Hip Hop Columns

The First 5 with JC Poppe

JC Poppe is an independent hip-hop artist hailing from the “Cream City” of Wisconsin, better known as Milwaukee. His goal? To create influential and enduring music in hopes of impregnating quality back into hip-hop. JC released his debut album titled Sleep Therapy during the tail-end of last year on record label The Grown Man Collective. [...]

The First 5 with BK-One

From studying classical piano and jazz theory at an early age to constructing hip-hop beats that feature artists such as Brother Ali, Raekwon, Scarface and Murs, BK-One has evolved significantly over the years. After moving to Minneapolis in 1996, things started to happen. He helped establish an independent hip-hop radio show (a first for the [...]

The First 5 with DJ Addikt

DJ Addikt is a Disc Jockey/Producer based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Although influenced by Hip-Hop music for the past 15+ years, he credits his style to music he was exposed to during his upbringing such as Motown, Jazz, Classical and 60′s/70′s Rock. Check out his answers to our First 5. Also, you’ll find a free [...]

The First 5 with Taiyamo Denku

This week Taiyamo Denku, a member of the Uncommom Records roster, participated in our weekly column. Denku is one-third of the hip-hop group W.A.S.T.E.L.A.N.D.S. that has an album scheduled to drop in January of 2010. Check out his answers to our First 5. 1. Tell us something nobody knows about you? Outside of music and [...]

The First 5 with BOAC

BOAC, an acronym for “Banging Out All Classics”, is an independent hip-hop producer from San Francisco’s Bay Area. He is a founding member of The Earthlings, a group that has played and toured with names like De La Soul, ODB, KRS-One, Rakim, Living Legends, Hieroglyphics and Jurassic 5, just to name a few. On top [...]

The First 5 with Benzilla

It’s been a big year for Benzilla, especially with his collaboration with BK-One for the release of Radio Do Canibal. Benzilla is a producer born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, a state, it seems, with limitless talent specifically in the genre of hip-hop. He’s worked with many well respected artists and groups such as [...]

The First 5 with UNO Mas

For this week’s edition of The First 5, we caught up with UNO Mas. UNO is half of the group Cook and UNO, as well as a founding member of the now defunct, yet highly regarded hip-hop collective, L.A. Symphony. He is currently working on his and CookBook’s latest project, “C&U Music Factory” that has [...]

The First 5 with Jade Fox

The abundance of quality independent hip-hop emerging from Baltimore, Maryland in the recent years has given new life to the city’s nickname, “Charm City”. We caught up with Jade Fox, a multiracial female emcee that is determined to push herself to be the best there is. With a style that is always evolving, she claims [...]

The First Five with YC The Cynic

YC is a young, inspiring MC, who turns just 19 this week. Check out the official bio and some info on the man doing this thing: It’s not often you come across a young, budding artist who’s thoroughly committed to the art. Since the business is so competitive, many quit before they begin to see [...]

The First 5 – Dusty Melo (Sweatshop Union, Pigeon Hole)

Sweatshop Union, a staple in independent Canadian hip-hop, is a collective consisting of Dirty Circus (Mos Eisley, Metty The Dert Merchant, DJ Itchy Ron), Pigeon Hole (Dusty Melo, Mr.Marmalade), Innocent Bystanders (Mos Eisley, Conscience) and solo artist Kyprios. Recognized as one of the most successful independent hip-hop acts in Canada, their 2004 album Natural Progression [...]