Exclusives Archives - Page 214 of 235

Happy 55th Birthday Rakim! 5 Rappers That Made Careers Sounding Like The God MC

January 28, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Born on this date in 1968, William Griffith Jr. aka Rakim Allah is considered the greatest emcee to ever touch the mic. His debut album along with DJ Eric B., Paid In Full, is a necessary piece of Hip-Hop’s creative history, used as an instructional tool to many up-and-coming emcees and deejays as a style and sound to emulate. There were a few emcees who cashed checks sounding like the “R”, so since it’s said that mockery is the best form of flattery, TheSource.com put together this list of Rakim soundalikes who owe the God some recognition for borrowing from his style.

King Sun
The 6’8″ emcee, whose raps were also saturated with Five Percent Nation vernacular, had a flow and vocal tone that was very similar to Rakim, and being that he came out after Ra, his music immediately drew many comparisons.

MC Rell
With all due respect, this guy was the epitome of what Hip-Hop considered a “biter.” Rell not only dressed exactly like Rakim on his Follow The Leader album cover but only true Rakim fans and Hip-Hop aficionados could tell the difference between this copycat and the 18th Letter. Needless to say, his career was very short-lived.

Antoinette
As the only female on this list, her voice couldn’t possibly sound like the God, but she tried extremely hard to mimic his flow in order to get recognition in the male-dominated field of emceeing. Needless to say, her nemesis and pioneer femcee MC Lyte, used that in her “Beat Biter” battle record, saying, “..you should win a prize as a Rakim soundalike..”

Will Smith on “Summertime”
In possibly one of his most celebrated singles, the lyrical funnyman borrowed Rakim’s slow flow and monotone voice instead of his regular, quirky octave that most fans of his TV sitcom, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, are familiar with.

Grand Daddy I.U.
The rapper known for his “Something New” fame dropped several albums with a voice, flow, and cadence that was identical to Rakim. I.U. passed away in December 2022. RIP

The post Happy 55th Birthday Rakim! 5 Rappers That Made Careers Sounding Like The God MC appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Twista Dropped His Fourth LP ‘Kamikaze’ 19 Years Ago

January 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Today in Hip-Hop history, Twista released his Kamikaze album, the Chi-Town MC’s fourth studio LP, in 2004. As Twista’s only platinum release, it was his most successful album to date.

During this era, Twista’s Guinness Book of World Records rap speed was chic in the rap game, which made many forget that he began his career on the mic in the late 80s with his signature tongue twister style. In commemoration of Kamikaze, TheSource.com has chosen five tracks from Twista’s arsenal that made you forget that he’s been in this game for three decades.

“Welcome 2 My Hood(Remix)” – DJ Khaled feat. Mavado, Birdman, Ace Hood, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Bun B, Waka Flocka Flame and Twista

“Overnight Celebrity” – Twista

“So Sexy” – Twista Feat. R. Kelly

“Slow Jamz” – Feat .Jamie Foxx

“Woosah” – Jeremih Feat. Twista and Juicy J

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Twista Dropped His Fourth LP ‘Kamikaze’ 19 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Foxy Brown Released Her ‘Chyna Doll’ LP 24 Years Ago

January 26, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On this date in 1999, Brooklyn emcee Inga Merchand aka Foxy Brown dropped her sophomore effort, Chyna Doll, on the Violator/Def Jam imprint. This album rode the successful wave of previous projects released by Brown including her appearance on The Firm album with Nas, AZ, and Nature as well as her own 1996 debut LP Ill Nana. The album debuted at the pole position of Billboard 200, which was only accomplished previously by Lauryn Hill with The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill just a year earlier.

With production, courtesy of the likes of Kanye West, D-Dot, Irv Gotti, Lil Rob, Swizz Beatz along with Foxy’s salacious lyrics, this album was guaranteed success as proved in selling over a million copies.

Tracks such as “Bonnie And Clyde Part II” featuring Jay-Z and the unexpected “Ride(Down South)” with 8-Ball, MJG, Too Short, and Juvenile was Foxy’s evidence of her versatility and willingness to bring the Hip Hop culture together regardless of geographic origin.

Salute to Foxy, Young Gavin, and the entire Def Jam staff for putting together this piece of Hip Hop history!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Foxy Brown Released Her ‘Chyna Doll’ LP 24 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: D’Angelo Dropped His Sophomore Album ‘Voodoo’ 23 Years Ago

January 25, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On this date in 2000, neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo dropped his second full-length studio album, Voodoo, to follow up on the epic 1995 Brown Sugar LP.

Recording sessions for the album took place from 1998 to 1999 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, featuring an extensive line-up of musicians associated with the Soulquarians musical collective. Produced primarily by D’Angelo, Voodoo also features production from the legendary DJ Premier and neo-soul mainstay Raphael Saadiq. The album features lyrical themes regarding relationships, sexuality, growth, and fatherhood.

With the armor of heavy promotion and an anticipated release, the album was released to commercial and critical success. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 320,000 copies in its first week, and spent 33 weeks on the chart. It was promoted with five singles, including the hit single “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” whose music video garnered D’Angelo mainstream attention and controversy. Upon its release, Voodoo received general acclaim from music critics and earned D’Angelo several accolades. It was named one of the year’s best albums by numerous publications.

Salute to D’Angelo and everyone who took part in creating this timeless masterpiece!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: D’Angelo Dropped His Sophomore Album ‘Voodoo’ 23 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: The L.O.X. Dropped Their Second Album ‘We Are The Streets’ 23 Years Ago

January 25, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On this date at the top of the 21st century, legendary Yonkers trio The L.O.X.(Living Off Experience) released their sophomore full-length LP appropriately titled We Are The Streets on the Ruff Ryders/Interscope imprint.

