Killah Priest "Next" Feature in Vibe (March, 1998)

Judging from the uncompromising sound of the Wu-Tang Clan associate's appropriately titled debut, Heavy Mental (Geffen), exorcising contemporary hip hop's demons is but one of the messages on Killah Priest's mind. Fans of his performance on the Clan's AIDS benefit track "America" (Elektra) or the Genius's stellar single "4th Chamber" (Geffen) will undoubtedly appreciate the evolution of Priest's gothic rap steez. Heavy Mental manifestos like "One Step," "Blessed Are Those," and "Atoms to Adam" find the 27-year-old Brooklynite cross-pollinating biblical references, apocalyptic warnings, and ghetto fairly tales atop soundscapes provided by skilled RZA production proteges 4th Disciple and True Master. "I just took it back to where it all began," says Priest (who is also a member of Wu spin-off quarter Sunz of Man) as he warms up in a Mexican food joint. "Hip hop goes further back than Sugarhill Gang. You had brothers breakin' it down all the way back in the Book of Psalms. All these lyrics that I'm dropping is for the mind and the soul." With Priest, soul power and mind power are one and the same. "Killah Priest is an intelligent young brotha with lyrical skills beyond imagination," says Priest's mentor, the GZA, who first encountered a young, church-going Priest on the streets of Brooklyn. "He's a rook on the chessboard of emceeing." There's no shamming this shaman. K. Priest is killing us softly--while blinding us with science. - Next (Vibe / March, 1998). HBD!

D.I.T.C. "Next" Feature in Vibe (December, 1999 + Playlist)

For close to 10 years, D.I.T.C. members Show, his longtime partner, A.G. (short for Andre the Giant), Lord Finesse, Fat Joe, Diamond, Buckwild (all of whom hail from the Bronx, NY), Brooklyn's O.C., and the recently murdered Harlem rhyme slinger supreme, Big L, have individually garnered accolades for their superior lyrical and/or production gifts. But besides Fat Joe's gold-selling Don Cartagena (Atlantic, 1998), street acclaim hasn't translated into record sales. "Not [achieving] what we were supposed to has taught us to stay on top of our business," blasts A.G. His man Show claims that it was a lack of organization and resources on the part of labels like Wild Pitch, Chemistry, and Pay Day that hindered D.I.T.C.'s individual success. "We felt it would make a greater impact if all of us put our ideas together, and everybody came with their different styles," Show says. And he tells no lies: Not since the rise of Staten Island, NY's Wu-Tang Clan has there been a collective that could come close to the Shao Lin Swordsman's concentrated can of whup ass. When it comes to the stock market of beats, lyrics, and flow, D.I.T.C. stand taller than the World Trade Center's twin towers. Just peep songs like the felicitous, guitar-guided "Foundation" and the bouncy, video-game-effects-bleeping, Big L-fronted "Thick." Yet as D.I.T.C. vie to become hip hop's first family, things are a little bittersweet. "I wish he were still around," says Show of his fallen compadre. "He's on most of the album, and I think about him every time I hear those songs." Fear not, Show, Big L is probably looking down, smiling, watching his crew's evolution from ghetto superstars to household names. - Next (Vibe, December 1999). No doubt, one of the greatest crews in Hip-Hop history! Below is a playlist with some of my favorite joints from the Diggin' in the Crates crew! I'll add more songs later.

 

Clipse "Next" Feature in Vibe Magazine (September, 1999)

"You can't deny that in the hip hop game it ain't where you're at, it's where you're from. Virginia, VA-bred duo Clipse understood this just as much as the next MC, but these siblings found themselves in an awkward position after the off-the-hook video for their debut single, "The Funeral," came out in May. "A lot of people thought we were from New Orleans after they saw the video," says Terrence "Terrar" Thornton, chuckling, as he downs buffalo shrimp at Mahi Mah's in Virginia Beach. "We just thought that a [party-style] funeral procession would be a perfect theme." Terrar pauses before adding, "And the video wasn't shot in New Orleans, it was shot here." Technically, Terrar, 22, and Gene "Malice" Thornton, 27, moved from White Plains, NY, to Virginia as children. Still, they hope that their home state will finally be recognized as a major part of the South's hip hop renaissance, especially with the release of their extremely banging debut, Exclusive Audio Footage [East/West/Elektra]. "Virginia is South, but now it's not considered the dirty South," says Terrar. "I guess we're too close to New York," Malice chimes in with a sarcastic grin." Cont'd below the video...

