Drake has had a busy month of July: witnessing buddy Serena Williams’ victory at Wimbledon, launching OVO Sound Radio on Apple Music, premiering new music, deflecting rumors of ghostwriting and, least of it all, dropping diss tracks. Drizzy’s rap beef resume closely resembles my 15-year-old cousin’s job resume, but the whole Meek Mill-ghostwriting accusation fiasco […]
Read morePeep This: Keith Ape ft. Waka Flocka Flame, Dumbfoundead, Father & A$AP Ferg – IT G MA (Remix)
In the name of all things lit, Keith Ape and the UNDERWATER SQUAD present to you the premier of the video for the IT G MA remix. Joining the orca ninjas to lend their hand at building up the flame are a few rappers that know a thing or two about going hammer all over a track: Waka […]
Read moreThe Top 5 Bad Boy Records Music Videos
If you grew up in the early 90s and liked music, there’s no doubt that you’re familiar with the ubiquitous influence of Sean “P.Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy Records. Regardless of its controversial past, the iconic label is important to hip-hop for a lot of reasons. For one thing, it left a significant mark on the […]
Read moreKendrick Lamar’s Reebok Ventilator Shoe Inspires Unity Among Gang Members
Kendrick Lamar’s first sneaker in collaboration with Reebok proves to be a memorable one. Not only does Kendrick help provide a great looking iteration of the Ventilator, he also continues his anti-gang violence rhetoric through powerful details on the shoe. The references are clear, with each pair donning either “BLUE” or “RED” on the back, and “NEUTRAL” inscribed […]
Read moreJam On It: Statik Selektah ft. Action Bronson, Ab-Soul & Elle Varner – All You Need
When you want a sure-fire, solid joint, heads are now turning to Statik Selektah to get their fix, which happens to come in the form of a track laced with the talents of Action Bronson, Ab-Soul and Elle Varner, entitled “All You Need”. The mellowed out joint is a soulful jaunt through Bronson and Ab’s […]
Read morePeep This: Hip-Hop History Orchestrated By Poland’s JIMEK
Just like any youthful endeavor, when hip-hop was first gaining its bearings in the 1970s and 1980s, higher authorities questioned its staying power. Fast-forward a couple decades and the mere idea is laughable. Expanding beyond its music into a culture, hip-hop has transcended into every bit of our everyday lives both within and outside of […]
Read morePeep This: Vic Mensa ft. Kanye West – “U Mad”
Vic Mensa and Kanye West are steadily becoming a more familiar duo — first with ‘Ye’s “Wolves,” and then Vic’s “U Mad,” a horn-blaring anthem from the Chicagoan pair. Is Kanye lowkey taking Vic under his wing? It’s probably a little early to say so, but the latest visuals for “U Mad” offers a few […]
Read moreFootaction Exclusive: “Style Means” ft. Kid Ink
Our friends at Footaction are back with an all new installation of their series “Style Means”. This time around they’re featuring chart-topper, Kid Ink. In this one-on-one interview, Kid Ink shares how his fascination with comic books has affected his style and music, often referring to having a Bruce Wayne/Batman persona and lifestyle. “I tried to […]
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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 […]
Read morePeep This: A$AP Rocky – LSD
With the timely lob from Lil B, The Based God himself, A$AP Rocky debuted the visuals to his latest track, “LSD”, from his upcoming and highly anticipated album, At.Long.Last.A$AP. As you would imagine, with a track having such a title, it would only make sense for the accompanying visuals and overall sound of it to be next […]
Read moreJam On It: Snoop Dogg ft. Stevie Wonder – California Roll (Prod. by Pharrell)
With another banger coming straight from Snoop Dogg’s forthcoming project, BUSH, the Pharrell-produced album is already looking to be an outstanding drop from The Doggfather. For this latest track, “California Roll,” Snoop is paired up with Skateboard P and Da Gawd, Stevie Wonder, culminating in a song that’s smoothness is akin to the finest top […]
Read morePeep This: Killer Mike Releases the Video for 2011 Track, “Ric Flair”
There’s no such thing as a little too late in Killer Mike’s latest music video for “Ric Flair,” a track off of his 2011 album, “The Pl3dge.” The video features a visual of downtown Los Angeles lit-up and donning projections of classic Nature Boy interviews that provides a slick backdrop to the soul-tinged track, that […]
Read moreJam On It: Raekwon ft. Snoop Dogg – “1, 2, 1, 2”
