Hip-Hop and Rap

Hood Internet: Show Preview

Before Hip-Hop Squares: Eight Links Between Rap Music and TV Game Shows

A game show that people have ever cared about -- even a little bit -- can go down, but it will never truly be out. Know the Dick Clark version of Pyramid that started in the 1970s and continued throughout the decade? No? Well, you've probably encountered the Bill Cullen version (also from the '70s), ... More >>

Rock the Bells 2012 Lineup: Deltron 3030, E-40, and Too $hort Rep the Bay

Deltron 3030 (the trio of Del the Funky Homosapien, Dan the Automator, and Kid Koala) and the powerhouse duo of E-40 and Too $hort are the local names representing the Bay Area at this year's hip-hop megafest Rock The Bells, which returns to Shoreline Amphitheatre this August 25-26. This year's lin ... More >>

Best of Coachella Weekend Two: Sunday, April 22

See also: Our complete Coachella coverage By the third day of Coachella's second weekend -- the sixth and final day of this year's festival -- folks had more or less learned to ignore the dust and the heat. Here are our intrepid writers' favorite things about the final hours of the 2012 event. F ... More >>

K.Flay's Smart-Aleck Rhymes Could be the Bay's Next Big Export

See also: Our complete Coachella coverage By the third day of Coachella's second weekend -- the sixth and final day of this year's festival -- folks had more or less learned to ignore the dust and the heat. Here are our intrepid writers' favorite things about the final hours of the 2012 event. F ... More >>

How To Not Piss Off Tyga at His S.F. Show

Los Angeles rapper Tyga's March 19 concert in Omaha, Nebraska didn't end well -- after the show, there was a shootout. The rapper told XXL that a local act was mad because Tyga wouldn't let the group open up for him on the spur of the moment, and that the locals started throwing debris on the stage ... More >>

A Smart Aleck with Rhymes

Meet K.Flay, the Stanford grad who might be the Bay's next big female rapper

Boot Camp Clik on Their Reunion, Working with 2Pac, and Duck Down Records

Brooklyn's Boot Camp Clik established its classic New York underground hip-hop credentials starting in 1992 with Black Moon's "Who Got Da Props?" and went on to rule the '90s underground rap scene with its signature raw and grimy sound. Comprised of Tek and Steele (also known as Smif-N-Wessun), Sean ... More >>

Roach Gigz's Producer CLoz Used to Sell Beats for $10

CLoz sold his first beat for $10. That less-than-whopping fee came about as the East Bay producer was clawing his way up into the local hip-hop scene. Since then, Cloz has steadily built up an impressive body of beats, most of them hooked around rousing synth lines and synapse-sizzling snares; he's ... More >>

Raekwon: Show Preview

CLoz sold his first beat for $10. That less-than-whopping fee came about as the East Bay producer was clawing his way up into the local hip-hop scene. Since then, Cloz has steadily built up an impressive body of beats, most of them hooked around rousing synth lines and synapse-sizzling snares; he's ... More >>

Kendrick Lamar: Show Preview

CLoz sold his first beat for $10. That less-than-whopping fee came about as the East Bay producer was clawing his way up into the local hip-hop scene. Since then, Cloz has steadily built up an impressive body of beats, most of them hooked around rousing synth lines and synapse-sizzling snares; he's ... More >>

Rhyme Master Run Amok

CLoz sold his first beat for $10. That less-than-whopping fee came about as the East Bay producer was clawing his way up into the local hip-hop scene. Since then, Cloz has steadily built up an impressive body of beats, most of them hooked around rousing synth lines and synapse-sizzling snares; he's ... More >>

Alert: SXSW Coverage Ahead

"What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area." -- Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive You don't have to spend much time at South By Southwest to know that all of the above building ... More >>

Celebrate Four Years of Debaser With This Exclusive Boyz n the Hood-Themed Mix

Editor's note: Ahead of the four-year anniversary of beloved '90s party Debaser, we invited party DJs Jamie Jams and Stab Master Arson to make a mix of some of the songs we can expect to hear at Saturday's party. What follows is their mix and commentary. By JAMIE GUZZI Hip-hop historians note that ... More >>

Veteran Rappers: Do You Really Need to Continue Making New Records?

