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Today in hip-hop history, A Tribe Called Quest released their fourth album, Beats, Rhymes and Life on July 30, 1996, making it the album’s 20th anniversary. As the follow-up to 1993’s critically acclaimed Midnight Marauders, it is regarded as the group’s darkest album, however, it still reached number one on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B Albums charts. 

Beats, Rhymes and Life was also the first Tribe album to feature production work from The Ummah, a group composed of Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and J Dilla. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 1997 and contains a single titled "1nce Again" that was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performan

In conjunction with Mass Appeal and IFC, Nas and Erykah Badu have been hard at work on the new film, The Land, which tells the tale of Cleveland teenagers who are part of the city’s underground hip-hop scene. They find themselves entrenched in a dangerous drug deal that pose a threat to their relationships and future. 

Badu stars alongside Machine Gun Kelly and The Wire’s Michael K. Williams. The film’s release date is right around the corner—July 29— and in anticipation, Nas and Badu have released a brooding, symphonic track, “This Bitter Land” from the highly-anticipated soundtrack. 

Features include illustrious artists like Pusha T, Jeremih, Kanye West, and French Montana, in

The Get Down is an upcoming Netflix series about what it was like to be in New York City in the 70's and witness the birth of hip hop. In addition to serving as producer on the series, hip hop veteran Nas also wrote the original raps that appear in the dramatized series.

"These are the tapes that the older guys were playing in my neighborhood, listening to, partying to. This is a different style, this is not what I normally do," Nas told Rolling Stone, when asked about the challenges of writing raps in the classic 70's style. "I placed pictures around myself of parties like Harlem World, the Roxy, jams out in the Bronx in the park, DJs like Jazzy Jay on the turntables, of course Grandmaster Flash photographs everywhere, the Furious Five pho

Fans of slightly-more-transparent-than-usual beverages and classic hip hop and R&B are in for a double treat this summer: Crystal Pepsi is making its triumphant return to store shelves this August, and Pepsi Corp. is celebrating the occasion by holding the "Summer of '92" concert, which will feature performances from some of 1992's biggest musical acts.

In addition to performances by Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue, and Biz Markie, the 90's themed event will also feature a set by singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb, as well as host a salon where attendees can get 90's haircuts (just in case you were trying to bring back the high top fade,) and an arcade filled with classic 90's video games.

Crystal Pepsi was originally released in 1992 and was di

Hailing from the Twin Cities of Minnesota, Atmosphere has been an integral part of the indie hip-hop scene for the past two decades. On August 12, the duo—emcee Sean “Slug” Daley and producer Anthony “Ant” Davis—releases its seventh studio album, Fishing Blues, a collection of 18 new tracks written and produced by Atmosphere. Featuring appearances from DOOM, Aesop Rock, Kool Keith, The Grouch, and more, it’s another colorful chapter in Atmosphere’s long history. 

 A video for the first single,“Ringo,” shows a past-his-prime actor playing a king and jester, who is mocked by his peers and those that once respected his work. According to a press release, it’s “a sharp look at

The RAPstation crew was recently lucky enough to be given behind the scenes access to The Art of Rap, the nationwide tour that features some of the most legendary acts in classic hip hop.

Featuring classic hip hop artists like Public Enemy, Ice T, Naughty by Nature, Mobb Deep, Grandmaster Melle Mel & Scorpio, MC Lyte, EPMD, Kurtis Blow, and The Sugarhill Gang, the Art of Rap festival continues the celebration of hip hop culture that started with Ice T's The Art of Rap documentary. The event is hosted by Chief Rocker Busy Bee, hip hop's first solo MC, who says the festival's goal is to promote "peace, love, and unity."

"It's like a reunion... Like a high school reunion. Cause a lot of these guys [performing] I