Raekwon’s highly anticipated sixth studio album, “Fly International Luxurious Art,” is set to drop at the end of April. With the release of the single, “1, 2, 1, 2,” the nostalgia for the golden age of hip-hop is heightened tenfold. Partnering with West Coast OG Snoop Dogg, The Chef retains his infamous gruff while Snoop […]
Read moreJam On It: Freddie Gibbs x Kaytranada – “Dope House”
Over the past year, Freddie Gibbs has been carving out a niche for himself as a rapper. Bouncing off of his soul-tinged project with Madlib, “Pinata,” Gibbs has been pushing a more explorative tip as exemplified on his latest drop, “My Dope House”. Produced by Montreal wonder, Kaytranada, Gibbs adds a taste of tenderness to […]
Read moreRockin’ With The 5th: Dizzy Wright
Loud and proud, Dizzy Wright reps his hometown of Las Vegas to the very fullest in a way that commands as much attention as the bright neon lights the city is known for. Recently he was able to truly put on for his city by dropping his latest single, “Floyd Money Mayweather”, a banger of […]
Read moreGame of Thrones Rap From The Roots is a Must Watch
Winter is coming for the upcoming season 5 of HBO’s Game of Thrones and The Roots’ Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter is bringing the heat with this catch-up rap. Too dope. Will you be watching this season? Which character will reign supreme? Dear Jimmy, can Tariq rap all the new episode recaps for GoT? “…folks are loving […]
Read morePeep This: Yasiin Bey Covers MF DOOM in “BEYONDOOM”
Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, is a rare sighting these days. He’ll make sporadic appearances in the US, but more often than not it seems that the rapper/poet finds himself overseas chillin’ in Morocco or making sly videos paying tribute to another elusive figure in hip-hop, MF DOOM. Between the end of last […]
Read morePeep This: Kendrick Lamar – “King Kunta”
Classic KDot. Rolling through Compton in a Cadillac and it doesn’t really get that much better than that. If there’s one thing I applaud Kendrick on (among the usual things) it’s that he never forgot where he came from, and stayed loyal to his community and the very place that made him the king that […]
Read moreILOVEMAKONNEN Announces “Loudest Of The Loud” Tour
What began as a past time would eventually pave the way for his life. For Makonnen, music is do or die. Starting with writing and producing in between shifts at his hotel day job in his hometown of Atlanta, GA, Makonnen (born Makonnen Sheran) decided to ditch his regular gig and focus solely on his […]
Read morePeep This: Reebok and Kendrick Lamar’s #GetPumped Mobile Concert
Official footage of Reebok and Kendrick Lamar’s much hyped mobile concert through the streets of Hollywood recently dropped, with plenty of looks at all the ruckus that the event caused. After getting together a hundred industry influencers and tastemakers to take part in the run, hundreds of others joined in (including two of The 5th […]
Read morePeep This: Dizzy Wright – “Floyd Money Mayweather”
Las Vegas son, Dizzy Wright, is reppin’ his city and their main man, Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather, to the fullest in his second single off his upcoming album, The Growing Process. Aptly titled, “Floyd Money Mayweather”, the song is a bonafide banger and an homage to Las Vegas’ number one attraction and pound for pound best boxer […]
Read moreAlbum Review: CJ Trillo – Undrafted
“Cohesiveness, elegance, tranquility,” – these are three things that LA-based MC, CJ Trillo urges his fans to find in his latest full-length album, Undrafted. The recent and long-awaited release follows his 2013 mixtape, Volume 1: Nostalgia, which had fans patiently waiting, and we can see why. Ever since we caught ear of his Heavy mixtape, […]
Read morePeep This: Earl Sinclair x The Notorious B.I.G. – “Hypnotize” (Mashup)
Mashups can be a tricky thing: there’s a fine line between lazily dropping a track over a visual using iMovie and painstakingly executing an entertaining mashup video. Thankfully, for Benjamin Roberts, he’s managed to craft the latter with a gut-busting mashup of Earl Sinclair from the 90’s TV show Dinosaurs over Biggie’s classic, “Hypnotize”. Check the […]
Read moreJam On It: Oddisee – That’s Love
It’s always great news whenever we get word that Oddisee is dropping new music. His latest track, “That’s Love”, is a fast-paced, energetic joint that’s got Oddisee’s rapid-fire rhymes presented over a rambunctiously infectious chorus of live horns, keys and double-time drum patterns. What’s even better news than this latest release is that “That’s Love” is […]
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