RapStation

ITSALL BLACK MUSIC PRESENTS has announced the Brooklyn, Queens and Bronx lineups for the 5x5 Block Party Series taking place in New York City on August 5-6 and August 11-13. With the help of the city and Mayor Eric Adams, the Hip Hop 50 celebration will reach all five boroughs with performances by Prince Paul, KRS-One, Chuck D, Kool G Rap, dead prez, Jungle Brothers and Dres from Black Sheep.

The free block parties are reminiscent of the 1970s and early '80s when hip-hop was first beginning to crawl. Park jams were springing up all over the Big Apple, especially in the Bronx. On August 11, 1973, DJ Kool Herc and his sister, Cindy Campbell, threw a Back To School party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. Since then, the modest Bronx apartment building has been widely considered the official

The Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame opened to the public on July 22 wiht. This year’s inductees include James Brown, who recorded some of his music at Cincinnati's King Records, The Deele, L.A. Reid, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and late Spinners singer Philippé Wynne and Louise Shropshire. 

"The historical part of this place is that African-American slaves lived in this flood plain and [the Hall of Fame] is across from Paycor Stadium, where the annual Cincinnati Music Festival takes place,” Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece said. 

Reece's drive for the project was fueled by her mother's death. Her mother, Barbara Howard, was a national recording artist, and her father, Steven Reece Sr., was a local rep for Motown Records who helped to bring both th

The Roots' Black Thought has announced a new autobiography entitled The Upcycled Self. According to a press release, the book arrives on November 14 via One World. Throughout each chapter, Black Thought recounts moments of tragedy in his childhood, recollections of community and family in his youth and ultimately, finding love, triumph and truth.

The Upcycled Self offers an "unfiltered and unprecedented" account of seminal memories in Black Thought’s cinematic life. Black Thought wasn’t even a year old when his father was killed. In 2017 he told the New York Times he heard his father was a “kind, chivalrous and very respectful” man. At the age of six, he remembers accidentally lighting his Philadelphia apartment on fire as he played with his plas

Sly Stone will release his first autobiography, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), on October 17 via AUWA Books and MCD/FSG. It will be available on hardcover, e-book and audio. The release marks the inaugural title from AUWA Books, Questlove’s new publishing imprint.

"One of the few indisputable geniuses of pop music, Sly Stone is a trailblazer and a legend," the description reads. "He created a new kind of music, mixing Black and white, male and female, funk and rock. As a songwriter, he penned some of the most iconic anthems of the 1960s and ’70s, from 'Everyday People' to 'Family Affair.' As a performer, he electrified audiences with a persona and stage presence that set a lasting standard for pop-culture performance.

"Yet his lif

Snoop Dogg's business portfolio just continues to grow. On Monday (July 24), a press release went out officially announcing the launch of the first Dr. Bombay Ice Cream, a partnership between Snoop Dogg and Happi Co. The concoctions are rolling out in freezers at 3,500 Walmart stores across the nation in seven flavors curated by the D-O-Double-G himself: Bonus Track Brownie, Cocoa Cream Cookie Dream, Iced Out Orange Cream, Rollin' in the Dough, S'more Vibes and Syrupy Waffle Sundaze. 

 “As a company we’re always looking to develop products and partner with personalities and brands that embody authenticity," Happi Co. CEO Sam Rockwell said. "When Snoop approached us with the idea of starting a new company with a focus on frozen treats, it became obvious that we share core v

The Universal Hip Hop Museum (UHHM) has tapped dozens of rap legends for a special Hip Hop 50th Birthday Jam dubbed the "RAPAMANIA Showcase." The event takes place on August 11 from noon to 6 p.m. ET at Mill Pond Park in the Bronx with Public Enemy's Chuck D, Chill Rob G, Fearless 4, Busy Bee Starski, Sweet Tee, Kool Kyle the Star Child and many, many more. 

Coke La Rock, the Original Spindarella, Pete Nice, Sheri Sher and Paradise will serve as hosts, while DJ Kevie Kev Rockwell will provide the music. An open cypher by Red Bull BC One and murals by the Thrive Collective—including TATS crew, Lady Pink and Queen Andrea—will represent the breaking and graffiti art elements of the culture. 

The free event is among the many celebrations taking place all over New York