One of the most consistently dope emcees who happens to host the HARD2EARN podcast with journalist Bonsu Thompson is back at it. Torae launches his first cut of 2024 produced by Hitmaker Dot. “The Bubble Chip” is Torae doing what he does best…rap. And the video finds him doing this while moving through Coney Island.
Ice-T introduces the world to Watts, California’s very own Fedie Demarco. The West Coast’s latest addition to Hip Hop drops a video for the song “Grand Imperial” produced by DJ Ace. “Grand Imperial” certainly offers that sonic thump of the California as Fedie represents where he’s from as the next generation of emcee.
Al Skratch comes around DJ Premier’s way one time to bless the instrumental “Really” from Preemo’s “Beats That Collected Dust Vol. 3” series. “Al Skratch Preemo” drops with a video directed by The Basquiat Brothers. It’s always good to see Al Skratch out in the wild.
Killer Mike continues campaigning his MICHAEL album to be one of the best of the year with a video for “Run.” But this is a remix with a Reggae flavor that features the stylings of Damian Marley.
The world “legend” is often thrown around a little too liberally. But Scarface falls right into that category reserved for the finest Hip Hop has ever had. You should go out of your way to watch the greatness of this Tiny Desk Concert that NPR has gone as far as to say it may be the best one ever. Backed by fellow legends Mike Dean and The Backyard Band, Scarface delivers an absolutely stellar 30 minute set filled with classics like “I Seen A Man Die” and “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” over live instrumentation.
Method Man and Ghostface Killah’s collaboration with Nicole Bus titled “Claudine” finally gets a video that has all of the vibes of a 1970s Blaxploitation video as the Wu-Tang members do what they do best over Mathematics production.
Masta Ace and Marco Polo are preparing to release their new collaborative album Richmond Hill. The duo drop the video for “Life Music” which features Stricklin, Speech and E Smitty. Masta Ace continues to put out quality music and this album should be no different.
From the Flying High 2 project, The Alchemist cuts loose a video for “Paint Different” featuring Curren$y. As always, Curren$y delivers with the bars and there some car talk littered throughout. But it’s also always good to hear our boy Al flexing his lyrical muscles.
It’s been some years since we got “The Sixth Sense” collaboration between DJ Premier and Common so it’s good to have this duo back together in 2023 for “In Moe (Speculation).” The beat “In Moe” is on volume 3 of Preemo’s “Beats That Collected Dust” series and Common promptly scooped it up and tore it down.
Do you have an hour to spare? In salute of the late DJ Kay Slay comes “Rolling Deep 200” where 200 emcees bless a track. Here’s the list and timestamps.
