RZA's Directorial Debut "The Man With The Iron Fists"

A little over a year ago, RZA got the green light to begin filming The Man with the Iron Fist, a motion picture that would allow him to put his love for movies into his directorial debut. It was picked up by Universal in May and buzz grew as stars became attached to the film, including Lucy Liu and Russell Crowe. Pam Grier, who is also linked with the film, recently Tweeted an update on the film. Crowe recently spoke to Courier Mail about the project and why he's on board with Bobby Digital. “Bobby’s been a martial arts enthusiast his whole life and Universal has given him a $20 million budget to live out his martial arts fantasy,” he noted. “He’s come down to Australia and done various favours for me, including some connected to Souths [Crowe’s rugby league team in Australia] Imagine that the team walks into the studio and RZA from Wu-Tang Clan is there to teach them how to rap. You have to repay the favours in life, you know. So when ‘The Man With the Iron Fists’ came up, I accepted it. It’s an opportunity for me to have fun.”

Rakim Announces New Album, "Paid In Full" 25th Anniversary Edition

Okayplayer recently caught up with Rakim following his performance at The Roots Picnic 2012 this past June. During the interview, the God MC revealed that he is planning to release two albums this year - a 25th anniversary edition of Paid In Full and a brand new solo project. Although Ra kept tight-lipped about his new solo LP, he said that he feels he owes it to his fans to round out his legacy with a new album. "I'm definitely working on another album," he revealed. "We've [also] got the Paid In Full 25th Anniversary [edition]. I'm just trying to complete my legacy I think the way my fans want me to." Rakim also spoke about his love and respect for the World Famous Philly Roots Crew. He explained that when he hoped The Roots marked a new turn in Hip Hop when they debuted, as their live music approach offered an alternative to sampling. "I've been a fan of The Roots since they first came out, and to come out here and get down with them is like to me, full circle," he said. "[They are] to me the future of Hip Hop…to hear them come out [in 1993] was like, 'Aight, I like where this is going,' and I was hoping that I was going to see an explosion of that [kind of Hip Hop] because that would've kind of balanced out us having to use samples; we could've went to people like The Roots."

Tony Two Step - Get Down *produced by Crate Logic

El-P Performs 'The Full Retard' At His Record Release Show +1

Pitchfork Gives El-P's Cancer 4 Cure Best New Music Rating!

El-P is having a great week. Last Tuesday's release of Killer Mike's record (produced entirely by El-P) was met with an 8.6 / Best New Music rating. Some have been speculating that it may be this year's best hip hop record. Tomorrow we see the release of his solo record, Cancer For Cure, his first solo release since 2007's I'll Sleep When You're Dead. Pitchfork has just awarded it with an 8.5 / Best New Music rating. Congrats to El, get the record, and read the review over at Pitchfork.

Killer Mike - "Big Beast" (Official Video, ft. Bun B, T.I., Trouble, & El-P)

Peter Rosenberg says that lil wayne and nicki minaj are full of shit.

Lil Wayne recently explained that his decision to pull Nicki Minaj from Hot 97's Summer Jam concert hours before her performance had to do with respecting women. Hot 97's Peter Rosenberg, who insulted Minaj by referring to her single "Starships" as "bullshit," quickly responded to Wayne's explanation - and he remains unconvinced. “Lil Wayne thinks that I don’t show respect for women,” said Rosenberg on the radio. “Wayne is right about something—Women are mothers, are sisters, are daughters. But I have a question. Is me giving my opinion that one song is wack, is that showing a lack of respect for women?” Rosenberg went on to play a slew of misogynistic lyrics from Wayne, including "6 Foot, 7 Foot," where Wayne opines, "hoes gon' be hoes." The Hot 97 personality also questioned Nicki Minaj's dedication to respect for women, playing a clip of the song "Stupid Hoe." "Weezy F. - the 'F' doesn't stand for feminist, alright," said Rosenberg. Peter Rosenberg then suggested that Young Money come and speak to Hot 97 in person. "Instead of talking to everyone else about Hot 97, how about...Young Money just come on down and come see us and talk to us?" "Oh, that's because then they'd have to hear the truth. And they can't handle the truth."

