When we were working on our album, Show had a place where he was living downstairs and Dres was living upstairs. I’ll give you a snapshot of a typical day: we’d be downstairs hanging out at Showbiz’s house – here’s another cat with millions of records, I couldn’t even tell you how many crates he’s got. So obviously we sit there, pass off ideas and pick his brain. We’d go upstairs, Dres got records…looking back, I mean you’d be sitting in Show’s house and who comes knocking on the door? Greg Nice from Nice & Smooth. Lord Finesse might come rolling through – this would just be a typical day. As far as the SP, ‘Cules pretty much just taught himself but when you’re around these guys it just rubs off on you. A good credit to Mister Lawnge – Mister Lawnge is a nasty beat-digger. These are the cats we rubbed elbows with. And of course the guy who’s a god in our eyes in DJ Premier – we would see him when we did some of our recording at D&D Studios, so he’s a very good friend of ours. It was just an amazing time. Gotta give credit to Buckwild, we would pass-off beat stories with him, trade-off records. This was the circuit that we came from. We’ve done shows and freestyled with Jay-Z before he was as big as he was, did a show with Biggie Smalls and Tupac out in Queens…we’ve pretty much done it all.

They take calls and stand in defense of their music.

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via TheCrypt

Stacy-Ann Gooden interviews Ralph McDaniels and includes footage of his home archives.

This gist of his argument is this, they’re just doing what their managers tell them to do. It just so happens their managers, the program directors, receive their instruction from the record companies.

via 57thave

Shyheim clarifies that he is not a substance abuser and the song is a reflection of a trend he’s been observing in his neighborhood. He also clarifies the meaning of Dust Juice as PCP, not Heroin. I’m curious if Columbia Law-educated, former corporate lawyer from Hollis, Queens, and founder of Mediatakeout.com, Fred Mwangaguhunga knows the difference. And if he really thought that the video implied Shyheim was showboating an addiction? More likely he was just after some hits.

Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal, of Ganstarr and Big Shug on Lorna’s Corner. There are two clips one from 1994 and the other from his 1997 listening party. His music video Just to get a rep, Mass Appeal and Royalty are also shown.

“…it’s like friendship and a business partnership, and we have to always be conscious of the difference between’em…’cause ya’know, some things can happen that’ll ruin one or the other…”

Gang Starr interview from 1991 on Slammin’ Rap Video Magazine

…no more spray paint this time around, i’m using crystals on canvas….

Fab 5 Freddy curates youtube.com’s homepage.

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I guess John Ambrose expects a big f*cking thank you for throwing a party at an “exclusive” club. Footage is edited but yo, I don’t even think his response was an attempt to divert the question, I think he actually thought he was addressing the issues KRS raised. Wtf? Nice power suit supafresh. And Sugarhill being there is fitting considering the absence of Grandmaster Caz.

I wish they didn’t cut the performance.

If you are a real CNN fan, you will sit through this whole interview. It’s not your typical type of questions, and defenitely not your typical type of answers. CNN talk to Murder Dog (Magazine?) about what they were doing prior to signing with Penalty Records, snake a*s P.O.’s, how they have managed to stick it out together throughout the years, what went wrong with their independent deal over at SMC Records & N.O.R.E.’s first encounter with the Dogg Pound following the “NY,NY” & “LA, LA” records. CNN’s “The War Report 2″ will be in stores June 15th.

Mr. Biggs, Pow Wow, GLOBE . flickr.com/photos/sirduke81

Werner: Well, yeah, I think that’s the problem a lot of old school MCs run into when they make comebacks… They started out trendsetters, coming up with new things and being unique. But then when they comeback, suddenly they’re dressing like the kids, getting whatever guest producers they think are hot today and wind up chasing the trends.

Pow Wow: There you go. That’s the key to it right there, brother. That’s the fuckin’ key; you opened Pandora’s Box, man. That’s the key to it, John: come out and be your fuckin’ self. Be like when you was hungry in your fuckin’ house, sittin’ at your kitchen table, in your bedroom, or while you’re on the toilet takin’ a shit, thinkin’ about what the fuck I’ma say at this party Friday that’s not gonna sound like Melle Mel or Kidd Creole or Rahiem or KK Rockwell or nobody. I gotta sound like Pow Wow; I gotta do Pow Wow. And that’s what I liked about us: we weren’t trying to follow no image or be like nobody.

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TWU: Right old ways of marketing records don’t seem to be working, which is worrying for the independent artists. When you talk about the endangered lyricist, is that what you are referring to?

RK: I think it’s deeper than that. Jay-Z has put himself pretty much in a position to become the first rap billionaire but I’m talking about the Ras Kass, people that maybe for whatever reason aren’t. Nas, he put himself in a position to at least be heard by the world and whatever happens then after that is about what politics does. I don’t buy a Jay-Z album, not because I don’t like Jay-Z but because Talib Kweli may need that record sale more. 50 Cent is still on his way to being a billionaire whether he sells one copy or a million in first week. So, I probably won’t buy a 50 Cent album, not because I don’t like his music, it’s just that there’s somebody that needs it more. I want to support Hip-Hop and make it better so I may have to buy a Common album, as opposed to buying an Eminem album. That’s what the ‘endangered lyricist’ is about, it’s about keeping the balance. No bees, no pollination, no trees, no oxygen, you know what I’m saying? I remember going to the studio when I was working on Goldyn Child and Nas came in like the day he dropped ‘Ether’ and was like ‘Goldyn Child didn’t come out. I went to the fucking record store and that shit wasn’t out.’ I was just like wow he gave a fuck! Nas is literally having a career-changing thing with ‘Ether,’ wakes up and thinks Ras Kass’ album’s coming out. We give a fuck and we support each other.

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Rza would be proud, @ about 1m4s. He also comes off as a level headed, appreciative dude as he discusses how he landed his role on that new HBO show “How To Make It In America”. Although questions have been raised about whether it carries an exploitative quality I’ve been watching and it’s not the corniest thing I’ve seen. Although that scene where they show the Rasta Monsta truck and they “subtly” explain the art work was done by Lee Quinones? C’mon now, gasface on that.

via Kid Cudi & wooha

Among other things, he discusses his reasons for becoming fully independent. Overhead, overhead, overhead. Starts around 1m48s.

via CK