You know what blogs can do that print magazines can’t? Help track down MIA rappers from the 80’s and 90’s. I finally got a lead on a group I’ve been trying to track down for years (I’ll wait until the interview is in the can before I say any more), but most rap fanatics can…
Category: Features
In-depth coverage
Remembering Killa Sha, Part 2
Photo: Alexander Richter Finishing up the tributes to Sha Lumi, here are some memories of the man and his music from his good friends J-Love, DJ Phantom, Thorotracks and DJ Peter Parker. UPDATE: Added a quote from Ayatollah. J-Love: It was maybe 2000 or so when I was doin’ the old Stretch & Bobitto Show…
DJ Phantom Discusses Killa Sha’s Career
Late last week I was contacted by DJ Phantom – who it turns out was Sha Lumi’s right-hand man in the music game – and I was fortunate enough to have him share some stories about Sha. For those of you not familiar with Phantom’s resume, he’s been involved in the mixtape game heavily for…
Remembering Killa Sha, Part 1
Photo: Alexander Richter In case you’re not familiar with Killa Sha‘s legacy for some reason, here’s a quick run-down of his history in the rap game: Prince A.D. was a true student of the rap game. When he was eleven, he was down with The Super Kids – a group of young upstarts put together…
The Unkut Guide To Rap Genres, V2.0
Not surprisingly, between having my not exactly stellar memory jogged by everyone’s suggestions in the comments and taking a quick glance through my own archives, I have some important additions to the original line-up. Blog Rap Your YouTube freestyle has 50,000 views, but nobody in the real world knows who you are? You’re a Blog…
The Unkut Guide To Rap Genres
There are so many different types of rap today that almost anybody’s taste can be catered to. But how do you keep up with them all? Let’s take a quick look at some of the important rap genres that are out there right now… Shout Rap During the mid-80’s, Shout Rap was the move. Run-DMC…
Is Jay-Z The Shakespeare of Hip-Hop?
So I was listening to some AM radio in the car for some reason (i.e. my ipod battery ran out) and caught the last part of a conversation with Adam Bradley, an Associate Professor of Literature at the University of Colorado who wrote a book called Book of Rhymes about the connection between rap and…
LL Cool J Vs. Canibus Revisited
Predictably, my comment the other day that LL ‘never lost a battle’ ruffled a few feathers among Canibus fans. LL vs. Kool Moe Dee was already covered a while back, but I guess there’s no other way to settle this than to dig out all the garbage songs recorded in this drawn-out and unsatisfying war…
The Importance of Being LL
Media Assassin Harry Allen loves him some Twitter. Good thing he drops some jewels like this: I don’t think LL Cool J’s legacy and value to the history of hip-hop has been, in any way, seriously addressed. Delete him, and much of hip-hop history vanishes, or becomes unfathomable. LL, in a very real way, may…
A Salute To Roc Raida
The X-Men defined the hardcore b-boy turntablist movement for a lot of us. Not to knock the more experimental techniques of the Bay, but catching them performing those beat-juggling routines live was incredible – so much so that I was compelled break tradition and give Raida a pound the first time I saw him perform…
Unkut Doesn’t Care About Jay-Z People
Jay-Z is the most influential rapper of the past ten years, but I only own one of his records. Have I failed as a rap fan, or is Jay just not that incredible? Looking back, we weren’t off to the best of starts as far as the artist/listener relationship is concerned. While he did his…
Cormega – The Unkut Interview
Much like his one-time partner in rhyme Tragedy, Cormega suffered a number of set-backs and betrayals early on in his career, but he’s continued to develop his technique and catalog over the years to the point that he’s now independent mainstay, thanks to a tireless work ethic and genuine respect for his loyal fan-base. Here…