Hip-Hop @ 50
When André 3000 released his debut solo album, New Blue Sun, in November, hip-hop die-hards were understandably upset: The set spanned 88 minutes, showcased flute-playing in a new age and jazz paradigm and included zero words.
At 49 now, André 3000 suggested that topics like getting a colonoscopy and checking his eyesight didn’t fit into hip-hop subject matter. “Sometimes it feels inauthentic for me to rap,” he told GQ at the time of the album’s release, “because I don’t have anything to talk about in that way.”
Less than a month later, Lil Wayne, 41, said on Young Money Radio that he was “depressed” to hear 3Stacks’ comments because he has “everything to talk about.” Pusha T, 47, agreed, telling Idea Generation in live-event footage uploaded in December, “It is kind of stifling to the genre to even think like that. As long as you live in hip-hop in all capacities and as long as you’re still sharp with that pen, you got something to say. We want to hear it.”
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Ironically, the chatter about rappers reaching an expiration date occurred at the end of a yearlong celebration of hip-hop’s cultural longevity. In 2023, genre pioneers including DJ Kool Herc, Kurtis Blow and Roxanne Shanté were honored with a celebratory Hip Hop 50 Live event at New York’s Yankee Stadium. Meanwhile, icon-heavy arena tours kicked off, including Masters of the Mic: Hip-Hop 50 Tour (featuring Big Daddy Kane and Doug E. Fresh, among others), and LL COOL J’s F.O.R.C.E. Live outing (featuring Queen Latifah, Rakim and more).
That attitude has continued well into hip-hop’s 51st year, with sold-out shows and buzz-worthy albums released decades into artists’ careers. “It’s been interesting to watch rappers get older and redefine what’s acceptable and possible in hip-hop,” says Carl Chery, creative director and head of urban music at Spotify. “Rap has historically been perceived to be a young man’s game, but we’re now seeing rappers have critical and commercial success [into] their 40s.”
In July, Eminem released his long-teased concept album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), led by the top 10 Hot 100 hit “Houdini.” Its debut atop the Billboard 200 ended Taylor Swift’s record-breaking streak at No. 1 with The Tortured Poets Department. That same week, Common released his Pete Rock-produced The Auditorium Vol. 1, and in August, Rakim dropped his first album in 15 years with G.O.D.’s Network (Reb7rth) while Killer Mike delivered Songs for Sinners and Saints. Still ahead, LL COOL J will return with his first album in 11 years with The FORCE, due Sept. 6, and Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre have teased their joint album, Missionary, fresh off a performance at the Summer Olympics’ closing ceremony in Los Angeles. Will Smith has even returned to music with his first Christian/gospel single, “You Can Make It,” featuring Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir, which they debuted at the 2024 BET Awards in June.
How, then, are these rappers staying active while entering their fourth or fifth decades? Common believes it’s a matter of understanding the difference between “legacy” and “veteran.” “Sometimes when I hear ‘legacy,’ it makes me think that people don’t view you as still present in it,” he says, “that you are still creating music that is palatable and viable for the times. To me, it’s an honorable way of saying, ‘Man, you had a good run.’ ”
Meanwhile, being a veteran, he says, not only alludes but gives respect to the length of time an artist has sustained. “They have experience and some time in the art form,” he says — which is something Common felt was missing when he was starting out, as hip-hop was still a relatively new commercial art form. But now, at 52, he believes there is victory in having a passion that burns strong enough to want to keep writing raps.
“When we were coming up, we didn’t have any examples of people in their 40s and 50s making music,” he observes. “In my 20s, I was thinking, ‘Man, how am I going to make it in my 30s? Who is going to listen? I have to hurry up and make this happen.’ And now, in my early 50s, I’m like, ‘Wow, it’s a new life to this.’ ”
Chery says he’s been paying special attention to Eminem and Ye, both of whom have managed to appeal to a Gen Z audience. “Granted, Ye and Em have a unique appeal, but I wonder how many artists will be able to change their audience moving forward,” he says. “I’ve always been envious of how young rock listeners take pride in knowing Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin. They’re students. A lot of younger rap listeners are dismissive of older music.” (Upon the release of Common’s The Auditorium Vol. 1, Grammy Award-winning producer 9th Wonder proposed on X that “adult contemporary hip-hop needs its own category” at the awards show; during this year’s ceremony, Killer Mike swept the rap categories.)
While Common is less concerned with how the music he makes today is perceived, there is one thing he knows he wants: longevity. He admires the arc of many jazz musicians’ careers, recalling seeing pianist Ahmad Jamal, who died in 2023 at 92, play in Chicago; as Common says, Jamal “played until he left the planet.” He says the same of drummer Roy Haynes, who is 99 — and whom Common saw perform just a few years ago.
“If André 3000 decided to rap about a colonoscopy, he’s going to make it dope as hell,” Common asserts, “because this dude rapped about going to Whole Foods and made a whole story out of that.”
This story will appear in the Aug. 31, 2024, issue of Billboard.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Redsummer TV / Tale of the Tape
HipHopWired got to exclusively chat with the director and producer of Tale Of The Tape, a new documentary detailing the creation and history of mixtapes in Hip-Hop culture.
The mixtape is a vital component of Hip-Hop culture, and as Hip-Hop has recently celebrated its 50th year of existence, the history of how mixtapes originated is getting its time in the spotlight thanks to a new documentary. Tale of The Tape is a new film that shows the rise of mixtapes and their impact, with Royce Da 5″9′ narrating the journey.