There was a time, back in the late '80s, when the legendary Bronx rapper KRS-One was a candidate for the title of Greatest Rapper of All Time. Twenty-five years later, though, the self-anointed Blastmaster's latest long-player, The B.D.P. Album, suggests that compulsory retirement from the recording ... More >>

V-Nasty Wants to Flip Her Rough Background into a Rap Career

There was a time, back in the late '80s, when the legendary Bronx rapper KRS-One was a candidate for the title of Greatest Rapper of All Time. Twenty-five years later, though, the self-anointed Blastmaster's latest long-player, The B.D.P. Album, suggests that compulsory retirement from the recording ... More >>

Instrumental Hip-Hop Sucks. Ban It Forever.

RJD2​ Instrumental hip-hop should be banned. It's the banal, meandering stepchild of hip-hop. It's a front-runner for the dubious honor of being the world's most snooze-inducing form of music. And, shockingly, there are still producers and fans who insist on validating it like it's anything bu ... More >>

Stretch Armstrong on the Demise of FM Radio and the Inanity of Celebrity DJs

One half of the Stretch and Bobbito Show on New York's WKCR through the '90s, DJ/producer Stretch Armstrong has played an essential part in the integration of hip-hop into mainstream radio. A fixture in the '90s hip-hop scene, he used media outlets such as mixtapes and radio programs to launch the c ... More >>

The Eight Most Memorable Pop Culture References on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

The rap game -- well, any game -- could use more people with the ambition of the RZA and the ability to make good on it. The man born Robert Diggs is more than an MC, a producer, and an actor. His resume also includes "DICTATOR" in big, bold letters: When the Wu-Tang Clan was just a bunch of young b ... More >>

Wu-Tang Clan: Show Preview

The rap game -- well, any game -- could use more people with the ambition of the RZA and the ability to make good on it. The man born Robert Diggs is more than an MC, a producer, and an actor. His resume also includes "DICTATOR" in big, bold letters: When the Wu-Tang Clan was just a bunch of young b ... More >>

Prince Paul's "Negroes on Ice" Wants the Rap World to Take a Joke

The rap game -- well, any game -- could use more people with the ambition of the RZA and the ability to make good on it. The man born Robert Diggs is more than an MC, a producer, and an actor. His resume also includes "DICTATOR" in big, bold letters: When the Wu-Tang Clan was just a bunch of young b ... More >>

Why Do People Hate Kreayshawn So Much?

​ This week, NYC rapper Azealia Banks called Kreayshawn a "dumb bitch." The outburst was prompted by Kreayshawn putting a link to Banks' "212" video on Twitter, via a porn website. We understand why a serious lady rapper would be offended by forcibly being associated with pornography, but obviousl ... More >>

Idle Warship: Show Preview

​ This week, NYC rapper Azealia Banks called Kreayshawn a "dumb bitch." The outburst was prompted by Kreayshawn putting a link to Banks' "212" video on Twitter, via a porn website. We understand why a serious lady rapper would be offended by forcibly being associated with pornography, but obviousl ... More >>

Trombone Shorty on New Orleans Attitude, Growing Up With Hip-Hop, and Covering Lil Wayne

Trombone Shorty plays Friday and Saturday at the Fillmore.​ "I've been hearing hip-hop music since I was born." So says Trombone Shorty, the brass-playing band leader who grew up in the Tremé district of New Orleans' 6th Ward and has already amassed a Grammy nomination for his debut jazz albu ... More >>

Freestyle Fellowship: Show Preview

Trombone Shorty plays Friday and Saturday at the Fillmore.​ "I've been hearing hip-hop music since I was born." So says Trombone Shorty, the brass-playing band leader who grew up in the Tremé district of New Orleans' 6th Ward and has already amassed a Grammy nomination for his debut jazz albu ... More >>

R.I.P. Rapper Special One, of Oakland Duo Conscious Daughters

Special One (left) and CMJ​Special One, a rapper in the East Oakland hip-hop duo the Conscious Daughters, passed away on Saturday. Initial reports say the woman born Karryl Smith was found dead at her apartment by her rhyming partner CMJ (Carla Green); according to Green, the cause of Smith's ... More >>

