SNOOP DOG - In The Dogg House
It ain't easy being the World's Greatest Rapper these days. Just ask Snoop Dogg. He's seen it all in his career that spans over a decade. He started out on top with Dr. Dre and after ten hard years, he's come full circle. There was a time when many critics and fans from coast to coast thought Snoop was played out when he went down South. But that could never happen as long as Dre is there to provide optimum Gangsta beats.

CAPONE 'N NOREAGA - Back Together
I'll always remember the first three times I met Noreaga of C-N-N. The first was on the day of his Los Angeles release party for the NORE album. He was in town and we happened to bump into each other in the elevator at the BMG building, or I should say my crew and his bigger crew crossed paths. At the time, I remember hating on him that very day to my mens telling them, "Who the fuck is this Nore muthafucka anyway?! What?!?"

TALIB KWELI - New Testament
Perception can be a tricky thing. It can lead one to believe things that may or may not be true. In the case of Talib Kweli the preparation was standard and he didn't make it any easier for this scribe. The interview started cold and there were a lot of deleted short answers. It took longer than anticipated because for the eleven questions and answers printed here, there were twenty-two others that at times seemed like verbal sparring, with this writer getting jabbed repeatedly.

BEENIE MAN - Bless-ed Soul-jah
We asked to Cover the most preeminent Worldwide Reggae Artist; it's true, it's true. And so to Jamaica Blaq, Chan & Pupecki flew. This Artist was loved by most, yet by some he was hated too. From the time we set foot 'pon Kingston, everybody knew. So what did we do? What did we do?

DE LA SOUL - Historically Significant
De La Soul is the name, you know the game. Makers of good and honest Hip Hop that has weathered the test of time. They've been in it long enough; 4 albums in over 10 years and a hardcore worldwide fan base that spans from the UK to Japan.

CARL THOMAS - Cool & Deadly
Carl Thomas is one of the chosen few. Many compare him to Marvin Gaye while others compare him to a ghetto Stevie Wonder. One thing is for certain; Carl Thomas is the first Bad Boy artist to have his own video without P-Diddy all up in it. He also stands apart from most, if not all others by way of composition and melody. He gets respect in the streets of Hip Hop while impressing the soft-shoe R&B audience enough to share the best of both worlds.

EMINEM - Fat Chance
Eminem, Slim Shady, Marshall Mathers. Who is he? Why do we see him all over magazines and television shows that no other rapper has graced before (Except Snoop) for all the wrong reasons? What's all the ruckus surrounding him anyway? Where is he going lyrically? When exactly did Dr. Dre see the light in this white kid from middle America and when will the madness diminish?

SCARFACE - No Misunderstanding
Brad Jordan is an ordinary guy based on every conversation we've had over the years. This is my opinion. He's not insane like some in this Hip Hop media portray him. He's not this large and imposing figure as described physically, so much as possessing a thunderous voice of authority and conviction.

SADAT X - Full Circle
After four group albums and a solo album to boot, Sadat X has returned with a new dolo outing entitled The State Of New York vs. Derek Murphy. For all intents and purposes it looks like Sadat X has come FULL CIRCLE

SHAGGY - Reggae Go Pop
From "Oh Carolina" to "Boombastic", "That Girl" and "Love Me, Love Me", the man is gonna make you "Dance & Shout". Funny thing is Shaggy already blew up years ago and he still makes REGGAE GO POP

COMMON SENSE - Artistic Equipoise
It's a small miracle in the year Duece triple-O that an artist has a catalogue of music that can be looked upon as a complete body of work. And out of the handful of artists or groups that meet this highest of high standard, Common has to be considered the one with yet the most promise.

STEVIE WILLIAMS - Skateboarder Exhibit #1
It's never been a better time for skateboarding. Just ask Stevie Williams, a 20 year old professional skateboarder from Philly. He can tell you about how he struggled for years riding for weak companies until finally finding a home at Chocolate Skateboards.

THE FACTS OF LIFE - User Friendly Guide to West Coast Rap
In this new millenium we can't expect the passage to manhood to be any less complicated than decades past. I've heard that Hip Hop is the "voice of the next generation". With this in mind I've decided to delve deep into the inner core of Hip Hop to find out what advice these rappers are giving young men through their undeniably powerful lyrics.