Photo Credit: David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images From The Cold Crush Brothers legendary battle with The Fantastic Five to a teenaged Rakim freestyling with a young Biz Markie, here are a few of the many classic live old-school hip-hop tapes you can listen to on YouTube right now. It may be difficult for many music … Read more10 Live Old-School Hip-Hop Tapes You Can Stream on YouTube
Photo Credit: Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images One of the standout tracks on Fiona Apple’s new album is “Shameika,” a song based around a candid comment with a Black classmate. This isn’t the first time a Black woman has played a prominent part in Apple’s work. Fiona Apple’s recently-released Fetch The Bolt Cutters has earned the widespread … Read moreFrom Maya Angelou To “Shameika”: The Importance Of Two Black Women In Fiona Apple’s Work
Photo Credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for BMI From Chuck D to Lil Uzi Vert to Megan Thee Stallion, here are 15 instances in which a rap artist and a record label became embroiled in a public dispute over a record contract. Hip-Hop becoming big business has benefited a number of artists, producing multiple multi-millionaires and … Read moreIndustry Rule #4080: 15 Times Rappers Have Fought to Leave Bad Contracts
Photo Credit: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images On April 10th, 1990, A Tribe Called Quest released their iconic debut album People’s Instinctive Travels and The Paths Of Rhythm. We examine the impact of that album and the factors that made the group so unique. I first heard’s Q-Tip voice on “The Promo” and then “Black … Read moreThe Legacy of A Tribe Called Quest’s Seminal Debut Album ‘People’s Instinctive Travels and The Paths Of Rhythm’
Photo Credit: Steven Ferdman/Getty Images If there’s any rapper who has been consistent in their references to Islam it’s Jay Electronica. On his debut album, A Written Testimony, his spirituality is a at the center. We take a close examination of all the Islamic references featured on his debut. After a decade-long wait, Jay … Read moreAn Examination Of The Islamic References In Jay Electronica’s ‘A Written Testimony’
Photo Credit: Illustration by Qori Broaster for Okayplayer.com Young Black skateboarders from Los Angeles have taken the blueprint established by the Z-Boys and expanded upon it, using their skateboarding roots to venture into other creative worlds ranging from fashion and film to activism and music. In the 1970s, skateboarding in Los Angeles was popularized by … Read moreBlack, Entrepreneur-Minded LA Skateboarders are Expanding Their Creative Roots
Photo Credit: Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post via Getty Images DMV rapper XanMan has built a rep for providing some of the most warped, crude, in-your-face rhymes in contemporary rap. We spent some time with the 19-year-old rapper, who talked about his darkly comedic style. Every generation has one: the kind of inveterate … Read moreXanMan Might Be Funny — But He’s No Joke
Photo Credit: Scott Legato/Getty Images We spent some time with rising Detroit rapper Sada Baby, who talked about getting acceptance in his hometown, the death that inspired some of his new music, and wanting to sing songs with Syd. Detroit rapper Sada Baby doesn’t feel like a star. Especially not in New York City. “I’ve … Read moreSada Baby & His “Dance Moves” Represent a New Detroit Sound
Source: Artist Jay Electronica (and JAY-Z) finally delivered and then some on A Written Testimony, a debut that was fully worth the decade-plus wait. It’s finally here. It only took a decade-plus and a global pandemic, but Jay Electronica’s debut album, A Written Testimony, was finally released today. And as a bonus, JAY-Z is on … Read moreEight Takeaways From Jay Electronica (and JAY-Z’s) Momentous ‘A Written Testimony’
Photo Credit: Daniel Ramos for Okayplayer We sat down with Terrace Martin to discuss his work ethic, obstacles in the music industry, and why women artists are killing it more than men artists. “I’m servicing the artist. I want to give you an experience.” That’s how Terrace Martin describes his role when collaborating with other … Read moreTerrace Martin Talks Growing Up in LA, Collaborating w/ Artist & Mourning Kobe Bryant’s Death [Interview]