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The 2023 “BET Hip Hop Awards” and the premiere of docuseries “Welcome to Rap City” scored impressive delayed viewing, TheWrap can reveal exclusively.
As viewers tuned into the launch of the Tuesday, Oct. 10 awards ceremony across BET Her, MTV2, and VH1, and the original series across BET, BET Her and VH1, viewership for the night totaled nearly 2.4 million, according to Nielsen live-plus-three-day figures.
By itself, the “BET Hip Hop Awards,” which were hosted by Fat Joe, scored 953,000 total viewers across BET, BET Her, MTV2, and VH1, up 1% as compared to year-over-year total three-day viewership across the channels. The awards ceremony also secured a 0.69 rating in the 18-49 demo as it brought in 404,000 of those viewers.
On BET alone, the special event locked down 657,000 total viewers and a 0.53 rating in the 18-49 demo,...
The 2023 “BET Hip Hop Awards” and the premiere of docuseries “Welcome to Rap City” scored impressive delayed viewing, TheWrap can reveal exclusively.
As viewers tuned into the launch of the Tuesday, Oct. 10 awards ceremony across BET Her, MTV2, and VH1, and the original series across BET, BET Her and VH1, viewership for the night totaled nearly 2.4 million, according to Nielsen live-plus-three-day figures.
By itself, the “BET Hip Hop Awards,” which were hosted by Fat Joe, scored 953,000 total viewers across BET, BET Her, MTV2, and VH1, up 1% as compared to year-over-year total three-day viewership across the channels. The awards ceremony also secured a 0.69 rating in the 18-49 demo as it brought in 404,000 of those viewers.
On BET alone, the special event locked down 657,000 total viewers and a 0.53 rating in the 18-49 demo,...
- 10/20/2023
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
A week after BET brought hip hop’s best to the stage for its 18th Annual Hip Hop Awards, the network will celebrate 50 years of hip hop coast to coast with the broadcast of the ceremony this Tuesday, Oct. 10. Led by returning host and Grammy nominee Fat Joe, this year’s event will feature performances from DaBaby and more and appearances by pioneers including Jermaine Dupri, LL Cool J, and Ludacris. Hip hop’s best, including the co-lead nominees Cardi B and 21 Savage, battle it out for the top honors, including Hip Hop Artist of the Year. The 2023 Annual BET Hip Hop Award will have its broadcast premiere on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 9 p.m. Et on BET. You can watch BET with a 7-Day Free Trial of Philo. You can also watch with Directv Stream, Sling TV, Hulu Live TV, Fubo, or YouTube TV.
How to Watch 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards When: Tuesday,...
How to Watch 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards When: Tuesday,...
- 10/10/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Mass Appeal is teaming up with Live Nation and Yankee Stadium to celebrate hip-hop’s birthday. Billed as “on the day it began in the Bronx, where it all started,” the triumvirate will host Hip Hop 50 Live on Aug. 11. The star-studded lineup will feature sets from a slew of artists, including a headlining, guest-filled set from Run-d.M.C., whose performance is being billed as “Bottom of the 9th … the Walk-Off.”
“I am honored to hit the stage in the Bronx, the birthplace of hip-hop and celebrate all of my heroes,...
“I am honored to hit the stage in the Bronx, the birthplace of hip-hop and celebrate all of my heroes,...
- 6/5/2023
- by Andre Gee
- Rollingstone.com
Public Enemy’s Chuck D has sold a sizable chunk of his songwriting catalog to his longtime publisher, Reach Music.
Songwriting royalties are split in two — the writer share and the publisher share — and as part of this new deal, Reach Music has acquired 100 percent of Chuck D’s writer’s share in his publishing. The company has also purchased 50 percent of Chuck’s copyright interest in the publisher’s share (Chuck will hold on to the other half). A fee for the deal was not disclosed.
The sale doesn...
Songwriting royalties are split in two — the writer share and the publisher share — and as part of this new deal, Reach Music has acquired 100 percent of Chuck D’s writer’s share in his publishing. The company has also purchased 50 percent of Chuck’s copyright interest in the publisher’s share (Chuck will hold on to the other half). A fee for the deal was not disclosed.