The film features appearances by DJ Drama, DJ Clue, the late Combat Jack, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole along with DJ Envy, who serves as a producer. Tale of The Tape is directed by Malik K. Buie, the CEO of the film’s production company Red Summer TV. The veteran Hip-Hop journalist Kim Osorio is also a producer of the film and Red Summer’s chief content officer. The hour-long film gives viewers a look into these artists’ views on mixtapes and how greatly it affected their careers and perspectives.
Hip0Hop Wired had the chance to speak exclusively with Buie and Osorio about their passion for making the film and the journey it took to finish it and have it be part of the culture’s growing archives.
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HHW: So, to get started, I wanted to ask right off, how did the process begin to put this definitive documentary together?
Malik K. Buie: This began many years ago, over 10 years ago, to be honest. I was producing for Rap City and other platforms. Like any Hip-Hop head, mixtapes were an integral part of my youth. As I did a lot of interviews and traveled and documented things I always found that mixtapes were kind of like the common tissue to DJs, artists, everybody who was able to reach any sort of success. Or to be able to reach any sort of crowd. They all had a story of, “This mixtape inspired me, this mixtape influenced me, etc.”
And it’s funny because I remember thinking, “Well, I really want to do something based on mixtapes.” We posted about it the other day, a designer that I used to work with said to me, I remember, we sketched out the logo on a napkin, at work, for ‘Tale of The Tape.’” Again, well over 10 years ago. So that was a big part of why I wanted to do the film, I wanted to honor the DJ, I wanted to tell the story of—we see all these really large mainstream artists, whether it’s Drake, whether it’s Kendrick, whether it’s Nicki, whether it’s Cole, they all achieved their success based off their mixtape. But nobody really knew the story of how these mixtapes started with Brucie B and those guys. And of course, Hip-Hip aficionado Kim Osorio. She knows a lot about the subject, and it just made sense for us to partner up and do what we do.
Kim Osorio: I’m glad that he gave you some context as to when it started because I can’t remember. It’s been such a labor of love and a work in progress. We used to have a column when I worked at The Source called Hip Hop One-on-One. And that was a column where we felt like it was our responsibility to educate as well as you know, entertain. And so I think with this here, what we wanted to do was to make sure—it was a responsibility of ours, right?
Especially with where mixtapes are now, for us to be able to say, “Wait, we love the culture, we love mixtape culture, we want to report on it.” But more importantly, we want to make sure that people understand the history. And we want to document that because these days, you see how quickly everyone is just changing the narrative. So for us there, we were teaming up just as fans really. Mixtapes, because I collected them. I used to think I was a DJ. You know, I’m not gonna talk about my turntables and the mixtapes that I used to make. (Laughs) That was a shameless plug.
To this day, right, one of my favorite things to do is to be a DJ, like build playlists. And if you really know me, a lot of people don’t notice about me. I think I’m a DJ, I had [Technics]1200’s. Everything. If you really know me, you know that I love to sequence music, and I love to build playlists. And I send playlists to people that are close to me. It’s like a love language of mine. Everything with me comes from Hip-Hop, everything. That’s how I was taught how to consume music, through a mixtape. I wanted to pick the songs that I wanted to pick. Even to the point when blend tapes were big, right? We want to take these vocals and put it over this instrumental, we want to hear it the way we want to hear it, in the order that we want to hear it in. That sort of curation of music is something that has always fascinated me. So doing this was a no-brainer because a lot of people, a lot of kids coming up to date even listening to Hip-Hop, they just don’t have the same experience. It’s a whole different game. We have to document ours.
HHW: What were the challenges in making the documentary? I noted how the process was, but what were the challenges that stuck out the most with documenting and telling the story?
Kim Osorio: Trying to be a perfectionist? (Laughs)
Malik: (Laughs) So, one, we’re both perfectionists. Look, this is a Red Summer TV, Buffalo Eight production, we’re pretty much self-funded for a lot of this. And, you know, that’s probably the main challenge. I want to have three cameras, I want to have jibs swinging in when we do these interviews, etc, etc. and the resources said different. We would’ve loved to speak to a few more folk. But sometimes that’s kind of what it is. The plan is, of course, to make this a series moving forward. Me and Kim joke a lot, because there were some things like I will write, she’s like, “Oh, I don’t like that, just throw it in the trash.” And she’d do her version of it. So I have to acquiesce because that’s what it is. But if there’s a certain look, a certain way. I’m gonna be like, “Nah, Kim, this is what I want.“ And so yeah, when starting this out years ago, I honestly thought it would take a year maybe, and we’d be done with it any day. And as the story kept changing for the mixtape DJ, it’s fine. We went right along with it as you can see, with what D’-Nice did with Club Quarantine. It’s a part of mixtape culture and history.
Kim: I think that when I talk about being perfectionists, I feel like anything that we approach, we’re always trying to do our best. But really, the challenge for us becomes just letting it go. Because the execution of producing this, that’s the hard part. We can ideate over it all day. We can talk about the things that we left out in the story, like the interviews that we couldn’t get, that was something even Malik and I went back and forth on for a while. I feel like, for years. We wanted to open up the doc and say, “Okay, let’s get more interviews in” and at a certain point, you just have to say, “No, we’ve got to get it done and get it out.”
So, the creating and putting it together when you know that the story is just so much more than just an hour. Right? You can’t squeeze everything into an hour. So for us, I think it was being able to stop and just say no, like, it’s time to let it go. And we can, you know, do more. Do a part two, and keep going.
