Blu & Exile’s new album ‘Love (the) Ominous World’ is a grand testament to the enduring power of their creative partnership.
Read moreSustained Creativity: A Conversation with Da Beatminerz | Interview
Photo courtesy of Da Beatminerz
In conjunction with the release of their new album ‘Stifled Creativity,’ the dynamic production duo Da Beatminerz sat down with Albumism’s Jesse Ducker to reflect upon their prolific career.
Read moreWide Awake: A Conversation with Apollo Brown & Planet Asia | Interview
Planet Asia (L) & Apollo Brown (R) | Photo: Jenny Risher
Apollo Brown & Planet Asia continue their fruitful collaboration on their new album ’Sardines,’ the follow-up to 2017’s ‘Anchovies.’
Read moreSay That: A Conversation with Lateef The Truthspeaker & Lyrics Born of Latyrx | Interview
Photo: Mark Austin Heim
Released 25 years ago, the duo’s debut collaborative album ‘Latyrx’ (1997) was a definitive and declarative statement that endures as a completely unique and inspired listening experience.
Read moreMusical Mobility: A Conversation with Lyrics Born | Interview
Photo: Mark Chua
“There's no theme to the album as a whole, other than it's in the spirit of collaboration,” Lyrics Born says of ‘Mobile Homies Season 1.’ “We're just having a good time now trying to make some good music.”
Read moreFrom the First Sermon to the Last: A Conversation with Snupe of Extra Prolific | Interview
“I wanted to get back to that place where hip-hop gives you something to think about and grow from,” Snupe reflects, as he discusses the inspiration for his latest album ‘Like It’s Supposed To Be.’
Read moreReimagining Classic Motown for the Modern Age: A Conversation with Lord Finesse | Interview
‘Motown State of Mind’ inspired me in a lot of different ways because of things I learned in the process of doing this project,” the hip-hop legend explains.
Read moreFantastic Voyage: A Conversation with Slum Village Co-Founder T3 | Interview
“Now we’re at a place where everyone can hear your music,” T3 explains. “It might blow up, or it might not, but people still can hear it. That inspires me to keep doing music.”
Read moreJ-Zone’s ‘A Job Ain’t Nuthin’ But Work’ Turns 15 | Interview & Anniversary Retrospective
“‘A Job Ain’t Nuthin’ But Work’ was a highly personal record and has the most meaning to me out of the five records in the first chapter of my career,” J-Zone reflects.
Read moreSuperhero Strengths & Sounds: A Conversation with Chali 2na & Krafty Kuts | Interview
Chali 2na & Krafty Kuts’ collaborative album ‘Adventures Of A Reluctant Superhero’ is in stores now.
Read morePartners in Rhyme, Right on Time: A Conversation with Little Brother’s Big Pooh & Phonte | Interview
Photo: Antonie Jameson
“We wanted the album to sound like a conversation,” Phonte explains. “We wanted to sound like two old friends getting back together and just really conversing with each other.”
Read moreKwest Tha Madd Lad Returns with His Passion & Penchant for Rhyme Fully Intact | Interview
“It’s like riding a bike,” Kwest says of his return to recording. “When you rhyme and you love this art form for what it is and you love hip-hop in general, it never leaves you.”
Read moreChaos, Creativity & Catharsis: Mr. Lif Revisits the Making of ‘I Heard It Today’ 10 Years On | Interview
“It was a life raft,” Mr. Lif says of the album. “It’s probably one of the purest forms of how music has played a role in my life. It kept me going.”
Read moreINTERVIEW: Illogic & Blueprint Rewind the Hands of Time to Celebrate 15 Years of ‘Celestial Clockwork’
Illogic’s third studio affair is as good of a mix of complex and potent lyricism coupled with creative production that’s been released in the past 20 years.
Read moreINTERVIEW: Dynamic Duo Sadat X & El Da Sensei Unite to Keep Pure Hip-Hop Alive and Well
Two of the most gifted lyricists ever to grip the mic have joined creative forces for their collaborative album ‘XL,’ in stores now.
Read moreINTERVIEW: All Natural Revisit the Making of Their Underground Classic, ‘No Additives, No Preservatives’
All Natural take a no frills, strictly skills approach to their music throughout their debut album ‘No Additives, No Preservatives’ (1998).
Read moreINTERVIEW: Nicolay Revisits All That The Foreign Exchange Left Behind and the Legacy That Endures
“We have a responsibility to not look back, to get outside of our comfort zones,” Nicolay confides. “And I think we’ve always made music that we want to make.”
Read moreINTERVIEW & TRIBUTE: J-Zone Is Still ‘$ick of Bein’ Rich,’ 15 Years On
“The main point of ‘$ick of Being Rich’ was to show my range,” its creator reflects. “It was my chance to show and prove that I can work in other circles.”
Read moreINTERVIEW: Three Decades On, Young MC Is Still Stone Cold Rhymin’
“I wanted to do my best to keep hip-hop around,” Young MC confides. “Not only so I could keep doing it, but so that everybody else could keep doing it as well.”
Read moreMusical Renaissance Man Phonte Takes His Listeners on Rides That Resonate | Interview
Photo: Chris Charles
“My goal is to take the listener on a ride, through different emotions, and at the end they come out feeling like they experienced it with you,” Phonte explains.
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