The sale doesn...
- 9/13/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Kangol Kid, a member of the Brooklyn hip-hop group Utfo whose 1984 song “Roxanne, Roxanne” sparked a legendary rap rivalry, has died at the age of 55.
The emcee/producer born Shaun Fequiere’s death comes after he revealed he was battling stage 4 colon cancer; he was first diagnosed in February 2021; in late November, Kangol Kid shared a photo of his fellow rapper LL Cool J visiting him at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, where he recently underwent surgery.
“Please forgive me for not returning calls and more,” Kangol Kid wrote at the time.
The emcee/producer born Shaun Fequiere’s death comes after he revealed he was battling stage 4 colon cancer; he was first diagnosed in February 2021; in late November, Kangol Kid shared a photo of his fellow rapper LL Cool J visiting him at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, where he recently underwent surgery.
“Please forgive me for not returning calls and more,” Kangol Kid wrote at the time.
- 12/18/2021
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Damn, this one hurts. Lighters up for the hip-hop legend Biz Markie, the Diabolical One, the Inhuman Orchestra, one of the most universally beloved figures anywhere in the music world. The Biz was the class clown of old-school Eighties hip-hop, but he preferred the title of the Human Beatbox and Rap King. He brought his own kind of wild-style chaos to everything he did, a jester with soul, which is why he became the all-time champion of cameos — he made every song he touched better. When it came to freestyling,...
- 7/17/2021
- by Rob Sheffield
- Rollingstone.com
Biz Markie, the rapper, singer and actor behind the 1989 hit “Just a Friend,” died Friday in Baltimore. He was 57.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce, this evening, with his wife Tara by his side, hip hop pioneer Biz Markie peacefully passed away,” his rep Jenni Izumi said in a statement.
“We are grateful for the many calls and prayers of support that we have received during this difficult time. Biz created a legacy of artistry that will forever be celebrated by his industry peers and his beloved fans whose lives he was able to touch through music, spanning over 35 years. He leaves behind a wife, many family members and close friends who will miss his vibrant personality, constant jokes and frequent banter. We respectfully request privacy for his family as they mourn their loved one.”
He had been suffering from complications due to diabetes, according to TMZ.
Markie...
“It is with profound sadness that we announce, this evening, with his wife Tara by his side, hip hop pioneer Biz Markie peacefully passed away,” his rep Jenni Izumi said in a statement.
“We are grateful for the many calls and prayers of support that we have received during this difficult time. Biz created a legacy of artistry that will forever be celebrated by his industry peers and his beloved fans whose lives he was able to touch through music, spanning over 35 years. He leaves behind a wife, many family members and close friends who will miss his vibrant personality, constant jokes and frequent banter. We respectfully request privacy for his family as they mourn their loved one.”
He had been suffering from complications due to diabetes, according to TMZ.
Markie...
- 7/17/2021
- by Andrew Barker and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Biz Markie, the pioneering rapper, producer, and beatboxer whose jovial goofiness, boundless, off-kilter creativity and innovative music made him a singular presence in both hip-hop and pop culture at large, died Friday at the age of 57.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce, this evening, with his wife Tara by his side, hip hop pioneer Biz Markie peacefully passed away,” his rep Jenni Izumi said in a statement. “We are grateful for the many calls and prayers of support that we have received during this difficult time.
“Biz created...
“It is with profound sadness that we announce, this evening, with his wife Tara by his side, hip hop pioneer Biz Markie peacefully passed away,” his rep Jenni Izumi said in a statement. “We are grateful for the many calls and prayers of support that we have received during this difficult time.
“Biz created...
- 7/17/2021
- by Daniel Kreps and Jason Newman
- Rollingstone.com
Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon was among the hundreds of artists, writers, and industry insiders who took part in the vote that determined Rolling Stone’s all-new 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. Here, the rapper discusses the top 10 albums on his ballot, and how they informed his life and music — featuring classic LPs from his fellow Wu-Tang warriors, the Notorious B.I.G., Keith Sweat, Mary J. Blige, and more. (Go here to read the complete list of 500 Greatest Albums voters and learn more about how the current ranking was assembled.
