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October 29th will see the release of Class Struggle, the sophomore album from French Hip-Hop producer Alterbeats. Alterbeats is a member of the ALTERPROD Unit, a consortium of producers, videographers and graphic designers. With appearances from Tragedy Khadafi, The Rockness Monstah from Heltah Skeltah, Neek the Exotic, Copywrite, Guilty Simpson, Mic Handz & Verbal Kent, Class Struggle is poised to be a compelling project within their catalog. The album will be available through all of the major digital retailers, as well as a physical CD, where it will be sold through record shops and online outlets. By bringing a fresh perspective into the equation, Alterbeats and his team tackle topics that connect with the listener regardless of their background, through a bevy of platforms. Sin

When Immortal Technique speaks, you listen. This was proven in my most recent interview with the prolific Harlem-based emcee. Backstage at The Waiting Room in Omaha, Nebraska (of all places), Tech spent 35 minutes with me to discuss America's obsession with violence, savagery and the meaning behind the War and Peace Tour he's currently on with Brother Ali. It felt more like a college lecture than an interview. In fact, the discussion was so thick with information it has to be broken up in to two parts. Stay tuned to RAPstation.com for Part II later this week. Brother Ali was telling me a little about the meaning behind the War and Peace Tour. What's your take on that? For me, it definitely was showing these larger venues could be packed out with an independent voice of hip-h

Detroit's heavyweight emcee Guilty Simpson and Philly's burgeoning beat smith Small Professor are pleased to present their collaborative effort, Highway Robbery. Weighing in at ten tracks, the project places you in a seemingly post apocalyptic Detroit where the mentality is feast or famine. Highway Robbery plays as one long narrative of Guilty's day-to-day survival in Detroit's concrete jungle, all set to the tone of Small Professor's foreboding, percussion heavy production. Featuring guest appearances from Detroit's Boldy James, AG (of DITC), Elucid, Castle (Mello Music Group), with both Statik Selektah and DJ Revolution handling the Technic 1200s, Highway Robbery is now available here https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/id694760118 through Beat Goliath/Coalmine Records for just $6.

If you haven't heard of Cas One, you will (and technically, you just have). The Evansville, Indiana-based artist has been a phantom of sorts, appearing on a track with Sadistik, Kristoff Krane and the late Eyedea called "Savior Self," rapping alongside vets like Brother Ali and sharing the stage with heavy-hitters such as producer Figure. Born Jacob Snider, his debut album, 2005's Liberation, introduced the world to an introspective, lyrically gifted 19-year-old who has since had two children, gotten married and taken the time to hone his craft. 2013 finds Cas One preparing to release his highly anticipated sophomore effort, The Monster and The Wishing Well, a 16-track opus that defies the traditional definition of hip-hop and gives it a fresh meaning. His lyrics are painfully hon

Fresh off of winning his very first Grammy with Tedeschi Trucks Band for Best Blues Album of the year in 2012 (Maurice was the horn arranger for the 11-piece ensemble), Maurice "Mobetta" Brown has also appeared on LP's from Santigold, Ski Beatz, Prodigy, Talib Kweli, Cee-Lo, Diddy, Musiq Soulchild and countless others. Maurice is prepping his latest release, Maurice vs Mobetta, or, rather, Maurice's Jazz side versus his Hip-Hop persona. Maurice vs Mobetta features appearances from Talib Kweli, Consequence, Prodigy, Jean Grae and production from Fyre Dept, DJ Scratch and Maurice himself and its a mere sampling of what's in-store on Maurice vs Mobetta; as Brown has more in store, not only on this new effort, but coming down the pike. Know that Maurice vs Mobetta is a gumbo sound l

Rhymesayers Entertainment artist Brother Ali has been spitting out albums since emerging out of Minneapolis with 2000's Rites of Passage. It was a brave introduction to the life of an albino rapper and a little insight into his heavily politically minded views. 2003's Shadows on the Sun, 2007's The Undisputed Truth, 2009's Us, and 2012's Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color continued Brother Ali's path of delivering content-driven, independent hip-hop. Currently on The War and Peace Tour with longtime friend Immortal Technique, Brother Ali is crisscrossing the country in hopes of spreading a message about mainstream music. There's a new business model in the rap game and Brother Ali is vocal about his stance on where things are going. He