Because I have the maturity of a teenager, I present my list of suspect rapper names. Please add on where appropriate. *Updated with comment section suggestions.*
Author: Robbie Ettelson
No Country For Old (Rap) Men: Albums That Fell Tragically Short of Their Potential
Those times when I got played for my $22 at the vinyl import spot…salutes to P_gotsachill for the idea. No Country For Old (Rap) Men: Albums That Fell Tragically Short of Their Potential
Forgotten Beefs: N.W.A. vs Romeo & Master Rhyme
DJ M-Walk, who you may remember as Tone Loc’s DJ, produced a song for Romeo & Master Rhyme in 1987 which sampled ‘To Be Real.’ It was picked up by Delicious Vinyl and remixed by the Dust Brothers, and contained some lines which were seemingly aimed at another local LA crew: M-Walk don’t dig dirty…
Download: A Salute To Rap-A-Lot Records
Some of my favorite rap sprung from Houston’s Rap-A-Lot Records, as the label incorporated organs, harmonicas and funk guitar with traditional breakbeats, creating a unique blend of east coast and southern hip-hop before everyone jumped on The Chronic bandwagon and started playing everything from scratch. Here’s a selection of my favorite moments from the early…
Tom Silverman [Tommy Boy/NMS] – The Unkut Interview
Here’s the complete transcript of my talk with Tom Silverman, who created the Dance Music Report and Tommy Boy Records in addition to co-founding the New Music Seminar, home of the MC and DJ Battle for World Supremacy. There’s a lot that I couldn’t fit into the NMS oral history piece from last month, so…
No Country For Old (Rap) Men: A Quick History of Rap Fads
Some things just aren’t built to last… No Country For Old (Rap) Men: A Quick History of Rap Fads
Street Life – The Unkut Interview
According to his MySpace caption, those are not Street Life’s boots. Method Man‘s loyal right-hand man and road dawg Street Life talked about growing up in Staten Island, makes it clear that he wasn’t feeling the last Wu-Tang album and hints that this might be the second last solo album from Tical. The Meth Lab…
Download: A Salute To Milk Carton Posse Cuts
The qualification to make it onto this compilation requires that two or more of the rappers were never heard from again1. Let us sit back and bask in the fleeting glory that is getting to rap on your pal’s album on account of being a faithful weed carrier or always ensuring that the studio fridge…
No Country For Old (Rap) Men: The Chosen Few – Rappers That Get Better With Age
It’s great when rappers can maintain a high standard through out a long career with no noticeable decline in quality. It’s even better when they markedly improve as they get older, as demonstrated so brilliantly by the late, great Sean P. No Country For Old (Rap) Men: The Chosen Few – Rappers That Get Better…
Devin The Dude – The Unkut Interview
I kicked it with Devin The Dude about how he came up in the rap game while somehow neglecting any direct questions about getting high. With a discography that stretches back to 1994 and a discography that features an impressive roster of big names including Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, Scarface and Nas, Devin has seen…
Awesome Dre > Eminem
I always wondered why Detroit’s Awesome Dre had a song going at Kool Moe Dee on his highly enjoyable 1989 album, You Can’t Hold Me Back. Now that I’ve heard his second single, it makes a little more sense. It appears that Dre took it upon himself to fire shots at both LL Cool J…
A Tribute To Sean Price – CRC Icon
Photo: Alexander Richter Sean Price exemplified everything that the Conservative Rap Coalition stands for. He was a fan of self-depricating humor, blocking people on Twitter for the slightest of infractions and refused to catch buses since they’re basically for old people. He was also one of the few MC’s who managed to improve with age….