- 10/29/2020
- by Simon Vozick-Levinson
- Rollingstone.com
30 years later, 1988 still stands as rap’s greatest year. The lyrical molotovs of ‘Nation of Millions’ and ‘Straight Outta Compton, the post-modern (and pre-lawsuit) free-for-all of sampling, the national spotlight of a new show called ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ and much more. To celebrate 30 years, Rolling Stone’s Best of ’88 explores the 10 greatest songs from those explosive 12 months. See our previous entries on Rob Base and D.J. E-z Rock, Epmd, Run-dmc, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Slick Rick and Mc Lyte.
In only his third year of hip-hop fame, Marcel “Biz Markie” Hall...
In only his third year of hip-hop fame, Marcel “Biz Markie” Hall...
- 12/12/2018
- by Christopher R. Weingarten
- Rollingstone.com
2017 Sundance favorite “Roxanne Roxanne” is finally getting a worldwide release. Soon after star Chanté Adams won the festival’s Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance, Neon acquired the feature for $3 million. However, it’s now making its debut on Netflix instead.
Read More:Sundance 2017 Reality Check: How the Big Deals Did at the Box Office
Set in Queens during the ’80s, the second feature from “Cronies” writer-director Michael J. Larnell charts the rise of real-life teenage rap prodigy Lolita “Roxanne Shanté” Gooden. With help from producer Marley Marl, Gooden wrote her first hit, “Roxanne’s Revenge,” a track some say was freestyled between laundry loads (it was later captured in a single take). The song was a response to U.T.F.O.’s “Roxanne, Roxanne” — which criticized a woman named Roxanne — and was ranked number 84 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the greatest songs in hip-hop history. Gooden went on...
Read More:Sundance 2017 Reality Check: How the Big Deals Did at the Box Office
Set in Queens during the ’80s, the second feature from “Cronies” writer-director Michael J. Larnell charts the rise of real-life teenage rap prodigy Lolita “Roxanne Shanté” Gooden. With help from producer Marley Marl, Gooden wrote her first hit, “Roxanne’s Revenge,” a track some say was freestyled between laundry loads (it was later captured in a single take). The song was a response to U.T.F.O.’s “Roxanne, Roxanne” — which criticized a woman named Roxanne — and was ranked number 84 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the greatest songs in hip-hop history. Gooden went on...
- 2/22/2018
- by Jenna Marotta
- Indiewire
Back in the early 80s, one of the most feared battle rappers in the cradle of hip-hop, Queens, New York, was a 14-year-old girl.
The incredible and little-known true story behind Lolita “Roxanne Shanté” Gooden is now coming to the big screen, and People has the exclusive first trailer for the upcoming Netflix original.
The film was screened last year at the Sundance Film Festival, where Chanté Adams, who plays Shantê, won the festival’s Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance. Moonlight Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali and Nia Long also star in the biopic.
Shantê’s career kicked off after meeting fellow rapper Tyrone Williams,...
The incredible and little-known true story behind Lolita “Roxanne Shanté” Gooden is now coming to the big screen, and People has the exclusive first trailer for the upcoming Netflix original.
The film was screened last year at the Sundance Film Festival, where Chanté Adams, who plays Shantê, won the festival’s Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance. Moonlight Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali and Nia Long also star in the biopic.
Shantê’s career kicked off after meeting fellow rapper Tyrone Williams,...
- 2/22/2018
- by Mike Miller
- PEOPLE.com
Back in the early 80s, one of the most feared battle rappers in the cradle of hip-hop, Queens, New York, was a 14-year-old girl.
The incredible and little-known true story behind Lolita “Roxanne Shanté” Gooden is now coming to the big screen, and People has the exclusive first trailer for the upcoming Netflix original.
The film was screened last year at the Sundance Film Festival, where Chanté Adams, who plays Shantê, won the festival’s Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance. Moonlight Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali and Nia Long also star in the biopic.
Shantê’s career kicked off after meeting fellow rapper Tyrone Williams,...
