Kendrick Lamar

Metric Headlining Bud Light Music First Tour's 50/50/1 at Fillmore Miami Beach

"50 concerts, 50 states, one day" ... Just a couple of weeks ago, we here at Crossfade announced that Bud Light Music First tour would be coming to Miami. Other cities had already gotten their headliners, including Kendrick Lamar and The Hold Steady, for "Bud Light Music First's grand finale, 50/ ... More >>

Ice Cube's Top Six Gangsta Bangers

These days, the rap game is kind of soft. It's all over-glorified Hokey Pokey dance steps, 808 tics, and bull-shit braggin'. Most of the time, these MCs are just mimicking the gestures of gangsters gone by. Still, there was a time when rap was real, and Ice Cube is one real motherfucker. He's been ... More >>

Bud Light Music First Tour's "50 Concerts, 50 States, 1 Day" Coming to Miami

Sure, craft beers and independent breweries may offer a better selection. Some would even argue a better product. But when was the last time that a small beverage business managed to tap the likes of Kendrick Lamar and The Hold Steady for a "never-before-seen live music event" or gave away over 50 ... More >>

Rap's Top Ten Struggle Songs

Hip-hop is the music of the people, and the sound of grumbling bellies sets the beat. In the game of life, it's eat or be eaten, and only the hungriest survive to tell their story. Songs about struggle are a cornerstone of the genre. Brooding tales of desperation often become heralded classics. Eve ... More >>

Pac Div Smoked Out EVE Miami, April 13

Pac Div Featuring Johnny Polygon Eve, Downtown Miami Saturday, April 13, 2013 Better Than: Watching Three Musketeers, Three Stooges, and Three Amigos. Descending from atop of the stairs, the three California dudes (Mibbs, Like, and BeYoung), who make up Pac Div, headed toward the EVE stage as they ... More >>

Mykki Blanco's Dark, Surreal, Genderqueer Rap Banging Up Bardot Miami on April 11

Genderqueer rapper Mykki Blanco will bite the head off a harpy, steal that bitch's wings, and work 'em harder than any regular rap dame ever could. That's because Blanco is no regular rap dame, and she certainly ain't no regular rap dude. She is hip-hop's new in-between, the great white hype, and ... More >>

KRS-One, Uncle Luke, Styles P: How Did the Stage Become Miami's Best Rap Club?

How did the Stage suddenly become the best rap club in downtown Miami? Over the next month, this two-and-a-half-year-old Design District bunker that's built its rep on roots, rock, and reggae will serve as the staging place for classic-era shows by former LOX member Styles P, booty bass pioneer Unc ... More >>

SunFest Tickets Are Half Off Today!

Nowhere else in the universe will you be able to yell the words "I want you to want me!" along with Cheap Trick's Robin Zander, while covered in paint, except at this year's SunFest. The Saturday lineup features both the band that sung "Surrender" and the world's largest paint party, Life in Color. ... More >>

Kendrick Lamar and Karmaloop's College Tour Kicking Off at Florida Atlantic University

When Kendrick Lamar throws a college kegger, there's gonna be "Swimming Pools" filled to the brim with drank. Everybody'll be wilding out like they're "A.D.H.D." And Karmaloop, eMuze, and Neff Headwear will be footing the bill. This Thursday, Kendrick and Karmaloop's Verge Campus Tour 2013 kicks of ... More >>

Murs's Road to Paid Dues Tour Coming to The Stage Miami on February 15

While Internet-era culture boosters promote the idea that anyone can write, record, and produce quality music, Tucson-based rapper Murs does not. A veteran hip-hop hustler who broke onto the underground scene as a solo artist when he released F'Real in 1997, Murs encourages artists to think twice ... More >>

Rick Ross's Post-Shooting Track: "Sometimes I Look in the Mirror, I Can't Believe I'm Alive"

Rozay says: "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe." Yesterday, after escaping an unknown assailant, dodging 20 bullets, and smashing up his Rolls Royce on the streets of Broward County, Rick Ross disappeared for approximately 12 hours. He couldn't be reached for comment on the shooting by TMZ, MTV, the Miam ... More >>

¡Mayday! Preps for the Apocalypse: "Party With Zombies Till Bodies Hit the Barricade"