HHW: And so, that takes me to my final question. And that is, how do you both feel about being able to have this documentary available as Hip-Hop celebrates 50 years?
Kim: I think we have a duty, now that we’ve reached Hip-Hop 50 to continue to do more of this type of content in these pockets of all of these different facets of Hip-Hop. I jokingly say all the time it’s “Hip-Hop 51” because I don’t want to lose the celebratory feeling that we had last year with everything we did for Hip-Hop 50. We can’t stop telling these stories just because we haven’t reached a milestone number. And I think we saw that with Hip-Hop 50 because we saw how great it was just to be able to celebrate the culture in that way, and to celebrate the history because you don’t get a lot of that. You know, when you said last question, I said, “if he asked about Kendrick and Drake, I’m gonna hang up this phone.” (Laughs) But seriously, when you asked the question about Hip-Hop 50, I felt like that was something that we talked about with Tale of The Tape. We’ve talked about how, “Is this something that we’ve considered as part of Hip-Hop 50 content? And that’s when I say it’s Hip-Hop 51.
Malik: I’m ecstatic that this project is available to the masses. As Kim said, we have a duty to tell our stories and dictate the correct narrative. I had an OG-slash-mentor tell me years ago about filmmaking. He’s like, “Look, you want to leave a legacy with what you’ve created.” And this is part of it to us. 100 years from now, I would love for a student of Hip-Hop to be able to watch this in whatever format, right? To see my name, see Kim’s name and the people that were a part of it. So they can be able to say, “Okay, this is what I’ve learned.” That’s super, super important. I feel extremely blessed to be able to have this out in the universe, extremely fortunate to be able to have partnered up with Kim to tell his story. And it’s here forever, period. I’m good with that.
Tale of The Tape is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, and Verizon and Spectrum networks.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Jerritt Clark / Getty
For decades, the official “Women in Hip-Hop” discussion focused on the scarcity of female MCs with record deals. As the story went, (straight) men didn’t want to hear women rap; at best, they wanted to f*ck them.
The added cost of their makeup and hair was a popular cop-out. And despite valiant displays of unity, such as Lil’ Kim’s “Not Tonight” video, the industry insisted that there was only room for one queen at a time.
But over the last four years or so, the emergence of a post-Nicki Minaj bumper crop of “rap girlies” has shifted the conversation. This class of young, fun, profane and pretty-in-the-face MCs includes Brooklyn’s Lola Brooke, Atlanta’s Latto, Memphis’ GloRilla and Hackensack, New Jersey’s, Coi Leray.
Their aesthetic fairy godmothers are Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown and Trina. Their best-selling big sister Nicki Minaj showed them how to fuse raw sex appeal and a pop sensibility with undeniable lyricism. Favorite cousins Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion taught them the value of sisterhood.
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As a Gen Xer who is almost as old as the maybe-official birthdate of Hip-Hop, I’m happy to see so many female rappers becoming stars. But I’m also conflicted about what they’re selling.
I’m all for girls getting the bag, but I’m concerned about the materialism that sometimes stands in for self-worth. I dig p*ssy-power anthems like “WAP,” but I’m doing so under the specter of white supremacist stereotypes of Black sexuality. I’m interested in the queering of Hip-Hop by artists like Young M.A, but I’m bored by the nameless femmes they visually deploy to compete with men.
So far, I’m not that auntie who once dropped it low to “My Neck, My Back” but now blames Sexyy Red for everything wrong in the culture. But I refuse to pretend that misogynoir in Hip-Hop no longer matters.
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If it didn’t, Megan Thee Stallion wouldn’t have endured years of low blows and harassment for being shot by a balding Canadian sadist. Oprah Winfrey wouldn’t have withdrawn her support of Off the Record, the HBO documentary about some of the women who Russell Simmons allegedly raped. Serial abuser Dr. Dre wouldn’t have a new Global Impact Grammy in his name. And people wouldn’t be more upset by the idea of Sean Combs having sex with men than allegedly raping, trafficking and beating women.
Despite the stubborn misogyny of Hip-Hop—and American culture in general—more female rappers have been able to break through thanks in part to visual platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
“We are living in an era, a time, a moment where, I don’t believe we’ve had so many women rappers simultaneously having success at the same time,” said Ebro Darden on Rap Life Review last March. “I don’t know if there’s been this many ever, and I think that’s phenomenal.”
Sexually explicit lyrics have been acceptable for decades, but girliness has been taboo. That’s why it was so wicked of Lil’ Kim to hop on Mobb Deep’s “Quiet Storm” remix and accuse her rival, Foxy Brown, of “comin’ in the game on some modeling shit.” Today, being model-pretty, hyper-femme and slim in the waist is damn near a prerequisite for making a hit song.
To better follow the current crop, I’ve been watching video mixes curated by a Chicago DJ named 3 Snapz. Since 2021, her Queens series has served as a compendium of bad-b*tch rap from around the country. For instance, the 2024 edition features mainstays like Meg and Cardi, pop stars like Doja Cat and Ice Spice, and a thrilling contingent of Big Apple bullies — Scarlip, Armani Ceasar, and Connie Diiamond with Remy Ma
But with a few exceptions, like Flyana Boss and the U.K.’s Cristale and Teezandos, the visuals draw from a finite set of cliches: The girlies are smacking a*s in the strip club! They’re twerking in the parking lot with their friends! They’re hanging out of luxury car windows in bikini tops! They’re bossing up in leather, fur and lingerie!
