An old video of Nas auditioning for the role of Rico in the film Paid in Full has surfaced online.
The clip found its way online earlier this week and showed the Queensbridge native reading Rico’s lines from the 2002 cult classic. The character was originally played by Cam’ron, whose performance was beloved by many.
People on social media had various responses to the grainy clip, especially because Nas was embroiled in a bitter feud with Jay-Z. Paid in Full was produced by Jay-Z and Damon Dash, however, the audition happened sometime in 2001, a few months before.
Nas Paid In Full audition tape for......
by A. William
The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from City Girls, Gucci Mane, Rexx Life Raj, and more.
A busy, buzzy week in hip-hop kicked off with Mr. October’s Very Own himself, Drake, sharing the spotlight with his six-year-old son Adonis, who shows some proclivity for the family business in his own “My Man” freestyle:
Danny Brown announced the impending release of his album Quaranta with the tongue-in-cheek video for “Tantor”:
Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz finally dropped the first video from their long-awaited second collaborative album, Welcome 2 Collegrove, officially kicking off its rollout with......
by W. Okon
Afrobeats is one of the fastest-growing genres in the country. There are big names who have seen global success, but there are even more talented up-and-coming artists looking to achieve the same type of success. Finding those artists can be tough, but we’ve got you covered. Every week, we’ll share an update on the best new afrobeats songs you need to hear and hopefully, you can find someone new to add to your rotation.
Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:
Mannywellz & Pink Sweat$ — “Attention” & “Better With You”
Almost six months after his Don’t Tell Anyone EP,......
by ASH REED
Is a rapper’s talent learned ability or is it innate? While most would agree that rap is equal parts skill and art, one might surmise that the initial gift of rap is sparked by something greater – this is where astrology enters the chat.
There are obvious limitations of using purely sun sign based astrology to determine which artists are the most adept in their flow. Every person’s birth chart is differen’t, and there are often several aspects and configurations within it that can indicate artistic talent. One need look no further than a small sample size of rappers to realize that having a particular zodiac sign doesn’t preclude anyone from rap......
by RUTH HAWKINS
Jay Rock has set the record straight regarding the speculation surrounding the status of Top Dog Entertainment (TDE).
The L.A.-bred rhymer sat down for an interview with DJ Whoo Kid this week, where he was quizzed about the rumors of trouble in the West Coast label’s camp.
“People love starting rumors and spreading all type of, you know… I call it bad ink,” he replied. “Sometimes people like to write in bad ink, you feel me? Especially on blog sites and different internet things.
“But we all good, though. The family, TDE family, despite what everybody’s saying — the breakup......
by BERNADETTE GIACOMAZZO
Jim Jones heard what Dee-1 had to say about him, and other rappers, earlier this week — and he’s not too happy about it.
The Dipset capo stopped by Sway in the Morning on SiriusXM on Friday (November 10), where he shared his thoughts about the New Orleans rapper’s recent criticism of him.
“He could have reached out,” Jones said. “That avenue of talkin’ to me is out. You heard? I would have loved to have had a conversation with that young man to enlighten him on certain things when he was mentioning my name. I had the same conversation with [Louis]......
by A. Walker
Dame Dash has said he’s “happy” about Cam’ron and Ma$e rekindling their friendship and finding success together.
During a recent interview, the Roc-A-Fella co-founder reflected on previously managing the two Harlem rappers and praised their rapidly-rising sports talk show It Is What It Is.
“You know how happy that makes me? You know I used to manage them?” he said when asked about Cam and Ma$e’s repaired relationship. “To see this and them realize their potential, I always wanted them in front of cameras.
“Regardless of [bagging a bag], I’m just saying that they happy and that they finally gained the credit......
Born on this day in 1971 in Bronx, NY, Terror Squad lieutenant Christopher ‘Big Pun” Rios grew from an exceptional emcee that stood side to side by Fat Joe during his Jealous One’s Still Envy heyday to morphing into one of the game’s greatest lyricists of all time.
Big Punisher initially entered the rap game in the mid-80s as a member and founder of underground hip-hop collective Full-A-Clips and at the time, went under the moniker Big Moon Dawg, which was drawn from a famed pro wrestler with the same name. Recordings from the collective have been concealed and remain unreleased, but are known to be the earliest recordings of the late Puerto Rican......
by A. Williams
Make your predictions now, because the 2024 Grammy Awards nominations are being announced this week. Albums released from October 1, 2022, to September 15, 2023, are eligible, so fans of acts like Drake and Taylor Swift can’t help but hold their collective breath as they wait to see whether they’ll faves will secure nominations — and what awards they could be nominated for.
The announcements will be made on Friday, November 10. However, the Grammys website doesn’t have a specific time. Last year, the nominations began rolling out at around noon ET, so that’s probably a good time to look for them this year.
Earlier this year, the......
New York City is gearing up for a historic celebration as it pays tribute to RZA and the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. On November 9, 2023, the iconic Empire State Building will light up in Wu-Tang’s signature black and yellow colors, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the group’s seminal 1993 debut album, ‘Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).’ Mayor Eric Adams will also declare November 9th as “Wu-Tang Day” in the city, marking a momentous occasion for both hip-hop and New York.
A Musical Revolution
Back in 1993, Wu-Tang Clan exploded onto the music scene with their groundbreaking debut album, ‘Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).’ This......
