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Grand Puba Maxwell, from New Rochelle New York, began in the group Masters of Ceremony during the 80s. Together they released the album Dynamite (1988) but with a lack of sufficient sales, the group split. He later appeared as the lead MC for the group Brand Nubian with Sadat X and Lord Jamar, making conscious rap music like their album One For All. Shortly after that release in 1990, Puba went on to pursue a solo career in Hip Hop and his song “I Like It” helped him launch that career. Later on, Grand Puba re-appeared as a member of Brand Nubian in 1997. They recorded a few tracks as a group and ultimately for the album Foundation (1998).

In 2009, Grand Puba released Retroactive as his fourth s

Aesop Rock’s 2007 masterpiece, None Shall Pass, had a lot of production work from longtime friend and frequent collaborator, Blockhead. The New York native has been producing beats since Aesop was still a college student at Boston University. In fact, that’s where they met. Since then, Blockhead has built a reputable solo career of his own, which includes six studio albums. From 2004’s Music By Cavelight to 2009’s The Music Scene and his most recent, 2014’s Bells and Whistles, Blockhead delivers pristine instrumentals, which is surprising considering he’d rather listen to lyrics any day. As a student of hip-hop, Blockhead is currently collaborating with all types of emcees and plans on

Bishop Nehru was born in the late ‘90s, a time when the golden era of hip-hop had already passed, but somehow it was engrained in his DNA, and trickles down into everything he creates. It’s quite incredible to witness someone so young beam with pride when he speaks about his hip-hop heroes. 

Still a teenager, the New York-bred emcee is dreading turning the big 2-0 this summer, which is happening in a matter of a few short months. The hip-hop prodigy, however, has made more strides in his career at 19 than most emcees have in their lifetimes, including a collaborative album with MF Doom, NehruvianDOOM, and a record deal with Mass Appeal Records (although that has come to an end). 

While he hasn’t put out an official full-lengt

An impressive line-up of artists announced to perform at the Art of Rap Festival

An exciting line-up of established rappers and hip-hop artists has been announced by Ice-T and Mickey Bentson on Sunday (May 9^th) to perform at the upcoming Art of Rap Festival this Summer. Presented by Backspin, a 90’s and 80’s hip-hop and rap station on SiriusXM, the United States tour is set to begin on the 16^th of July in Dallas, Texas. Carrying on from Ice-T’s 2012 music documentary Something for Nothing: The Art of Rap and the 2015 festival, this year’s line-up has a selection of artists that classic rap and hip hop fans are sure to appreciate.

Hosted by Chiefrocker Busy Bee,

This weeks spotlight artist, Five Steez, from Jamaica, has made his way to the #RAP50 countdown with his track “My Life, My Craft.” He is an inspiration to people who have had the road block of being an international artist and making a name for themselves in the Hip Hop game. Staying true to himself, he has a crew that he works with, The Council, and together they have a project in the making. Five Steez is in the process of mastering how to reach out to his audience and is not an artist to sleep on. 

RAPstation (Kianna Woods): How long have you been putting out music?

Five Steez: Well I’ve been putting out music for I would say about 6 years now, since about 2010. I first put out a mixtape called Mom

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Albert Shepard (a.k.a. Printmatic) has made a name for himself as an artist and producer. He has been a full time musician for 14 years now and makes no plans to change what direction his life has taken since he has made it full-time. Along with rapping and producing, Printmatic is a host of his own podcast “Super Duty Tough Work,” has produced a few videos, and is the author of 3 books. It is safe to say that Weightless Recordings wouldn’t be possible if he hadn’t made the decision to produce and make music for their fans.

RAPstation (Kianna Woods): What role did music play in your life growing up?

Printmatic: My mom was a really good singer so, you know, most of my early infl