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Legendary Bronx DJ Mark The 45 King died on Wednesday (October 18) just two days after celebrating his 62nd birthday. While no cause of death has been specified, he had been sick for some time. DJ Premier and Eminem were among the many paying tribute to the Flavor Unit legend. Moments after learning of his death, Preemo penned a lengthy Instagram caption outlining his many contributions to Hip-Hop culture.

“I never heard of Gang Starr until I heard DJ Red Alert play their 2nd single produced by Mark on 98.7 Kiss in NYC while shopping my demos looking to get a record deal,” he wrote. “Red Alert was playing ‘Bust A Move Boy’ cutting it up crazy and I heard Guru’s voice wondering who the f### is Gang Starr? I immediately went and bought the 12inch single to discover the

Digable Planets MC Butterfly (also known as Ishmael Butler) has dropped a new single and video under the Shabazz Palaces moniker. Titled "Binoculars," the track features Royce The Choice and serves as the first taste of Robed in Rareness, his forthcoming mini album. The video, directed by Stephan Gray, was shot in Seattle and finds the two artists cruising through the city as they swap bars. 

Robed in Rareness is the first full collection of new material since 2020's The Don of Diamond Dreams. The new album features collaborations from O Finess, Geechi Suede (of Camp Lo fame), Butler’s twin Lavarr the Starr and his son Lil Tracy. The album also boasts production by Shabazz Palaces, mixing by Erik Blood, engineering from Butler and Blood at Studio4 West

Freestyle Fellowship's Self Jupiter has returned with a new single called "Big Dipper." Produced by Kenny Segal and mastered by Daddy Kev, the track ebbs and flows with Self Jupiter's lyrical gymnastics, effortlessly displaying his penchant for clever wordplay and captivating storytelling. Coupled with jazz-infused melodies and hard-hitting yet smooth bass, "Big Dipper" paints a sonic landscape bursting with underground hip-hop flavor. The track arrived on all digital steaming services Friday (October 13) and can be found on Bandcamp as well. 

Freestyle Fellowship first emerged in the early '90s and quickly became an underground Hip Hop force on the West Coast. Comprised of Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E. and Self J

The Recording Academy and CBS have teamed up for A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop, honoring 50 years of the culture. The event takes place at the YouTube Theater in Hollywood Park on November 8 and will air on December 10 from 8:30pm-10:30pm ET/PT via CBS. It will also be available to stream live and on demand via Paramount+.

Performances include Black Thought, Bun B, Common, De La Soul, Jermaine Dupri, J.J. Fad, The Lady Of Rage, LL COOL J, MC Sha-Rock, Monie Love, The Pharcyde, Queen Latifah, Questlove and Rakim, among others.

MC Sha-Rock, heralded as Hip Hop's first female MC, shared her excitement on social media and marveled at how far she's come. As she wrote on her Instagram Stories, "I'm performing at the Recording Academy/Grammy's y'all. A you

A war erupted overseas on Saturday (October 7) after Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel. According to the Associated Press, the Israeli government formally declared war Sunday (October 8) and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas for its surprise attack. As the military intensified its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, the toll passed 1,000 dead and thousands wounded on both sides. 

Jewish rapper/Wild ‘N Out personality Kosha Dillz, who’s proudly represented his heritage in his music since the onset of his career (hence the name), is understandably heartbroken by the development. He also came dangerously close to being in Tel Aviv at the time of the attacks. In fact, he was

Public Enemy is set to release a new vinyl reissue of their sophomore album, 1988’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. The album is being reissued to celebrate both its 35th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop. 

"Thanks to Run-DMC, LL Cool J and Whodini, we knew that Hip Hop albums could explode on cassettes," Chuck D said in a statement. "At about the same time, [The Bomb Squad producer] Hank Shocklee was the manager of a record store, and he would point out how rock bands like Iron Maiden, The Rolling Stones and even Bruce Springsteen were getting the most out of the album concept. So, we took that and went further with ‘It Takes a Nation,' approaching it like a rock band. It ended up becoming a part of rap’s evolution from a singles-driv