The Ohio Players briefly touched the heights of the pop charts in the '70s, but the funky grooves of the group (who are, indeed, from Ohio) went on to become fertile sample sources for hip-hop ...

The backbone of hip-hop production is the sample. Sure, over the years some producers may have abused sampling, but that doesn't diminish the technique's value in rap's currency. Producers skim ...

Released just before The Chronic paved the way for a more laid-back sound for West Coast gangstas, “Wicked” was Ice Cube’s first single after the L.A. riots, as well as his first Billboard Hot 100 ...

High school sophomore Vikas Prasad has one main goal: score a production placement with a major rap artist before the end of the school year. When he’s not in class, the 16-year-old spends most of his ...

Last summer, I received an email from an independent rap label, promoting one of its new releases. It had a note attached about samples. “Do your best to refrain from mentioning them by name unless ...

When you think about love in rap, Common's "The Light" is an essential example. From his album "Like Water for Chocolate", Common raps heartfelt lines of devotion over a mesmerizing J Dilla beat, ...

Loud Sound Studios is home to two of Rwanda's up-and-coming hip-hop acts: Pro-Zed and Kenny K-Shot. Hip-hop is all about the beats and the flow. For two Rwandan artists, that flow sometimes comes in ...