by ANDRE ELLINGTON
Lupe Fiasco is set to be named 2023 Rap Laureate at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. library in Washington, D.C. on behalf of Words, Beats & Life.
The non-profit announced that Lupe Fiasco will receive the honor on Saturday (April 8) during the Remixing the Art of Social Change conference at the prestigious library. It comes alongside the launch of new publication The Rap Laureate.
The publication will focus on honoring Hip Hop culture while educating youth from all walks of life and help bridge the gap between Hip Hop and academics.
For the inaugural issue of The Rap Laureate, co-writers Dr. Jason Nichols and......
by MARK ELIBERT
Meek Mill has revealed he continually reminds himself of his “cornrow Meek” days to keep himself motivated.
The Dream Chasers boss posted a photo on Instagram on Tuesday (March 21) showing him in the studio watching an old video of himself on the TV.
In his caption, the Philly native said turning back the clock and revisiting footage of when he was “broke” keeps the fire in his belly lit.
“I watch myself broke so I can regain that same feel I felt when I was hitttttt,” he wrote.
Prior to signing to Rick Ross’ MMG and becoming the star that fans know today, Meek Mill made a name for himself as......
by RUTH HAWKINS
Pete Rock has thrown a little shade in the direction of today’s Hip Hop producers for not being creative enough when it comes to digging for samples.
Rock has long established himself as one of Hip Hop’s most prolific producers — alongside the likes of DJ Premier, RZA, Q-Tip and J Dilla. And, as half of Pete Rock & CL Smooth, the Bronx native became a pioneer of sorts of the 1990s East Coast sound due to his partiality for sampling heavy, jazz-infused beats alongside numerous iconic collaborations with artists from Redman and Run-DMC to Skyzoo and Kanye West.
But on Thursday (March......
by ANDRE ELLINGTON
Diddy isn’t rushing to sell his music catalog like many of his contemporaries have done in recent months — that’s according to one of his business partners.
In a recent interview with Trapital’s Dan Runcie, Combs Enterprises President Tarik Brooks spoke about Diddy’s choice to hold onto his music instead of auctioning off arguably his greatest financial asset.
“For us, we’re in no rush to get rid of a portfolio that could be a part of music’s evolution,” Brooks stated. “Who knows how you think about those assets in the future?”
He continued: “We......
by TAI SAINT-LOUIS
Tracey Lee has pointed that the connection between JAY-Z‘s 2003 single “What More Can I Say” and his own 1997 hit “Keep Your Hands High” has never been properly acknowledged.
Hip Hop fans familiar with the older track — which features an early posthumous appearance by The Notorious B.I.G. — are likely already aware that the two songs share a very recognizable horn sample from MFSB’s “Something For Nothing,” which was released in 1973.
More astute listeners are also aware that Hov’s lyrical homage to Biggie on his song — “So them rings and......
by TAI SAINT-LOUIS
Bumpy Knuckles has called out “culture vultures” for creating a level of division within Hip Hop that he feels threatens to destroy the genre.
The Long Island rapper offered his critique in a lengthy Instagram caption alongside the audio from his song “Legends,” which features on his 2018 project Pop Dukes. Echoing the track’s spoken intro, the post highlighted a lack of reverence for Hip Hop pioneers as one of the main sources of division in the culture.
Bumpy Knuckles wrote that he feels the growing age gap between the current generation of rappers and their predecessors is also impacting the celebration......
by ALEXIS OATMAN
50 Cent has reached the mediation stage of the $1billion lawsuit filed against him by an ex-drug lord over his Power series.
According to AllHipHop, it looks like the Queens-bred mogul will face off with former drug kingpin Corey “Ghost” Holland Sr. in May, when the pair are scheduled to appear at a mediation conference together.
In 2021, Holland filed a lawsuit that alleged 50 Cent and fellow executive producer Courtney Kemp stole the idea for Power from his actual life. Reportedly, Holland’s relationship with Kemp’s father stretches back to the 1990s.
He claims that......
By Devin
Can’t stop, won’t stop.
Sean “Diddy” Combs is looking to make a major play in the media space and buy an ownership stake in BET amid reports that its current owner Paramount Global is exploring a sale.
A source close to Diddy tells Variety that the billionaire mogul is “exploring the opportunity to purchase BET as a part of his strategy to build a Black-owned global media powerhouse.”
Most importantly, Diddy wants to return BET to being a Black-owned brand, which he believes is “better for the business, for the culture and for building wealth in the Black community.” He intends to create a collective of high-powered......
by RUTH HAWKINS
Melle Mel has had a lot to say regarding the state of Hip Hop — both past and present — this time, revealing which rappers he believes were better suited as actors, than rappers.
In the latest segment from his conversation with The Art of Dialogue, the legendary Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five rapper suggested that the secret to becoming a successful actor — much like rapping — is to adopt a persona.
But he didn’t stop there. According to Melle Mel, some of Hip Hop’s legends were better actors than they ever were lyricists.
“I thought 2Pac was a better actor than he was a rapper.......
by Michelle Nati
Kendrick Lamar's net worth is a whopping $75 million. After only a decade in the spotlight, this American rapper, producer and songwriter has been called the voice of his generation.
Lamar's Early Days in Compton
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth was born on June 17, 1987. Before his birth, his parents moved from Chicago to the Los Angeles area. Named after Eddie Kendricks of the Temptations (who later had a solo hit with "Keep On Truckin'" in 1974), Lamar was a good student who showed an early talent in writing poetry and stories.
Lamar grew up in Compton and saw plenty of violence in his neighborhood. He witnessed two murders by the time he was 10, and many of......
