Articles Posted in the Hip-Hop 101 Category
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Rap City: Houston’s 10 Best New Rappers
Because my life isn’t complicated and busy enough, I’ve added a new series to my About regimen. The idea is to highlight the most promising emcees in the States, a sort of hip-hop tour. And…
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Nas Joins Rap Genius, Explains “Get Down” Lyrics
Nas the Don is the first rapper to get a verified account on Rap Genius. And it looks like Esco already knows his way around the site.
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Lyrics of Fury: Big K.R.I.T. – Red Eye
Welcome to the second installment of TRU’s new monthly feature ‘Lyrics of Fury,’ where we take an in-depth look at what we deem to be the best verse of the past moment. Yeah, we’re mad…
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If B.I.G. Was Still Alive: A Roundtable Discussion
March 9th is one of the darkest days in hip-hop history. Fifteen years ago today, the greatest rapper of all time was gunned down in Los Angeles after attending a party in honor of the…
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They Reminisce Over You: Lamont ‘Big L’ Coleman
February 15th of 1999 was a different age. The century was nearing its end, internet hadn’t yet become the ubiquitous presence in the world, the twin towers were still standing and we were blissfully unaware…
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Full Circle: Return Of the Crew Dynamic in Modern Rap
Back in the day when I wasn’t even a teenager, before I had status and I hadn’t ever heard of a pager, you could find lil’ J Monk listening to hip-hop. His pops used to…
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Exact Date of Ice Cube’s “Good Day” Identified
We love rap nerds. Especially when someone like Donovan Strain posts the results of his scientific investigation to determine the exact date of Ice Cube’s “Good Day.” Sadly, we just missed an opportunity to celebrate…
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Lyrics Of Fury: Nas On ‘Triple Beam Dreams’
In today’s age of shout-along hooks and pop rap made for the common denominator, it’s reassuring to hear lyricism is still alive. Each month TRU picks a single verse out of the vast amount of…
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“FBI Try And Want Word With This” 10 Wu Quotes On The Feds
Sure, ODB could sound slightly paranoid every now and then. Okay, he sounded paranoid a lot of the time, but is it all paranoia when the feds are really gunnin’ for ya? It’s not like…
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This article contains a video.
Common Decodes ‘The Believer’ And ‘Respiration’
Common apparently wasn’t done ‘decoding’ his new album on his own YouTube channel and took some time to share his thoughts with shirt merchant’s side-hustle. He also delves into the backgrounds of his classic verse…
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Thank You, Etta: 5 Awesome Etta James Samples
Etta James has been fighting a bout with both dementia and chronic leukemia for quite some time. Her doctor has now announced there’s nothing left to do for her but pray. Having lost a homie…
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The Ruler’s Back: Why Hip-Hop Needs The Further Adventures Of Slick Rick
The Ruler’s back! Let the rap world rejoice as one of the most influential emcees to have ever graced the make has unexpectedly returned to spit a full track again, on a Premier beat no less. Reports say 70s and 80s babies may endure slight skippage of the heartbeat today.