"Clipse landed their record deal after production team the Neptunes (best known for producing Noreaga's "Super Thung") played Elektra executives a tape of songs that would eventually end up on Clipse's debut. "We played them "Stick Girl" and "Got Caught Dealin'," says Pharrell Williams, one half of the Neptunes. "Malice freestyle his [rhyme] live over "The Funeral" track. [The execs] heard that and snapped." Exclusive Audio Footage signifies the arrival of Virginia's unapologetic street voice. Missy and Timbaland are the state's polished party brokers, and MCs Mad Skillz and Lonnie B are its highly stylized wordsmiths, Clipse are a punch to outsiders' grills. "You've never heard hardcore vibe come out of Virginia," says Terrar. "And that's what we represent -- Virginia's raw street perspective. Nothing more, nothing less." Just how we like it: nice and dirty." Vibe Magazine, 9/99 // In more recent news, congratulations to Pusha T on the birth of his first son, Nigel. God bless! Oh... and, as my man Supa says, "I would love hear a Good vs. Evil-type concept album from Clipse. Both could stay in their current element..." and that would be dope as hell. I'll wait for it!

J Dilla "Next" Feature in Vibe Magazine (June/July, 1996)

"I met Tip backstage at Lollapalooza in '94," says the humble Detroit native. "I had a group that John Salley was managing -- so I gave Tip a tape, and the same day he called back. He was, like, 'Yo, who did these beats?' After that, shit just took off." Q-Tip hooked Jay Dee up with the Pharcyde, and Jay ended up producing the hit singles "Runnin'" and "Drop" for Labcabincalifornia. Then he created some of the best moments on Busta Rhymes's recent The Coming. With a strong ear for vibrant jazz melodies, Jay Dee's work slips snugly into the low-end-y creative slot vacated in the wake of Tribe's 1993 Midnight Marauders. Fittingly, Jay Dee, Q-Tip, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad recently formed a production alliance called the Ummah (Arabic for "brotherhood"), and they share track duties on Tribe's forthcoming Beats, Rhymes and Life. "We had a brotherhood from when we picked up," Jay Dee explains in an easy midwestern drawl. He has reached quite an esteemed place -- especially for a self-described nerd who once aspired to be an Air Force pilot. Today, Jay Dee is charting the trajectory of his rising career. Plans include securing a deal for his Motor City crew, Slum Village (for which he produces and rhymes) as well as imminent collaborations with De La Soul, Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s Lil Kim, Common, and Pete Rock. But while getting such props can make living up to your rep difficult, Jay Dee doesn't think so. "I'm steppin' back and lookin' at everything," he says evenly. "I'm tryin' to stay on some new shit. 'Cause people fall off every day." He pauses, "And I ain't the one." - Next, Vibe Magazine (June/July, 1996). Always loved Jay Dee's energy. R.I.P. J Dilla.

Madlib "Next" Feature in Vibe Magazine (January, 2002)

In late 1999, when they were in the studio working on Voodoo, Jay Dee had D'Angelo and Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson check out Lootpack's 1999 album Soundpieces: Da Antidote!, featuring producer/MC Madlib. The three veterans obsessed about its virtues for days. "Madlib is my hero," says ?uestlove. "He's what's right about hip hop. He can make whole compositions with 12 seconds of sampling time... On his luminous solo debut, Angles Without Edges, Madlib, 28, takes his musical philosophy into his own hands. "A lot of people call jazz dead," he says of his project. "But if you bring it in a hip hop form, maybe some young cats who never listen to that stuff will peep it." ... The eccentricities of the artist born Otis Jackson Jr. in Oxnard, Calif., go beyond his multiple musical personalities... The workaholic finds his own buried treasure in jazz and soul records procured from family elders. He then cranks out unpolished but brilliant production for the Lootpack and other underground luminaries... One of those not-intended-to-be-released projects, Quasimoto's The Unseen, dropped in 2000. The underground sensation is piloted by an unidentified furry monster with a voice that sounds like Q-Tip on helium. "A lot of people ain't gonna feel my music for at least 10 years, 'cause they're used to what the radio plays...." - Next, Vibe Magazine (January, 2002)

