The second half of my conversation with Mario, who speaks on some of the more technical aspects of engineering and mixing, as well as working on Ready To Die and winning a Latin Grammy. Robbie: How many songs that were left off Hell On Earth? Mario Rodriguez: There were a lot of song that weren’t…
Even Free Rap Shows Are A Rip-Off Now
So there was a free show the other night featuring Jean Grae and Pharoahe Monch, which isn’t really a big deal since I never really pay to get in anyways and I don’t really know a song that either of ’em have done for the last five years, but eff it. First thing I noticed…
Mario Rodriguez – The Unkut Interview, Part 1
With a career in the music industry spanning over 30 years, Mario ‘Not Rude’ Rodriguez has worked on a lot of records as an engineer and mixer. Amongst his hip-hop projects, he’s been involved with records from Mobb Deep, LL Cool J, Biggie Smalls and Public Enemy to name a few. For the first part…
Soap Opera Rap
It seems that every other week a new Rap Genre emerges from someone’s twisted imagination. Since it’s been almost a year since the first Unkut Guide on the subject, it ain’t no mystery that a lot of effed-up new styles have appeared. Without a doubt, the most prominent would have to be the Soap Opera…
The Unkut Film Critic Reviews Kanye West’s Runaway
Highly esteem film critic Rodger Tossenpot just submitted his thoughts on Kanye’s latest piece of ‘creative jeanious [sic]. No one man should have this much Power. The power to make me weep at the frailty of the human condition, laugh at our faults and marvel at the beauty of Great Art. Many dismissed the idea…
Eff A Rap Video
Music video was an inevitable development in rap and did wonders to establish it as a world-wide movement, but in reality there a very few hip-hop clips that actually add to the song. Unless you were Run-DMC, there’s a good chance that any 80’s rap vid featured a fake band miming playing your beat, a…
Alexander Richter – The Unkut Interview
The best thing about getting an interview or feature published in print is having my words paired-up with original photography. Google image search is fine for your everyday blog post type of thing, but nothing beats having a crisp shot of the artist that nobody has. Enter Alexander Richter, who has provided shots for a…
The Source: Decade Of Rap Charts
Click on the pics for a full-size version. This brings back some memories… these charts went in! Chuck D‘s ‘Crazy Alternative Top Hip-Hop 15’ is a winner, as are the contributions from Harry Allen, J. The Sultan and Funken-Klein (R.I.P.). Considering how young I was when this issue dropped, there were a lot of records…
Tragedy Khadafi – The Unkut Interview, Part 2
Continuing from Part 1, Trag discusses dealing with depression, mentoring MC’s and the origin of his military state of mind. Robbie: Can you tell me more about the fall-out from your second album? Tragedy Khadafi: I’ve been rhyming since I was nine and I started writing songs when I was eleven, so I’ve been rhyming…
How Eminem Won & Lost At The Same Time
Why do people who don’t even work in the music industry talk about album sales? It makes no sense whatsoever when you think about it, but since the young rap fans of today are often more concerned with what sort of jacket Kanye was wearing in his new video than what he says in his…
Tragedy Khadafi – The Unkut Interview, Part 1
Photo: ARMEN Tragedy Khadafi is considered to be the blueprint of the Queensbridge style of rhyming, which has become world-renowned thanks to artists like Nas, Mobb Deep and Cormega. Even though he never achieved the commercial acclaim of some of those who followed in his footsteps – due to a variety of personal and professional…
Vintage Tape of KRS-One & Scott La Rock Discussing The Bridge Is Over
Original Concept‘s Doctor Dre used to have a radio show called The Operating Room back in the days, and he just happened to get BDP into the studio just as the Bridge Wars started popping-off. There is no other way to describe these recordings other than effin’ awesome. The late, great DJ Scott La Rock…