0:24 Sheek Louch 0:44 Snoop Dogg 1:05 Raekwon 1:25 Papoose 1:46 Bun B 2:07 Millyz 2:27 Dave East 2:48 RUN DMC 3:08 Jim Jones 3:29 AZ 3:49 Sha Rock 4:10 Ice-T 4:31 Freeway 4:51 Maino 5:12 Rev Run (RUN DMC) 5:34 Nems 5:53 Royal Flush 6:14 Grandmaster Caz 6:35 Cassidy 6:56 King Flo 7:16 The Original Spindarella 7:37 Cory Gunz 7:58 KXNG Crooked aka Crooked I 8:18 Joel Ortiz 8:38 Fame aka Lil’ Fame (M.O.P) 9:00 Billy Danze (M.O.P) 9:20 Coke La Rock 9:41 Sauce Money 10:01 RJ Payne 10:21 Uncle Murda 10:43 Whispers 11:03 Keen Streetz 11:24 Piff Jones 11:44 Nero Ron 12:05 Large Professor 12:26 OT The Real 12:47 Paul Wall 13:07 Nino Man 13:28 Mic Geronimo 13:49 Ransom 14:09 Ms Hustle 14:30 Melle Mel 14:51 Shoota93 15:11 Rass Kass 15:32 DJ Doo Wop 15:52 Haddy Racks 16:13 Kid Carpi 16:34 Bynoe 16:55 Kool Keith 17:15 GTB King Card 17:36 B-Real 17:57 Herb McGruff (We Da Zone) 18:19 Stan Spit (We Da Zone) 18:38 Kick Gunz 18:59 Tony Touch 19:19 Vado 19:39 Grand Puba 20:01 Axel Leon 20:21 Smooth da Hustler 20:42 Trigga tha Gambler 21:02 Slim Dyme 21:23 Big Daddy Kane 21:43 Shyheim aka The Rugged Child 22:04 Oun P 22:24 Page Kennedy 22:46 Prayah 23:06 Tony Yayo 23:26 BK (Double X Posse) 23:48 Ray Rothchild (Double X Posse) 24:08 Big Noyd 24:28 Head I.C.E 24:48 E-A-Ski 25:09 Sadat X 25:31 El da Sensei (Artifacts) 25:51 Tame One (Artifacts) 26:12 Brillo 26:32 Daddy-O 26:53 Chi-Ali 27:14 Tragedy 27:35 Twista 27:55 GeeLo Green (Goodie Mob) 28:16 E.D.I Mean (Outlawz) 28:37 Hocus 45th 28:57 Billboard Baby 29:17 E-Glass (The Hoodies) 29:38 Young Poppa (The Hoodies) 29:59 China Mac 30:20 E Ness 30:41 DJ Paul 31:01 Jack Frost 31:22 Ka Flow 31:42 Majesty 32:03 Neek the Exotic 32:23 P.T Capone 32:44 O.C. (D.I.T.C) 33:05 Termanology 33:25 Tony Moxberg 33:46 Wais P 34:06 Talk It Trigga 34:27 ZipwittheDrip 34:48 Treach 35:09 Rah Digga 35:29 Mysonne 35:50 Jon Connor 36:10 Jae Millz 36:30 Rockness (Boot Camp Clik) 36:51 Steele (Smif-N-Wessun) 37:12 Tek (Smif-N-Wessun) 37:32 Sky Zoo 37:54 Mikey D 38:14 Young Noble (Outlawz) 38:35 Tone Trump 38:55 Locksmith 39:16 Big T 39:37 Saigon 39:58 Sha Queen aka Ma Baker 40:19 Peter Gunz 40:38 King Bless 40:59 Corporal AK 41:20 Molecules (The Legion) 41:40 Chucky Smash (The Legion) 42:01 Diceman (The Legion) 42:22 D.V. Alias Khryst 42:43 Nutso 43:03 Kevie Kev aka Waterbed Kev 43:24 Torae 43:45 Mickey Factz 44:06 Young Buck 44:26 88 LO 44:46 Smooth B 45:06 King Malachi 45:27 Master Rob 45:49 Vita 46:10 Merkules 46:30 Nytro 46:50 Iron Sheikh 47:11 Bishop Lamont 47:32 Capitalist 47:53 Jade Diamonds 48:13 Sparkie D 48:33 Fredro Starr (Onyx) 48:54 Stickey Fingaz (Onyx) 49:15 Paula Perry 49:36 Tah Mell 49:56 Da Inphamus Amadeuz 50:17 Cortez Bodega 50:38 Superstar Floss 50:58 Innocent? 51:19 MC TNT 51:40 Tracey Lee 52:00 Aobie 52:22 Kurtis Blow 52:42 Ladi Kutz 53:02 MC Globe 53:22 Tony Sunshine 53:43 Imam Thug 54:04 Mistah F.A.B 54:24 Layzie Bone 54:45 Lazarus 55:06 NeekDaSkittz 55:27 J.R. Writer 55:47 Terror Van Poo 56:08 ItsBizkit 56:29 Dyce Payso 56:49 Big Dip (Goodie Mob) 57:10 Khujo (Goodie Mob) 57:31 T-Mo (Goodie Mob) 57:51 Klass Murda 58:12 Rayvon 58:32 Johnny Wa 58:53 Chip Fu 59:13 Iman Shumpert 59:34 J.SOS 59:55 Manolo Bandz 1:00:16 Kitty Gata 1:00:35 Ghostface Killah 1:05:55 King Kirk (Sporty Thievz) 1:01:17 Big Dubez (Sporty Thievz) 1:01:38 Trae the Truth 1:01:58 Don Q 1:02:19 T.I. 1:02:39 KRS-One 1:03:00 E-40 1:03:21 MC Serch