Samuel Chennault

If language were a virus, then L.A. rapper Aceyalone would be one of the sickest men ever to touch a mic. Whether pioneering the art of modern freestyle in the late '80s as part of Freestyle Fellowship or releasing classic underground albums such as '98's A Book of Human Language...

With a name cribbed from a mysterious Air Force base that houses UFOs, you would expect Hangar 18 (the latest group to emerge from underground hip-hop stalwarts Def Jux) to sound like your usual X-Files nerd rap, i.e., long on consonants and light on grooves. But while its jittery, effects-laden...

Recently, a few friends and I gathered for a Christmas celebration. With my girl on my arm, some nog in my hand, and a fire raging nearby, the night was a sublime salute to love, friendship, and general goodwill. Then someone had to go and fuck up a good thing...

Hip-hop producer extraordinaire RJD2's slight frame is nearly encircled by a heavy weave of electronic wiring and a half-ton of clumpy amplifiers and miscellaneous sound equipment. It's the sound check for RJD2's San Francisco album release party, and although he's politely fielding questions, he's also obviously distracted with the task...