The incredible and little-known true story behind Lolita “Roxanne Shanté” Gooden is now coming to the big screen, and People has the exclusive first trailer for the upcoming Netflix original.
The film was screened last year at the Sundance Film Festival, where Chanté Adams, who plays Shantê, won the festival’s Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance. Moonlight Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali and Nia Long also star in the biopic.
Shantê’s career kicked off after meeting fellow rapper Tyrone Williams,...
- 2/22/2018
- by Mike Miller
- PEOPLE.com
Marlon Wayans has had a lengthy and successful career, including “Scary Movie” and the recent Netflix romantic comedy “Naked,” but he still feels that the industry has a ways to go regarding diversity. “I encourage people to write and create and produce, and not to sit around waiting on jobs,” he told TheWrap. “We’ve got to create jobs. We have to do more. I don’t think diversity’s there yet — we’re far from it.” Wayans’ latest creation is the sitcom “Marlon,” based on his own life, which premieres tonight on NBC. The actor plays Marlon Williams, a divorced dad of two.
- 8/17/2017
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Wrap
Empire picked up right where it left off at the end of the first half of this season in December, with a few additional plot details. Empire Season 3, Episode 10 Recap: ‘Sound and Fury’ Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) launches a new album/project called ‘Inferno,’ citing two albums from famous hip-hop stars, Marley Marl’s ‘In Control’ and ex-nwa member Dr. Dre’s ‘The […]
Source: uInterview
The post ‘Empire’ Season 3, Episode 10 Recap: Jamal Escapes Rehab, Cookie Destroys Empire With Bat appeared first on uInterview.
Source: uInterview
The post ‘Empire’ Season 3, Episode 10 Recap: Jamal Escapes Rehab, Cookie Destroys Empire With Bat appeared first on uInterview.
- 3/23/2017
- by Pablo Mena
- Uinterview
Just paid tribute to late/great #BiggieSmalls on House flr. Gone but never forgotten. #WhereBrooklynAt @OmariHardwick @diddy @MichaelSkolnik pic.twitter.com/2QaXOkmJdp
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) March 10, 2017
Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) paid tribute to legendary rapper Notorious B.I.G., on the 20th anniversary of the musician’s death.
On Thursday, the Brooklyn native recited the lyrics of the classic 1194 song “Juicy” alongside a printed portrait of Biggie Smalls on the House Floor.
“It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! magazine / Salt-n-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine / Hangin’ pictures on my wall / Every Saturday Rap Attack,...
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) March 10, 2017
Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) paid tribute to legendary rapper Notorious B.I.G., on the 20th anniversary of the musician’s death.
On Thursday, the Brooklyn native recited the lyrics of the classic 1194 song “Juicy” alongside a printed portrait of Biggie Smalls on the House Floor.
“It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! magazine / Salt-n-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine / Hangin’ pictures on my wall / Every Saturday Rap Attack,...
- 3/10/2017
- by Karen Mizoguchi
- PEOPLE.com
A few hours before their “homecoming” concert in Queensbridge Park last Thursday night, Prodigy and Havoc, the two halves who make up the whole of the rap group Mobb Deep, were philosophizing as to why “The Qb,” which is what the giant public-housing project adjacent to the park is often called, has produced so many hip-hoppers. It is a roster that includes the great Nas, Capone (of Capone-n-Noreaga), Marley Marl, Roxanne Shanté, and Mobb Deep itself, whose 1995 album The Infamous is considered a classic of hard-core urbanity, a formidable East Coast response to Dr. Dre’s immortal Cali-based The Chronic. The Qb’s fecundity was a product of “time, space, and motion,” said Prodigy, the erstwhile boy genius who, like his equally diminutive partner (neither tops five foot six), turns 40 this year. Much is owed to the Queens housing project’s sheer size, said Prodigy; it was the biggest one...
- 7/19/2014
- by Mark Jacobson
- Vulture
It may have been the most New York moment in years.
