literally for hours? Too bad, that's what I'm playing!) miraculously did not inhibit my in-game ones. You can't even believe how badly I want to make a Spinderella reference right now, but it will just make me seem old and out of touch, so instead I'll just say...
- 8/19/2009
- by Margaret Lyons
- EW.com - PopWatch
?uestlove spread the word about NYC concert through Twitter.
By Shaheem Reid
The Roots perform in Times Square on Thursday
Photo: Rahman Dukes/ MTV News
New York — Uh, a little more advance notice next time, fellas, please! On Thursday night (August 6), ?uestlove sent a post out on his Twitter account saying, "nyc---be in times square 7 pm Sharp!!" He tweeted soon after, "That is all the info you need."
Around 7:25 p.m. Et, the Roots walked on a stage in Times Square with a tuba player leading the charge. To the surprise of the crowd gathered, the Roots began performing.
"You feel this sh-- soon as they throw it on," Black Thought rapped, saying the chorus to his theme "Thought at Work." "You feel this joint, this is your new favorite song/ You at the dancehall, you got it going on/ It's time to show it off, so throw your hands up.
By Shaheem Reid
The Roots perform in Times Square on Thursday
Photo: Rahman Dukes/ MTV News
New York — Uh, a little more advance notice next time, fellas, please! On Thursday night (August 6), ?uestlove sent a post out on his Twitter account saying, "nyc---be in times square 7 pm Sharp!!" He tweeted soon after, "That is all the info you need."
Around 7:25 p.m. Et, the Roots walked on a stage in Times Square with a tuba player leading the charge. To the surprise of the crowd gathered, the Roots began performing.
"You feel this sh-- soon as they throw it on," Black Thought rapped, saying the chorus to his theme "Thought at Work." "You feel this joint, this is your new favorite song/ You at the dancehall, you got it going on/ It's time to show it off, so throw your hands up.
- 8/6/2009
- MTV Music News
Cookin' Soul put together a mix of mash-ups in Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid
Michael Jackson
Photo: Ebet Roberts/ Redferns
I can't lie: Two days after Michael Jackson died, I had one real good cry. Ironically, June 27 is my birthday, and no, my eyes didn't swell up because I was sad about getting older — after losing family members, I wholeheartedly feel grateful every time another year comes around. The waterworks opened up because after two days, it hit me like a hard smack to the face: Michael Jackson is gone. The greatest, most captivating performer of all time is dead. Since I could remember, there hasn't been a day when Mj wasn't a part of my life.
Obviously you don't talk about Michael Jackson every single day, but Mike was omnipresent. Record or no record, he's been in our lives. Besides "Rapper's Delight," "Beat It" was the first video I...
By Shaheem Reid
Michael Jackson
Photo: Ebet Roberts/ Redferns
I can't lie: Two days after Michael Jackson died, I had one real good cry. Ironically, June 27 is my birthday, and no, my eyes didn't swell up because I was sad about getting older — after losing family members, I wholeheartedly feel grateful every time another year comes around. The waterworks opened up because after two days, it hit me like a hard smack to the face: Michael Jackson is gone. The greatest, most captivating performer of all time is dead. Since I could remember, there hasn't been a day when Mj wasn't a part of my life.
Obviously you don't talk about Michael Jackson every single day, but Mike was omnipresent. Record or no record, he's been in our lives. Besides "Rapper's Delight," "Beat It" was the first video I...
- 7/1/2009
- MTV Music News
Cookin' Soul put together a mix of mash-ups in Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid
Michael Jackson
Photo: MTV
I can't lie: Two days after Michael Jackson died, I had one real good cry. Ironically, June 27 is my birthday, and no, my eyes didn't swell up because I was sad about getting older — after losing family members, I wholeheartedly feel grateful every time another year comes around. The waterworks opened up because after two days, it hit me like a hard smack to the face: Michael Jackson is gone. The greatest, most captivating performer of all time is dead. Since I could remember, there hasn't been a day when Mj wasn't a part of my life.
Obviously you don't talk about Michael Jackson every single day, but Mike was omnipresent. Record or no record, he's been in our lives. Besides "Rapper's Delight," "Beat It" was the first video I ever remember...
By Shaheem Reid
Michael Jackson
Photo: MTV
I can't lie: Two days after Michael Jackson died, I had one real good cry. Ironically, June 27 is my birthday, and no, my eyes didn't swell up because I was sad about getting older — after losing family members, I wholeheartedly feel grateful every time another year comes around. The waterworks opened up because after two days, it hit me like a hard smack to the face: Michael Jackson is gone. The greatest, most captivating performer of all time is dead. Since I could remember, there hasn't been a day when Mj wasn't a part of my life.
