EVITAN (DRES & JAROBI) – HIGHER [VIDEO]
One half of Black Sheep and 1/4 of A Tribe Called Quest make up evitaN and the dynamic duo of Dres and Jarobi are here to take you “Higher.”
MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS FEAT. LEON BRIDGES – KEVIN [VIDEO]
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis tell the story of Kevin, a 21-year-old who dies from an accidental overdose, in the latest video from their upcoming album This Unruly Mess I Made.
CONSEQUENCE RECALLS THE TIME WU-TANG & BONE THUGS FOUGHT AT A DEF JAM PARTY
Complex put together a great series on hip hop in 1996 and one of the best stories comes from Consequence, who recalls the time that the Wu-Tang Clan and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony got into a brawl at a Def Jam holiday party. This line summarizes the whole thing…
“I turn to the left and Ghostface is taking off the Halle Hansen outfit and putting on a ninja suit, with three other guys doing the same thing…He really is about that Wu-Tang life.” – Consequence
NOISEY BOMPTON: VIOLENCE TOUCHES US ALL (PART 4) [VIDEO]
“I know a lot of people are saying that it’s getting better, but I’m the one that’s doing the funerals.”
Religion plays an important role alongside stories of Compton gang life in the music of Kendrick Lamar. In the fourth of six segments of Noisey Bompton, we pay a visit to the Greater Zion Family Church and talk to Pastor Michael Fisher about what he thinks the role of gangster rap is in the community and whether crime in Compton is actually receding. Then, we head to Campanella Park, the heart of Piru gang territory, to talk to Kendrick’s friend G. Weed about his experiences growing up Piru and becoming involved in the ongoing back-and-forth with the neighboring Crips. “Can’t nobody make this place safe,” he tells us.
TOKIMONSTA FEAT. ANDERSON .PAAK & KRNE – PUT IT DOWN [VIDEO]
TOKiMONSTA connects with Anderson .Paak for this single from TOKi’s upcoming album Fovere dropping on March 4.
ACTION BRONSON SAMPLES THE FINEST DUCK [VIDEO]
In this installment of “F*ck, That’s Delicious,” Action Bronson hits NYC to indulge in the finest duck dish the city has to offer.
NOISEY BOMPTON: LIVE FROM ROSECRANS (PART 3) [VIDEO]
Compton is full of up-and-coming rap talent, some of which can be seen on the cover of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly.’ Artists like Boogie, Jay Worthy, Hitta J3, and Kalifornia King Special are busy building their music careers—while also trying to get by day to day.
NOISEY BOMPTON: KENDRICK LAMAR’S COMPTON & DINNER WITH LIL L (PART 2) [VIDEO)
Compton, California, is known for launching the rap careers of stars like Kendrick Lamar, and music provides a promising avenue out of the community’s cycle of violence. In the second of six segments of Noisey Bompton, we spend a day with Kendrick’s childhood friend Lil L, who’s pursuing his own musical ambitions. L’s grandma invites us over for a gumbo dinner and shares her experiences as a mother and grandmother who’s lived in Compton since 1965. Then we head to one of the West Side’s many hole-in-the-wall studios, where L gets to work recording with his friend Earl Swavey and producer Larry Jayy.
STATIK SELEKTAH EXPLAINS HOW PRHYME INFLUENCED STATIK KXNG [VIDEO]
In an interview with WatchLoud, Statik Selektah discusses working with KXNG Crooked on the Statik KXNG project and how Royce Da 5’9″ and DJ Premier’s collaborative album influenced him.
NOISEY BOMPTON: GROWING UP WITH KENDRICK LAMAR PART 1 (VIDEO)
Compton, California, is one of hip-hop’s most celebrated locales, the birthplace of acts like N.W.A. and, more recently, Kendrick Lamar. It’s also home to a complicated gang culture. Noisey Bompton centers around Kendrick Lamar and the friends he grew up with on the West Side of Compton, many of whom feature on the cover of his album ‘To Pimp A Butterfly.’ n the first of six segments, we sit down with Kendrick to talk about his acclaimed albums, pay a visit to his high school, Centennial, and get to know his childhood friend Lil L.