lloyd banks

Lloyd Banks Has A Message For Rick Ross Following Recent Diss

Lloyd Banks evidently isn’t interested in any internet shenanigans. These days, rappers are often better known by their online antics rather than their actual music — and Banks clearly doesn’t want any part of it. Two days after Rick Ross taunted Banks in one of his Instagram Stories, the former G-Unit affiliate has responded via Twitter. “I’ll NEVER join the circus, so don’t expect it from me,” he wrote. “peace & love.” Ross targeted Banks following his recent “In Da Club” lawsuit victory against 50 Cent. While speaking to his 11.4 million Instagram followers, Rozay insinuated Banks’ financial situation wasn’t

Pharoahe Monch's Debut Album 'Internal Affairs' Hits Streaming Delighting Hip Hop Heads Worldwide

Pharoahe Monch’s Debut Album ‘Internal Affairs’ Hits Streaming Delighting Hip Hop Heads Worldwide

Pharoahe Monch’s once shelved album Internal Affairs is available now on streaming platforms. After years of being out of print due to a lawsuit, the veteran MC’s debut LP can be legally heard on DSPs such as Spotify and Apple Music as of Monday (August 31). “Available On All Streaming Platforms.. for the first time,” Monch declared via Twitter. Monch first announced plans for a digital rerelease of Internal Affairs in September 2019. The LP was reissued on vinyl in summer 2020. Internal Affairs originally dropped in 1999 but went out of print due to legal trouble regarding the lead

2-Chainz

Kanye West Hits 2 Chainz With A Yeezy Tank As An Early Birthday Gift

There’s still around two weeks to go until 2 Chainz celebrates another year around the sun, but his good homie Kanye West decided to get in the game early and gift the “It’s A Vibe” rapper with an advanced birthday present. (After all, birthdays are kind of their thing.) In an Instagram post on Monday (August 31), Chainz shared photos of a custom Sherp ATV he received from Ye, much like the ones he previously used to give out free Yeezy basketball sneakers in Chicago during the 2020 All-Star Weekend. “Woke up to a really dope present,”2 Chainz captioned the

black noise

“Music Blends Into Itself”: A Conversation with Producer Black Noi$e

Black Noi$e prefers controlled chaos. The Michigan producer/DJ, born Rob Mansel, was raised in the circle pits and sweaty raves of Detroit’s music scene. Rap, hardcore, ghettotech, and house pulsed through his radio speakers and facilitated a sense of belonging. “That feeling of going to shows was unmatched,” Black Noi$e explains over the phone. “I couldn’t find this nowhere else; that sense of everyone being in the same place for the same reason.” Unfortunately, the feeling responsible for jumpstarting Black Noi$e’s omnivorous production style isn’t easily achievable in 2020. The coronavirus continues to stall the live music scene indefinitely—at least

Boldy James Is About to Hit a New Level

Detroit rapper Boldy James’ spit the above bar on his 2020 breakout album, The Price of Tea in China. Itsums up the ethos of his entire career. “I grew up on the radio,” Boldy James, born James Clay Jones III, explains over the phone. “The music kept me out of trouble and gave me a different focus. Because you can’t see the music, you gotta feel it.” Boldy’s music is nothing if not overflowing with feeling: kitchen pots filled with drugs resembling oatmeal; care packages sent to loved ones in prison unsure whether they’d see daylight again; the cool relief

2

Empowering Independence: Squeak Speaks on Ownership, Education & Artist Management

The music industry can be ruthless. Thankfully, we have resources like William “Squeak” Watkins, Drumma Boy’s fabled manager, who believes in music education and helping artists through the highs and lows of the business.  Squeak, 50, knew he wanted to be in the music business back in 1998, getting his start in engineering before transitioning into artist management. The Washingtonian and Atlanta-based artist manager went on to learn hard lessons about the business, experience incredible highs and lows, and establish longevity in a dog-eat-dog business. A proponent of TuneCore, ownership, and artist education, Squeak was kind enough to give me his time

Interview with Guapdad 4000

Guapdad 4000’s life sounds like a movie. Within minutes of our recent phone conversation, he’s filling me in on the comic book club that he recently started with Thundercat and Isaiah Rashad. The California-based rapper/producer, born Akeem Douglas Hayes, is currently reading author Jonathan Hickman’s run on Marvel’s Avengers. Twenty minutes on, near the end of our conversation, I ask Guapdad, 28, to describe his average brainstorming session. “I’ll do a fake brainstorm session right now… Boogie’s asking to do the video for ‘Hairless Horseman,’” he says without hesitation, referring to the standout song from his latest EP Platinum Falcon Returns, out now via

Meet My Favorite Color, a Pittsburgh Nomad

My Favorite Color is something of a nomad. Living in Compton, Pittsburgh, and now LA, the influences of the coasts come together on his Rostrum Records debut album, Velma, where My Favorite Color—or Willis, as his friends refer to him—shines and growls through 30-plus minutes of heartfelt and layered raps. From bangers (“Dale”) to aching odes (“Funeral”), My Favorite Color delivers a relatable and rugged debut. The textures of his voice hit the heart. His natural rasp and the grain of his delivery give us a classic feel, but his fluid and, at times, deadpan flows reveal him to be

Jay-Way

Meet Jay-Way, the Amsterdam Rapper Giving Fans Hope

RapCastle: Who is Jay-Way? Jay-Way: Man, I’m from Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. I grew up having my dad being a DJ, so I loved a lot of genres, and I heard a lot of sounds. I’m from an area where there’s a lot of different ethnicities, so it was a hub of different backgrounds, and every ethnicity had their style of music. But the one bridge, the one unifying genre, was hip-hop, so that brought us together. It wasn’t only a genre; it was also a lifestyle in the way we would dress and talk. RapCastle: Dutch, of

Rapper Phresh Rich

Interview: Upcoming Memphis Rapper Phresh Rich Talks About Memphis History, Contributing to the City, and His New Single “She Bad”

Phresh Rich is a Memphis native and more than just the newest rapper for Memphis, Tenn. He represents the soul of the youth with his melodic and catchy hooks that immediately attach and attack your vibes. Rich was born and raised in a one small bedroom apartment in Memphis, Tenn. Growing up poor he was always taught the importance of first impressions. Rap Castle: Whats life like in Memphis, how did it make you who you are?Phresh Rich: Life in Memphis, it is rough. It’s like it’s kill or be killed and only the strong survive. Growing up in that