Robert De Niro, onstage Wednesday night at the Beacon Theatre, introduced Time Is Illmatic, the new documentary on Nas' 1994 landmark debut Illmatic, to kick off the Tribeca Film Festival. "Twenty years ago, I would've been 20 years too old for this music," quipped the actor and festival co-founder to a boisterous crowd of fans, media and seemingly every important hip-hop figure in mid-Nineties New York.
Nas: My Life in 20 Songs
Unlike music docs that attempt to deify or elevate the obscure — Anvil,...
Robert De Niro, onstage Wednesday night at the Beacon Theatre, introduced Time Is Illmatic, the new documentary on Nas' 1994 landmark debut Illmatic, to kick off the Tribeca Film Festival. "Twenty years ago, I would've been 20 years too old for this music," quipped the actor and festival co-founder to a boisterous crowd of fans, media and seemingly every important hip-hop figure in mid-Nineties New York.
Nas: My Life in 20 Songs
Unlike music docs that attempt to deify or elevate the obscure — Anvil,...
- 4/17/2014
- Rollingstone.com
Female Rappers have existed as long as Hip Hop itself but it took a while for them to be established on the scene. Roxanne Shante was one of the first female rappers to score success back in 1984 during the Roxanne Wars between Utfo and DJ Marley Marl. I think she really set the bar for female rappers in terms of quality of rapping.
Once considered rare and exotic, female MCs are plentiful in rap now and my top 10 Female Rappers can hold their own with any male rapper out there. New and exciting female artists are emerging on the scene all the time and adding spice to the world of Hip Hop. I have compiled for you a list of who I think are the best female rappers who have worked in the industry. If I have forgotten any of your personal favourites please drop me a line in the comment box below.
Once considered rare and exotic, female MCs are plentiful in rap now and my top 10 Female Rappers can hold their own with any male rapper out there. New and exciting female artists are emerging on the scene all the time and adding spice to the world of Hip Hop. I have compiled for you a list of who I think are the best female rappers who have worked in the industry. If I have forgotten any of your personal favourites please drop me a line in the comment box below.
- 3/26/2013
- by Clare Simpson
- Obsessed with Film
For fans of hip-hop it looks like the one documentary to rule them all is arriving this summer. Ice-t premiered Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap at Sundance this year to solid reviews and now the first trailer has arrived today. It looks to be a comprehensive look at not only the history of the genre, but its personal connection with today’s (and yesterday’s) greatest artists. The doc features (drumroll, please) Afrika Bambaataa, Big Daddy Kane, B-Real, Bun B, Chino Xl, Common, DJ Premier, Dmc, Doug E. Fresh, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Grandmaster Caz, Ice Cube, Immortal Technique, Joe Budden, Kanye West, Kool Keith, Krs-One, Lord Finesse, Lord Jamar, Marley Marl, Mc Lyte, Melle Mel, Nas, Puerto Rico, Q-Tip, Raekwon, Rakim and Ras Kass. Check it out below via Apple.
Synopsis:
Ice-t takes us on an intimate journey into the heart and soul of hip-hop with the legends of rap music.
Synopsis:
Ice-t takes us on an intimate journey into the heart and soul of hip-hop with the legends of rap music.
- 4/13/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
From a Run-d.M.C. classic to raps with not-so-merry sentiments, here's MTV News' nontraditional playlist.
By Rob Markman
Kanye West
Photo: Ben Hider/Getty Images
Sure, Michael Bublé and Justin Bieber are the current Christmas crown holders, but what if your yuletide tastes require a harder edge? While rappers aren't exactly known for spreading holiday cheer, hip-hop has given fans plenty of rap carols. Run-d.M.C.'s 1987 classic "Christmas in Hollis" may be the most-popular, but new-schoolers like Ludacris and Kanye West have kept rap's Xmas tradition alive.
If you've grown tired of listening to Nat King Cole's 1946 "The Christmas Song" or even Mariah Carey's more recent 1994 hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You," MTV News has compiled a 12-song playlist of rap's best Christmas-themed hits.
"Christmas in Hollis," Run-d.M.C.
No doubt the greatest rap carol ever recorded, this 1987 classic found Run and partner-in-rhyme D.
