The DJ/Producer sat down with Guitar Center to discuss her music and surgery.
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Editor’s Note: I’ll See Y’all Later
I’m really not one for goodbyes. And frankly, who among us really is? The feeling of finality in a goodbye is scary, really. It’s an inescapable closure. The extra syllable in ‘good’ brings about a formality and completeness that’s saved exclusively for breakups, deaths, and all other somber resolutions. Think about it – when was the […]
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Twenty Years Later: Illmatic
Story originally published on The 5th Element Magazine Spring/Summer 2014 Issue Do you remember Hip-Hop in 1994? Some key events may come to mind: Warren G heralded the G-Funk era previously established by Dr. Dre, with his West Coast anthem, “Regulate.” Southern hip-hop flourished with OutKast’s debut and the release of Scarface’s The Diary . […]
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2015’s Best: The Most Memorable Hip-Hop Moments
Just as any year before it and sure to come, hip-hop’s 2015 was momentous, disastrous and triumphant in a slurry of events, often dissected both as mega and minutiae. There were beefs, there were memes, there were endorsements and reunions. We saw many a classic album hit a milestone and many a rapper ignite and […]
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No-Sign: Martin Shkreli, Wu-Tang Clan and the $2 Million Album
No-Sign is a regular feature that gives an in depth opinion on whatever deserves a proper verbal thrashing. Basically, instead of earning a highly esteemed Co-Sign, it’s about to catch fade on a No-Sign. In this edition, Wu-Tang Clan’s self-perceived masterpiece “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” is purchased by none other than a corporate […]
Read moreJust Another Monday with Annabelle Lee
Although it was a Wednesday, I drove out to See You Monday’s factory warehouse and got to interview the HBIC: Annabelle Lee. I pulled into the parking lot and walked right into the huge warehouse, greeted a worker and asked where I could find Annabelle, and was led upstairs to the office full of racks on […]
Read moreStreet Style Shots: Agenda Long Beach Summer 2015
It’s trade show season again and the first stop is in Long Beach, CA for Agenda’s west coast leg of their usual tri-city trip. Now when you put together the top streetwear, action sports and lifestyle brands in the industry under one roof, you know you’re going to see some very stylish people in there. As the […]
Read moreLet’s Talk About the “F” Word
Over the past few years, hip-hop has taken a significant turn with its representation of women. As more female artists rise from the glass ceilings and willingly become symbols of female empowerment and whether or not they voluntarily admit to feminism, we are seeing a shift in music and a breakthrough in hip-hop culture where progressive […]
Read moreLadies First: Females Vs. Hip-Hop Industry
If chivalry is not dead, then the rule “ladies first” should still apply in today’s world. Hip-hop is a race and men have always been in the lead. Despite being a male-dominated genre since its inception, female rappers have proven that women are fearless, strong and when united are not only capable of being a tough […]
Read moreSupreme x Vans Old Skool
If you’re looking for the perfect summer shoe and are leaning towards ones that are not of the cozy runner variety, Supreme and Vans have got a fresh pair of jawns on deck, ready to burn through your wallet. Enter Supreme’s latest collab with Vans using their classic Old Skool model. The shoe gets the venerable […]
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The 5th Element Magazine Presents: “Woman Good, Lady Better” (Spring/Summer 2015 Issue)
To all our readers, we proudly present to you our Spring/Summer issue for 2015, which gives a unique and crucial highlight to many of the dynamic and outstanding females that help shape hip-hop culture and lifestyle through their various gifts and talents. This issue is entitled, “Woman Good, Lady Better”, and is our special shout out […]
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A 5th Exclusive: Eden Hagos Mixtape
Up next on our mixtape series we have guest DJ, Eden Hagos, who’s a member of the label, radio show and collective of DJs and producers known as Soulection. Click through to peep the full track list and make sure to watch out for our all-female issue dropping soon, including a feature on Eden as […]
Read moreHype Drop: Revisiting “Channel Orange” and Why “Boys Don’t Cry” is 2015’s Most Anticipated Album
It seems as if 2015 has released bombshell after bombshell as far as music goes. Drake released his mixtape-album and still has another in the works, Kendrick’s “To Pimp a Butterfly,” is still being lauded in conversation and let’s not forget a certain gawd has still yet to drop arguably the Hiroshima of them all, […]
Read moreAll Gone Book 2014 North American Tour
After 365 days, the All Gone Book is back again and on its ninth edition providing the world with an in-depth look at the most sought after items in street culture for 2014. See the entire North American tour list after the jump.
