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Kurtis Blow and the cast of "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" descended on the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on Wednesday (November 16) for the official opening of the annual Christmas soirée. Speaking to The Los Angeles Daily News, the "Christmas Rappin'" icon vividly remembered how he became such an integral part of the musical over a decade ago. 

“They came to me and said, ‘Wow, you would be great being a part of this new show called ‘The Hip Hop Nutcracker,’ and I said, ‘What?’" he explained. "I remembered the old Nutcracker and so I went over to the rehearsals and I saw these B-boys and B-g

Top Dawg Entertainment's Ab-Soul has announced a new album called "Herbert," a reference to his real name, Herbert Anthony Stevens IV. To coincide with the announcement, the 35-year-old MC has dropped a video for "Gang'Nem" featuring Fre$h, the second single from the project. Over a dark, emotive beat produced by Sounwave, Ab-Soul raps about his come-up in Carson, California, the realities of street culture and some of the challenges he's encountered along the way.

"'Herbert' is a deliberately intimate portrait of the man behind Ab-Soul going back to his foundation, as noted by the name of the record, leaving the conspiracy theories he’s known for behind while emphasizing his musicality," the press release describes. "After suffering through a series of unspeakable tragedies,

The BROCKHAMPTON collective—comprised of Merlyn Wood, Kevin Abstract, Joba, Matt Champion, Dom McLennon, and Romil Hemnani, among others—exploded on the scene with 2017's "Saturation" and "Saturation II," garnering critical acclaim along the way. Four more albums would follow, including 2021's "Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine," which was mostly recorded at Rick Rubin's studio in Malibu. 

Earlier this year, they confirmed they were going on hiatus but promised to leave their fans with at least one new project. On Thursday (November 17), BROCKHAMPTON returned with a new album called "The Family" via Question Everything/RCA Records. 

Curiously, their seventh studio album is primarily a Kevin Abstract solo release produced by Bearface and boylife, but it will be fo

The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (MFIT) has announced a new exhibit called "Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style," in celebration of Hip Hop's upcoming 50th birthday. The exhibit opens February 8 and runs through April 23, 2023. 

Described as the "largest and most comprehensive exhibition to explore this revolutionary and influential style," it marks the first time MFIT will examine fashion exclusively through one musical genre. Over 100 garments and accessories capture the pivotal moments in Hip Hop fashion's evolution—from Kangol hats to custom Dapper Dan jackets to the Manolo Blahnik Okla Alta booties inspired by Timberland work boots. The exhibition is curated by Elena Romero, journalist and assistant professor of Marketing Communication

It's no secret Hip Hop has been littered with gun violence in recent years. From Nipsey Hussle and Pop Smoke to PnB Rock and, most recently, Migos member Takeoff, the rate at which rappers are dying is astonishing. On Tuesday (November 15), The Atlantic published a powerful op-ed from Too Short and E-40 bemoaning the string of deaths within the rap community. 

Beginning with the '90s murders of 2Pac and Biggie, the Mount Westmore OGs outlined the increasing number of killings over the last four years. 

"Back then, you could expect a fistfight or a backstage brawl, but those incidents seem mild-mannered compared with the surge of violence in Hip Hop now," it reads.

Grandmaster Flash, Roxanne Shanté, Eric B, "Video Music Box" founder Ralph McDaniels, Slick Rick and Chuck Chillout were among the Hip Hop figures who showed up at City Hall to meet with New York City Mayor Eric Adams. During the meeting, the Universal Hip Hop Museum and the City of New York announced their new partnership and discussed how they were going to commemorate Hip Hop's 50th birthday next year. 

As Eric B explained to RAPstation, "So what we’re doing is the city has come aboard to celebrate 50 years of Hip Hop starting in New York City and the city is going to put together 50 concerts. They’re doing all kinds of parties—small parties, big parties—and at the end of the year, in August, we're going to do a huge one in Central Park." 

When asked if the