Has the apocalypse been averted? Or are the end days still upon us? The Mayans' calculations may have been a lil' off. But Miami hip-hop crew ¡Mayday! remains convinced that the Armageddon is imminent. Specifically, a rotting plague of walking corpses hungry for human flesh. And the ¡Mayday! pla ... More >>

Best Christmas Stocking Stuffers for Rappers: From Rick Ross to Kanye West

Each year 'round the holidays, Crossfade readies itself to receive an influx of letters from Miami-Dade County hip-hop heads asking the one question that plagues rap fans around the country: What should we stuff our favorite rapper's stocking with this year? Well, rather than replying to each let ... More >>

Russell Simmons on President Obama, Politics, and Hip-Hop

Russell Simmons on Obama, Hip-Hop, and Why "This Guy Romney Is Against the People"

Whether serving as the multimillionaire cofounder of Def Jam Records, shouting down injustice at Occupy Wall Street, or stumping for the President of the Unites States of America, Russell Simmons -- the rap legend, media mogul, and dedicated vegan -- never stops reppin' the people. That's why we he ... More >>

Uzi, Nigerian-American Rapper: "We Don't Live in Huts and Walk Around Naked"

The savage lands of Dade and Broward counties can be a wild place at times. The Chevy's roar like lions, and bass pounds from their trunks like a foot drop from an elephant. Nigerian-American rapper Uzi was born and raised in South Florida. And all his life, he's had to answer questions about his f ... More >>

Andrew Bird, Hardest Whistling Man in Show Biz, at the Fillmore Miami Beach, October 8

Andrew BirdWith Here We Go MagicFillmore Miami BeachMonday, October 8, 2012Better Than: Combing NPR's All Songs Considered archives. Last night, the Fillmore Miami Beach was temporarily transformed back into the old Jackie Gleason Theater as incredibly skilled multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird brou ... More >>

Kendrick Lamar at the Fillmore Miami Beach September 27

Kendrick Lamar's Recipe: Black Hippy, Lady Gaga, "Pussy and Patron"

If Planet Earth had testicles, they'd belong to Kendrick Lamar. Because, proverbially, homie's got the world by the balls. With five critically acclaimed mixtapes and an independent release already under his belt, it's easy to forget that the Compton MC's first major-label LP hasn't even dropped y ... More >>

BET Hip-Hop Awards 2012 Nominations: Rick Ross Gets Trampled by Kanye West

And the nominees are ... Kanye West, a handful of other MCs, and seven websites. During 106 and Park last night, actor-comedian Mike Epps announced that he'd be reprising his role as host of BET's annual Hip-Hop Awards, airing October 9, and revealed some of this year's nominees. Yeezy was nomin ... More >>

Gunplay 101: The Human L.A. Riot's Nine Best Tracks

See also "The Quotable Gunplay: 'Hos,' 'Pills,' and the 'Gift and Curse of Being Under Rick Ross.'" Gunplay has been a known commodity on Miami's rap scene for years thanks to his association with Rick Ross and Maybach Music Group. But only recently have mainstream audiences started warming up to ... More >>

Maybach Music's Gunplay on His Swastika Tattoo, His Escort Agency, and Becoming Don Logan

Maybach Music's Gunplay Talks Rick Ross, Triple C's, and Medellin

Gunplay on His Swastika Tattoo, Escort Agency, and Rebranding Himself as Don Logan

See also "Gunplay: How Miami's Coke-Sniffin', Po' Pimpin' Maniac Joined Rap's Power Circle." Gunplay was consuming so many narcotics while making his aptly-titled debut mixtape Sniffahill in 2008 that he dubbed himself "five-drug minimum" on one of its freestyles. Actually, for meter's sake, he sai ... More >>

Band of Horses, Regina Spektor Added to Fillmore Miami Beach 2012 Concert Schedule

President Obama didn't mention Band of Horses when he was asked about the music on his iPod during an interview with Rolling Stone's Jann Wenner, but British Prime Minister David Cameron did. In a chat with the Daily Telegraph, Cameron admitted that Band of Horses and Lana Del Rey are among his fa ... More >>

Gunplay: How Miami's Coke-Sniffin', Po' Pimpin' Maniac Joined Rap's Power Circle

As recently as a year ago, Miami rapper Gunplay was better known for a clip of him snorting cocaine outside a restaurant in Medellín than he was for his music. In recent months, however, the co-founder of Rick Ross's Carol City Cartel (AKA Triple C's) has flipped his image as an unhinged goon. Hi ... More >>

Kendrick Lamar Is Coming to Miami: Will "Good Friend" Lady Gaga Join Him?