By Rob Markman
Kanye West
Photo: Ben Hider/Getty Images
Sure, Michael Bublé and Justin Bieber are the current Christmas crown holders, but what if your yuletide tastes require a harder edge? While rappers aren't exactly known for spreading holiday cheer, hip-hop has given fans plenty of rap carols. Run-d.M.C.'s 1987 classic "Christmas in Hollis" may be the most-popular, but new-schoolers like Ludacris and Kanye West have kept rap's Xmas tradition alive.
If you've grown tired of listening to Nat King Cole's 1946 "The Christmas Song" or even Mariah Carey's more recent 1994 hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You," MTV News has compiled a 12-song playlist of rap's best Christmas-themed hits.
"Christmas in Hollis," Run-d.M.C.
No doubt the greatest rap carol ever recorded, this 1987 classic found Run and partner-in-rhyme D.
- 12/24/2011
- MTV Music News
'All his verses on the album, it sounds like you're getting smacked upside the head,' producer tells Mixtape Daily.
By Rob Markman
Nas
Photo: C Flanigan/ Getty Images
Behind the Beats: Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi and Nas didn't start out as buddies, but some things are just meant to be.
By the time Nas was putting out his classic rap LP Illmatic, Salaam was separately making his mark, already having produced for seminal hip-hop star Kurtis Blow at the age of 14. Though they hailed from the same Queens, New York, neighborhood and ran in similar circles, Nas and Salaam didn't hook up until 2001, when Nas requested a beat from Remi for his Stillmatic LP.
Now, 10 years later, he and Nas are still at it, working on God's Son's upcoming 10th solo studio album.
"Life is different, and at this point, life is good and dudes is looking younger now...
By Rob Markman
Nas
Photo: C Flanigan/ Getty Images
Behind the Beats: Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi and Nas didn't start out as buddies, but some things are just meant to be.
By the time Nas was putting out his classic rap LP Illmatic, Salaam was separately making his mark, already having produced for seminal hip-hop star Kurtis Blow at the age of 14. Though they hailed from the same Queens, New York, neighborhood and ran in similar circles, Nas and Salaam didn't hook up until 2001, when Nas requested a beat from Remi for his Stillmatic LP.
Now, 10 years later, he and Nas are still at it, working on God's Son's upcoming 10th solo studio album.
"Life is different, and at this point, life is good and dudes is looking younger now...
- 11/18/2011
- MTV Music News
"You're just a butter knife — I'm a machete!" So rapped Antonio Monterio Hardy (better known in the hip-hop world as Big Daddy Kane) on "Ain't No Half-Steppin'" (a classic tune from his 1988 debut Long Live the Kane). While just about every rapper boasts about his or her abilities on the microphone, Kane was the real deal. His smooth, bombastic style bridged the gap between the old school cats and the next generation of rappers.
If there was one year that saw hip-hop really explode, it was 1988. While rap music had slowly been insinuating its way into the mainstream since the release of Run-d.M.C.'s Raising Hell in 1986, the 12 months that made up '88 saw a handful of rap records perform well commercially but also found many groups reaching their artistic apex. Hip-hop was finally coming into its own, both as a commercially viable brand of music and as a true envelope-pushing art form.
If there was one year that saw hip-hop really explode, it was 1988. While rap music had slowly been insinuating its way into the mainstream since the release of Run-d.M.C.'s Raising Hell in 1986, the 12 months that made up '88 saw a handful of rap records perform well commercially but also found many groups reaching their artistic apex. Hip-hop was finally coming into its own, both as a commercially viable brand of music and as a true envelope-pushing art form.
- 12/28/2010
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
Countdown: The 18 Best Summer Songs of All TimeCountdown: The 18 Best Summer Songs of All TimeEvery summer has a story. And if every summer has a story, every story has a soundtrack.The songs that make us relive the memories ingrained from living through our best summers.Songs that unquestionably evoke feelings of the scorching hot days, the light breezes throughout the night.Having no where to be, and trying to do everything you can.Family cookouts filled with food, and drinking sangria on a porch with friends.The smell of fresh mowed grass, and chlorine wafting up from the pool.The sound of an air conditioner on its last leg, and the sight of kids running passionately to an to ice cream truck. Each of the four seasons has inspired its own songs, but none so much as the season that begins in late June.We put together all the...
