Who’s got the Featuring Trinidad James playlist? TJ hops on another song with some fellow Georgia spitters. Travis Porter’s back! Are you excited? Keep it 100. HHNM x DJ SP

Hey America. Saigon uses his freedom of speech and weighs in on the world’s problems in this new provocative clip from his GSNT 2: Bread and Circuses. Direction by Peter Dmitriyev.

Good times in DC on Sunday night. Along with Miss Info and Karen Civil, I attended Russell Simmons’ second annual Hip Hop Inaugural Ball. Got to see a lot of MCs suited or tuxed out too. Meek Mill, 2 Chainz, Swizz Beatz, MC Lyte, and Doug E Fresh were among the many honorees for their service to the hip hop community and society. The event’s main sponsor, Heineken, who supports initiatives that empower consumers and inspires them to become more […]

Photos: Ravie B. Before I connected with Raekwon at Greenhouse last night, the wife @danamo put together an amazing birthday gathering with dear friends and music industry heavyweights. None bigger than Mr. Carter who blessed me with a toast. Powerful room. Warm emotions. Forever grateful. Thanks to all.

Guess it’s safe to say, Cruel Summer is the most polarizing release of the year. Ha! Shit, I enjoyed it especially the final iTunes mastered version. Yeah Kanye made us wait til the fall for this compilation and released most of the best records first (“Mercy”, “New God Flow”, “Don’t Like”, “Clique”) but there was still new tunes to enjoy. Who can resist Ye charmingly boasting alongside fellow Chi-town Hall Of Famer, R. Kelly on “To The World”? But the […]

Make no mistake, 2 Chainz gets by with a lil help from his friends on his Def Jam debut. Most notably Kanye West (“Birthday Song”) and the YMCMB familia (Lil Wayne on “Yuck”, Drake on “No Lie”, Nicki Minaj “I Luv Dem Strippers”). But although Tity Boi is well connected, my favorite moments on Based On A T.R.U. Story are when he elected to go for self. “Crack” is an essential head-nodder. “Dope Peddler” is punchy and playful and “I’m […]

You wanna be one of the illest MCs? Well go out there and prove it. On your own. Then get with 3 other ill MCs and prove it. On y’all own. Then maybe you’ll get signed by one of the greatest MCs. Eminem is all over Slaughterhouse’s Shady debut and he ain’t got no worries. After spitting alongside the crew on the title track, Marshall gets raunchy on “Throw That” and goes crazy on “Asylum”. But it’s Joe Budden, Royce […]

Kurtis Blow wrote the hook. Nas flipped it. And French Montana sold it. It’s an undisputed fact that Rick Ross’ Rich Forever single set hip-hop 2012 off and even ignited a beef with Drake and Common. Y’all know how we feel about Drizzy’s performance but Frenchie’s verse was also noteable since folks struggled to comprehend his opening bars. Fanute? “From the hoopty coupe to the ghost dawg.” I ride for Rozay and producer Beat Bully’s smash. Salute!

Eight long years. Eight long years. Released during his current incarceration for gun possession and tax evasion, PIL 2 was Ja Rule’s first album since 2004’s R.U.L.E. Damn, that’s hard to believe. Ja decided to stick to the old script and re-connect with producer Aurelius Seven who handled the entire project. Too bad this beatmaker has lost his touch. Even the somewhat enjoyable opener “Real Life Fantasty”, where Ja laments the loss of fellow Murder Inc. artists, sounds too choppy. […]

Diggy’s my nigga, I hate it had to be him. But Unexpected Arrival was dead on arrival. Run’s son showed great potential on his “Made You Look” debut but his first album fails to ignite. He stumbles out the gate on “Hello World”, loses our interest on “I Need To Know” and guest Jadakiss can’t save the painful “88.” Young Simmons asserts himself better on “Two Up” and “4 Letter Word” and even adds some singing in the mix. But […]

Safe to say, New York Rap wasn’t in the greatest state in 2012. But coming through around Thanksgiving was Fabolous, one of our city’s most consistent spitters who surprised us with a strong sequel. Shit, Soul Tape 2 ain’t no turkey. Loso sets the tone and sounds inspired on the intro “Transformation”. He schools the ladies on “For The Love” and smooths things out on the St. Elmo’s Fire theme-sampled smoke break “We Get High”. Along with Pusha T, he […]

He did it again. Add another plaque to Khaled’s wall as Kiss The Ring‘s lead single has finally struck gold. Congrats to the entire We The Best team! Salute.

Do you remember that producer Jahlil Beats gave this beat to Jadakiss first (“Paper Tags”)? Probably not. Because Meek Mill and Big Sean lyrically exploded all over the damn thing and made it theirs. This is a clash of two young titans who thankfully are on the same side. Like an old school rap group, the dynamic duo trade rhymes building off each other’s wordplay. Rap fans can argue all day about which MC got the better of the exchanges […]

Mike Will Made It really made it in 2012. Along with Drake, he took 2 Chainz to the top of the charts with “No Lie”, he showed no “Mercy” with Kanye and co., and helped Future “Turn On The Lights” and bring attention back to their hometown of Atlanta. But Mike’s crown jewel happened by accident. A lil record Juicy J did in a D.C. hotel room gained a life of its own when Lil Tunechi and Tity Boi decided […]

Guess “Niggas In Paris” wasn’t enough shine for this Cali producer. Hit-Boy hit 2012 with even more drive and diverse sounds. He worked with a wide array of acts from Nicki Minaj (“I Am Your Leader”) to A$AP Rocky (“Goldie”) to Justin Bieber (“Right Here”) to Kendrick Lamar (“Backseat Freestyle)”. But once again it’s Chauncey’s work with Mr. West that shined the brighest. Out of the bunch (“Cold”, “I Wish You Would”, “Higher”) “Clique” is our pick. A pulsating spacey […]

What would drive a man to say such mean things? What pushed Pusha T to the limit to subliminally air Lil Wayne out and say f Cash Money as a staff, record label and crew? I say it was the dark track crafted by Rico Beats. The Brooklyn-bred producer’s credits include Soulja Boy and 50 Cent’s “Mean Mug” and Nicki and Lil Wayne’s “Roman Reloaded” (how ironic?), but it’s his Pusha Ton and Terius Nash collab that really put him […]

The best selling rap album of the year. The most controversial rap album of the year. And the most disappointing! Oh Nicki you can rhyme but the direction you’re taking your career is disturbing. Who cosigned this Roman character shit in the first place? The intro here is dreadful. And did you really have to put your dick in our face on the clumsy “Come On A Cone”? Besides the terrific “Beez In The Trap” (Thank you, 2 Chainz) you […]

I’m starting to think y’all niggas take DJ Khaled for granted. Maybe it’s because the Mouth of The South continues to make amazing all-star collabos look so easy. “Bitches and Bottles” is one of his career best with an infectious Future hook and a rejuvenated T.I.’s opening bars. “I got my own shine/But I want yours.” Khaled has always been able to get the most out of an MC. Who else could motivate Kanye West to spaz out like he […]

The young spitter from the West returns with his next release, Life Changes on 1.22.13. New song debuting here later today.

Before Kelly R joined the party, this was the original version of Big Boi’s current single. Check out Antwan and his Swedish homies tonight on Jimmy Fallon. #VLADR in 4 days! Pre-order now!