Kendrick Lamar's performance at Pitchfork Music Festival on July 15 in Chicago was one of the most talked about sets of the entire weekend. And not because it was any better than usual. Despite being young and relatively new to the indie rap game, Lamar's proven himself to be a true professional, f ... More >>

Stalley Puts Hair on Grand Central's Chin, June 22

See also "Stalley on His New EP, Mixtape and Album Plans" and "Stalley on Sharing Beard Picks with Rick Ross, Beating 2 Chainz in One-on-One" Stalley Grand Central, Miami Friday, June 22, 2012 Stalley's concert poster bragged of "Special Invited Guests" Rick Ross, Meek Mill and Wale, although we ... More >>

Best of the Best 2012: Fabolous, Meek Mill, Ace Hood Make Some Noise on Memorial Day

See the full 51-photo slideshow from Best of the Best 2012. Best of the Best 2012 With Fabolous, Meek Mill, French Montana, Fat Joe, 2 Chainz, Ace Hood, and others Klipsch Amphitheater at Bayfront Park, Miami Sunday, May 28, 2012 Better Than: If you know what this was better than, "MAKE SOME NOIII ... More >>

Bacardi Plus Fest Brings Booze, Free Tunes, and Thievery Corporation's Rob Garza to Miami

The best things in life are free, and the good folks at Bacardi want to show off their new line of pre-mixed cocktails in a way that you won't find obnoxious. So they've announced the Bacardi Plus Fest, a nationwide booze-and-tuneage event. On May 4, there will be a free show for 21-and-older parti ... More >>

Download Gunplay's New Bogota Rich: The Prequel Tape, Watch "Jump Out" Guerilla Vid

​Everyone plugged into Miami rap has known about Gunplay and his raw, unhinged lyrical style for years. The longtime Rick Ross running mate and Carol City Cartel member figured prominently on the Triple C's 2009 album Custom Cars and Cycles, and scored a substantial regional hit with his Waka Fl ... More >>

Drake's Club Paradise Tour Kickoff Concert on Valentine's Day in Miami

​See the full 20-photo Drake at BankUnited Center slideshow. Drake's Club Paradise Tour With ASAP Rocky and Kendrick Lamar BankUnited Center at University of Miami Tuesday, February 14, 2012 Better Than: Slightly dirty sweet talk that's not set to million-dollar beats. Have you ever visited Clu ... More >>

Drake Announces 2012 Club Paradise Tour Dates, Kicking Off in Miami on Valentine's Day

​What's overly emotional Young Money rapper Drake doin' right now? Well, if the cover of his recently released sophomore slab, Take Care, were a candid snapshot of Drizzy's private life, you'd think homeboy spent his days and nights locked alone in his billion-dollar mansion like Al Pacino in Sca ... More >>

Lil Wayne, Birdman, and DJ Khaled Performing at MTV's Sucker Free Awards in Miami

Photo by Sayre BermanLil Wayne ain't no sucker.​Admittedly, we here at Crossfade have gotten into the habit of hatin' on Lil Wayne. We ragged on "How to Love" for months. We insisted on enumerating the top five signs that the Young Money maniac's finally gone soft. We called Tha Carter IV crap. W ... More >>

Kendrick Lamar at Revolution Live October 28

J. Cole Talks Roadtripping With Rihanna, Mixtapes, Miami Beach, Junk Food, and Cole World: The Sideline Story

​All summer, Jay-Z's protege and Roc Nation signee J. Cole has been roadtripping across America with Rihanna. And last night, J. hit the BankAtlantic Center with RiRi and her LOUD Tour. But after the concert, Mr. Cole wanted to party. So he headed out to Miami Beach for booties and bottles a ... More >>