- 7/27/2010
- Essence
By Jayson Rodriguez
"Every Saturday 'Rap Attack,' Mr. Magic, Marley Marl ..." — Notorious B.I.G., "Juicy"
Biggie immortalized him in rhyme, but by the time the Brooklyn Mc name-checked Mr. Magic on 1994's Ready to Die, the DJ was already a living legend. It was confirmed today that Mr. Magic passed away after suffering a heart attack. (At press time it was unknown how old he was.)
Magic, born John Rivas, was a pioneer in hip-hop and made his mark as the first DJ to host a mixshow hour on commercial radio, which was revolutionary in the early 1980s but as common as a rap CD with a "Parental Advisory" sticker on it today. Back in 1982 when Mr. Magic, along with Marley Marl as his DJ and Tyrone "Fly Ty" Williams as co-producer, kick-started "Rap Attack," the program's launch was arguably as significant to music history as when the Moonman planted...
"Every Saturday 'Rap Attack,' Mr. Magic, Marley Marl ..." — Notorious B.I.G., "Juicy"
Biggie immortalized him in rhyme, but by the time the Brooklyn Mc name-checked Mr. Magic on 1994's Ready to Die, the DJ was already a living legend. It was confirmed today that Mr. Magic passed away after suffering a heart attack. (At press time it was unknown how old he was.)
Magic, born John Rivas, was a pioneer in hip-hop and made his mark as the first DJ to host a mixshow hour on commercial radio, which was revolutionary in the early 1980s but as common as a rap CD with a "Parental Advisory" sticker on it today. Back in 1982 when Mr. Magic, along with Marley Marl as his DJ and Tyrone "Fly Ty" Williams as co-producer, kick-started "Rap Attack," the program's launch was arguably as significant to music history as when the Moonman planted...
- 10/2/2009
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
More than a decade after the first Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, the Chef has a reason to celebrate.
Littles and Raekwon at his <i>Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II</i> album-release party
Photo: Jerritt Clark/ Getty Images
New York — Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon the Chef will be forever lauded, not just because of his lyrical exploits on proper Wu-Tang Clan LPs, but because his solo debut, 1995's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx is one of the greatest rap albums ever.
But nostalgia can only take you so far; you have to live in the here and now eventually. Over a decade later, Raekwon finds himself a relevant Mc again after cooking up that great product once more. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II was released on Tuesday, and some have already certified the album as a classic. With RZA sharing production with J. Dilla, Dr. Dre and others, and the Chef opening up the recording session to Beanie Sigel,...
Littles and Raekwon at his <i>Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II</i> album-release party
Photo: Jerritt Clark/ Getty Images
New York — Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon the Chef will be forever lauded, not just because of his lyrical exploits on proper Wu-Tang Clan LPs, but because his solo debut, 1995's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx is one of the greatest rap albums ever.
But nostalgia can only take you so far; you have to live in the here and now eventually. Over a decade later, Raekwon finds himself a relevant Mc again after cooking up that great product once more. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II was released on Tuesday, and some have already certified the album as a classic. With RZA sharing production with J. Dilla, Dr. Dre and others, and the Chef opening up the recording session to Beanie Sigel,...
- 9/9/2009
- MTV Music News
Chef says he's contemplating Young Jeezy for part three, in Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid
Raekwon, Mobb Deep and Nas
Photo: Loud
Cornerstone Credentials We heard the album last night, son. Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II is a certified gem. That very last song on the LP, "Kiss the Ring," is amazing. He's has those mafia war stories, the sharp wordplay, Wu-Bangers and even some Dr. Dre G-Funk. What the Chef was unable to get was Nas. One of the main show-stealers from the original Only Built 4 Cuban Linx never gave Rae a verse for the new LP. So much for nostalgia.
"He committed to it," Rae told Mixtape Daily. "I knew dude be busy. However it goes down, it's cool with me. My thing is, I sacrificed to even ask because of the fans. But if dudes be too busy in their own minds, they don't have to do it.