The irony of this NC-17-to-XXX fever dreamscape is that most of these women are decent rappers. They might not have the gravitas of a Ms. Lauryn Hill or the lyrical dexterity of Nicki Minaj, but they know how to ride a beat, talk their shit and make solid records. And they aren’t doing it to prove anything to men. They’re competing with one another. Latto illustrates this ethos in “Sunday Service.”
“These bitches corny, soon as monkey see, then you know monkey do/ Do you rap or do you tweet?/ ‘Cause I can’t tell, get in the booth, b*tch.”
In the video, she punctuates the line with a “Get in the booth b*tch” T-shirt.
To be sure, there have always been women MCs whose beauty, flyness and sex appeal are as important as their music. (Think Salt-N-Pepa, Eve and Trina.) But as Rapsody pointed out in her excellent Tiny Desk Concert, there used to be more variation among the top acts.
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“I try to do something different because nowadays you see one particular image of us [as] sexy. Everything is real sexed up,” the self-proclaimed “girl next door” said. “Like I grew up on Lauryn Hill, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott, Jean Grae; all of them were different. They had different styles and showed you all sides of what sexy and beautiful is as a woman.”
On a 2022 episode of Caresha Please — an artifact of face-card Hip-Hop culture—Saweetie illustrated the limitations of prettiness as a brand.
“I feel like I blew up too quick, to the point where I was being booked for shows, for campaigns, for brands, and no one really cared about me going to the studio,” the Bay Area native said. “My love for music just got put on the back side.”
In an industry where it can be easier for artists to make more money doing brand partnerships, haircare lines and beauty ads than they do selling music, Saweetie’s commitment to getting in the studio is significant. Rappers like her stand on the shoulders of pioneers like MC Sha-Rock, friendly rivals like Roxanne Shante and Sparky D., and late-’80s glamor girls like Oaktown’s 3.5.7 and J.J. Fad. And then there are the more obvious lineages: La Chat and the late great Gangsta Boo birthed GloRilla, Latto and JT. Missy Eliott begot Tierra Whack, Leikeli47 and Flyana Boss. Ms. Lauryn Hill created a lane for Akua Naru, Sa Rock and Mumu Fresh. Queen Latifah and MC Lyte wrote the blueprint for Rapsody, Noname, Chika and Flau’Jae.
Superstar Megan Thee Stallion continues to expand what it means for a female rapper to be the total package. Yes, she is known for her body, twerk proficiency and raunchy lyrics. But she also fought her way out of an exploitative 360 record deal, linking a “groundbreaking” agreement with Universal Records that will allow her to own her masters and publishing while benefiting from the label’s distribution system.
And while so many of the current crop of female rap stars are proud to be pretty in the face, I like how grounded they are. As Brooklyn’s Lady London purrs on the remix of Ciara’s “Da Girls”:
“This is for the girls on the grind/This is for the girl that’ll work full-time./ This is for the self-made girls, yeah, the self-paid girls/ Better never let ’em change your mind./ Girls who fly, girls who thrive, livin’ out dreams that money just can’t buy.”
Akiba Solomon is an NABJ Award-winning writer and editor from West Philadelphia. The Howard University graduate has written about Hip-Hop culture and politics for The Source, XXL, Vibe, Vibe Vixen, Essence and Colorlines. Solomon is the co-author of two books: “Naked: Black Women Bare All About Their Skin, Hair, Hips, Lips, and Other Parts” and “How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance.”
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Various / Various
For most music lovers, the cover art is the visual gateway to their sonic sojourn. Before the first beat drops or word is uttered, that first impression is often the packaging for the album or cassette. Album art in itself often tells a story and sets the tone for the auditory journey. While the cover art’s impact has been diminished a tad in the digital times, in the analog era of tapes and vinyl, music fans would spend as much time dissecting the cover as they did the music. And in Hip-Hop in particular, crate diggers have elevated cover art to near mythic status.
So, in celebration of HipHop’s 50th Anniversary, HipHopDX and HipHopWired have collaborated to present the 50 Greatest Hip Hop Album Covers Of All Time, spanning all five decades. There are some surefire fan favorites on the list, as well as some more recent installments they may stir some convo, but it’s all for the love of genre we hold dear and to recognize the efforts of art directors, photographers, artists and the musicians who inspire them.
J. Cole, KOD
Cover art: Kamau Haroon
Whether you go with “Kids On Drugs,” “King Overdosed” or “Kill our Demons” as the meaning behind J.Cole’s KOD title, there is no debate that artist Kamau Haroon nailed all three interpretations with his vibrant yet haunting portrait.
Known artistically as Sixmau, the artist was in the studio with J. Cole watching the NBA All-Star game when he created the cover. Evidently, the on-screen spectacle did little to distract him as the theme captured Cole’s vision: a monarch in the midst of a narcotic-induced daze shepherding equally dazed youth under his royalty capes.
“It was definitely a collaboration,” Kamau said of the creation. “It was a marriage of art and music. He told me what direction he was going in and then he gave me freedom to portray it how I wanted.”—Jerry Barrow
Tyler, The Creator, Flower Boy
Designer/Photographer: Eric Wright
Tyler, The Creator is always hands on so his Flower Boy album cover was no different. After peeping artist’s work in one of his books, the rapper commissioned Eric Wright to create the cover brought him his own sketches with ideas of what he wanted. “I was really impressed with his drawings and especially with his use of color. I think he has a much better innate capacity for working with color than I do,” White, who happened to be an Odd Future fan, told Complex in 2017. The final work is a jarring mix of color and weirdness, so it’s perfectly aligned with the Tyler, The Creator ethos. —Alvin aqua Blanco
Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp A Butterfly
Photo: Denis Rouvre
Art Direction: Kendrick Lamar, Dave Free, Vlad Sepetov
Kendrick Lamar’s cover art for his third studio album encapsulates the inherent rebelliousness of simply surviving in America. Even with the achievement of having an actual Black man in the White House, K.dot and his people posted up at the gate relegating the President’s residence to a backdrop, taking the directive to “paint the white house black” a defiant remix.
