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There were two main reasons as to why the VMA's were a total shit show this year...and we'll pretend the other years don't count right now. I'm sure the first thing that comes to mind is Kanye West's twelve minute acceptance speech for the Video Vanguard award, but that's not one of the two reasons. The first reason starts with Rebel Wilson and her choice to make light of the police brutality in the United States currently. "I know a lot of people have problems with the police, but I really hate police strippers," she said, dressed in a police uniform, before taking it off to reveal a bodysuit reading "F**k Tha Stripper Police." To really add insult to injury, she performed that little bit before introducing the Best Hip-Hop Video. Anyone with half a brain could understand that

Prince spoke recently on the current state of pop music by stating that it's a "bad time for music". The legendary artist spoke to the New York Post and was asked his thoughts on artists such as Tame Impala, The Weeknd, and Miguel being influenced by his work. Far from being flattered, Prince responded with, "There might be music that sounds like me, but what good is that? You're essentially in the feedback loop." He added: "It's a bad time for music in general. There's not a lot of pop music in the mainstream that makes you feel scared, that makes you wonder what's happening." Prince is also set to release new LP 'The Hit & Run Album' with his band 3rdEyeGirl via Tidal this month. This will be his 35th studio record. He also released two albums in

Amelia Boynton Robinson, a civil rights activist who nearly died when she helped to lead the "Bloody Sunday" civil rights march in 1965, championed for voting rights, and was the first black woman to run for Congress in Alabama, died early Wednesday at the age of 104. Boynton Robinson was among those beaten during the voting rights march across the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama. State troopers teargassed and clubbed the marchers as they tried to cross the bridge. A photo on the front page of a newspaper, showing Boynton Robinson, who had been beaten unconscious, drew wide attention to the movement. Fifty years after the civil rights movement, Barack Obama, the first black president of the United States, pushed her across the span in a wheelchair during a commemoration. Boyn

Stones Throw Records signee Guilty Simpson is anxiously preparing for the worldwide release of his third official studio album Detroit's Son, which drops September 11. Rumor has it, an O.J. Simpson 2 is also in the works, which will again be produced by Madlib, who produced Simpson's second studio album, O.J. Simpson, in 2010. The Detroit native got his start thanks in part to two important men in his life, Denaun Porter and the late, great J Dilla. In Part II of the Guilty Simpson interview, Simpson reveals what those men mean to him, suffering for art and what exactly he's guilty of these days. Check out http://www.stonesthrow.com/guiltysimpson for more information.   RAPstation (Kyle Eustice): How did the Stones Throw thing happen? Did you meet Peanut

Los Angeles native Koache is on a mission with the legendary WC of Westside Connection (and those that really know what's up, Low Profile) to remind everyone that time is money when it comes to the grind. The brand new single "Gotta Get Mine" is taken from Koache's forthcoming project, Game Point, which will be released in September and features appearances from The Game, BJ The Chicago Kid, Xzibit, Cory Gunz, WC and Nottz. Please visit https://soundcloud.com/koache/gotta-get-mine to check out the new single, produced by Larry Shields.

Art, skateboarding and music have always coincided. It almost seems criminal to lack a soundtrack for everything you do, whether it's skating, painting or simply driving in your car. Artist Don Pendleton embodies the trifecta. The West Virginia native started skating as a teenager, but also had an undeniable penchant for art. At this time, music was a good friend, always close to everything he did. Artists like The Smiths, Boogie Down Productions, The Cure, Eric B. & Rakim and Public Enemy shaped his musical tastes (and in fact, still do). In college, he majored in graphic design and took a position with skateboard company Alien Workshop in 1998. Since then, he's developed his own signature style and branched out into other areas, including fine art and album artwork. His work on Pearl Jam