RapStation

RAPstation.com is proud to present the brand new official stream for The Art of Rap, which features the work of some of hip hop's most influential and important artists.

Designed to give fans a taste of what to expect from this year's Art of Rap Festival, The Art of Rap Radio stream features music by legendary rap icons Ice T, Public Enemy, EPMD, Naughty by Nature, Kurtis Blow, MC Lyte, Grandmaster Melle Mel and Scorpio, Mobb Deep, and the festival's very own host, Busy Bee.

Fans interested in seeing these acts perform live should check out the official Art of Rap Festival website for tour dates and locations, including a newly

The Tibetan Buddhist master Chogyam Trungpa once told Allen Ginsberg, “Why don’t you do like the great poets do, like Milarepa?  You’re bored with reading the same poems over and over.  Why don’t you make poems up on the stage?  Why do you need a piece of paper?  Don’t you trust your own mind?”  While this occurred before the advent of rap music, Trungpa was essentially telling Ginsberg to go up on stage and freestyle.  One could reasonably argue that no creative medium requires one to trust their own mind more than freestyle rapping.  Even the briefest moment of hesitation or self-judgment can bring the flow state required for freestyling to a crumbling halt.

A study done in 2012 by Siyuan Liu, a neuroscie

Kanye West has released the first track off of the upcoming "Cruel Winter" album. Besides Yeezy himself, the track also features more than half a dozen other artists.

Kanye still hasn't decided on a title for the song -- it's appearing online as "Champions" but West says he's considering naming the song "Round and Round." The track features Travis Scott, Gucci Mane, Migos' Quavo, Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, and Desiigner. As if that wasn't enough, Kanye says there's a 12-15 minute version of the song in the works that features all of the other artists associated with his G.O.O.D. Music label.

"Champions"

Vic Mensa's new EP, "There's Alot Going On," was released earlier yesterday, and the former Kids These Days rapper is already garnering a lot of attention for "16 Shots," a track that direct addresses the shooting of Laquan McDonald, a Chicago teen who was killed by police officers in 2014.

McDonald was shot a total of 16 times, including a number of shots that were reportedly fired after McDonald had already collapsed to the ground. The City of Chicago later offered McDonald's family a five million dollar settlement deal. A police officer who was involved with the shooting, Jason Van Dyke, is currently on trial for McDonald's murder.

"I was inspired to make this song by my time down on the ground floor, in the street, when we

Common and Public Enemy's Chuck D -- two veteran rappers who both have a long history of political activism -- have just announced that they're working together on a new track for Common's upcoming eleventh studio album, "Black America Again."
Common gave the world its first preview of the politically charged "Black America Again" yesterday, and now more details are emerging about the Grammy award winning artists' next album.

Common reportedly reached out to Chuck D through Public Enemy and Bomb Squad producer Keith "Wizard K-Jee" Shocklee. Common and Chuck D met in the studio, where Common pitched Chuck on the idea of maki

2 Chainz is lending his support to Full Court reFRESH, a charity initiative dedicated to refurbishing inner city basketball courts and keeping kids safe.

Last Wednesday 2 Chainz joined retired basketball player Kenny "The Jet" Smith (also now well known as a sports analyst for TNT,) and Ronnie Fields, another basketball legend from Chicago. At the event, it was announced that the Full Court reFRESH initiative was teaming up with Coors Light to donate $40,000 to the Chicago Urban League. The money will be used to repair and renovate basketball courts in Chicago parks and neighborhoods.

“What we’re doing is providing an important resource for the younger generation. A lot of the kids don’t have anything to do with their time right now,&rdquo