JAY-Z ONCE RAPPED, It's funny how once verse can f*ck up the game. That bar arrived during the aftermath of Biggie & 2Pac's deaths as he was attempting to assert his claim for the throne. Case closed. Fast forward to the top of this year and another Brooklyn rapper, Joey Bada$$, boldly issued a challenge by way of a brazen line on "Ruler's Back": "too much West Coast d*cklicking." To discuss the shot/aftermath, I spoke with journalist William Ketchum (Vibe, RollingStone). 

FOR HIP-HOP HEADS OF A CERTAIN AGE, Playboi Carti is a complicated talent. He warbles his rhymes and his production makes for a noisey listen. But, if you pull in closer, you’ll hear the stylings of Lil Wayne during his Da Drought run, among others. I spoke to Mickey Factz about Carti because, to my surprise, he recently wrote a series of tweets downplaying lyricism.