Imagine your favorite old school artist releasing hot new music. What would it be like if Lakeside had another CD coming out, or if Lenny Williams was crooning an updated love song? How about Michael Cooper giving up the funk one mo’ gin?

When DJ Blaze’s parents christened him Blaise McLeod, they could hardly have known that this Cape Town born, Cape Flats raised boy would literally blaze across S.A’s music scene, becoming not only a renowned DJ but also a respected record company figure. The forefather of Johannesburg’s hip-hop scene and now an unmatched expert in urban street intelligence for S.A’s entertainment industry.

The Innovators (Eastern Cape) have a new mixtape out, it’s called Sick With The Flow. You can read the biography here and the interview here.  Read on to check out the fat album cover and track listing.  Another plus for SA Hip Hop.

UK-based Nigerian act JJC & 419 Squad are amongst the 14 artists featured on this brand-new hip-hop compilation with a difference. JJC is of course also known as Skillz, producer and founding member of Big Brovaz but the track on this CD (‘Ewajo’ meaning ‘Come and dance’) is a Nu Flow of a different kind: African hip-hop fusion with Anglo-Yoruba lyrics like you’ve never heard it before.  Read more for a detailed breakdown of this cd.

The foundations of Jo’burg music & club culture will tremble with a groundbreaking party at Carfax next Friday, February 27, to celebrate the upcoming release of “vampires vs. werewolves” thriller UNDERWORLD. Some of the most successful and respected underground DJs in SA today will get together for an eclectic and very unique bash presented by DVG Events & Ster-Kinekor Pictures. In the spirit of UNDERWORLD (at cinemas nationwide on March 5), the event boasts two dancefloors featuring two diverse (though interlinked) musical styles: Deep House (Vampire Lair-floor) and Hip Hop (Werewolf Cavern-floor).

The highly anticipated sophomore album by GM Grimm is available in stores and online now! Under his MIC moniker Superstar Jet Jaguar, GM Grimm (formerly MF Grimm) releases “Digital Tears: E-mail from Purgatory”.  You can also read the interview we did with him while he was still in prison here.  Read on for more info.

Finally, Doujah Raze’s first commercially available CD release.  This Mix CD is a “prefix” to Doujah’s debut album “Doujah Raze,” which will be dropping this summer. Read on for more details and a tracklisting.

He’s the man Ludacris, P. Diddy, Timbaland and Three 6 Mafia call when they need someone to take their records over the top. He’s the MC whose style has been imitated by scores of rappers. He’s the underground legend ready to return to the game he helped revolutionize.

You might find yourself on I-5 rollin’ right through Seattle, the “O” or Tacoma and not think of any Hip Hop artists who laid it down for the Northwest culture back in the day besides Mix-A-Lot. If you are thinking in this limited box, you haven’t heard of Wojack.

For years, the name Esham has been synonymous in Detroit with the underground rap scene. Not many beyond the 313 have known about this mysterious hip-hop legend or how an entire school of rappers came to be influenced by the genre he invented and dubbed “Acid Rap.” Nevertheless, Esham’s legacy has made a lasting impact on the hip hop world. More popular acts have come into Detroit and noticed what was happening on the scene, some even adopting the style as their own.

This April African Hip Hop is about to experience a major transformation as three ill minds come together and bring out the Genetik Audio Sexion. From the quite Southern African country of Namibia, three emcees are in the studio, crafting, merging and twisting hip hop of African genre into what can be only referred to as a mutation. The Genetik Audio Sexion are made of Eraze (Sikks), emcee Ekks (EbonyX) and Bonx (Battle AXe). They represent abstract underground hip hop in its purest form….the album dropping this April 10th has been simply titled “Hip Hop Mutation v1.04” with tracks such as Organik Mics, 3005oc and the legends are billed to be revolutionary as far as hip hop on this dark continent is concerned…..watch this space for more info.

The event taking place in Miami is the Winter Music Conference. It is the only event that is featuring hip hop as the main stage. About 10,000 capacity. Read more for all the info on the show.

Vintage Imperial is the amazing hip hop duo from Atlanta, Ga. It consists of producer/dj/emcee S.L. One and Emcee Kid Kaos. The group started in 1998 when the two met in an Atlanta area high school and instantly clicked. With an awesome live show they built a buzz in the city by performing with underground legends such as MF Doom, Akrobatik, Breeze Evahflowing (Blaze Battle/ MTV), Mass Influence, and Maspyke.

More than 25 years ago, when deejays first developed break beats and emcees began rhyming to music, the term “Hip Hop” was coined. “B-boys” or “break boys” started going to parties and doing moves that were the basis for Hip Hop dance. In 1977, one of the original and the most legendary B-boy crews to come out of the Bronx was the Rock Steady Crew. They performed all around the Bronx and quickly generated a following.

Jenro’s first time rapping on stage was at the age of 10 years old at a summer camp. She rapped about raccoons on her bunk bed and how she hated her cabin leader. She was pulled off stage for not following her summer camp’s criteria that consisted of a forest scene skit. Jenro did not let this stop her from her early dreams of being a female emcee.