“It’s me and my homeboys in front of the White House,” Kendrick explains. “It’s really taking people from around my neighborhood and taking them around the world to see things I’ve experienced. [the baby he’s holding] is one of the homey’s kids, people I grew up with since elementary school all the way up to now. A lot of the individuals I talk about on Good Kid, Mad City is on this cover. It all spins around full circle.”
As for the judge laying on the ground with his eyes crossed out: “The one person that represents their lives negatively is a judge. Only God can judge these individuals.”—Jerry Barrow
Lil’ Kim, Hardcore
Designer/Photographer: Michael Lavine
The cover for Lil’ Kim’s debut Hardcore album went viral before doing so was ever a thing. “When I did the Hard Core photo shoot, I was just posing to do them. It wasn’t like I’m just going to pose and squat and show my kitty cat; that was not on my mind at all. For me, it was just being a model and posing in a cute, sexy way,” the Queen Bee told XXL in 2016. The album is considered a proper classic and its art kept it a keepsake for fans; male, female or wherever on the spectrum you may land. That promo photos may have gotten more run than the actual music, though.—Alvin aqua Blanco
Outkast, Stankonia
Art direction and design by Mike Rush.
Photograph by Michael Lavine.
After adorning their previous offerings, Atliens and Aquemini with illustrious illustrations, the two dope boys took a more direct approach for their fourth album, posing in a white tee and black leather pants against an ebony and ivory symbiote of the American Flag.
“The flag cover, that came to me when I was on an airplane,” Andre 3000 tells veteran journalist Craig Seymour in an 2000 interview. “I was thinking of a fly way to use the flag…make it a black and white flag. No color. More than anything. Like America is a no color state and we bring splashes of color.” Andre composed a drawing as an alternate cover to be a collectors item, but considers this image the “official” Stankonia cover.
Art Director Mike Rush was hired by L.A. Reid to head the urban music art squad and calls the monochromatic flag with its stars titled drunkenly in an almost demonic salute as “one of the most iconic album images in hip hop history.”—Jerry Barrow
Notorious B.I.G., Ready To Die
Designer: Cey Adams
Photographer: Butch Belair
Before you even think it, Raekwon and Ghostface have admitted they went too far with their infamous “Shark Niggas (Biters)” skit where they accused the Notorious B.I.G. of “biting off of Nas sh*t!” Also, the baby with the afro was not a seed of Sean “Diddy” Combs or Christopher Wallace as an infant but actually Keithroy Yearwood, who is now about 30 years old. Apparently, the kid was found during a casting call, and his mother caught a cool $150 for two hours of the child’s cuteness to be forever imprinted on Hip-Hop.—Alvin aqua Blanco
Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill
Album package photographer: Eric Johnson
Art Director, Sony Music: Erwin Gorostiza
Sampling and remixing is at Hip-Hop’s core, so it only makes sense that the debut album from one of the genre’s most revered artists, Ms. Lauryn Hill, would take inspiration from several places. The soulful center of The Fugees had her own visage carved into a desk because she knew she was about to school an entire industry.
“She already had some great ideas that were inspired by the album title. I don’t think I ever had an artist so involved with their imagery before this point. I insisted that the art direction credit be given to her along with myself,”Art Director Erwin Gorostiza, told Okayplayer.com.
A photograph of Ms Hill taken by Eric Johnson at her alma mater, Columbia High School in South Orange, New Jersey, was “carved” into the desk by retoucher Will Kennedy.
“In 1998, Photoshop was not anywhere near as powerful. Retouchers made up for it with all their skills and talent. Will had a knack for getting the art to look just right.”—Jerry Barrow
Nas, Illmatic
Designer/Photographer: Aimée Macauley
Illmatic’s cover was designed Aimée Macauley and a features a well-worn photograph of a 7-year-old Nas that was taken by his father, Jazz musician Olu Dara. The city photo young Nasty Nas’ face is superimposed over was taken by Danny Clinch. The legend goes that Nas originally intended for the album cover to be a picture of him holding Jesus Christ in a headlock. While the nod to his Live at the BBQ verse where rapped “When I was 12, I went to hell for snuffing Jesus” would have been welcomed by Hip-Hop diehards, the chosen cover option was for the best.—Alvin aqua Blanco
ODB, Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
Art Direction: Alli True
Photography: Danny Clinch
ODB draped himself in truth like a North Face Denali Fleece. “I came out my momma pussy, I’m on welfare. Twenty-six years old–still on welfare,” he growls on the quixotic confessional “Raw Hide” from his 1995 debut. So it’s no surprise that Dirty would use his own food stamp card to adorn said release, creating the most iconic Hip Hop album cover of all time.
