Simoun Redoblado

There’s no other way to put it—Cardi B is a phenom. When she burst onto the scene in the late 2010s, the entire rap industry was bowled over by her uncanny charisma and irresistible tracks. Breaking records left and right like they were going out of style, Cardi ascended to hip hop’s summit whether her […]

At first glance, I thought LL Cool J was defined by his sexy tunes and smooth, seductive lines. You know, the type that gets you first in line for a J.Lo collab. While he’s pretty good at this type of stuff—there’s a reason he’s called Ladies Love Cool James, you know—his skills on the mic

“And I gotta cut all through this traffic Just to be at the top of the throne. Better know I gotta have it! (Have it!)” That, fellow hip hop fans, is all I can ever say clearly when I attempt that infamous Busta Rhymes verse. Ever since Chris Brown dropped his hit single “Look at Me Now”

To say that André 3000 is eccentric would be a grave understatement. If you survey his discography, you’d find organized chaos: a hodgepodge of complex rap techniques, influences from numerous other genres, and a host of topics that other rappers wouldn’t rhyme about with a straight face. And let’s not even get started on his

In an industry filled with larger-than-life characters, Chance the Rapper has risen to prominence for playing a role that’s surprisingly difficult to pull off: the everyman. While many of his peers glorify the playboy lifestyle, replete with gold chains and fancy cars, Chano from Chicago seems perfectly comfortable with a plain look and a low-key

What’s in a name? Even in the ego-driven industry of hip hop, it takes a lot of hubris for an emcee to call himself Prodigy. But, when all was said and done, no one could ever humble the late Albert Johnson. With each gritty verse emanating from his lips, Prodigy lived up to his moniker

The first time I heard of Rakim was on Twitter. Silly, I know. Back in 2011, pro wrestling star Montel Vontavious Porter was asked to name the greatest rapper of all time. Was it Tupac or Biggie? In response, MVP Tweeted: “Rakim.” When I saw this on my feed, I went, “Who’s that?” It took

When hip hop fans talk about fallen legends, the names of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. come up right away. Lamont Coleman, however, is sadly an afterthought. During the same time that Pac and Biggie were taking the hip hop industry by storm, the artist known as Big L was building up his notoriety

In the competitive realm of hip hop, is it possible for two feuding emcees to both come out on the losing end? The beef between Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. is the most infamous example of this tragic outcome. While some rap feuds originate from a few braggadocious lyrics dropped here and there, this

Ask any rap aficionado about the greatest rivalries of hip hop, and they’ll wax poetic about Jay-Z and Nas. Like two heavyweight boxers trading haymakers, the two legendary New York icons engaged in a beef filled with brilliantly constructed lines and scathing personal attacks. While I can make strong arguments for either man as the