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Los Angeles-based artist Diamond Ortiz is on the brink of releasing of his latest project, Loveline. As a connoisseur of G-Funk and boogie, the 31-year-old mastermind has carved out a comfortable niche for himself in his home state. Similar to artists like Dam Funk or The Zapp Band, Ortiz has perfected the use of a talkbox, which gives his voice a more robotic sound. In Part I of the RAPstation interview, he talked about his origins and how he fell in love funk. In Part II, he talks about his move to Los Angeles from the Bay Area, working with Nipsey Hussle and “no biting.” 

RAPstation (Kyle Eustice): Why did you make the move to Los Angeles? Did you not find what you were looking for in the Bay Area?

Diamond Ortiz

This day in Hip-hop recognizes the birth of the iconic Earl Stevens, better known as the critically-acclaimed West Coast emcee, E-40.

First taking to the scene as a member of his group, The Click, debuting with their EP Let's Side, which only marked about a year following the West Coast emcee's high school graduation. In 1993, E-40 made his official solo debut upon releasing his memorable 9-track LP, Federal—both of which released under his own independent label, Sick Wid' It Records.

Upon moving back to his hometown in Vallejo, California, E-40 continued progressing both as a solo and collaborative artist, releasing hits like his 1995 album In a Major Way, which charted at #13 on the US Billboard 

Common's Black America Again was already packed with guest artists, but the "I Used to Love H.E.R." rapper wasn't satisfied yet, as he's added Gucci Mane and Pusha T to his list of collaborators with a new remix of his latest album's title track.

"Black America Again," which tackles issues of race and prejudice, gets even more politically charged with the addition of verses by Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane and GOOD music president Pusha T, who use their personal experiences to highlight the never ending problem of racism in America. "Come look into the eyes of a man named Gucci/ Got me peeping out the blinds like Malcolm with the uzi... The government, the church, and the world is so polluted/ They callin' me a criminal, and I'

A Tribe Called Quest released their new and final album, We Got It From Here, Thank You 4 Your Service, last week, and they're marking this momentous occasion in music history with new visuals and new live performances.

ATCQ released a new lyric video for "We The People," one of the new tracks off of their new and highly anticipated final album, We Got It From Here, Thank You 4 Your Service. The socially conscious track addresses America's culture of racism and the media that enables it. While much of the new album was recorded earlier this year before Phife Dawg's sudden, tragic death, the song seems especially prescient and important now, less than a week after a Presidential candidate was successfully elected following a campaig

The Native Tongues posse - a collection of musicians that include legendary hip hop acts like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and Queen Latifah, among others - is one of the most important and influential groups in hip hop history, and they need your help in getting their story told.

The Native Tongues posse was comprised of a variety of artists and groups, including A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Queen Latifah, Black Sheep, Monie Love, and Chi Ali, who were all dedicated to maintaining hip hop's unique identity in the face of the increased commercial and corporate pressure that the art form faced in the 80's and 90's as it gained mainstream popularity.

A group of filmmakers wants to make a documentary highlighting the contributions of this culturall

A Tribe Called Quest captured the moment and made a loud comeback guest performing for the Dave Chappelle special episode of Saturday Night Live.

The show marked its first broadcasting, Saturday November 12th, following Donald Trump's recent presidential victory, and Q-Tip, Jarobi White, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad made sure we all knew what's up, as they kicked off the show with a unifying introduction, “We are all one, We are the people,” as Q-Tip riled in the classic “one fist in the air” scene.

Featured on their latest album, We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, the group performed “We The People”, a melodic satire targeted towards Trump's racial rhetoric which became a media sp