Obviously you don't talk about Michael Jackson every single day, but Mike was omnipresent. Record or no record, he's been in our lives. Besides "Rapper's Delight," "Beat It" was the first video I ever remember...
- 7/1/2009
- MTV Music News
If today's youth are truly a colorblind demographic, how does that influence the way brands should market to them?
"I'm trying hard to explore, I'm not sure What all the racial war is for It's making me more sore I walk through a color blind corridor Seeking, for peace in the people I'm meeting Black, White and Puerto Rican men are greeting each other Just like brothers, there's plenty and many of others You can discover, kids fathers and mothers In a melting pot, no one felt they got prejudiced And I could never assist someone diss this" The above lyrics are the opening lyrics from a rap song entitled Erase Racism. The remaining lyrics, of this song by Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, follow the same vein of not focusing on people's racial and ethnic differences.
When this song was released in 1990, I was a big fan, and an aspiring Mc.
"I'm trying hard to explore, I'm not sure What all the racial war is for It's making me more sore I walk through a color blind corridor Seeking, for peace in the people I'm meeting Black, White and Puerto Rican men are greeting each other Just like brothers, there's plenty and many of others You can discover, kids fathers and mothers In a melting pot, no one felt they got prejudiced And I could never assist someone diss this" The above lyrics are the opening lyrics from a rap song entitled Erase Racism. The remaining lyrics, of this song by Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, follow the same vein of not focusing on people's racial and ethnic differences.
When this song was released in 1990, I was a big fan, and an aspiring Mc.
- 6/24/2009
- by Tru Pettigrew
- Fast Company
'I believed in that song, but I didn't know it would make it to where it did,' Doc Ish says.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Eminem in the "We Made You" video
Photo: Interscope
When it comes time for Eminem to release an album, he always sticks to his tried-and-true formula. The first singles are comical celebrity takedowns, featuring Em's revved-up Slim Shady persona on a track produced by Dr. Dre (think "My Name Is," "Without Me" and "The Real Slim Shady").
On "We Made You," however, the lead single from Relapse, another beatsmith set the foundation for Eminem's return: Connecticut producer Doc Ish.
The Hartford native has worked with some of the underground's finest rappers, from Az to Talib Kweli. But when he created the beat for "We Made You," he never imagined it would land in the hands of Marshall Mathers. He originally shopped the record — with the same hook,...
By Jayson Rodriguez
Eminem in the "We Made You" video
Photo: Interscope
When it comes time for Eminem to release an album, he always sticks to his tried-and-true formula. The first singles are comical celebrity takedowns, featuring Em's revved-up Slim Shady persona on a track produced by Dr. Dre (think "My Name Is," "Without Me" and "The Real Slim Shady").
On "We Made You," however, the lead single from Relapse, another beatsmith set the foundation for Eminem's return: Connecticut producer Doc Ish.
The Hartford native has worked with some of the underground's finest rappers, from Az to Talib Kweli. But when he created the beat for "We Made You," he never imagined it would land in the hands of Marshall Mathers. He originally shopped the record — with the same hook,...
- 5/14/2009
- MTV Music News
Akeelah + The Bee star Keke Palmer has signed on to play Roxanne Shante in a new biopic about the legendary Juice Crew hip-hop collective.
Palmer joins Diana Ross' son Evan, who plays Mc Shan, and Julito McCullum, who portrays Tragedy Khadafi in the project, titled Vapors.
Rappers Nas and David Banner are also rumoured to be involved in the film, playing Kool G Rap and Biz Markie respectively.
Palmer tells Giant magazine she has been inspired by Shante's career and can't wait for other young African-Americans to see the film.
She says, "She was 14 when she recorded those songs. She had it in her contract that the label would pay for her to finish high school and college - that's inspiring."...
Palmer joins Diana Ross' son Evan, who plays Mc Shan, and Julito McCullum, who portrays Tragedy Khadafi in the project, titled Vapors.
Rappers Nas and David Banner are also rumoured to be involved in the film, playing Kool G Rap and Biz Markie respectively.
Palmer tells Giant magazine she has been inspired by Shante's career and can't wait for other young African-Americans to see the film.
She says, "She was 14 when she recorded those songs. She had it in her contract that the label would pay for her to finish high school and college - that's inspiring."...
- 7/6/2008
- WENN
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