Jan 6th, 2009 · News from Somalia usually involves violent warlords or pirates hijacking ships off the coast. Other than that, average Somalis don't have much of a voice. The rapper K'Naan is trying to change that, and in the world of hip-hop, he's become an artist to watch.
Dec 19th, 2008 · In the purely democratic world of hip-hop mixtapes unsigned rappers build a fan base, past-their-prime artists re-connect with an audience, and major-label commodities show their adventurous side on records that overprotective label reps would never authorize and commercial radio could never pick up. Here are some of this year's finest tapes.
Dec 19th, 2008 · Orlando Campbell is a rapper and a journalist for Youth Radio. Recently, reports of his death were all over the blogosphere. He ponders the bizarreness of one's death going public, when one is very much alive.
Dec 19th, 2008 · The anticipated biopic about slain rapper Biggie Smalls opens in January, but how did they find the right actor to play the larger-than-life figure? Also, RuPaul's holiday card features a picture of him dressed as both Barack and Michelle Obama. For the lowdown, Farai Chideya speaks with Newsweek correspondent Allison Samuels.
Dec 15th, 2008 · Bob Teitel may not be a household name, but his films drive heated household conversations. The producer behind the Barbershop movies, Soulfood, Beautyshop and the upcoming film Notorious, about the life and times of rapper Notorious B.I.G. Teitel explains what motivates his work, and his love for Chicago, the setting for some of his most popular films.
Nov 25th, 2008 · The Chicago rapper's new album, 808s and Heartbreak features him singing instead of rapping, but he's filtered his vocals through the voice processing system known as Auto-Tune, an increasingly popular trend among pop artists. The result is a melancholy, intimate and decidedly quirky effort.
Nov 24th, 2008 · Hip-Hop music star Q-Tip opens his music file and shares what's playing — other than his own tunes — in his ear these days. The rapper discusses his broad range of music tastes, ranging from Afro-beat innovator Fala Kuti to the Beatles.
Oct 10th, 2008 · Rapper/actress Queen Latifah says she doesn't care if people think she's gay. Plus, Russell Simmons tells us why so many people are plugged in to what celebrities say about voting. Newsweek national correspondent Allison Samuels explains.