THROWBACK

Shawty Lo unexpectedly passed away last Wednesday from injuries sustained in a single-car accident that occurred while he was driving home from the club with two women.

That Wale is signed to Maybach Music Group, the gaudiest label in all the land, belies his humble origins as a first-generation Nigerian-American whose bold, lyrical, heavily go-go-flavored style bridged the gap between backpacker and radio rap and became an i

As cool as rappers may seem to you now, there was a time when your favorite spitter was in high school, and as dope as they may have seen themselves, we're certain that each one of them dealt with some serious haters.

In 1997, a 20-year-old 2 Chainz, then known as Tity Boi, formed a rap duo Playaz Circle with his friend Dolla Boy. They released their debut album United We Stand, United We Fall, which is now virtually unavailable online.

Wiz Khalifa was 16-year-old student at Pittsburgh's Taylor Allderdice High School when he attracted the attention of Rostrum Records president Benjy Grinberg.

Nipsey Hussle's Slauson Boy Vol. 2 mixtape arrived two weeks ago and eleven years after his debut mixtape Slauson Boy Vol. 1. Now 31 years of age, Nipsey is no longer the swaggering Snoop Dogg disciple of yore.

"I miss the sweet Kanye, chop up the beats Kanye" - Kanye ***

This past Monday marked the one-year anniversary of the death of Sean Price.

It wasn't until the latter half of the '90s, when he changed labels from Death Row to No Limit, that Snoop Doggy Dogg shortened his name to "Snoop Dogg." Snoop was something of a phenomenon when he arrived on the scene in '92, an ultra laidback, weed-toking Cr

Tory Lanez's debut album I Told You is due out August 19. Let's take a moment to look back on Lanez's career to date.

Before A$AP Mob came to power, Harlem was once ruled by a crew known as The Diplomats.

ScHoolboy Q benefited early in his career from his association with Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, and Ab-Soul.

Between 2009 and 2013, YG released five mixtapes: 4Fingaz, The Real 4Fingaz, Just Re’d Up, 4Hunnid Degreez, & Just Re’d Up 2. There was also a joint mixtape with Ty Dolla $ign and Bobby Brackins called Young and Hung...over.

Gucci Mane's freedom after a 39-month stint in jail has been more glorious than anyone could possibly have imagined.

DJ Khaled's stock was at a low when he released his widely-planned album I Changed a Lot last October. (It was evident that he had not changed at all. As this article will demonstrate.

It's difficult now to believe that not long ago, Meek Mil was one of the most respected emcees in the game.

R Kelly is 49 years old and still obsessed with sex. Look no further than the cunnilingus-referencing title of his newest album The Buffet.

Proof was two albums into a promising solo career when Mario Ethridge shot and killed him during an argument over a game of billiards in 2006. He was a childhood friend of Eminem, member of D12, and author of unimpeachable rhymes.

The Big Tymers released their last album thirteen years ago. But Mannie Fresh and Birdman are still the golden standard of strictly-for-stuntin' music. Evidence: the hook on Nef the Pharaoh's breakout hit "Big Tymin'":

Beyonce, 34, has been a member of R&B royalty for nearly twenty years -- ever since Destiny’s Child released its self-titled debut album in 1998.

Ever since Nicki Minaj released Pink Friday in 2010, she has been one of the most unstoppable forces in the game. She's had 13 platinum singles as the lead artist and another 12 platinum singles as featured artist.

When's the last time you heard it like this? You may still bump Pusha T on the daily (No Malice too, no shade there), but there was something extremely special about the chemistry between Push and his brother No Malice.

Madlib is one of the great hip hop producers of the modern age. His dedication to music, whether it be jazz, soul, R&B, funk, world or hip hop, is second-to-none. If you've ever given one of his mixes a listen, you'll know that he has deep cuts for days.

We've given you the deep cuts and we've given you the singles, but what about those features? As one of the most notorious hip hop artists ever, Kanye West has done it all. And that includes a boatload of features. 

As one of the great emcees of all time, Nas has released 11 studio albums over the course of his career. His debut, Illmatic, is almost unanimously considered one of greatest rap records ever made.

Aaliyah Dana Haughton passed away on August 25, 2001, and her legacy still lives on a decade and a half later. She has influenced countless artists, from Drake to Rihanna, with her fantastic body of work.

Rihanna scored yet another #1 single with "Work" recently. The Drake-assisted cut borrows some island flavor and Boi-1da production to create a scintillating pop-R&B-hip-hop crossover hit.

About ten years ago, it seemed like Lupe Fiasco was going to be the next great force in hip hop music. In 2006 he released the great Food & Liquor, and followed it up in '07 with the equally awesome The Cool.