Memphis Bleek "Next" Feature In Vibe Magazine (February, 1999)

Following the lead of his fellow Marcy Projects, Brooklyn cohort Jay-Z, Roc-A-Fella's future attraction has risen from street-corner hustler to rap sensation. Coming off his attention-grabbing appearances on Jay's Vol.2... Hard Knock Life (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam), including the opening blast, "Hand It Down," Bleek is confident and determined not to make the same mistake he did when stardom first knocked on his door. "After I did 'Coming Of Age' on Jay's first album [1996's Reasonable Doubt, Freeze/Roc-A-Fella], I thought I was a superstar. I started slacking and stopped writing rhymes, so my label was like, 'We ain't dealing with shorty no more.'" For a while, Bleek felt torn between supporting his mother, two sisters, and an older brother by illegal means and going legit with his rap talent. But he decided to try and let his rhyme skills pay the bills. Patching things up with Jigga and company, Bleek's club-friendly contribution to '98's Street Is Watching album, "It's Alright," reenergized his career. "One week before that record hit the stores, Damon Dash (Roc-A-Fella CEO) sat me in his office and was like, 'Yo, I'm telling you, this song is going to put your name out there,' He was right." Now that Bleek's got a name ("Memphis stands for Making Easy Money Pimpin' Hoes in Style), his future shines brightly. As he presses buttons on his cellular, making studio arrangements to record his forthcoming debut, he says, "Everybody's lookin' at me like, shorty's coming up, but I feel like I came up. And with my album, I want to make everybody respect me for me. Not just 'cause I'm down with Jay." Bleek's paid the cost, now he wants to be the boss. - Vibe (Feb., 1999).

Freeway "Next" Feature in Vibe Magazine (June, 2002)

Freeway is ironing his jeans quietly, but he is anything but calm. He's in his room at the Time hotel in Manhattan prepping for his debut on BET's 106 & Park, where he and Beanie Sigel are scheduled to perform their breakout hit, "Roc the Mic." The Timberlands he requested are nowhere to be found, and Freeway, 23, is visibly upset... Born in West Philly, Freeway got his name because he moved keys through traffic. "There's a lot of people where I'm from who are Muslim and are caught up in the streets," he says. "In their hearts, they want to get themselves together, and that's the same situation that I fell into." Freeway's urgent rhyme style -- complete with occasional nods to the most high -- can be heard throughout the State Property album. Beanie Sigel's brainchild, State Property is a Philly crew that also includes rappers Oschino, Sparks, Young Chris, and Neef. "He ain't doing what everybody else is doing," says Roc-A-Fella CEO Jay-Z, who's backstage at the 106 & Park taping. Freeway's mentor, Beanie Sigel, has believed in him since they met at Philly's Dances Entertainment Center in 1997. "When I was about to sign with Roc-A-Fella," says Sigel, "I let Free know that, once I got my foot in the door, I'd come back and scoop him up. I didn't know if he believed me, but I got on, and everything was rollin'." It still is. Just as Freeway is about to go on stage, the Timbs arrive, and Jay-Z offers him some words of wisdom: "Lace your boots up -- get ready for war." That war may not always be righteous, but it will certainly be raw. - Vibe (6/02).

Sauce Money "Next" Feature in Vibe Magazine (March, 1999)

"Anything worth having," says Sauce Money ... "is worth working towards." Todd "Sauce Money" Gaither, a product of Brooklyn's infamous Marcy Projects knows of what he speaks. Best known for penning Puff Daddy's mega-selling 1997 B.I.G. tribute, "I'll Be Missing You", Sauce spent the better part of this decade serving hard time in hip-hop's underground scene. He did everything from ghostwriting for Shaq to rhyming on the virtually forgotten Big Daddy Kane posse cut "Show & Prove" from Daddy's Home (MCA, 1994), all while he maintained a full-time job - until misfortune struck. "Them bastards fired me," says Sauce, as exasperated as if it happened last week instead of nearly two years ago. "I was like, How dare you? I worked in the fuckin' mail room at this bank for five years, and it was pure hell. And then I got the boot!" But two days later, thanks to a stellar appearance on DJ Clue's '96 Show Me The Money mix tape ("You must be Chinese / The way you try to duck Sauce"), Money scored a recording contract with Geffen (around the same time he had written "I'll Be Missing You"). After the 1998 joint venture with MCA and Geffen hip hop acts, he became an MCA artist. In creating his debut, Middle Finger U (from the title cut: "If you interfere with how I'm trying to get this paper -- fuck you!), due in late March, Sauce applied the same drive he had playing sports for Allen University in Columbia, S.C. "I got a scholarship to play baseball and basketball, and I was real good," he says with a smile. "That's what happened with rap. Once you find something that you're good at, there's nothing like it -- especially if you can make money doing it." Now that things are really going his way, don't expect Sauce to rest until he reaches the top. "I'm up 5:30 every morning," he says. "While n!@@as is sleepin', I've already written three or four songs. God blesses me, and I'm gonna keep workin'." It seems a hit maker's job is never done. - Vibe (3/99)

