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The Bay Area Archives has announced its second class of inductees for 2023. The induction ceremony takes place on August 11—Hip Hop's official birthday—at The Oakland Museum of California. According to a press release, a giant roster of influential Bay Area figures are to be inducted, including Digital Underground, RBL Posse, The Coup's Boots Riley and Conscious Daughters. Additional inductees are: dance originators Medea Sikas, 2Pac's longtime friend Ray Luv, Hip Hop photojournalist Keba Konte, writer Adisa Banjoko, DJ CJ Flash, DJ True Justice, DJ Shortkut and many more. 

"We are uniting the Bay Area Hip Hop community. From those who are known and iconic as well as artists, activists, educators and culture keepers who have been unseen and undervalued, our unity of purpose

Juneteenth celebrations were rampant in the United States on Monday (June 19). At Leimert Park in Los Angeles, R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan was expected to headline an annual Juneteenth music festival, but she canceled at the last minute. According to Fox 3 Now, rumors of shots fired started making the rounds right before her set. Out of fear for her safety, Sullivan pulled the plug. 

But Living Legends MC Luckyiam is setting the record straight. Shortly after the rumors made the rounds, he took to Twitter to say, "THERE WAS NO SHOOTING IN LEIMERT PARK JUNETEENTH. A VENDOR TENT FELL AND EVERYONE STARTED RUNNING.  (Please Stop spreading false narratives)." 

A woman posted a video under his post claiming otherwise, but Lucky replied, "Cap." 

Sullivan

Biz Markie died at a Maryland hospital on July 16, 2021, several months after being admitted for diabetes-related complications. As news of his death spread online, the Hip Hop community came out in droves to pay their respects.

On Friday (June 16), his widow, Tara, paid tribute online with an Instagram post that included video of Biz Markie DJing at an outside party. She also plugged the Just A Friend Foundation and confirmed a documentary about Biz Markie’s life, All Up in the Biz, will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday (June 17).

All Up in the Biz was directed by Ego Trip co-founder Sacha Jenkins using animation, interviews, reenactments and more to tell Biz’s story. The film features Rakim, fellow Juice Crew member Big Daddy Kane, F

Big Daddy Kane has provided an update on his forthcoming Netflix documentary, Paragraphs I Manifest. Speaking to RAPstation's Kyle Eustice for AllHipHop, the Juice Crew legend revealed they are inching toward the finish line. He said, "We’re in the editing stages right now and hopefully, we’ll be finished within the next two months. That’s what I’m praying for, you know, because I really feel that it’s important to get this out as Hip-Hop is celebrating 50 years.”

Big Daddy Kane originally announced the project in 2021, boasting several high-profile interviews with Common, Eminem, J. Cole, MC Lyte and many more. 

“The most rewarding part of this experience is hearing different artists’ perspectives,” he added. “To sit with someon

De La Soul member Posdnuos continues to mourn his fallen friend Trugoy The Dove on the new Statik Selektah single "Round Trip (For Dave)." The track arrived on Friday (June 9) as part of the veteran producer's latest project, Round Trip. Trugoy The Dove (affectionately known as simply Dave or Plug 2) died unexpectedly on February 12 at the age of 54, just weeks before De La Soul's first six albums were finally made available on DSPs for the first time. 

An outpouring of love followed, which Pos touches on in the song. He raps, "Bittersweet blessings, condolences and congrats/In the same sentence while my life learns the lesson/I cry quiet so the knot in my chest is hard to untie but thankfully the heart keeps pressin'/My brother left on his return ticket so the pieces of