“That album cover was completely his idea…he literally came to my office with his welfare card,” A&R Dante Ross confirms in an interview. Thanks to a color Xerox machine (an expensive favor in the pre-scanner days), the head of the art department, a Wu-Tang fan, was able to mock up a 10×12 cover long before the album was even finished. “He was like ‘I’m the realest…I grew up in poverty and I’m not ashamed of who I am’…he was making a conscious decision to be the polar opposite of the shiny suits and to do it in a way that was funny.”—Jerry Barrow
A Tribe Called Quest, The Low End Theory
Designer/Photographer: Nick Gamma, Jean Kelly & Dave Skillken aka ZombArt
The legend goes that Q-Tip wanted a painted woman, akin to something you would find on an Ohio Players album cover [https://rockthebells.com/articles/low-end-theory-midnight-marauders-a-tribe-called-quest/] The live photos, taken by Joe Grant, were just a start and the proper artwork was created by Jean Kelly aka ZombArt JK while Nick Gamma aka ZombArt NG handled the lettering. Along with Dave Skillken they all worked in the art department of Tribe’s record label Jive’s parent company Zomba Recordings. Since Jive was on 4080-mode when it came to getting credit, they were known as the Zombart collective as a compromise. While the music spoke for itself, the classic cover with its afrocentric pallet of colors made the cipher complete.—Alvin aqua Blanco
Check out the full list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Album Covers of all time over at HipHopDX.
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Origin Info For Your Favorite Hip-Hop Hits Of Today
There’s an old saying “There’s nothing new under the sun”, which we often write off as a figure of speech. However, when you recognize something you’re almost certain you’ve seen or heard before, there’s comfort in that familiarity.
While we appreciate the creativity that drives art to influence culture, we also honor the classics and originals that inspire trends today.
Many of the most popular hip-hop tracks on the charts today use samples from old records. According to Tunecore, “Sampling” is best described as reusing a specific portion of another’s sound recording.
The technique has been used for decades, with each generation paying homage to the preceding generation. Some of hip-hop’s greatest hits of all time use sampling, including Notorious B.I.G.’s 90s classic “Juicy” and legendary breakout hit “Through The Wire”. Here’s a bit of background on samples you may not have known about that are topping charts today!
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Creepin’ – Metroboomin, 21 Savage, The Weeknd
In 2004, Mario Winans serenaded the masses with a twisted exclamation to his lover, “I Don’t Wanna Know”.
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In the song, Winans pleads to his lady to keep her dirt secret. The smash, which spent eight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in February of 2004, was a sample of The Fugees “Ready Or Not”.
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Even further, The Fugees sampled the 1987 record “Bodaecia” by Irish singer Enya, who is also listed on the credits. Today, The Weeknd and 21 Savage teamed up with Atlanta hitmaker Metroboomin for a modern remake of the song.
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Players – Coi Leray
Coi Leray gave us yet another TikTok sensation with her 2022 song “Players”. What you may not have noticed is the sample of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five’s “The Message”. Coi’s record was released as the 1982 terminal hit turned 40.
Grandmaster Flash and Leray actually met for a celebratory dinner where Flash blessed the record and Coi’s hard work!
“When I got a call saying this girl wanted to resurrect the beat of a song from my past – I wanted to learn more,” Flash said in a second post. “Then when I spoke with & met @coileray, I TOTALLY got it. Go listen to PLAYERS by Coi Leray now ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️Next time I might sport the hoodie”
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The track “The Message”, created by Melle Mel and Duke Bootee, is widely regarded as one of the most significant rap songs of all time. The beat has been revisited consistently over the years with everyone from Ice Cube (“Check Yo Self” remix) to Puffy and Ma$e (“Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down”) and K. Michelle (“Going Under”) sampling the original 80s classic.
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Doja – Central Cee
UK breakout artist Central Cee is another artist with a knack for making viral hits. One of his most notable 2022 records – “Doja” – is derived from a sample of Eve & Gwen Stefani’s 2001 hit “Blow Ya Mind”. You may have heard the often-recited lyrics of “Doja”, “How can I be homophobic? My b—- is gay.” However, you may not have been privy to the fact Eve personally signed off on the Euro Hip Hop track calling it “everything”.
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On BBC’s 1EXTRA RAP SHOW, the Ruff Ryder’s First Lady explained the rizz that made her instantly approve the sample.
First of all, knowing and living in London, his name’s already been ringing and I liked him. I was like, ‘Yo, he’s a dope artist.’ And then we got the song and I was like, ‘This song is everything!’”
I’m sure we can be looking out for much more of Central Cee in the seasons to come.
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P Power – Gunna featuring Drake
Another fire collab between hip-hop artists and Metro Boomin “P Power” by Gunna featuring Drake, is making its rounds as a 2023 club smash.
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The song samples Donna Summer’s 1976 disco classic “Could It Be Magic”. However, the track was noticeably absent from Gunna’s album, “DS4Ever”, when it dropped on January 7, 2022. In an interview with Complex, Gunna reveals that the song was delayed over clearance issues.
“I originally sampled Donna Summer,” Gunna said. “I don’t even know her, because I’m so young. But she was a legend and her estate couldn’t get back in time for my album.”
How honored he must have felt when the clearance came back from one of the industry’s Black disco queens!
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Good Love – Usher, City Girls
If you’ve been out to basically any gathering or event this summer, you’ve probably heard “Good Love” featuring the City Girls. This feel-good dance jam has made waves from social media to the skating rink to family cookouts.
The familiar bump in the bass and repetitive rhythm takes us back to the ’90s and ’00s when denim cut-off shorts and gold door knocker hoops were in their prime. If you (or a mom, grandma, or auntie) attended a Freaknik festival, you may have heard the track before. “Good Love” samples a dance classic – “Freak It” by Lathun.