50 Cent 'Next' Feature In Vibe Magazine (October, 1999)

50 Cent was covered in Vibe Magazine's spotlight series 'Next' in October of 1999. 'How To Rob' had hit the streets 2 months prior, and 50 was all the buzz. The article discusses how Mariah Carey took offense to one of the lines in the song ... I guess at that point it hadn't been removed but it was indeed replaced on the version that blew up on radio. In May of 2000, 50 Cent was shot 9 times and despite all the marketing and promotion, the shooting and controversial records led to 50's debut 'Power Of The Dollar' being shelved and then heavily bootlegged. I still own one of the original promo cassettes that were sent out with album snippets mixed with Hot 97 interviews. I also have the original white label 12" back when the song was called 'Schemes Of Robbing An Industry N!gga.' I copped it at Rock & Soul (sorry Fat Beats) in the summer of '99. CD sales will never return to the way they were when 50 dropped 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' and 'The Massacre,' but his other successful business ventures more than compensate. As a fellow Queens native, I'd also like to remind artists not to poke the bear in the zoo, 50 will forever remain an artist you do not want to play with, lol. If you're interested, Next features with Jay-Z and Capone-N-Noreaga.

Fabolous "Next" (Vibe, 10/01) + "Ghetto Fabolous" (2001)

"Before the hoopla, Fabolous was John Jackson, a quiet guy living in the Brevoort Houses in Brooklyn. In early 1998, Cheo and Web, friends of DJ Clue's management team, were chilling outside the projects and heard one of Fab's friends bust a rhyme in a cipher. When they found out Fabolous was the writer behind the lyrics, they made Fab kick an impressive verse. They put him in touch with Clue's peoples and got him on the DJ's Monday-night radio show on Hot 97 in New York City. "I usually don't let people on the air without hearing them first," says Clue. "But Fabolous got in there and blazed it like crazy." Later that summer, he signed to Desert Storm and was quickly put to work." - Vibe Magazine, October 2001. Fab's debut album, Ghetto Fabolous, was released on 9/11 of all dates, alongside Jay-Z's The Blueprint. Today, Fabolous is still one of NY's most celebrated lyricists to come up from the underground/mixtape scene and gain mainstream success. I don't feel he's released a classic album YET, but he has a grip of hits in his catalog. Revisit his debut LP below.

O.C. "Next" Feature in Vibe Magazine (September, 1999)

O.C.'s debut album, Word...Life, is full of surreal compositions, optimistic arguments, and mature production by DJ Buckwild (from the Diggin' in the Crates crew). There will be complaints that O.C.'s beats aren't as aggressively hyped-up, but that's the point: The rhythms are primitively full yet uncluttered, creating the perfect backdrop for O.C.'s lyrics. On his first single, "Time's Up," he says, "My album will manifest many things that I saw, did, I heard about / Or saw firsthand / Never word of mouth." His voice masterfully grasps the progressively looped beat and rocks you to the sampled Slick Rick chorus: "There time's limited / Hard rocks too." Originally aimed at the underground, the release of this single last fall sent shock waves through the hip hop nation and raised the ante for pretenders posing in a "B-boy stance" without rhyming. O.C. is no longer in the shadows of his "lyrical sparring partners," Organized Konfusion (he costarred on their 1992 single "Fudge Pudge" and freestyles with them frequently). Now he's out in front. And the image O.C. projects in his lyrics is the same one he maintains in his daily travels: straight-up soul power and an aura of strength fortified with knowledge. But who could be a true artist without the experience of pain? The song "Born 2 Live," dedicated to O.C.'s deceased friend Mike Boogie, offers a view of how children come to perceive death. Other songs range from avoiding stupid troublemakers ("Let It Slide") to the self-explanatory "Ma Dukes," which features his mother flexing her strong voice. Well-expressed emotions and a whole slew of funky musical elements help make O.C.'s album a treat for those who appreciate the real." - Next, Vibe Magazine (February, 1995). Listen to Word...Life below...