Produced primarily by Double R in-house producer Swizz Beatz, We Are The Streets saw substantially more commercial success than its predecessor Money, Power And Respect, which solidified The L.O.X.’s hardcore Hip Hop fanbase. This sophomore album secured The l.O.X.’s tenure in the game despite their fallout with Sean “Diddy” Combs and Bad Boy Records not long after. The album was propelled by hit singles, but ironically the production of two of the three main singles was outsourced; ‘Ryde Or Die Bitch”, which was produced by Timbaland, and “Recognize”, which was produced by DJ Premier.

The album saw a short tenure on the Billboard charts, reaching Number 5 on Billboard 200 and Number 2 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Salute to Jada, Sheek Styles, Swizz, Eve, Dee, Waah, and the entire Ruff Ryder camp for this crucial piece of Hip Hop history!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: The L.O.X. Dropped Their Second Album ‘We Are The Streets’ 23 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Tone Loc Dropped His Debut ‘Loc-ed After Dark’ LP 34 Years Ago

January 23, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On this date in 1989, West Coast rap giant Tone Loc released his debut album Loc-ed After Dark on Delicious Vinyl Records. It was a huge success, making it to #1 on the Billboard 200 the week of April 15 and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop album charts. It featured three hit singles — “Wild Thing”, “Funky Cold Medina”, and “I Got It Goin’ On” — and was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA.

Lōc-ed After Dark’s album cover is based on Donald Byrd’s 1963 record, A New Perspective.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Tone Loc Dropped His Debut ‘Loc-ed After Dark’ LP 34 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Happy 58th Birthday To The Legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff!

January 22, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On this date in 1965, Jeffrey Townes, better known to Hip Hop and television fans as “Jazzy Jeff” was born in the City of Brother Love and has become one of the best to ever place their hands on a pair of Technics 1200s.

Originally known as the DJ for rapper/actor The Fresh Prince aka Will Smith, Jeff’s claim to fame was his seemingly innate ability to play the wheels of steel like instruments, popularizing the “transformer” style scratching sound which was mimicked by many DJs who succeeded and preceded him. The two-time Grammy Award winner later became an established producer, sitting behind the boards for artists like Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, The Roots, Floetry, and many more. Just last year, Jazz worked on the Straight Outta Compton film, doing scratch overdubs for the classic flick.

Happy born day and salute to one of the pioneers of the 1s and 2s of Hip Hop culture!

The post Happy 58th Birthday To The Legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff! appeared first on The Source.

Happy Heavenly Birthday To The Late Great Jam Master Jay!

January 21, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Hip Hop lost a great DJ over two decades ago, but in celebration of JMJ’s life today, his legacy will forever live on

On this date in 1965 in Brooklyn, New York, Jason Mizell, who later became Jam Master Jay, was born.

Jay was the DJ for the legendary Kings from Hollis, Queens, Run-D.M.C. His musical career took him all over the world and even expanded his talents into Hip Hop filmographies, such as Krush Groove and Tougher Than Leather. JMJ is also responsible for breaking several artists from his Jam Master Jay Records imprint, including Onyx, Chuck D of Public Enemy, and 50 Cent.

On October 30, 2002, Jay was tragically shot and killed by an unknown assailant in a Jamaica, Queens recording studio. To this day, no one has been charged with his murder.

The Source Magazine would like to send a super born day salute to this icon of our culture. He may be physically gone, but his legacy will never be forgotten!

The post Happy Heavenly Birthday To The Late Great Jam Master Jay! appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: RUN-D.M.C. Dropped Their Sophomore LP ‘King Of Rock’ 38 Years Ago

January 21, 2023 by newhiphopnews

tumblr 0f603b71fb18bbfcb2f8943265ac18ab 53453dff 1280

The “Kings From Queens” dropped their sophomore LP 38 years ago today.

On this date in 1985, Joseph Simmons, Daryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell successfully avoided the sophomore jinx some three decades ago when they released the follow-up to their self-titled debut album with King Of Rock.

Produced by Run’s brother Def Jam founder Russell Simmons, this album was the project that catapulted the crew from rappers to internationally recognized recording artists. King Of Rock is historic in the sense that it was the first Hip Hop album to go platinum and ended up going double platinum. Singles like “King Of Rock” and “Rock It Like This” appeared in the cult classic flick Krush Groove, which is based on the rise of Run-D.M.C., Def Jam Records, co-starring Jay, Darryl, and Joe. Those two tracks and the comical “You Talk Too Much” all reached the Top 20 R&B charts.

Salute to Run, D.M.C., the Mizell family, the Simmons family, Rick Rubin, Larry Smith (RIP), and everyone at Def Jam and Profile who made this album happen!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: RUN-D.M.C. Dropped Their Sophomore LP ‘King Of Rock’ 38 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Happy 52nd Birthday To The Roots’ Questlove!

January 20, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Happy Born day to Ahmir Khalib Thompson better known as ?uestlove a.k.a Questlove! Born in 1971, he turns a half-century today. The OG is originally known as the drummer for the legendary Hip Hop band The Roots, but he has many roles.

On February 17, 2014, he became a part of the in-house band for The Tonight Show, and with The Roots, he’s played the same role during the 969-episodes of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

Let’s not forget about the many artists he has produced such as Jay Z, Common, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, the late Amy Winehouse, John Legend, and old school R&B legend Al Green. The list goes on with all the production teams he has been a part of, including Hip Hop pioneers like The Soulsonics and The Grand Wizards.

The influence of this multi-faceted musician has reached far beyond most in his life thus far, and he’s nearly only halfway thru. Happy Birthday Questlove and many more to come!

The post Happy 52nd Birthday To The Roots’ Questlove! appeared first on The Source.