Independent artists have it hard. They are not only competing with the pristine sounds of pop radio, they also have to handle burden of supporting a career. It can be a daunting task, especially in the crowded world of hip-hop. Some believe that the culture is dying in a cesspool…

High-profile murderers often attract a fringe element that is, in the face of all evidence, convinced of the accused’s innocence. Jodi Arias is no exception. Except, one of her fans is a rapper. Thirty-four-year-old Kareem Williams, a.k.a. Lefty, is a fanatical supporter of Jodi Arias, who was convicted of the…

View image | gettyimages.com On Wednesday, one of the most successful Arizona hip-hop artists, Random (a.k.a. Mega Ran), spent the better half of the day fielding phone calls in regard to the “diss track” he released as an April Fools’ Day joke. The track consisted of a menacing beat that…

View image | gettyimages.com You might have heard by now that Kanye West had some things to say about Beck’s Morning Phase winning the award for Album of The Year over Beyonce at last night’s Grammy Awards. If you haven’t heard yet, here’s a recap: As Beck walked up to…

Raheem Jarbo — a.k.a. Mega-Ran, a.k.a. Random — has managed to blur the lines between hip-hop and video games by delivering a unique blend of 8-bit and heavy hip-hop beats while managing to display a certain level of vulnerability and intelligence. Now, Random has teamed up with director Mike Cardoza…

Things are going well for Phoenix rapper Futuristic. The video for the unsigned rapper’s single, “I Guess I’ll Smoke,” from his released released album Traveling Local, has now surpassed one million views on YouTube. If you listen to him, it’s clear he’s bound for great things. And he’s not the…

With eight critically acclaimed projects under his belt, Phoenix-based hip-hop artist Trap House has become one of the most prolific and influential hip-hop artists to come out of Arizona. Some of his accolades include being chosen by Vitamin Water to give a personalized tour of the city and being chosen…

Three decades is a long time to be involved in hip-hop. And many have tried to put an expiration date on the art form, believing that it’s taboo to be in hip-hop after the age of 30. As time goes on, however, artists like Jay-Z, Eminem, and 2 Chainz have…

It’s 2014 and high time you got some new music into your playlist — seriously. And that’s doubly true when it comes local music, of which there’s an abundance in metro Phoenix. The Valley’s music scene is gifted with burgeoning bands and emerging artists who will be making waves and…

Local rapper Random (a.k.a. Mega Ran) is nothing if not prolific. In fact, he’s one of the more productive hip-hop/nerdcore artists out of Arizona, consistently delivering top-notch projects like “Black Materia” and “Forever Famicom” to the masses, as well as releasing close to a dozen different jams last year via…

At 43 years old, it seems safe to say that Jay-Z is on top of the world. Within the past year, he’s become the face of an NBA basketball franchise, had a beautiful child with his tremendously famous wife, and had a mega-collaboration with Justin Timberlake. Hell, he even picked…

Even from the first sound of the album, it is clear that Yeezus is a very different album from any of Kanye West’s other works. There is no introduction; the album begins with “On Sight” which features heavy, wonky synthesizers and a pounding Chicago house beat provided by Daft Punk…

Twenty-five years ago, the Phoenix hip-hop scene was virtually nonexistent. That’s when Irin Daniels — taking the name IROC — got involved, and since that time, he’s become one of the most respected hip-hop entities in Arizona. If you have had any semblance of a hip-hop career in this state,…

Thanks to the popularity of the programs such as Photoshop, everyone in this day and age feels like they can become a media design mogul with purchase of a camera and a few ideas. What very few realize is that it takes much more than a few hours in front…

After signing a three- million dollar record deal with Sony Music in 2011, A$AP Rocky, the 24-year-old Harlem-based emcee had a hell of a 2012. Already considered to be on front line of the new wave of hip-hop artists, A$AP lived a life that many aspiring musicians only dream about…

Editor’s Note: We’d like to welcome local hip-hop artist and writer Jaron Ikner to Up on the Sun. You’re probably familiar with his Black One project, and now he’s bringing his voice to the music blog here at New Times. Salute! Longevity and consistency are two things that are considered…