Adam 'MCA' Yauch Tributed On Source Beastie Boys Cover

Beastie Boys rapper Adam "MCA" Yauch died in May, and The Source is honoring the legendary group with a special cover story, and MTV News had the exclusive first look. Adam "MCA" Yauch was more than a musician, he was a culture icon. As a member of the Beastie Boys, Yauch helped blend punk, rock and hip-hop, fusing multiple genres and effectively changing the way people consume music. He died on May 4 after a lengthy battle with cancer, and on June 26, The Source magazine will honor him with a special commemorative cover, and MTV News has the first look. Slaughterhouse appears on the July issue's main cover, while Yauch, Ad-Rock and Mike D. grace the special tribute cover. The black-and-white image, originally captured by photographer Sunny Bak in the 1980s, shows MCA on a skateboard, flanked on his left and right by his two bandmates. Inside, The Source interviewed Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons and famed A&R Dante Ross about the Beastie's musical legacy. " 'You Gotta Fight For Your Right to Party.' That record kept us alive," Simmons told the mag. "There were times when we thought Def Jam's doors were gonna close if not for the royalties that came from making that record." Yauch formed the Beasties back in 1979 while he was still in high school. Though the group started as a punk band, their sound would evolve to adopt styles from hip-hop. They were signed to Def Jam records and in 1984 dropped their classic debut Licensed to Ill. Their contributions to music earned them an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this April.

Ice T Talks 'The Art Of Rap' "Some Rappers Are Hookers...Internet Is Homo, I Don't Type To N***as"

Prodigy Recalls Origins Beef With Tupac Shakur

Prodigy recently discussed the origins of his beef with Tupac Shakur. During an interview, the Mobb Deep member said it all started when Snoop Dogg said that New York didn't have love for him or Death Row, and how it escalated following the release of Tha Dogg Pound's video for "New York, New York." "The Tupac situation came about because Snoop and them did a video kicking over the New York buildings. Stomp through New York. It had something to do with the Source Awards that year, back then. Snoop felt some kind of fway, like if you’ve seen the footage at the awards show, he was like, ‘New York ain’t got no love for Snoop Dogg and Death Row?’ For some reason, he felt some kind of way. We never felt like that. New York loved Death Row, loved Snoop Dogg. I guess I don’t know. They had this little thing with Puff and Biggie. I don’t know if that’s what sparked it, but he started doing that video and started kicking over our building. The tallest building in Queens at that time was the Citibank building." Watching the video, he thought that it was disrespectful and hopped on Capone-n-Noreaga's "L.A. L.A." Because of his participation in the song, Tupac took offense and felt he had to snap back at P. "When that happened, that’s right when ‘Pac had gotten signed to Death Row, so I guess he felt like he had to be the one to step up and be like, you know what? I’m going to be the one to go at all of y’all niggas and I’ma show my loyalty to Death Row since I’m new over here. We’re going to make it happen right now. Fuck it, it’s war," he said. "So that’s how it really started. We ain’t even have no problems with ‘Pac, it was really just Snoop and them, but ‘Pac was holding it down for his crew, just like I was holding it down for New York."

Tony Two Step feat.Kid Teck - No Stress produced by Crate Logic

El-P - "The Full Retard"

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Happy Birthday 2Pac!