The 1997 SOSO Def hit is often accompanied by a line dance, perfect for the dance floor. The song quickly became a cultural shift point in Atlanta, bringing communities together through laughter and bounce.
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Which song do you think did the best remake?
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Jadakiss and Dave East get together for a special edition of the popular I Got Questions interview series to mark Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary.
The celebration of Hip-Hop turning 50 is still going strong, and many have come together to talk about their experiences and love for the different aspects of the culture. In that light, two of the greatest MCs in rap music in Jadakiss and Dave East linked up to share their stories in a new episode of the iONE Digital series to mark the occasion.
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As both artists hold court in a luxurious speakeasy lounge, Dave East kicks things off by asking The LOX veteran if he remembered the first time they met. “Not at all”, Jadakiss stated. “Every time you’d come up to D-Block, I wouldn’t be around. But I heard about you and heard your music way before I met you.”
The conversation turn to focus on when both rappers felt that they were among the best in the game. For Jadakiss, it was being beloved by The Notorious B.I.G. “We used to write rhymes that we wanted him to hear. Then after being signed to Bad Boy, having him tell us “I’m glad y’all are down with me…”that’s a cream-of-the-crop moment right there.” Dave East concurred, citing a co-sign from Nas as his moment. “Having Esco co-sign me, then it was Rae, Meth and the Wu?,” he said. “Gotta cherish that moment man.”
They also spoke about the love they receive from fans on the road, with Dave East recounting how amazed he was on a recent tour date in Canada seeing fans recite songs word for word. It prompted Jadakiss to recall what he called “the worst show ever in life” involving him and a lack of comfortable boxers.
For more insightful gems, check out the rest of the I Got Questions HipHop 50 Edition episode above.
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The Hip-Hop 50th Block Festival went down in The Bronx, on Sedgwick Avenue where it all started, on Saturday, August 12, and we were on the scene. Iconic MC’s like Mr. Cheeks, Grandmaster Caz, KRS-One, Peter Gunz, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and more, and even NBA point guard Kyrie Irving, checked in to salute the culture.
50 years strong.
Watch the recap above.
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While many Hip-Hop heads continue to debate who’s the rap game’s GOAT with names like Biggie, Drake and Jay-Z being tossed around, many triple OG’s would place Hip-Hop icon Rakim Allah at the top of their list as the man truly is one of the greatest lyricists to ever pick up a mic.
Source: Sprite / SPRITE
With Hip-Hop celebrating it’s 50th anniversary, Sprite has decided to pair legendary rap artist Rakim with one of today’s brightest up and coming stars in Latto for their Sprite Limelight Season 2. Latto sat down with the Hip-Hop icon at a diner and listened to what the OG “Microphone Fiend” rhymer had to offer. In the short clip, she soaks up the knowledge the Gawd has to offer before making her way to an underground party and rocking the mic herself with her own spin on “Don’t Sweat The Technique.”
It was pretty cool seeing two generations of Hip-Hop artists chop it up and compare and contrast their styles.
Check out the video below, and let us know your thoughts on their sit-down in the comments section below.
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Pusha T is a global force. The veteran rapper is currently touring It’s Almost Dry, his acclaimed Billboard 200-topping fourth solo studio album, in venues across Europe, from Norway to the U.K. While his singular brand of coke rap has carried him to worldwide success, the heart of Pusha T’s music and aesthetic finds its anchor in the place he calls home: Virginia.
The “Neck & Wrist” rapper is headed back to the DMV on August 19 to perform for fans at the first-ever free Pepsi Dig In Day Block Party in Washington D.C. at the Sandlot Anacostia. With a focus on celebrating and spotlighting local Black-owned restaurants, Pepsi Dig In Day Block Party attendees can expect to enjoy free food, fun and music performances from a lineup of talented musicians, including Alex Vaughn, Black Alley, DJ Five9 and DJ Money.
Supporting Black businesses and Black art is nothing new for Pusha T. In February 2020, he launched his own record label, Heir Wave Media Group, focused on signing and developing artists from the Virginia area. Last year, he publicly cut ties with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music due to the “Black Skinhead” rapper’s controversial appearance on an InfoWars episode and subsequent antisemitic remarks. Currently on a 50/50 deal with Def Jam and Heir Wave Media Group for his solo musical endeavors, Pusha T remains steadfast in his prioritization and elevation of Black people and Black art as his global profile continues to soar, even in the face of recent jabs from Drake on Travis Scott’s “Meltdown.”
As hip-hop celebrates its 50th anniversary, Pusha T has enjoyed another banner year. In April, he performed a fiery 17-song set at Coachella, which followed a heated back-and-forth with “We Fly High” rapper Jim Jones regarding Push’s placement on Billboard and Vibe’s Greatest Rappers of All Time ranking. Later this month, Push is set to reunite with his brother, No Malice, for Clipse’s first New York show in over a decade. The performance, which will take place during Genius’ all-day IQ/BBQ, marks Clipse’s second reunion show of the year following their appearance at Pharrell Williams’ Something In The Water Festival earlier this year.
Billboard got a chance to catch up with Pusha-T and talk about the significance of Pepsi Dig In Day, the variety of Hip-Hop 50 celebrations, Clipse’s upcoming reunion performance, and his new album.
How’s life for you on the road right now?
Really good! Pretty hectic, pretty tedious. This first week was about six shows in seven days, and going from Europe to the US, so this is a hell of a way to start off a tour. But that’s what we’re here for!
Why is it important for you to be involved in an event like Pepsi Dig In Day?
