Hip Hop Artist Interviews


Industry heavyweights and fast rising phenoms step inside the DJBooth for exclusive interviews with DJ Z

DJ Drama Interview

Filed under: DJs, Industry Heavyweights, Interviews

Where mainstream listeners are concerned, mixtape DJs aren’t the best-known players in the game, but if there’s one man among them who needs no introduction it’s Aphilliates Music Group cofounder DJ Drama.  That’s due in part to his tendency to live up to his name, attracting controversy like iron filings to a magnet, but moreso because he’s one of the best in his class—a major factor …



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Raekwon Interview

Filed under: Street Veterans, Interviews

Though many of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan‘s founding members went on to drop successful, critically acclaimed solo projects, none matched the game-changing impact of Raekwon‘s ‘95 debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.  In addition to selling more than 1.1 million copies in the US alone, the seminal LP set the standard and established the vocabulary for mafioso epics to follow.  Though plans for a sequel were …



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Tech N9ne Interview

Filed under: Street Veterans, Underground, Interviews

It’s an unfortunate fact of the industry that, for every emcee willing to put in the work to become a monster on the mic, there’s at least one who skates by on lowest-common-denominator pop appeal—and it’s often members of the latter camp that are accepted into the mainstream.  As an industry vet whose skill, dedication, and unbelievable live show made him indie rap’s first million-seller, Tech …



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LeToya Interview

Filed under: R&B, We Got Next, Interviews

Romance may be the bread and butter of modern R&B, but one thing the pop airwaves could always use more of is good relationship advice, especially when it’s delivered by a strong female voice.  Though the lead single off Destiny’s Child alumnus LeToya Luckett‘s ‘06 solo debut found her “Torn” over the decision of leaving a man who wasn’t living up to her expectations, it seems …



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Willy Northpole Interview

Filed under: We Got Next, Interviews

The classic image of an up-and-coming rapper is that of a “Hood Dreamer” struggling to rise above a crime-ridden environment and a painful past to express himself through music.  Though many are quick to claim these origins, Willy Northpole counts himself among those who actually experienced it—crack dealing, jail time, and the brutal shooting death of his cousin were all part of his early life in …



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Teairra Mari Interview

Filed under: R&B, We Got Next, Interviews

Achieving pop stardom is never a walk in the park, but the road to musical success can be especially rocky for those who enter the business as young adults.  Thus, it’s understandable that, after a stint as teenage “Princess of the Roc,” Teairra Mari took a hiatus from the game to finish up high school without the added pressure of life in the spotlight.  During her …



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Twista Interview

Filed under: Industry Heavyweights, Interviews

Wikipedia describes a Category F5 tornado as a natural disaster of epic proportions, sure to inflict “total damage” on the area of impact, and goes on to state that “incredible phenomena will occur.”  That kind of lyrical destruction is exactly what fans have come to expect from Twista, a Chi-town legend and one-time “fastest rapper alive” known to tear through tracks like a Tasmanian devil on …



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Asher Roth Interview

Filed under: We Got Next, Interviews

It’s a well-documented fact that one of hip-hop’s biggest audiences resides in America’s suburbs, yet you’d be hard-pressed to find an emcee willing to speak to these listeners’ day-to-day lives—even artists who grew up in these settings are quick to market themselves as products of the streets.  Asher Roth, on the other hand, makes no secret of his unconventional background; a West Chester University graduate born …



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Day26 Interview

Filed under: R&B, We Got Next, Interviews

If there’s one lesson to be learned from the last decade or so of television, it’s that reality-show success doesn’t always add up to longevity—particularly where musical stardom is concerned, those who lack true talent or dedication are quick to fall off the national radar.  Brian, Mike, Que, Robert, and Willie of Making the Band 4 creation Day26, however, clearly possess both of these qualities and …



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Yung L.A. Interview

Filed under: We Got Next, Interviews

If, as many have stated, the future is now, it’s quite a bit different than most of us expected—flying cars are nowhere to be found, only the very wealthiest are able to afford space vacations, and robot maids are looking like less and less of a possibility.  Fortunately, a few of today’s hottest hip-hop artists have undertaken to provide the soundtrack to the science-fiction future we …



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Editor's Picks

[Single]  Mike Dreams  “Everything's Good”
The Minneapolis fave enjoys a rare evening off on another Booth-exclusive world premiere off his Millennial LP.
[Single]  Colin Munroe  “Your Eyes”
Colin Munroe continues to blaze a serious comeback trail with the release of his dark new single Your Eyes.
[Single]  El Prez  “Love Kills”
El Prez recruits fellow Booth fave King Mez for a world premiere off his Booth-hosted LEADERSH!T street album.
[Single]  Voli  “Guns N Roses”
The Nouveau Classique rapper/producer recruits Bebe Rexha on a hip-hop power ballad off his next studio album.
[Single]  Dice Raw  “Dining Alone”
The Roots Crew affiliate offers a window into the solitude of his hustle on single number two off his next album.

Best Hip Hop of 2011

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