Published in The Riff·PinnedJohn Mayer: Hip-Hop’s Honorary Guitarist“New Respect for John, he’s extremely gifted. His versatility is phenomenal, he’s a master. I don’t even think he even knows how good he is.” These are the words spoken by legendary guitarist Mr. Slowhand, Eric “Is God” Clapton himself, discussing working with the talented and often polarizing artist John…Hip Hop7 min read
Published in The Riff·May 7, 20215 Slowed and Reverb Songs That Hit DifferentBeing the soundtrack of late-night vibes, Instagram aesthetic edits, Slowed and Reverb is a trend that’ll seem to be a sub-section of music that’ll grow with generation Z. For context, simply put, Slowed and Reverb takes a song and slows it down a tad then adding some reverb, in essence…Music4 min read
Apr 30, 2021Skate Kitchen: The Skate Crew from NYC Making WavesSociety (and well the world itself) is a pretty fucked place for a woman, but I’m not delivering anything new with that, I might as well tell you red is a color, or 2 is a bigger number than 1. No matter what, you seemed to be concealed to certain…Culture10 min read
Published in The Riff·Apr 15, 2021When They’re Gone: Fake Love or Paying Respect?On April 9th, 2021, the hip-hop community was completely devastated as we lost hip-hop legend, Ruff Ryders one, and only DMX after suffering a heart attack. Though heartbreak occurred, it was immediately followed up with celebration and joy over the life and career of Darkman X and rejoice over all…Hip Hop6 min read
Published in The Riff·Apr 8, 2021Frank Ocean: Where Should We GoAfter Blonde?On February 16, 2011, the world was introduced to an up-in-coming artist. The R&B aspect and the oldest member of a radical mouth but highly creative faced collective Odd Future. Nostalgia, Ultra would be released on that day by Frank Ocean, garnering buzz and acclaim from his debut mixtape, the…Hip Hop6 min read
Published in The Riff·Mar 31, 2021National Recording Registry: Hip-Hop’s Future Entrees (Hopefully)What are some accolades you can get as an artist? A Grammy, VMA, Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, many awards and accolades exist for musicians of many genres. Now, of course, do they validate the art of the artists, that’s a whole another topic. …Hip Hop6 min read
Published in The Riff·Mar 23, 2021Beastie Boys: Three MCs and Their SongwritingThree Mcs and their one DJ (DJ Hurricane or Mix Master Mike, pick one), “The King” Ad-Rock, Mike D, and the late great MCA, better known as the hip-hop trio “Beastie Boys” have become one of the most influential and important groups in the genre, breaking down barriers as white…Hip Hop8 min read
Feb 21, 2021Dead End Hip-Hop: No Politics as UsualYoutube is the wild wild west for reviews (well it’s the wild wild west for content in general), anyone and everyone can get on and upload their opinion: whether it may be political, for video games, books, fashion, film, and music. Hell, even the things you’d assume people don’t give…Hip Hop8 min read
Feb 5, 2021Exploring Kanye Wests “Lights” SongsBeing one of the meticulous artists of all time, Kanye West has cranked out one of the most critically praised discographies of recent memories. With every album being unique and standing out on its own like a green hat with an orange bill. Being able to pinpoint a specific era…Hip Hop9 min read
Jan 26, 2021Making Kanye’s Greatest HitsKanye West: Louis Vuitton Don, Yeezus, and now the proud leader of the Jesus Gang. Now, there’s no reason to beat around the bush and be…Music7 min read