Read moreEPTM Presents Their Spring ’15 “Going Back To Cali” Collection ft. Tony Royster Jr.
Up and coming LA-based brand, EPTM, has recently dropped the lookbook for their Spring’ 15 “Going Back To Cali” collection and its looking like it’ll live up to the recent buzz the brand has generated in the past few months. With the help of drummer extraordinaire Tony Royster Jr. rocking their fits, EPTM is on […]
Read moreBlack Messiah: 15 Years After “Voodoo,” D’Angelo Decides We’re Ready
The last time we heard of D’Angelo was in 2000 — at least the last time we heard an official musical project from him. He’s gone on tour, done a few Red Bull Music Academy lectures since then, but for the most part he’s been in hiding. As revealed in GQ’s Amy Wallace’s D’Angelo profile […]
Read moreJam On It: OG Maco – Breathe EP
In what has been one of the largest pleasant surprises I’ve had all year in terms of music, OG Maco just recently dropped the ‘Breathe EP’, a project that eloquently and passionately addresses timely topics such as race relations, police brutality, general apathy and hypocrisy of the music industry and disproportionate roles of the governement. After […]
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No-Sign: The Year of Iggy Azalea and Cultural Appropriation
No-Sign is a regular feature that gives an in depth opinion on whatever deserves a proper verbal thrashing. Basically, instead of earning a highly esteemed Co-Sign, it’s about to catch fade on a No-Sign. To wrap up 2014, this edition of No-Sign sends out a long awaited thrashing on hip-hop’s culture appropriating troll of the […]
Read moreStay Woke – A Playlist For Change
As far gone as hip-hop might be perceived to be from consciousness and knowledge, the original voice of the urban streets is still profound and effective when addressing vital issues within society. Though mainstream hip-hop music lacks a clear and distinct outlier in an emcee or group who champions a wise political or at the […]
Read moreFilipino Street Art Project: Manileños
For most of us, we may never get to see the other side of the globe or how the rest of the world lives. But no matter how far-off or distant, we are still intricately connected. With our own set of experiences, trials and tribulations, everyone has a story waiting to be heard. For two […]
Read more#WILL: World Traveler, @elknows
First it was Facebook, then it was Twitter, where words were the predominant means of communication across said platforms. Through Instagram, visuals have slowly but surely taken precedence. Instagram allows for creative expression and storytelling through the most minute everyday lens. Here at The 5th Element Magazine, we want to highlight some the most entertaining, […]
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Acrylick Fall/Autumn ’14 Collection
“The Message Is The Concept” holds true to any collection Acrylick Clothing puts out. For this upcoming season they give a shine to the hustlers out there working 24/7 to achieve their dreams – which is something we definitely could relate to as an independent digital publication. We work odd hours of the week, travel […]
Read moreSingle Life Musings: Listen to Him
There are two things in the modern world that I still find overwhelming. The first thing is the volume of music that I have to continuously sift through, whether I’m digging through crates or browsing the internet. Erykah Badu got me down to a science when she sang “Analog girl in a digital world,” because […]
Read moreRocksmith Fall ’14 Explores the Great Outdoors
People really do love getting away from the grimey city smog and immersing themselves in fresh O2 and pine scents. I guess that’s cool if you’re into nature and stuff. Flashback to family trips when you were rocking the fleece jackets and cargo pants. It wasn’t easy trying to find clothes back then that were […]
Read moreEditor’s Note: What’s Going On?
In the last four weeks, four unarmed black men have been killed by law enforcement across the country – Mike Brown in Ferguson, MO, Eric Garner in New York, NY, John Crawford in Dayton, OH and Ezell Ford in Los Angeles, CA. Though the issue of racially charged police brutality is sadly one that has […]
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No Sign: Rape Doesn’t Belong in Your Rants, Yeezus
No-Sign is a regular feature that gives an in depth opinion on whatever deserves a proper verbal thrashing. Basically, instead of earning a highly esteemed Co-Sign, it’s about to catch fade on a No-Sign. In this edition, Kanye West, once again, is over the top with his latest rant when he aligns paparazzi relations with […]
Read moreEditor’s Note: The Best Lesson That Hip-Hop Never Taught Me
A year after my senior year in high school I deejayed this one house party for an acquaintance of mine. Acquaintance for the fact that back in high school, she just happened to know me from sharing a few classes with her, yet too cool enough to not want to get to know me any […]
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