RapStation

News

Biz Markie Documentary To Premiere At Tribeca Film Festival

Biz Markie died at a Maryland hospital on July 16, 2021, several months after being admitted for diabetes-related complications. As news of his death spread online, the Hip Hop community came out in droves to pay their respects.

On Friday (June 16), his widow, Tara, paid tribute online with an Instagram post that included video of Biz Markie DJing at an outside party. She also plugged the Just A Friend Foundation and confirmed a documentary about Biz Markie’s life, All Up in the Biz, will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday (June 17).

All Up in the Biz was directed by Ego Trip co-founder Sacha Jenkins using animation, interviews, reenactments and more to tell Biz’s story. The film features Rakim, fellow Juice Crew member Big Daddy Kane, F

Read more

Kool Keith Returns With Long-Awaited "Black Elvis 2" Sequel

Kool Keith has returned with Black Elvis 2, the long-awaited sequel to 1999’s original. The 16-track project dives into the mind of one of Kool Keith’s most famous alter egos, Black Elvis. One of the album highlights, “Kindergarten Adults,” came together following an off-night at a show. As Kool Keith explained, he and fellow Ultramagnetic MC Ced Gee had a show scheduled, but COVID-19 restrictions prevented Ced Gee from getting into the venue. Kool Keith was then tasked with putting a solo set together. 

“I had to write it in the parking lot,” he told AllHipHop. “And I put ‘Sex Style’ in it. I was just trying to make the minutes count. I ended up performing a couple records and when I started

Read more

Big Daddy Kane Provides Update On "Paragraphs I Manifest" Netflix Doc

Big Daddy Kane has provided an update on his forthcoming Netflix documentary, Paragraphs I Manifest. Speaking to RAPstation's Kyle Eustice for AllHipHop, the Juice Crew legend revealed they are inching toward the finish line. He said, "We’re in the editing stages right now and hopefully, we’ll be finished within the next two months. That’s what I’m praying for, you know, because I really feel that it’s important to get this out as Hip-Hop is celebrating 50 years.”

Big Daddy Kane originally announced the project in 2021, boasting several high-profile interviews with Common, Eminem, J. Cole, MC Lyte and many more. 

“The most rewarding part of this experience is hearing different artists’ perspectives,” he added. “To sit with someon

Read more

De La Soul's Posdnuos Mourns Trugoy The Dove On Statik Selektah Track "Round Trip (For Dave)"

De La Soul member Posdnuos continues to mourn his fallen friend Trugoy The Dove on the new Statik Selektah single "Round Trip (For Dave)." The track arrived on Friday (June 9) as part of the veteran producer's latest project, Round Trip. Trugoy The Dove (affectionately known as simply Dave or Plug 2) died unexpectedly on February 12 at the age of 54, just weeks before De La Soul's first six albums were finally made available on DSPs for the first time. 

An outpouring of love followed, which Pos touches on in the song. He raps, "Bittersweet blessings, condolences and congrats/In the same sentence while my life learns the lesson/I cry quiet so the knot in my chest is hard to untie but thankfully the heart keeps pressin'/My brother left on his return ticket so the pieces of

Read more

Chuck D & Doug E. Fresh To Host Hip-Hop Panel At Paisley Park Prince Celebration

Paisley Park’s annual celebration kicks off in memory of Prince on June 8 and will continue through the June 11. There will be plenty of programming throughout the four-event, including presentations of unreleased music from the Prince Vault and special appearances by and conversations with Grammy-winning artist Chaka Khan and Hip Hop legends Chuck D and Doug E. Fresh. Guests will be treated to special live performances from Sounds of Blackness, Stokley of Mint Condition, members of Prince’s band New Power Generation (NPG), Prince protegé Shelby J and Minneapolis youth choir Known MPLS. Prince’s longtime DJ and collaborator DJ Rashida is set to pay tribute to both Prince and Tina Turner. The celebration will also include a special Prince Legacy Tribute to one of the fo

Read more

Maseo Continues To Mourn His De La Soul Brother Trugoy The Dove As New Mural Is Unveiled

The Hip Hop community suffered a devastating blow in February when Dave Jolicoeur—better known as De La Soul MC Trugoy The Dove or simply, Dave—unexpectedly died at the age of 54. The timing was particularly cruel considering the New York City-bred trio had been fighting tirelessly for years to regain control of their music catalog. And finally, on March 3, De La Soul's first six albums—3 Ft. High & Rising, De La Soul is Dead, Buhloone Mindstate, Stakes Is High, AOI: Bionix and AOI: Mosaic Thump—were made available on streaming platforms for the first time ever. But Trugoy wasn't there to see it. Instead, the other members of the group—Posdnuos and Maseo—gathered with friends and family at Webster Hall in NYC to celebrate the bit

Read more