Filed under: Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop News, Essays

Welcome to the wild world of contemporary hip-hop and R&B music where only one African American visual artist seems to exist -- Jean-Michel Basquiat.

This singular and arbitrary focus is likely a result of rap being a highly aspirational genre. Basquiat started from the bottom, like so many others in hip-hop do.

And while that can frequently be one of hip-hop's strengths, it can also have the effect of making the worldview seem narrower. Much narrower. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find a popular musician these days who can name an artist besides Basquiat.

Basquiat may be the Hermes Alligator Skin hoody of the art game, but the metaphorical, understated-yet-cakey Ralph Lauren boat shoe must exist as well, no?

Get familiar with 5 African American artists who aren't named Basquiat.
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Filed under: Hip-Hop

Talib Kweli joins us here at AOL for an EXCLUSIVE Google Hangout.

Topics covered include his new album Prisoner Of Conscious -- due out May 7 -- what Kanye West was like on tour, how he deals with Facebook commenters, the closing of his book store in Brooklyn and why it's okay to not take Waka Flocka's comments about white women that seriously. We also asked a bunch of your Facebook questions!
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Filed under: Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop News, Soul/R&B, R&B News, Busted

Lauryn Hill has managed to avoid jail time by signing a last minute deal with Sony. In order to pay the $504,000 in back taxes which she owes, Sony will receive five songs from Hill, and will also provide recording funds for a new album, which the label will release. [AllHipHop]

Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev apparently quoted Kendrick Lamar on his Twitter account, writing ""No one is really violent until they're with the homies." Pretty bugged out. [NYT]

According to reports, a suspect has been arrested in the murder of Trina's 19-year-old brother, Wilbert Bain. 2y-year-old Miami resident Rob Dobson has confessed to the murder, and is currently in police custody. [HipHopDX]
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Filed under: Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop News

Vanilla Ice has finally found a job that's just the right fit - construction. As CBS reports, the "Ice, Ice Baby" rapper will appear on the upcoming DIY Network show "Vanilla Ice Goes Amish."

The premise of the show? Van Winkle gets his manual labor on, building stuff for the god-fearing people of an Amish society. You can probably expect the hip-hopper putting a glossy finish on some hand-made end tables. Heck, he might even frame a house or two. [CBS News]

In other Hip-Hop News ...
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Filed under: Hip-Hop, Essays

On any day of the week it seems like there are more than a handful of songs featuring 2 Chainz making their onto the Internet. It's ridiculous.

Has 2 Chainz sold out? Probably, but you can hardly blame him, even if his Instagram photos are more exciting than his career these days. The guy has definitely been through the music industry wringer.

Successful as he is now, you have to keep in mind that this isn't the Atlanta-bred rapper's first rodeo. He was previously in Playaz Circle, a group on Ludacris's DTP imprint, and managed to surf the Lil Wayne hook wave at the precise moment with "Duffle Bag Boys." The song became a smash and Playaz Circle's debut, Supply & Demand, sold relatively well. Then the hit records dried up and the group's follow-up LP, Flight 360: The Takeoff, bombed.

While many doubted that a Tity Boi solo career would take off, a spectacular grassroots marketing campaign -- including the wise decisions to ditch the Tity Boy name for 2 Chainz, and to carefully study Lil B videos -- allowed his workman-like approach to help him somehow acquire the top spot in rap.

But that sort of fame comes with a price -- now everyone wants in on the 2 Chainz brand. And it's getting out of hand. From questionable features to random TV appearances, here are 5 things 2 Chainz has recently done that are tragically uncool and downright silly.
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Filed under: Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop News, interviews

Snoop Lion's much-publicized reggae LP, Reincarnated, is finally in stores today.

We're capping off our Snoop Lion 'takeover' of our site with an exclusive interview with the Doggfather.

Read on to learn about what Snoop wants people to take from the album, what he thinks he needs to do to looked at as more than just a rapper, why he started the "No Guns Allowed" initiative, and how Jay-Z may find himself with some company in the sports management agency business soon.
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