Eminem "Next" Feature In Vibe Magazine (February, 1999)

"Ask Eminem about the color of his skin and you might hear: "Unless you want to fuck me, why do you care what I look like?" ... You'd think it would be difficult to offend someone whose debut single is called "Just Don't Give A Fuck," but Eminem's sore spot is throbbing: "I get offended when people say, "So, being a white rapper... and growing up white... after being born white...," it's all I ever hear!" This is the anger of a kid who grew up as Marshall Mathers in a single-parent, inner-city Detroit home. The kind of kid who rolled up his pajama bottoms to make them look like shorts. This kind of upbringing has been channeled into Eminem's Clockwork Orange-like alter ego, "Slim Shady." It's also the title of his debut album, to be released this spring. The journey toward Slim Shady began over a year ago, when Em, now 24, sent his demo to Interscope Records. The tape somehow ended up on the floor of CEO Jimmy Iovine's garage, where it was rescued by West Coast landmark Dr. Dre. Dre signed Em, a modern-day hip hop Sid Vicious, to his Aftermath imprint and then decided to include him on his upcoming, tentatively titled album, Chronic 2000." Next article in Vibe continues below...

"People thought Dre fell off," Em says, "but that's the wrongest assumption I know. We were working last night - and I admit it, I was high - but I was walking around yelling, I'm a fan again!" Those kind of loving feelings are few and far between for Eminem. The mention of "Bonnie and Clyde" elicits a reaction in the gonzoid tradition of Motor City shitkickers like Ted Nugent: "Yo, I hate bitches! [One] fucked up and it made me look at girls as sluts," Em snarls, flexing his arm, which has the name of his daughter, Hailey Jade, tattooed on it. "A lotta girls ain't gonna like my shit, but once again, I just don't give a fuck." Em: abominable or misunderstood? You be the judge." - Vibe, '99.

Da Bush Babees "Next" Feature In Vibe Magazine (June, 1995)

"Three years ago, out of this multiculti boiling pot were born Da Bush Babees, a reggae-hip-hop trio whose hit singles "We Run Things (It's Like Dat)" and "Remember We" from their debut album, Ambushed, have served notice: The old-school sounds of Brooklyn remain in full effect, and their freewheeling style isn't a hodgepodge - it's a way of life. "We're all West Indian and wanted to represent the connection between hip hop and reggae," says Mr. Man (aka Mr. Khaliyl), the analytical one in the group. "Since we're new to the whole music industry and culture, we call ourselves Babees, and of course, we're from Flatbush, so ... Bush Babees." Peep "Remember We," cont'd below...

"Bae-B-Face Kaos (aka Lee) met Mr. Man three years ago while performing at a club. The aptly nicknamed rapper, whose rough style is chock-full o' metaphors and similes, recalls that a dope beat dropped and "Mr. Man started rhyming in my ear, I started rhyming in his, and we caught a good vibe. We started going over each other's cribs and just freestyled - to the point that we just became a group." Well, two-thirds of one, anyway. Y-Tee (aka Jamahl), the business-minded Babee, moved from Jamaica three years ago. He got hip to the group shortly after Mr. Man checked him out live on stage, flexing melodious dancehall rhymes. Next, lyrics were written, jams were packed, and Da Bush Babees collectively realized each individual's goal while sparking the entire industry. Three months after coming together, they were signed. "I guess you could call it luck," says Y-Tee. Only in N.Y." - Vibe, 6/95. Some of my favorite records, their style was dope! (Updated, 2018).

