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Radio On
With her new album 'Kala,' M.I.A. blows up musical history to make way for its future
MC Lars
Post-punk rapper urges music fans to 'Download This Song.'
Doing Her Own Thing
DJ Backside reps for the ladies and the hyphy movement worldwide.
Nina's Song
CDs salute High Priestess of Soul.
Feeling Himself
Wanda Salvatto ponders the legacy left by her son, Mac Dre.
Can't Touch That
A year after his death, Mac Dre's legacy still kicks from the North Pole to the North Bay. Gabe Meline uses the mural, the mom and the memories to make the connection.
Brand Awareness
A car company wants to tap into hip-hop culture, but should hip-hop allow it?
God Complex
Chutzpah, thy name is Kanye (but in a good way).
Wash His Mouth Out
Is Blowfly more than just a loosely handled firework of filth?
Chairman M.I.A.
You can't spell 'mania' without M.I.A.
No More Drama
With Digable Planets a not-so distant memory, Ladybug Mecca looks to the future.
Film Threat
MACLA film festival sheds light on hip-hop's other elements.
The Cost to Floss
'Late Registration' documents Kanye West's conflicted new world.
Change of Plans
Goapele passes time waiting for her record to come out.
On Her Own
Missy Elliott dishes up 'The Cookbook.'
Without Me
It feels so empty without all the Eminem clones.
Funky Drummer
?uestlove was groomed early to be the hardest-working drummer in hip-hop.
Rhinestone B-Boy
Hip-hop's illest party rocker Z-Trip shifts gears.
Panic in Detroit
Soul brother Dwele reps his city and its rock heritage.
Ready for Combat
Lateef the Truth Speaker shall set you free.
Do It Like a G.O.!
Submit to the Go! Team's not-so-subtle charms.
The Big Takeover
DJ crew Dhamaal Soundsystem makes the Bay Area an Asian Massive epicenter.
Got Beef?
50 Cent and the Game start 2005 with a bang.
Five on It
Local collective Fifth Element provides a safe, honest forum for females interested in hip-hop culture.
Move on Up
Goapele's goal for 2005 is to 'Change It All.'
Rebel Girl
M.I.A. chats about music, methods and metaphors.
I Got Next
Joyo Velarde graced many a Quannum single. Now she's out to get hers.
Under the Radar
Hip-hop, drum 'n' bass, graffiti thrive at Clandestine.
Pimp His Ride
DMC champ Golden Chyld infects the ears with his new mixtape.
The World Isn't Ready
From Sri Lanka to London to your headphones, meet M.I.A.
Word Freak
MC Lars raps literary, keeps it surreal.
Flow Pro
San Jose rapper Prozack Turner contemplates the music business, his next move and why eating cats isn't racist.
Charizma Comes Alive
A Milpitas rap legend is immortalized on the rerelease 'Big Shots.'
Cafe Kev
In two decades on the air, DJ Kevvy Kev has helped build the Bay Area's hip-hop community.
Dirty South
2 Live Crew's influence on hip-hop goes beyond what can be said on record.
Born Free
With 'Later That Day,' rapper Lyrics Born wants to rep the underground and live comfortably. Is that too much to ask?
Steal This Beat
Give Skrunchface Projects your tired, discarded records, and they'll make a hot beat.
Winter Music
Chillin' in the single digits with San Jose DJ crew the Fingerbangerz.
Transformer Man
DJ Jazzy Jeff makes Top 10 records but he hasn't lost his itch to scratch.
Mass Appeal
How 50 Cent and Jay-Z turned cons into icons.
Dr. Hip-Hop
Professor Tricia Rose debunks the junk on hip-hop, women's sexuality and the 'unfettered whiteness' of being.
Robot Power
DJ Kid Koala adds 'published author' to his list of accomplishments.
Louder Than a Bomb
To Michael Franti, it's easier to follow your heart than chase dollars.
Almost Famous
Mystik Journeymen helped establish the Bay Area as a hub of underground hip-hop, but that's just part of the grand scheme.
Summer Jam
Hip-hop in 2002 was one long summer anthem.
Back to Afrika
Before you put Eminem or Cam'ron on a pedestal, their achievements pale in comparison to hip-hop's godfather, Afrika Bambaataa.
All Shook Down
'8 Mile' is more about class consciousness than dirty lyrics.
Big Del
From major label to indie label to Handsome Boy Modeling School, Deltron 3030, Push Button Objects and the Gorillaz, East Bay rapper Del the Funky Homosapien has a theory: adapt or perish.
