Conscious Rap

The Roots' Things Fall Apart: 10 Years Later

10 years later and this album cover still gives me chillsToday marks an important day in the vibrant history of hip-hop music. 10 years ago, Philadelphia hip-hop pioneers The Roots released their breakthrough album, Things Fall Apart. Bolstered by the strength of the irresistible single "You Got Me, ... More >>

The Old School Jingle Jam Reminds Us of the Ghosts of Hip-Hop’s Past

10 years later and this album cover still gives me chillsToday marks an important day in the vibrant history of hip-hop music. 10 years ago, Philadelphia hip-hop pioneers The Roots released their breakthrough album, Things Fall Apart. Bolstered by the strength of the irresistible single "You Got Me, ... More >>

Q-Tip's Do-Over Kills Momentum at Marquee

By Martin Cizmar Q-Tip is a perfectionist. Or so he said Monday night as he derailed his show one song in, taking a five-minute interlude to adjust the sound. “Any of ya’ll bloggers out there? Any bloggers?” he asked. “So when you blog about this, just be a little gracious. ... More >>

Common covers a lot of ground in Marquee show

By Martin Cizmar Q-Tip is a perfectionist. Or so he said Monday night as he derailed his show one song in, taking a five-minute interlude to adjust the sound. “Any of ya’ll bloggers out there? Any bloggers?” he asked. “So when you blog about this, just be a little gracious. ... More >>

Local MC Justus wants you to “get your A’z up”

By Martin Cizmar Q-Tip is a perfectionist. Or so he said Monday night as he derailed his show one song in, taking a five-minute interlude to adjust the sound. “Any of ya’ll bloggers out there? Any bloggers?” he asked. “So when you blog about this, just be a little gracious. ... More >>

Hot for Teacha: KRS-One @ the Brickhouse Theater, Thursday, December 6

By Martin Cizmar Q-Tip is a perfectionist. Or so he said Monday night as he derailed his show one song in, taking a five-minute interlude to adjust the sound. “Any of ya’ll bloggers out there? Any bloggers?” he asked. “So when you blog about this, just be a little gracious. ... More >>

KRS-One and Marley Marl

Hip-Hop Lives
(Koch Records)

Phoenix Becomes Hip-Hop Central (for a weekend)

Hip-Hop Lives
(Koch Records)

Positive Feedback

Hip-hop crew Jurassic 5 moves in a new direction

Blunt Club 4 Year Anniversary

More party than usual

Get Down With Dave

Chappelle returns with a raucous Party

Trill Thrills

The Boss Hogg and Aeon Flux of the PHX hit the Hidden House and cop a bag of hip-hop at The Shop

Digable Planets

Back like dat

Zion I

True & Livin'
(Live Up)

Mos Def

The New Danger
(Geffen)

Fresh Produce

With underground hip-hop or mass-appeal club records, RJD2's a stickler for details.

Aceyalone and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien

Socially conscious, lyrically lush

De La Soul

Thugs rap, rap, rapping at the door

Brand Nubian

Hip-hoppers reunite, with a "slightly more peaceful demeanor"

Vision ?uest

Six degrees of ?uestlove

Approach

Ultra Proteus (Coup d'Etat)

L.A. Unified Skills District at the Brickhouse

Ultra Proteus (Coup d'Etat)

KRS-One

A hardcore hip-hop original shows why he's still an industry influence.

Can We Kick It?

Old-school hip-hop is ready for a revival

Dead Prez

RBG: Revolutionary But Gangsta (Sony/Columbia)

Ugly Duckling

Taste the Secret (Emperor Norton)

Talib Kweli/Jay-Z

Quality (MCA/Rawkus)

The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse (Rocafella/Island Def Jam)

Preservin' the Real

Jurassic 5 stays true to hip-hop -- even as its core audience lives in an alternative universe

MC Paul Barman

Paullelujah! (Coup d'État)

The X-ecutioners

Built From Scratch (Loud Records)

Charlie Hunter Quartet

Songs From the Analog Playground (Blue Note)

Still Rising?

Racing to release part two of its Art Official Intelligence trilogy, De La Soul finds itself at a crossroads

Hi-Tek

Hi-Teknology (Rawkus)

KRS-One

The Sneak Attack (Koch Records)

Open to All

Black Eyed Peas hope they're luckier in 2001 than they were last year

Black Stars

Talib Kweli offers his reflections on the state of hip-hop, Levi's, and the role of MCs in the African-American community

Playing for Keeps

The Jungle Brothers continue to chart new territory on their latest effort, V.I.P.

Illadelphia Freedom

The Roots threaten to make their big move with Things Fall Apart

Kings of Rhyme

Run-D.M.C. keeps pushing to earn respectability for hip-hop

The Manhattan Project

N.Y.-bred Lyricist Lounge explodes on the hip-hop nation with a national tour

Recordings

N.Y.-bred Lyricist Lounge explodes on the hip-hop nation with a national tour

Recordings

N.Y.-bred Lyricist Lounge explodes on the hip-hop nation with a national tour

KRS-One, What's the Frequency?

The rapper they call "The Teacher" knows the medium is the message

Z-Trippin'

The rapper they call "The Teacher" knows the medium is the message

Pic Hits for the week

The rapper they call "The Teacher" knows the medium is the message

South by Whatever

The rapper they call "The Teacher" knows the medium is the message

Recordings

The rapper they call "The Teacher" knows the medium is the message

Pick Up Your Microphones

Blunt talk on the Smokin' Grooves Tour with the Fugees, Spearhead and A Tribe Called Quest

PLANETS OF THE APERS?THEY SOUND FAMILIAR, BUT RAPPERS' ORBIT BY MILES

Blunt talk on the Smokin' Grooves Tour with the Fugees, Spearhead and A Tribe Called Quest

WHITE THE POWER PUBLIC ENEMY'S COLORBLIND WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING MONEY

Blunt talk on the Smokin' Grooves Tour with the Fugees, Spearhead and A Tribe Called Quest