Screwball "Next" Feature In Vibe Magazine (September, 1999)

June 11, 1999 in Queens, New York: Screwball in the Next (People On The Verge) feature for the September '99 issue of Vibe Magazine. The group Screwball represented out of Queensbridge and included the OG, Blaq Poet, Hostyle, Solo (Kyron) and KL (R.I.P.). "As the duo Kamakazee, KL and Solo have been making noise in the underground with singles like 1997's 'Snakes,' since their album deal with Warner Bros. went sour in 1994. Poet began his career reppin' QB against the attack of BDP's 1987 'The Bridge Is Over' with 'Beat You Down' (1987) and later formed the group PHD. All four came together in 1994 on PHD's posse burner, 'Set It,' before officially joining forces on acclaimed indie singles like 'Screwed Up' (1996). Soon after, they'd release their Tommy Boy debut, 'Y2K,' which featured 'F.A.Y.B.A.N.' (produced by DJ Premier), 'You Love To Hear The Stories' with MC Shan, 'The Blocks' with Nature, and 'Who Shot Rudy' going at Rudy Guiliani. KL passed away back in 2008 and Blaq Poet's consistent work with DJ Premier has been very well-received by fans. Listen below...

AZ the Visualiza "Next" Feature In Vibe Magazine (Nov, 1995)

Back again with another 'Next' feature in Vibe, this one from November 1995 and featuring AZ (The Visualiza). By this time, AZ had already released his classic, life-changing verse on 'Life's A Bitch' off Nas' classic, 'Illmatic.' Off the strength of that, the Brooklyn-born MC was signed to EMI in a bidding war and released his debut album, 'Doe or Die,' on October 10, 1995. Speaking from his perspective at the time, AZ shares: “I just gather my thoughts and let my mind drift, ‘cause overall, all we got is memories and dreams… Thinking about my peoples that I lost in the world — and those that’s incarcerated — helps me feel like I gotta carry on the dream for those who never made it.” Those thoughts were a reflection of his original bars on 'Life's a Bitch,' and a mindstate that resonated with fans then ... and now. I sat with 'Doe or Die' for a long time, and remixes by Erick Sermon, the RZA, and Buckwild that weren't included on the album make it all the more official. And, let's not forget that 'Rather Unique' may be one of the best B-Sides to a lead single ('Sugar Hill') ... ever. AZ's sophisticated bars and unique voice set the tone for an album that is now part of Hip-Hop history, especially to those of us who came up in New York in '94-96. Underrated for 20+ years. 

Happy Born Day, Bahamadia! (Next, Vibe 1996)

Ay, a big Happy Birthday salute to the queen, Bahamadia! Credited as being one of the original MC's to put Philly on the hip-hop map (in a big way), it's noted in her early bios & the 'Next' feature in Vibe (April '96) above, Bahamadia was initially a DJ. Back in '96, only a month after the release of her debut album, 'Kollage,' Bahamadia says: "I can't believe I'm gonna be an entertainer ... I like writing, producing, and the privacy of the studio, I couldn't care less about the performance part." She adds, "People say I'm gettin' ready to blow up ... Whatever. I'm just trying to make good music and get to the essence of what I live -- hip-hop." I respect that and with the gift of hindsight, we can look back on 20 years of a pioneering career and know that she's remained true to her words and embodies that essence. To add to this post, let's dig in the crates for a special 'Back To Philly B-Boy' mix of Bahamadia's 'Uknowhowwedu' by DJ Rob One (R.I.P.). The track is a nice history lesson, so listen closely. If you're interested in owning a copy, look for 'No Tricks In '96 It's Time To Build' on vinyl. Happy Birthday, Bahamadia! "Cerrone was a da break if you was diggin' in the crates..." Facts.

Jay-Z "Next" Feature In Vibe Magazine (August, 1996)

I always dug Vibe's 'Next' series - they didn't hit the mark with every prediction, but if you go back through past issues, they were on point quite often. In August of 1996, Jay-Z was one of their 'Next' featured artists, which suggested he was on the verge of blowing up. Ironically, also in August of 1996, Fat Beats had moved to their final home at 406 6th Ave, which was just a stone's throw from the Pizzeria Uno mentioned in the article. I remember the grand opening party that August, but since this interview was probably done in July, I can only assume Fat Beats wasn't open just yet or I'd be curious if they walked across the street, lol. Anyhow, back to Jay-Z, who released his debut album, 'Reasonable Doubt' in 1996 - Looking back, it feels like a safe play to say he was on the verge after releasing 'Reasonable Doubt,' but keep in mind, it didn't go platinum until February 2002. Similar to Nas' classic, 'Illmatic,' it didn't sell huge numbers out the gate and only went platinum after more commercial records crossed over into the mainstream. That said, it's a classic today and Jay-Z is on top of the game as an artist and music mogul. Props to Chairman Mao. Listen below...