It Was All a Dream

Special One (left) and CMJ​Special One, a rapper in the East Oakland hip-hop duo the Conscious Daughters, passed away on Saturday. Initial reports say the woman born Karryl Smith was found dead at her apartment by her rhyming partner CMJ (Carla Green); according to Green, the cause of Smith's ... More >>

Distortion 2 Static's Top Five Celebrity Guests

During its 10-year run, the Distortion 2 Static hip-hop TV show graduated from profiling local upcoming artists to chatting it up with rap superstars. Started by Prince Aries, Ariel Nuñez and DJ Haylow, the show signed off on its broadcast run back in September; a farewell shindig will be going dow ... More >>

"Distortion 2 Static" Turns off the Mic After 10 Years

During its 10-year run, the Distortion 2 Static hip-hop TV show graduated from profiling local upcoming artists to chatting it up with rap superstars. Started by Prince Aries, Ariel Nuñez and DJ Haylow, the show signed off on its broadcast run back in September; a farewell shindig will be going dow ... More >>

Justin BUA's Top Five Illustrated Hip-Hop Album Covers

"Historically, artists painted the court and the aristocracy. I'm the court painter of hip-hop -- the artists are that important." So says Justin BUA, the hip-hop generation artist who celebrates the release of his new book The Legends Of Hip-Hop with a signing session at Booksmith this Friday start ... More >>

Drake's Take Care: A First Listen

​ Funny thing about Drake: I'm forced to care. This goes beyond my duties as a music writer; rap now is in a state where someone like Drake or Rick Ross becomes the sun and everyone surrounding becomes an orbiting satellite. I'm a huge fan of co-Money Youngins Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj, and I ... More >>

Souls of Mischief's A-Plus Reviews His Own Discography

A-Plus​As part of the mighty Souls of Mischief crew, A-Plus ushered in a new style of Bay Area rap with the group's breezy and effortless "'93 'Til Infinity" anthem. Also a mainstay in the Hieroglyphics movement, the rapper and producer has been involved with releases from Del, Pep Love, and C ... More >>

Live Review: Method Man Flips into the Crowd at the Smoker's Club Tour

Method Man joins the crowd.​The Smoker's Club Tour with Method Man and Curren$y November 2, 2011 The Warfield Better than: Curling up at home with a bong and a Snuggie. My moshing days never really began, but they should have been over about half my life ago. Still, as the bruises from Meth ... More >>

In Defense of the Game -- Our Last Honest Gangsta Rapper

The Game performs at Regency Ballroom this week.​ Lately, The Game, who performs at the Regency Ballroom on Thursday (Oct. 27), has been psychoanalyzed as some sort of rapping mentalist. Armchair critics are quick to characterize him as an artist constantly putting out desperate cries for atte ... More >>

DJ Shadow Goes Shopping for Inspiration at Amoeba

The Game performs at Regency Ballroom this week.​ Lately, The Game, who performs at the Regency Ballroom on Thursday (Oct. 27), has been psychoanalyzed as some sort of rapping mentalist. Armchair critics are quick to characterize him as an artist constantly putting out desperate cries for atte ... More >>

Lupe Fiasco: Hip-Hop's Greatest Whiner

It's time for the hallowed halls of hip-hop history to start giving Lupe Fiasco his due respect. Not, you understand, as a purveyor of conscientious rap music bursting with positive-leaning messages; nor for the Chicago-based rapper's ground-breaking work as a foremost collector of limited edition J ... More >>

Five Hip-Hop Album Covers That Would Make Insanely Difficult Jigsaw Puzzles

This week, a new candidate emerged for the spot of hip-hop's fabled fifth element: The jigsaw puzzle. With a canny eye on the not-too-far-off Christmas season, the Boston-based Get On Down Records has released jigsaw versions of classic rap album covers by Biz Markie, Kool G Rap, Boogie Down Produc ... More >>

Five Great Jimi Hendrix Samples in Hip-Hop Songs

​ Today is officially Jimi Hendrix-Winterland Day in San Francisco, which is a fine excuse to soundtrack the rest of your afternoon with a dose of Hendrix's classic guitar grooves. But beyond the deceased guitarist's own oeuvre, his music has received a second life as the sample source for a f ... More >>

