hip hop

Big L was a New York ‘representer’ straight from the danger zone of Harlem, and in the words of my father, who hung out with the young Lamont Coleman in the 90’s: “Big L was a charismatic and cool cat back then.

Detroit rap group Slum Village has certainly endured a lot in its 18 years. Members have tragically passed on, while others have left the group for various reasons. T3 is the only original member left. But despite all that; the veteran rap group personifies Detroit hip-hop.

People do not like change. Music fans, especially. When the use of Auto-Tune exploded in the mid-2000s, many were skeptical. Today, many still are. Since its creation in 1997, Auto-Tune has crept its way into virtually every genre of music, most notably Hip-hop/R&B.

Back in October we decided to comb through the interwebs and provide you with a gallery of twenty vintage photos of some of your favorite rap legends together.

Azealia Banks is back at it again. She knows exactly what buttons to push to make controversy on Twitter. Following her recent rant against Universal Records, where she begged someone from Sony to take over her deal, she's been on Twitter today declaring herself as the best female rapper in the game.

Many emcees (especially those in the limelight) display an appreciation for the finer things in life, and art is no exception. Although a less common source of inspiration, you will catch the occasional fine art reference in rap music, Jay Z's "Picasso Baby" being only the most recent example.

Graffiti is obviously a staple to the hip-hop culture, but artwork in general is just as important.

2013 saw many breakout stars. From Chance The Rapper, to Jhene Aiko, to Rich Homie Quan, it was more difficult than ever to predict who would rise to fame at any given moment. 

Watch Reks talk DJ Premier, the Boston hip-hop scene and more:

There are plenty of rap magazines that have gone and went through out hip-hop's 40 years, but there are also several mainstays in the culture. Magazines like Rap Sheet and The Source were some of the first to ever do it, starting out as simple newsletters and developing into something much more.

Miley Cyrus seems to have adopted hip-hop for herself, and now it looks like her father Billy Ray Cyrus is following in her footsteps. We regret to inform you that Billy Ray has recorded a "hip-hop version" of his 1993 single "Achy Breaky Heart."

As reported by HipHopWired and The New York Daily News, hip-hop forefathers Afrika Bambaataa, Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz and Grand Wizzard Theodore have come together to raise funds for the new "Windows Of Hip-Hop" art campus in New York City's Bronx borough, the undisputed birthplace of the genre.

We've officially wrapped up a big year for the genre we all love-- new albums from Jay Z, Kanye West, Pusha T, Mac Miller, Drake, Juicy J (and the list goes on), only made 2013 that much sweeter.

In a recent interview with Bulgarian urban media outlet 359HipHop, DMX discussed his legal troubles, Eminem's "Rap God" status, the evolution of the game and his aspiration to eventually become a pastor (not a priest).

Watch DMX discuss Eminem, hip-hop and becoming a pastor:

As reported by Billboard, 2013 was the first year that saw a decrease in overall digital music sales since the iTunes store opened in the U.S. in 2001.