MED & Blu just don’t know when to stop puttin’ out that heat! Not that I’m complaining, though. Their new track, “The Buzz”, featuring Mayer Hawthorne and produced by Madlib (impressive lineup, yup), is easier than Sunday mornings, the first question on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and tee-ball. Between Madlib’s soulfully sampled beat, […]
Read moreRappers Talk Gun Violence at the BET Hip-Hop Awards
Uncle Snoop and non-profit grassroots organization the League of Young Voters, brought their “No Guns Allowed” anti-gun violence campaign to the star-studded “green carpet” at the 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. The League’s street team hit the carpet and asked hip-hop’s elite to discuss practical solutions to gun violence. Noted figures that weighed in on the topic […]
Read moreNo-Sign: Miley Cyrus, Leave Hip Hop Alone
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, Miley Cyrus needs to put the mic down and quit all that jiggle-less twerkin’.
Read moreLeaders Of The New School
With new rappers emerging in the hip-hop game, there is a growing trend to stand out. But entertainment has always been about who reigns unique. If your music doesn’t differentiate you from Rapper A to Rapper B, then you better start rocking a look that can’t be imitated. It’s not a gimmick, it’s all part […]
Read moreYancey Boys – Sunset Blvd
Not many things in this world last forever, but a J. Dilla beat is one of them. Ever since his tragic passing in 2006, his soulful legacy has been carried on through a number of posthumous albums, tributes, and covers. One album that has always stood out to me was 2008’s Yancey Boys, a collection […]
Read moreEditor’s Note: Success In The Struggle
Back in the day I was a pretty avid gamer. I’m talking having pretty much every major gaming system all the way up to the Playstation 2 – Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Genesis, Game Boy, Saturn, Dreamcast, N64 – nearly everything except the Virtual Boy, because honestly you were a bonafide buster if you had that. […]
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A Visual Journey Through Fall 2013 Trends
After what seemed like a never-ending, sweltering conclusion to the Summer, we’re finally starting to see temperatures start to dip, colors start to transform, and sweaters being rocked. All of which can only mean one thing – cuffing season it’s time for Fall. Now if you still find yourself in a daze from this past […]
Read moreRECAP: Rock The Bells Weekend 2013, San Bernardino
This past weekend Guerilla Union’s Rock The Bells made its way to the San Manuel Amphitheater to a jam packed and weed induced crowd for its 10 year anniversary. We got the chance to cover the epic hip hop festival and experienced an event that was just as intense as the blazing San Bernardino sun. […]
Read moreWiz Khalifa Owns It!
From the joys of being a new father, to coming out with a new album, to the excitement of developing his very own footwear, Wiz Khalifa is definitely owning it right now. Our friends at Footaction gave us some insight on Wiz’s collaboration with Converse through their exclusive interview with him in New York at […]
Read moreJam On It: Lupe Fiasco – Peace of Paper/Cup of Jayzus
These days, whenever Lupe Fiasco is brought up in conversation, I usually find someone asking out loud, “Remember when Lupe Fiasco was dope, though?”. Such has been the same scenario over and over for the past few years, specifically, post “The Cool” era. However, as of late, that dude Carrera Lu has been reminding heads […]
Read moreThe Decades of Hip Hop Fashion – The 70’s & Early 80’s
Let’s face it, we wouldn’t have streetwear and hip hop fashion without hip hop icons starting it all. Without hip hop becoming what it was in the late 70’s and hitting the mainstream in the early 80’s, artists wouldn’t have started a revolution with their styles and trends, and who knows if we’d have streetwear […]
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A Very Special Celebration
So you just purchased a Hennessy V.S bottle to share with your friends this weekend. Congratulations. You just made the best decision of your life. Ok, maybe not your whole life, but your weekend just got a lot more interesting.