Consciousness vs. Sex: Jean Grae and the Plight of the Underground Female Rapper

Jean Grae​ Jean Grae, who performs tonight at the New Parish, is a very talented rapper. That's not just a very talented female rapper, but a very talented hip-hop artist who deserves to be considered on nothing more than her own lyrical merits, and shouldn't be given some sort of a rap pass d ... More >>

Friday: Lil Wayne Apologizes for the Swearing at Shoreline

Lil Wayne's family-friendly fun.​Lil Wayne Friday, September 2, 2011 @Shoreline Amphitheatre Better than: Rap shows without fireworks and fake gunshots "I apologize to the parents who brought their kids because of the cussing," said Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. at the end of a nearly two-hour ... More >>

Rock the Bells Brings Classic Hip-Hop Debuts to the Stage

Lil Wayne's family-friendly fun.​Lil Wayne Friday, September 2, 2011 @Shoreline Amphitheatre Better than: Rap shows without fireworks and fake gunshots "I apologize to the parents who brought their kids because of the cussing," said Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. at the end of a nearly two-hour ... More >>

The Game's The R.E.D. Album: A First Listen

​ The Game needs no introduction. The man who was kicked out of G-Unit and made a whole album about whinily stalking ex-benefactor Dr. Dre has most recently performed two actions: 1) Releasing a diss track called "Uncle Otis," whose targets include Tyler, the Creator; and 2) releasing a collab ... More >>

The Antidote to Watch The Throne: Why We Need Chuck D's "Notice -- Know This"

Public Enemy's Chuck D​ The luxurious sheen of Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch The Throne has beamed brilliant over the last couple of weeks of the hip-hop hype cycle. But amongst the chatter marveling at the upscale audacity of it all, there came a sobering and grounded moment just before the al ... More >>

Insurgent Hip-Hop: Kreayshawn, Lil B, and Bay Area Rappers Throw Out the Rules

Public Enemy's Chuck D​ The luxurious sheen of Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch The Throne has beamed brilliant over the last couple of weeks of the hip-hop hype cycle. But amongst the chatter marveling at the upscale audacity of it all, there came a sobering and grounded moment just before the al ... More >>

The Cool Kids: Cool with Recording for Mountain Dew

Public Enemy's Chuck D​ The luxurious sheen of Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch The Throne has beamed brilliant over the last couple of weeks of the hip-hop hype cycle. But amongst the chatter marveling at the upscale audacity of it all, there came a sobering and grounded moment just before the al ... More >>

Seasunz on Hip-Hop Activism, Spirituality, and Speaking Klingon

​Ashel Eldridge has made the rounds. Otherwise known as Seasunz, Eldridge has emerged as a social and environmental activist, working with groups like Amazon Watch and Project Pink and partnering with Will.i.am to open a youth center in Oakland. And, lest we forget, he also makes music. In ju ... More >>

T-Pain Sues Auto-Tune Company He Used to Endorse

T-Pain.net​Rapper T-Pain, famous for his use and endorsement of Auto-Tune technology in his music, has sued Antares, the company that makes Auto-Tune, claiming that it used his image and name in marketing Auto-Tune software without his consent.After three albums and multiple award-winning songs ma ... More >>

J Dilla's 10 Greatest Remixes

J Dilla​ Deceased hip-hop producer J Dilla, née Jay Dee, first asserted himself on the rap radar with his group Slum Village. Lauded by luminaries Q-Tip and ?uestlove, the Detroit-based trio of Dilla, T3, and Baatin (also sadly deceased) are held in cult esteem today, and tonight, remaining g ... More >>

"Beats, Rhymes, and Life": Michael Rapaport's "Love Letter" to A Tribe Called Quest

J Dilla​ Deceased hip-hop producer J Dilla, née Jay Dee, first asserted himself on the rap radar with his group Slum Village. Lauded by luminaries Q-Tip and ?uestlove, the Detroit-based trio of Dilla, T3, and Baatin (also sadly deceased) are held in cult esteem today, and tonight, remaining g ... More >>