The city of Derby in England is not exactly a hip-hop Mecca, but on Monday night legendary New York emcee, Masta Ace, braved the cold wind and the pouring rain to perform an intimate show to a bunch of dedicated hip-hop heads as part of his Son of Yvonne/Arts Decade tour. I was honoured to sit down with [...]

The Beastie Boys have done huge things for music. There are few bands that could be considered more successful and more diverse than the New York trio who have been lighting up stages since their 1984 debut. The infamous line-up of Adrock, MCA and Mike D has been on musical journeys unlike any other band. [...]

Nasir “Nas” Jones is back. Being the emcee that brought us smashes like “Thief’s Theme,” “Made You Look” and “Hip Hop is Dead,” it is no surprise that his latest track is an absolute banger. Nas has focused his attention back on representing his home – New York City – and on staking his claim [...]

With each track beginning with the sample: “You’re now listening to AraabMuzik,” it’s pretty hard to mistake an AraabMuzik joint. But being able to recognise his production goes way beyond a simple name-check sample. The undisputed MVP of the MPC has taken live-performance beat making to the next level with his incredible technical skill. Whether [...]

Drake and Rihanna have collaborated before and they’re at it again, this time on the title track of Drizzy’s sophomore album Take Care. The song has already achieved international success and gone platinum in America, which is unsurprising given its pairing of two of the hottest stars in music right now. The fact that these [...]

It is quite obvious that women are underrepresented in hip hop, and the genre, even today, remains a patriarchal one. It doesn’t help that there is still a great deal of misogyny and machismo in songs and music videos. This doesn’t mean there aren’t any decent female rappers out there though. In fact, the evidence [...]

Since working with Terry Urban on his 2008 mixtape, Goin’ Ape, Ohio-native Stalley has been doing his utmost to establish himself in the ever-competitive world of hip hop. Having toured alongside major hip hop players like Mos Def, Styles P, Jay Electronica and KRS-One, he is now starting to gain recognition as a standout artist [...]

Jurassic 5 DJ and producer, DJ Nu-Mark, has joined forces with legendary emcee Bumpy Knuckles (aka Freddie Foxxx) on his latest offering ‘Dumpin’ ‘Em All’. The track effortlessly balances Nu-Mark’s bouncy production with Knuckles’ aggressive vocal style and there is a definite tinge of that old-skool J5 sound, which was always so appealing. Coming in [...]

It is difficult to pinpoint what exactly it is it that qualifies a song or artist as being hip hop these days. The way in which hip hop has diversified over the past few years has left many people confused as to how to accurately describe the genre. Do you merely need an emcee and [...]

Ever since their inception in 2007, the multiple members of Odd Future, or, to give them their full name, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA), have been on a mission to shake things up. Careering at full throttle into the mainstream music world’s consciousness in 2011 meant they had to crank it up [...]

Who: Ango /Andrew Gordon Macpherson Where: Montreal, Quebec, Canada What he does: Synth pop/R&B singer and producer with a new release on UK’s LuckyMe label. Filmmaker behind videos for Jacques Greene and videos for designer Rad Hourani. What’s on his mind today: Trust issues. The illusion of control. Paranoia mistaken as inspiration. I think I [...]

Some artists convey an unmistakable message that transcends language barriers. Reading between the lines, or listening between the sound waves, fans the world over just seem to get it. Ana Tijoux, a French Chilean hip hop artist uses her subtle flow and classic beats to convey social messages that have grabbed hold of America Latina [...]

Who: Vapor Maché Where: Los Angeles, California What He Does: Composer, producer and performer of electronic music delivering a healthy mix of melody-driven hip hop, dubstep, downtempo, tech house, glitch, and cinematic textures to ears worldwide. Photo by: Rel Fried What’s on his mind today: Taxes – just finished those though! Hooray. There’s a track [...]

There can be no denying that France has had its fair share of international music successes. From Gainsbourg and Hallyday, through to Daft Punk, the Ed Banger Records crew and superstar producers like David Guetta and Bob Sinclar, there’s definitely global love for our Gallic friends. French hip hop may be harder to sell abroad [...]

Darkest [Dim] comes from Tokimonsta’s Creature Dreams EP out now on super-label of the moment, Brainfeeder. The track has a wonderful, ethereal quality that really lets the mind wander. Tokimonsta’s simple, looped and layered production works as the perfect backdrop for Gavin Turek’s beautifully soulful vocals, creating a kind of 21st century trip-hop sound (think of a shuffled-up, 1990s Morcheeba). Director Doug Chang has taken [...]

It seems the words of Chic’s 1978 disco classic are still true in 2012. South African hip hop crew Die Antwoord are back, and not only are they the stars of fashion designer Alexander Wang’s spring 2012 campaign, but they’ve also got a new track with a video that’s freakier than ever. I Fink U Freeky, from their new album Ten$ion, is [...]

If you like your beats served with a slice of controversy then look no further than After The Smoke‘s track OIAM (One In A Million). A dispute over the production rights to the song – involving a previously unreleased, leaked track with Yelawolf and collaborators rapping over the original beat – ultimately led to OIAM [...]

WHO: Sayori Wada. Artist, illustrator/designer. WHERE: Tokyo Whats on her mind today: Same sex marriage is finally legal in my second home, NY! What she is currently working on: At work, one of the things I’ve been working on is a seasonal ad design/illustration for the department store in Japan, Tokyu Hands. Privately, I’ve been [...]

Summer has finally settled in our NYC shores, leaving us with higher temperatures that we can actually handle. It feels, however, like it’s the perfect timing for Washed Out’s debut album on Sub Pop, “Within and Without”, a delightful selection of 9 songs that’s bound to transport our senses during this hot season. The question [...]

In Somali, the name K’Naan means “traveller”, and that is exactly what the global troubadour is. K’Nann grew up in the war torn capital of Somalia, Mogadishu. As the anecdote goes, his mother begged the US officials for a visa so they could join their family in the States and escape the violence. As the [...]

Art cannot be erased. Music cannot be silenced. Culture cannot be contained, even by the most authoritarian governments. Despite widespread censorship from the Politburo, underground electronic music in Shanghai, China is burgeoning and transmitting to your local internet stream. Shanghai, the most populous metropolis in China is home to 23 million people. The cosmopolitan city [...]

Hip Hop music has always been a difficult genre to define. There are various artists who pull from several influences to determine their style. Overall, Hip Hop seems to have one of the largests lists of subgenres, including gangsta rap, southern rap, concious hip hop and jazz rap. However, JonnyGO Figure seems to create his [...]

Bomba Estéreo’s debut album, Blow Up, is exactly what the Colombian rockers did this year.  The troupe has been named one of the 25 Best New Bands in the World by MTV Iggy, and went on to sell out shows across the continent in their first North American tour.   Their travels were chronicled via [...]

Every time, a record comes along that’s bound to change all of your perspectives and ultimately, your life. It could be old or new, the important thing is that it does something to you. It shocks you, it inspires you. For me, many months ago, it was Gil Scott-Heron’s “I’m New Here”. I have to [...]