I feel like Pepsi Dig In Day speaks to bringing the community together for music and the celebration of black-owned businesses in the DMV area. The DMV has so many different places and black-owned businesses to highlight in the restaurant space. It’s just a good time. It’s a good time for everybody.
Recently we’ve seen a lot of big pushes and initiatives in support of Black-owned businesses across the country, especially since 2020. Why did you choose to partner with Pepsi for this one, and what made you believe in this particular endeavor?
I’m always in the area — I’ve actually moved to the area permanently [laughs] and I’m renovating a house there. For me, I feel like this particular [event] is very special, because I frequent The Sandlot, which is where it’s being held. The Sandlot, for those who don’t know — it’s a historic neighborhood in D.C., where they’ve built out this area where people just have parties and DJs, and it’s always a really good, cool time. It’s where all the cool kids, the creatives, businessmen congregate for many events that I’ve been to. Once I heard about it, it was a no-brainer for me.
What are some of your favorite Black-owned spots in the DMV area?
I would start with some of the first ones that ever frequented, Maketto and KitchenCray. My guy, J.R. [James Robinson] with KitchenCray, and my guy, Keem [Hughley] with Maketto and Bronze, he has two restaurants. (Ed. note: Hughley is the director of sales at Maketto, which is owned by chef Erik Bruner-Yang.) They have a whole food truck culture out there as well. Jerk@Nite is really good, and Horace and Dickies, man, the fried whiting/fried shrimp/seafood swag.
What’s your go-to meal when you’re back home, whether it’s home-cooked or a plate you can get at one of those spots?
I’m going to have to say the jerk wings, rice and peas, and the mac and cheese. It’s a must. You can’t have it every day. It is 1000% something you should not have every day, if you’re being super health-conscious like I am at the moment [laughs], but it’s something that I have to have.
This year, Pepsi Dig In Day happens to coincide with a bunch of Hip-Hop 50 celebrations. How have you felt about the various celebrations so far and do you think that you’ve been included and honored in the way that you deserve?
I’ve been a part of a couple [Hip-Hop 50 celebrations], and I feel like I’ve been included. It’s been super-inclusive to all the subgenres of hip-hop, it’s been great to see. I think that, more importantly, this is a milestone for hip hop, and for people to recognize that hip-hop is really here to stay. You think about all the times that hip-hop wasn’t even included — whether it was award shows, or all of the fighting and political stress that was surrounding hip-hop at one time. To see that we’ve been here 50 years, man, it’s amazing.
What’s it been like touring Europe during Hip-Hop 50?
This is the second part of my Europe tour this year. I had to break it up, because I started working on music. It’s been great to be in Paris and be in London and watch the fans go crazy. The fans are super excited. For me, it’s always good, because I get to see the range of my fanbase — and it’s like, “Man, I’m seeing from 15 to 50!” That’s a blessing. It’s always been amazing to me just to be overseas across the waters and be able to touch the people that really show me support, and have shown me support for all these years.
Clipse is coming back with their first NYC show in over a decade in a couple of weeks. Talk to me about that. Do you guys have anything special planned? How does it feel to be returning to the birthplace of hip-hop for such a momentous occasion?
It’s really good just to be able to come to the birthplace of hip-hop and perform again. Being included in the hip-hop celebration by Genius, it’s awesome that we’re looked at and in such a regard — and I’m talking about Clipse — we’re just looked at for our lyricism, we’re being looked at for what we brought to the genre of street rap, and just being recognized is always a good thing. I mean being onstage with my brother is second to none.
Obviously, rap is a very regional art form, and your hometown and roots have an outsized influence on your music. Now that you’re back for such an uplifting event, do you anticipate that influencing your upcoming music at all? What can you tell us about your upcoming album, which you’ve described as “a special project?”
I personally feel like my music has always been representative of the region that I’m from, meaning that whole Virginia area and the DMV as a whole. The term “DMV” is very territorial to people. I’m from Virginia, 757 area code, which is Southeast Virginia State. You know, when they say “DMV,” it’s usually representative of Northern Virginia and D.C. proper. Me being on the outskirts and having the success that we’ve had, it’s always been like a second home to us, and we’ve always loved and supported the area in any way that we could. I love to come back and give that energy back. I think that we’ll really show the world all the aspects of the DMV.
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Cathy Hughes is a G on all levels. The Urban One founder has been named one of the “50 Greatest Hip-Hop Executives of All Time” by Variety.
The latest acknowledgment should be no surprise to anyone familiar with the Black radio pioneer. Hughes is in some historic alongside the likes of Bad Boy Records founder and current Revolt CEO Sean “Diddy” Combs, Epic Records Chairperson Sylvia Rhone and rapper turned mogul Jay-Z, amongst others. Considering Hip-Hop’s 50-year legacy of hustle, including Hughes was a no-brainer.
Per Variety:
She may not be a household name, but Hughes is a trailblazer for both female music executives and hip-hop culture. As the first female VP and general manager at WHUR in Washington, D.C., she pioneered the “Quiet Storm” format. She then founded Urban One (originally known as Radio One) in 1980, which became the largest Black-owned and -operated radio and television broadcast company in the U.S., and in 1999 was the first Black female to head a company listed on NASDAQ; by 2007, the company owned 70 stations in 22 markets. She has been listed as the second-richest Black woman in the United States — after Oprah Winfrey.
Nothing but respect, Cathy Hughes. Learn a bit more about her incredible and inspiring career in this 2019 feature in the PBS special BOSS: The Black Experience in Business below:
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