Take Your Pick: Kanye West’s “Theraflu” Or G.O.O.D. Music’s “Mercy”
Two tracks, twenty four hours, mass hysteria. Seems like whenever Kanye West feels like making the needle move in hip-hop he does it in the most unsuspecting ways. Not only did he just toss “Theraflu” out there two days before we were supposed to get “Mercy” but as the song’s producer Hit-Boy stated to XXL, [...]
On Eazy E And Hip-Hop’s Masculinity
Magic Johnson & Eric Wright are forever linked for two things. One, the two of them during a period in the 80s absolutely ruled Los Angeles, Johnson wit the Lakers and Eazy with N.W.A. They compiled fans for all walks of life and while one always did things with a smile on his face, the [...]
Passing Notes: Ranking The 2012 XXL Freshmen Class
Like they always do around this time, XXL ushers out their Freshmen list, a barometer of who may breakthrough or breakdown in any given rap year. The internet has been going nuts (word to Paul Wall) over this thing and if you seem shocked by this, you really don’t pay attention to how the world [...]
Space City Beat Battle Championship Re-Cap Video
January 21, 2012 – The Space City Beat Battle™ launched Episode Five of what is considered to be the premiere beat competition in Houston. With previous winners Tony Dark, Risky Boi, V12, Black Keys Productions, Y Phoenix, Steezilla plus wild cards Nahuma, King Henry, illFaded and Code Redd all in attendance the stage was set [...]
The Breakout Queens Series: Chapter Four
All good things must come to an end, and I can only hope that over the course of the “Breakout Queens” series, you’ve been enlightened to female emcees both old and new whom you need to keep your eyes out for this year. You may remember, back in the second installment of this series, I [...]
On Joe Cool & “Cooley Hi”
“I wanna sell drugs.” – Joe Cool; “Cooley High” Louisiana rappers are type cast in the same generalized bubble most Southern emcees are. This isn’t a moment to rehash the old “all Southern rappers are slow” rhetoric that has been disproven time & time again, it’s here to make a point. While he may not [...]
The Breakout Queens Series: Chapter Three
The hardest part for any new artist is just getting your foot in the door. Sometimes you aren’t fortunate enough to be able to rely on a big-name, but you are able to bring it talent wise. And if you’re lucky… IF you’re lucky… you’re just talented enough to get some shine. In any given [...]
The Breakout Queens Series: Chapter Two
Legacy is everything. Nowhere is this more proven than in the world of sports, where teams are often led to championships due to a strong veteran presence or a person who has already had experience in “the big game” serving as a team leader or coach. However, it also holds true in the world of [...]
The Breakout Queens Series: Chapter One
The so-called femcee has always been a gift and a curse to hip-hop – a gift, in the sense that there are a handful (literally) of women rappers who have always held their own on a track and even find themselves listed amongst people’s favorites… as top rappers PERIOD, not just top women rappers. However, [...]
Andre 3000: The 6 Verses of 2011
Andre 3000 is without a doubt one of the best MCs of our time. OutKast is one of the most influential hip hop groups ever, but they haven’t released an album since the Diamond-selling, double-album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. We have received a solo album from Big Boi, Sir Luscious Leftfoot and The Legend of Chico [...]
