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 In the beginning, there was Zev Love X—a prolific artist venturing through indie Hip-hop. And then there was MF DOOM, the infamous, supervillain leading a jazz-hop revolution through the underground scene—I’m not kidding about the villain part, the dude wears a creepy mask for goodness sakes… Heck, I thought it was Magneto himself.

His music, on the other hand, takes you into another world, wherein the lines between rap-music, jazz, alternative, and poetry collapse into one enigmatic nether-world of modern magnum opus. Cryptic right? Well that’s the vibe I get from his music—and I simply can’t shake it off my playlists ever since.

Check it out for yourself—the revolution’s already out

Today’s a BIG day for a throwback playlist—see what I did there? No? Well, in case you didn’t catch, this day marks twelve years since Ready To Die the historic debut album released by East-Coast rap icon The Notorious B.I.G. (now you see what I did?).

Released under Bad Boy Records, Biggie’s premier album featured production by Bad Boy’s P. Diddy, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, and Lord Finesse. What fans received, however, was Biggie’s artistic narration of personal experiences pertaining to his notorious persona. Kilian Murphy from Stylus Magazine retrospectively praised the record as “sweet, hypocritical, sensitive, violent, depressed an

Today marks 20 years since the day Tupac died, but for many fans and followers—myself included—it was as if time stood still, as one of Hip-hop’s most prominent figures passed away.

And indeed, the day stood still, and several accounts documentaries would attest to that phrase. But to break the familiarity, may we imagine a different notion, for although time stood still, Tupac has not—and he’s continued in shaping the Hip-hop scene we realize today. That is what I wish to relay.

Who could forget his controversial T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E., which asserted the notorious “The Hate U Give Little Infants F*cks Everybody”, and the controversies he stirred with other work. That being said, it became inevitab

 Everyone needs a rest day--a day when you can just kick your feet up, enjoy the moment, and listen to some good music!

That being said, I have just the right music for your throwback playlist. So why not take this opportunity and relive its memorable release date and just bask an hour or so of good Hip-hop music.

The first is Kanye West’s Graduation. This is the third studio album released under Roc-A-Fella Records, and debuted September 11^th, 2007. Produced for the most part by Kanye himself, the project features collaborations from Mos Def, Dwele, T-Pain, Lil Wayme, DJ Premier, and even Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

Onto the music, you’ll find yourself nodding to a refreshing indie vibe, with a hint of Chic

For many, Hip-hop and rap music is just a mix of raving electronic music, explosive beats, and ever-aggressive rhymes. Stereotypically, that may all be true, but at the core, Hip-hop is all about storytelling, and perhaps stories come nowhere near as heartfelt as today’s birthday celebrant—Bizzy Bone.

Byron Anthony McCane II, born in Columbus, Ohio, played no stranger to a dysfunctional childhood. In several occasions, Bizzy relayed the dark chapters connecting his traumatic childhood, to his wayward adolescence.

At age thirteen, Biz moved back home under the parentage of his older sister. It was during this particular chapter when the young Biz met Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, Wish Bone, and Flesh-n-Bone—eventually leading up to the formation of the

Using his Xperience or “XP” moniker, Seattle-based artist Tyler Andrews is making a name for himself touring the world with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, while consistingly pushing his solo material. His new album,Chasing Grace, takes “a little bit church, a little bit gangsta, and a little bit of conscious [hip-hop],” and weaves them into one, cohesive fabric. The first single, “Not Today,” has received a warm reception from fans and critics alike. As he continues pushing Chasing Grace and performing, he was able to take a few moments to discuss the origin of his name, growing up in the Midwest, and what he’s learned from the “Thrift Store” rapper. Visit