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"Since about 1992 I've religiously followed the West Coast Underground. In 1997, living in Bentonville, AR, of all places, and copping 12" records in Fayetteville and Tulsa, OK, I happened on this label ABB. Many are familiar with this label for their release of Little Brother's "The Listening" LP. By frequenting Mission Control in Fayetteville, the shop in Tulsa (I forget the name), and bumping Maxmillion mixtapes, I became familiar with some of my West Coast favorites by virtue of their appearances on ABB records: Planet Asia, Defari, Phil Da Agony, Self Scientific, Krondon, Ahmad Jamal, Superstar QuamAllah, and Dilated Peoples. When I got this beat from Kev Brown and dropped these 8 bar verses on it, the scheme reminded me of "Worst Comes to Worst" by Dilated. I IMMEDIATELY heard Raa

Mic Crenshaw and dead prez debuted their collaboration 'Superheroes' this past spring, hitting #2 on rapattacklives single charts. Now they return with a powerful music video to go with it. Directed and produced by Payam Sadri and Kevin Hasenkopf of Salmon 109, the video speaks to the true everyday "Superheroes" that support their families, guiding them to help tackle the current and future problems facing the planet. Mic Crenshaw, born in South Chicago, is one of the definitive Hip Hop Artists to grace the Northwest. Crenshaw spent his formative years battling the emergence of white supremacist gangs in the streets of Minneapolis. Now as a musician, he uses his music, time and resources to help inspire others to take positive paths in their lives. Crenshaw’s non-profit; Glob

Flatbush representative Archie Bang is not your typical "started from the bottom" story. Yes, his past caught up with him, putting his rap career on hold. But he knows what it takes to make it in the big leagues; after interning at Rawkus Records while in high school, Archie was eventually signed to J Records. Archie originally started as a DJ but then discovered the cash flow he was receiving was mostly recycling back into new equipment. So he opted for the pen and pad, quickly garnering respect from his peers. From honing his skills with the group, Dirty Water, in Little Rock, AR, Archie Bang eventually found himself at the same table as Clive Davis to discuss business. Archie's upbringing in a musical house where his father was a Haitian Jazz musician and his mother constantly pl

Hailing from Seattle, Washington, Grayskul has been turning out indie hip-hop for the past decade. Comprised of Onry Ozzborn and JFK, formerly of the hip-hop collective Oldominion, Grayskul teamed up with bassist Rob Castro to complete the lineup. After an opening slot for Rhymesayers artists Eyedea & Abilities in 2004, Grayskul’s career was off and running. After all, the tour led to a deal with Rhymesayers and the group released its label debut, Deadlivers, in 2005. The album received mostly positive reviews. In 2007, Grayskul released their second album on Rhymesayers, Blood Radio, this time with Ozzborn going by the name Count Draven and JFK going by the name Count Magnus. While this album excluded Castro, several prolific underground hip-hop artists such as Aesop R

Born and raised in South Jersey, Ricky spent his youth driving his parents and teachers crazy. After being arrested twice the week of his high school graduation a ceremony that his family members, doubting his ability to graduate, did not attend. Ricky found within himself a new determination to pursue his dream of making music and making his life significant. In 2012, Ricky decided to leave Jersey for sunny Southern Cali, where he quickly immersed himself in the local music scene. He formed relationships with rappers such as Compton Menace and Glasses Malone and super producer and Dr. Dre protege DJ Khalil. Since returning to the East Coast earlier this year, Ricky has remained in South Jersey, where he has made a name for himself as the breakout star of his town. Ricky's songwritin

Nigerian-born, Brooklyn-based emcee Rilgood has come together with The DJBooth to bring listeners his latest street release, the Kingdom LP. Executive produced by the artist in conjunction with Andrew Krivonos, the project packs a total of 13 original tracks, including reader-approved singles "God Bless America," "Corruptor" and "Young Kings." Chase N. Cashe, Chatter, Fat Tony, Gift Glamz Glorious, Goldyard and SMTH make guest appearances throughout the set, which features beats by 88-Keys, Dot Da Genius, kechPhrase, Keyboard Kid and Woodro Skillson. Please visit http://www.djbooth.net/index/albums/review/rilgood-kingdom to download now and check out the official track list below. 01.Ghost In The Machine [prod. Woodro Skillson] 02.Dreams (ft. SMTH and Gift Glamz Glorious)