By Shaheem Reid
Raekwon, Mobb Deep and Nas
Photo: Loud
Cornerstone Credentials We heard the album last night, son. Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II is a certified gem. That very last song on the LP, "Kiss the Ring," is amazing. He's has those mafia war stories, the sharp wordplay, Wu-Bangers and even some Dr. Dre G-Funk. What the Chef was unable to get was Nas. One of the main show-stealers from the original Only Built 4 Cuban Linx never gave Rae a verse for the new LP. So much for nostalgia.
"He committed to it," Rae told Mixtape Daily. "I knew dude be busy. However it goes down, it's cool with me. My thing is, I sacrificed to even ask because of the fans. But if dudes be too busy in their own minds, they don't have to do it.
- 8/27/2009
- MTV Music News
While Krs-One in no way defines the new Heavyweight Dub Champion record, Rise of the Champion Nation, his contribution to three tracks deserves special consideration. The man is a pioneer in the hip-hop industry, and he continues to put forth excellent material: 2007's Hip-Hop Lives with Marley Marl but one example, with the following year's Adventures in Emceein' being another. He's stumbled over hurdles before (Spiritual Minded exemplified his preachy tendencies), but here he clears them easily. The bridge he's over. All in all it's a simple formula: Krs connects. He's got the bravado of Guru and the political awareness of Chuck D, though those two have faltered over the past years, relying on previous fame without the beats to back them up. Yet the man once called Lawrence Krishna Parker (Kris Parker for short) is best when observing and not...
- 3/25/2009
- by Derek Beres
- Huffington Post
Hip-hop veteran Kl from rap group Screwball has died after suffering an asthma attack.
The H-o-s-t-y-l-e hitmaker - real name Kenny Lou - passed away on 28 March following complications from the respiratory condition.
Lou, known for his aggressive rhyming style, worked with some of hip-hop's top producers as part of Screwball, including Pete Rock and Marley Marl.
Most recently, he appeared on Molemen's 2006 album Killing Fields on the song Street Conflict, alongside rapper Cormega.
The H-o-s-t-y-l-e hitmaker - real name Kenny Lou - passed away on 28 March following complications from the respiratory condition.
Lou, known for his aggressive rhyming style, worked with some of hip-hop's top producers as part of Screwball, including Pete Rock and Marley Marl.
Most recently, he appeared on Molemen's 2006 album Killing Fields on the song Street Conflict, alongside rapper Cormega.
- 4/2/2008
- WENN
Legendary hip-hop group the Juice Crew are set to reunite for the first time in more than a decade at an Atlanta, Georgia music festival later this month.
The New York rap pioneers will make history at the A3C Hip Hop Festival when Big Daddy Kane, Marley Marl, Biz Markie, Mc Shan, Craig G and Roxanne Shante reform on stage on 21 March - almost 15 years since they last performed together.
But Brian Knott, the festival founder, claims the reunion has been in the works for months.
He says, "We've been working on this literally since November. It's incredible to think that artists like Pete Rock, Biggie and countless other Hip Hop figures have cited the Juice Crew as primary influences and they're going to reunite at the A3C this year."
The Juice Crew will join a line-up including Little Brother, Re-up Gang/Clipse, Jeru The Damaja, Akrobatik and Del Tha Funkyhomosapien.
The New York rap pioneers will make history at the A3C Hip Hop Festival when Big Daddy Kane, Marley Marl, Biz Markie, Mc Shan, Craig G and Roxanne Shante reform on stage on 21 March - almost 15 years since they last performed together.
But Brian Knott, the festival founder, claims the reunion has been in the works for months.
He says, "We've been working on this literally since November. It's incredible to think that artists like Pete Rock, Biggie and countless other Hip Hop figures have cited the Juice Crew as primary influences and they're going to reunite at the A3C this year."
The Juice Crew will join a line-up including Little Brother, Re-up Gang/Clipse, Jeru The Damaja, Akrobatik and Del Tha Funkyhomosapien.
- 3/10/2008
- WENN
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