Today (June 16) would have marked the 41st birthday of the late Tupac Amaru Shakur. Since his untimely passing on September 13, 1996, following a drive-by shooting six days earlier in Las Vegas, the lionized figure’s legacy remains immortal. “When I die, I wanna be a living legend…,” he decreed on 1996′s “No More Pain” off his well-nigh diamond-certified (10 million copies sold) fifth studio album All Eyez On Me. Despite the tragic circumstances, ‘Pac’s solidified this classic boast thanks in part to his massive yet revered catalog that continues to grow and make impact even after almost 16 years since his death. As his spirit continues to loom

Aesop Rock - Zero Dark Thirty

Q-Tip reveals that he's been producing tracks for Kendrick Lamar and D'Angelo.

Tip revealed that he has been producing tracks for the Top Dawg Entertainment emcee and Virginia born singer, as well as singer Ledisi. The Queens emcee also indicated that he will begin production on his upcoming G.O.O.D. Music debut later this summer. "I’m basically doing a lot of production right now and that’s going really well," he said. "I’m about to start my new album in the latter part of the summer and it should be out next year, so I’m excited about that. I’ve been excited about music in general, so it’s really good. I’m making music for other people and myself: Kendrick Lamar, D’Angelo, [and] Ledisi." In addition to K. Dot, D'Angelo and Ledisi, it has been confirmed that Q-Tip has been collaborating with Roc Marciano on his long-awaited Reloaded project.

Ice T's The Art of Rap trailer

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El-P ft. Nick Diamonds - Stay Down - David Letterman

CRATE LOGIC - S1W

Illa Ghee Explains Rap's Return To Lyrics, Recalls Rhyming With Notorious B.I.G.

Known for his low tone of voice and his affiliation with Mobb Deep, Illa Ghee has been involved in New York’s rap community since the early 1990s. He attended Manhattan’s High School of Art and Design and befriended the duo before their rise to fame when they still went by the name Poetical Prophets. Unlike Havoc and Prodigy who come from Queensbridge, Illa Ghee hails from nearby Brooklyn, New York. This, coupled with his low voice and streetwise lyrical content have made comparisons with The Notorious B.I.G. almost inevitable.Unfortunately for Illa Ghee, his rise to fame took a sudden turn for the worse when he was sentenced and sent to prison in 1996. While doing his time, both Tupac and Biggie died and the state of Hip Hop was changing. Illa knew it and familiarized himself with all of Hip Hop styles, from hardcore to conscious - or as he calls it “mixing ego trippin’ with Hip Hop.” “When I came home from jail, Hip Hop was all lyrical…All the stuff that I read [in prison] and the symbolisms and everything, I was putting that in my rhymes. And when I got home people were like, ‘Yo, you need to dumb that down ‘cause no one’s going to understand you.’” He took that advice: to heart and began to emphasize his hardcore lyrical content to appease the fans. It’s a bittersweet decision considering his dynamic lyricism. “To hear people like Jay Electronica, you know, do the same thing, it makes me think 'Wow, I didn’t have to dumb myself down,' because there are people that want that type of Hip Hop…I’ve come to the realization that this is what the fans want from me.” Ghee's post-prison relief came in 2004 when he appeared alongside Prodigy and Nina Sky on the track “Hold You Down” off The Alchemist’s 1st Infantry LP, which ended up being the album’s lead single. Since then, Illa has been busy working on his own material, including his most recent Soulspazm Records release Angledust & Waffles, a collaborative EP with producer Dom Dirtee that favors his hardcore sound, as heard in his track “Name Another Rapper.” Illa Ghee's diligence is evident even during a media frenzy surrounding Mobb Deep and a possible inter-group beef. “Right now, basically, I’m pretty much worried about Illa Ghee. I’m trying to get Illa Ghee stuff together, and I have no clue of what that’s about so all I can say is no comment on that.” But Illa remains focused, with a new project already in the works. “The next project is Move Still, Lay Standing. It doesn’t have a date yet, but that’s my child. I’m really trying to put that together… I’m just trying to figure it out. I’m trying to get a couple of features together that people wouldn’t expect and features together that people would expect.” If the past eight years are any indication, Illa Ghee continues to rise within the Hip Hop world.