The State of Hip-Hop

My belief is that somewhere along the line as Hip-Hop evolved, it began to have data, statistics, and track records. And when it became understood that it was a multi-billion dollar industry, it took on another form.

Harlem American Gangster: Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson

Before rappers emerged proclaiming to be the “kings” of their city; glorifying and indulging in every negative aspect of respect, reputation and recognition, there was a man from the early 1920’s to the 1960’s who governed his city with a ruthless but positive aura.

Usher: Here I Stand

Usher is a grown-ass man. Fidelity, marriage and fatherhood are all the talk on Here I Stand, the King of R&B’s fifth studio album.

Mariah Carey: E=MC2

The record-breaking singer Mariah Carey gives us the solution to success with her 11th studio album ‘E=MC2’

Day 26: Day 26

The five-man group of Brian, Mike, Q, Rob and Will came into their own
during the fourth installment of Diddy’s “Making The Band” reality
show. And honestly if you want to really know who the group members are
personally, you’re better off watching the MTV reruns.

Kidz In The Hall: The In Crowd

The new class of Hip-Hop are already sophomores in the game, as the Midwest duo Kidz In The Hall are now at the front of the class schoolin’ cats with their new album The In Crowd.

The Roots: Rising Down

The incredible band known as The Roots, continue their journey as one of Hip-Hop’s elite with their 10th album, ‘Rising Down.’

Gnarles Barkley: The Odd Couple

The duo of rapper/crooner Cee-Lo Green and producer Dangermouse that make up Gnarls Barkley return for a second serving of exotic tunes with “Odd Couple”, a thirteen-track bliss-ride into a dimension all their own.

AZ: Undeniable

Quietly reaching his ninth solo album, Brooklyn’s underrated son AZ
provides a nostalgic look at rap’s Golden Era on Undeniable delivering
rhymes as slick and smooth as the beats that support them.

The Sean Bell Aftermath

Hip-Hop is known for beef. You can be sure that when an artist is preparing for an album release that there will be a fight, a diss record, an arrest or a shoot-out aimed at another artist. The radio buzzes about it, blogs and message forums fight about it and youtube videos are made because of it. But what happens when Hip-Hop’s community has beef with its biggest enemy of all, the Police? Besides a few inspirational and empowering songs, not too much.