Nas "Next" Feature In Vibe Magazine (April, 1994)

"As vultures, rapists, and savages from major corporations worldwide swarm around the mentally dead sea of would-be studio-invented rappers, greedily searching for a raw morsel to tame their perverted taste buds, a genuine lyrical B-boy by the name of Nas (formerly Nasty Nas) has emerged from behind the intellectual clouds left by weak artists, faked funk, and wasted radio airtime. Illmatic, his debut album is sending shock waves throughout the hip hop world, while pretenders stand still, trying to catch the beat and wondering which step they missed." - Nas, Vibe (April, 1994). Welp, that says it all, I have nothing more to add that you don't already know lol 

Alicia Keys "Next" Feature in Vibe Magazine (June, 2001)

The 20-year old, who often opens her show by playing Tchaikovsky, smoothly croons the first verse, revealing herself as more than just another ingenue. In this moment, and throughout the songs on her debut album, Songs In A Minor, she exudes the impassioned depth of an old-school soul veteran. "I feel an emotional connection with artists like Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, and Nina Simone," she says. "I study them. My dream is to be that good someday." Many industry observes think that she's well on her way. Her album has strong prerelease buzz, and she's even gotten props from one of her idols, Roberta Flack. "Alicia has a remarkable gift," says Flack... "There's something unique and special that sets her apart." Born in Manhattan, this daughter of a black man and an Italian woman has been developing her talent since composing her first song, a puppy-love ode called "Butterflies," at the age of 14. From that point on, she aggressively pursued a music career, cutting demos and even recording briefly with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label, which resulted in her appearance on the imprint's 1998 Christmas album. But her career began taking off once she met industry legend and former Arista Records president Davis, who signed her to his new label, J Records. Keys says that she "clicked" with Davis because he allowed her to take creative control of her tunes. "He respected and encouraged my songwriting," she says. "And he believed that I was good enough to hold my own in the studio." Indeed, Keys serves as writer/producer on much of her album, including her first single, a haunting R&B ballad titled "Fallin'." But, true to her love of pioneering artists, the set also features a cover of the Prince classic "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" "My album has songs that I pray will stand the test of time," she says. - Next, Vibe Magazine (June, 2001). I met Alicia Keys once in the early 2000s, she was amazing! Listen below...

Cam'ron "Next" Feature In Vibe Magazine (June/July 1998)

"Born Cameron Giles, the Harlem-raised rapper started out playing basketball with neighborhood homie Mason "Mase" Betha. Together, they gained fame on playground courts against future pro players like Minnesota Timberwolves' Stephon Marbury and Washington Wizards' God Shammgod. But b-ball wasn't their only skill; Giles and Betha also made a name for themselves among underground rap fans as Killer Cam and Murder Mase - the top draft picks of Harlem's rap renaissance. After Mase joined Bad Boy, he made sure his man Cam met the right people.  "He took me to B.I.G.'s house, and B.I.G. - God blesss the dead - was working on Life After Death; so he had mad beats in his house. I rhymed to every beat he put on. That was my audition." Although B.I.G. never had the opportunity to sign Cam himself, his partner, Lance "Un" Rivera, made Cam'ron his first signee to Untertainment Records." Check the visuals to the smash single "Horse & Carriage"... cont'd below...

"Cam'ron's singles, like "Pull It" (featuring DMX) and "Horse & Carriage" (featuring Mase), and "Magnum," the first release off the Woo Soundtrack (Untertainment), show off his unvarnished, almost spoken-word delivery and easygoing flow. A star player on a team of talented new MCs (Canibus, Big Punisher, DMX) expected to blow up this year. Cam's ready to take home the trophy with his album, Confessions of Fire, due in June. Like the third-team All-American point guard he was in high school, Cam knows how to change up his style to divert the opposition. "I could get on a song with Mystikal if I wanted to. That's the difference in my album. Everybody hears me on hardcore songs, and that's my favorite because I love doing them. But I got Jermaine Dupri on my album; Usher's on my album. Certain people can't do songs with people like that. Even if I got three verses on a song, all three verses will sound different. It takes time, but that's what's got to be done so I can keep your attention." Clearly, it's only a matter of time before Cam has his own tour..."