Read moreJam On It: Meek Mill – Kendrick You Next (Cassidy Diss)
Meek Mill just dropped a new track attempting to ether Cassidy’s career in a brutal fashion that has me thinking if Cass actually did something personal to dude. His latest, “Kendrick You Next”, is an all out verbal assault on the Philly emcee, whom both have had a well documented beef with each other for […]
Read moreSingle Life Musings: Instant Ramifications
It was beautiful. Everyone was there. Batman, Robin, Penguin, The Joker, and even the butler, Alfred. The Bat Cave set featured a zip-line that ran from one end to the other, a control center, and a parking space for the Batmobile. At the age of eight, this was what life was about. Quickly dragging my […]
Read moreMGD Get Fresh Tour presents Hit-Boy at The Airliner
MGD’s Get Fresh Tour made its way to the City of Angels last week, bringing along headliner Hit-Boy to the sweaty pillbox that was The Airliner. Despite it being hotter than Rick Ross and Action Bronson doing the Harlem Shake in an elevator, everybody on hand was keeping their cool via the gratis MGD on […]
Read moreG-Shock X Undefeated
We’ve all rocked some kind of Casio watch in our lifetime. You have a collection of G-Shocks somewhere in your room. Your girl has a Baby-G in pink, baby blue, pearl, and some color you two probably argued about. Ask your parents, they been rocking a Casio. So when a well-known accessories company collaborates with […]
Read moreRecap: Liberty Fairs Trade Show
Now that the Summer season is nearing its finale, we can start looking back at some of the highlights. Scroll down your Instagram feed and flash back to parties that happened, mixtapes released, rappers who went viral, and friends who went to Vegas. Our coverage from last week’s trip to the desert continues with this […]
Read moreHip Hop International 2013
A few weeks back we took a trip to the desert to check out the hundreds, if not thousands, of dancers working it out on stage and gunning for the gold medal at Hip Hop International (HHI). The Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada was the epicenter of all the madness. Dancers from ages […]
Read moreEditor’s Note: Find Your Inspiration
Recently, while covering the 2013 BET Awards Experience weekend, I had the privilege of sitting in on a live exclusive interview with Pharrell Williams himself. It goes without saying that the wisdom he shared with the audience that night was equal parts extensive, varied, crucial, and insightful. Now let’s take a second to step back […]
Read moreThe Saigon Sky High Project: Support Graffiti Abroad
I first met Sahra in one of my Asian Am classes as a junior at UCLA. Aside from the fact that her name is spelled weird, you could immediately notice a fire within her. A fire that could set the world ablaze through her philanthropy, spoken word, and art. Fast forward eight years later, and […]
Read moreStreet Style Shots: Vegas Trade Show Week
Words can’t even describe the gnarly Las Vegas weather sometimes. We love a good tan but staying indoors is the way to go. Shout out to all the taxi drivers for keeping the AC on full blast while we rushed across town. But inside the convention centers we can sum up the fashion trends in […]
Read moreThe MVMNT Continues
On day two of our trade show tour in Las Vegas, Nevada we hopped over to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center to check out Magic Market Week. PROJECT, an extension of MMW, is the veteran in this head to head battle for trade show domination in Vegas. PROJECT and PROJECT MVMNT (a youth culture and […]
Read moreKeeping It Classy With Mayer Hawthorne
Amidst our hectic schedule during trade show week in Las Vegas, we were fortunate enough to get invited to the Haggar Clothing event. Held at one of the top floors of the Mandalay Bay resort and casino, the House Of Blues’ Foundation Room housed this private gathering. The ambience was intimate, classy and definitely filled with […]
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RECAP: Mac Miller @ The Observatory, Santa Ana
I’ve personally been a fan of Mac Miller since day one. To say he’s come a long way from his first mixtape “Easy Mac” is an understatement. Last week I headed to The Observatory in Santa Ana to see Mac for my third time. Each time I have seen him perform has been a different […]
Read moreBe a Team Player
From clothing lines trying to stand out, to large corporations trying to fit in, every season has a staple item that everyone wants to have. If you have been keeping up with the latest anything, you’ll see that one of the hottest pieces of wear right now is the simple black on white/white on black […]
Read moreThe Focal Point: Style Profile With D-Pryde
In our previous installment of “The Focal Point”, D-Pryde described himself as a “Class Q Hypebeast.” He explained that when the latest trend strays to the right he goes left and sticks to what’s comfortable. His accessories are an essential to his everyday outfit and among them are high top kicks, which he’s garnered a […]
Read moreThis is What the Birth of Hip Hop Looks Like
If hip hop had a baby picture as a newborn, this is how it would look like. Care of DJ Kool Herc, the originator and father of this revolutionary musical contagion, this party in the “Rec Room” at 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx is widely recognized as the pivotal function of functions that spurred […]
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THE 5TH ELEMENT MAGAZINE 