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RZA to perform live scoring of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin

Wu Tang Clan's love of Asian martial arts movies and culture has always been obviously, but this November, the RZA is going to make the link between hip hop and kung fu a little more explicit by performing live at a screening of one of Wu Tang's favorite films, The 36th Chamber of the Shaolin.

Originally released in 1978, The 36th Chamber of the Shaolin was produced by the legendary Shaw Bros. and was directed by Liu Chia-Liang, who also directed Jackie Chan's Drunken Master II. The film is frequently referenced in Wu Tang Clan songs, and now Wu Tang founder The RZA is doing a special, one time performance in honor of the influential kung-fu film.

On November 10th in New York City, The RZA will perform a

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Spotlight Artist: Ras Kass

Adopting titles such as “The Waterproof Emcee”, and “The Endangered Lyricist”, this week's Rap Station Spotlight Artist goes to John Austin IV—better known to the masses as Ras Kass.

The California-based rapper introduced his magnum-caliber rhymes with his critically-acclaimed debut single, “Remain Anonymous”, which earned special recognition from The Source Magazine, and his eventual signing under Priority/EMI Records.

Prior to this, Kass already became a prominent figure in Hip-hop underground, rooted upon various appearances on several records, as well as radio-broadcasted freestyle rap sessions, which showcased the young rapper's skills on top the live stage and “solidified the emergi

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Kendrick Lamar teams up with Maroon 5 for new single

Kendrick Lamar has made a name for himself with politically charged lyrics that deliver some hard truths, but today the Compton rapper is reminding the world that he's perfectly capable of delivering some breezy pop music with Maroon 5.

The new single, "Don't Wanna Know," which features Adam Levine and Kendrick Lamar getting nostalgic about past relationships. You can listen to the relaxed, laid back new song on YouTube here. 

Of course,

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DJ Premier, MC Eiht release a track off of Which Way Iz West

DJ Premier and MC Eiht are busy putting the finishing touches on the Compton Most Wanted leader's final album, Which Way Iz West, but they're giving fans a taste of what to expect with a new remix of MC Eiht's 2012 track, "Runn The Blocc."

DJ Premier told XXL magazine "Runn The Blocc" was originally a freestyle done over Black Moon's "Who Got The Props" backing tracks. "I'm a huge fan of Young MayLAy from the west coast and he can spit," DJ Premier said. "So when we finished mixing the album, I wanted to keep the lyrics and put a brand new beat to it so that it sounded like a whole new song."

"When I originally got the beat from Brenk (Sinatra), rather then do something that glorif

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Ice-T Announces Body Count's Forthcoming Album

In 2014, Ice-T released the album Manslaughter, featuring the rapper-turned-actor-turned-rockstar dishing out hard-hitting hooks for heavy-metal band, Body Count.

In a recent interview with Revolver magazine, Ice T shared retrospect thoughts on the previous album, as well as announced its follow-up album, Bloodlust, scheduled for release early 2017.

“We did [Manslaughter] to test the watxer to see if there was still a market for our music,” explained Ice-T, “And it worked. People were excited to see the band, so once we got that foothold we decided to go back and hit 'em with everything we've got.”

Ice-T continued by describing his latest writing process:

&ldquo

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Today in Hip-hop: MC Lyte Turns 46

This day in Hip-hop marks the birth of amongHip-hop's pioneering female rappers, none other than Lana Michelle Moorer—more prominently known as MC Lyte.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Lyte began rapping as early as age twelve, and at age fourteen, Lyte began recording her first single.

Gaining recognition in the Hip-hop scene, fans and critics alike easily recognized a stand-out star in the young rapper, who already “began publicly outshining other MCs.” MC Lyte debuted in 1988 with her album, Lyte As A Rock, which featured critically-acclaimed singles, such as “Paper Thin” and “10% Dis”.

After two albums both showcasing Lyte's unfiltered lyrical content, fans saw a transition to a lighte

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