DXBreakdown

In the world of hip hop super powers, you’d be hard pressed to find two larger entities than Diddy and Dr. Dre. Recently, there’s been two dope documentaries that have come out about each of them - The Defiant Ones on HBO and Can’t Stop Won’t Stop on Apple Music. But what if our Batman and Superman faced off in a battle for hip hop supremacy? Let’s break it down…

Jigga Man, Hov, Jay-Z, Sean Carter: One of hip hop’s consummate entrepreneurs and god MC’s once again has the streets buzzing this week with his new release 4:44. Also, this week his debut album Reasonable Doubt turns 21 years old. Touted in many hip hop circles as his best work with some even going as far to say it is the definitive hip hop masterpiece. But is Reasonable Doubt overrated? Let’s break it down...

Without a doubt, Tupac Shakur is the most infamous and celebrated MC in the history of hip hop culture. But let's take it a step further - is Tupac bigger than hip hop culture? Is Tupac Shakur bigger than your top 5 dead or alive? Let's break it down…

Here’s a serious question: Does Eminem consider himself the greatest of all time? In a medium where participants regularly call themselves “The Best Rapper Alive” or give their albums self-referential titles like The G.O.A.T., for an emcee as accomplished Marshall Mathers to dance around the topic stands out like a green hat with an orange bill. We dig into Slim Shady’s relationship with the throne in this edition of The Breakdown.

Remy Ma shook Hip Hop when she released shEther, a 6:57 mollywop upside rap’s reigning queen, Nicki Minaj, reportedly in response to subliminal disses delivered by Nicki in February. With still no response from Nicki, Remy retaliated again with “Another One,” a wacktastic followup to shEther that ignited the social media hashtag #ThatWasTrashRemy, leaving many to wonder if Nicki Minaj will ever respond to Remy Ma.

This week's #DXBreakdown is all about Future's polarizing rhyme style. While he's absolutely fathered a generation, Hip Hop purists have been critical of the Atlanta rapper's often inaudible lyrics and autotune. Many have questioned whether modern mumble rap is awful or awesome. This edition explores Future's Dungeon Family experience and theorizes how and why his enigmatic style took over the world. Thank you to Rico Wade of Organized Noize and George Clinton for the insight.

DJ Khaled’s “Shinin” featuring Beyonce and Jay Z seems to include another subliminal aimed at Drake. But what would an outward battle between Hov and Drizzy actually look like, considering the two MCs each come from eras with differing tolerance for ghostwriting? But how is lyrical greatness defined when crews are enlisted to craft classics? Stones Throw Records MC Homeboy Sandman, as well as Rude Jude from the All Out Show on Shade45 share their perspective on rap’s dirtiest secret.

Andre 3000 is one of the most celebrated MCs in Hip Hop. From his visceral storytelling to his impeccable imagination. He’s half of one the most genre bending collectives in music. But since he and his partner Big Boi changed Hip Hop as a duo, many are reluctant to crown him the greatest of all time because he has yet to release a solo rap album. This week’s breakdown tackles that conversation. Thank you to Andre Benjamin and Kawan Prather for providing exclusive insight into the conversation.

A$AP Rocky’s had an incredible run over the past six years. He’s notched two #1 albums (Long.Live.A$AP & At.Long.Last. A$AP). He’s the face of the prestigious Dior Homme fashion house. He’s Harlem’s reigning champion. But according to an uncredited list ranking rappers that went viral in December 2016, A$AP Rocky is somehow overrated. This week’s Breakdown delves into Rocky’s magnanimous accomplishments, and asks whether MCs that choose not to tackle social issues on wax deserve to be considered overrated.

This is dope to think about. For the past 8 years, Hip Hop has been welcome in the White House. President Barack Obama embraced the culture throughout his time in office—fist bumping, dusting off his shoulders on the campaign trail, shaking hands with Kendrick Lamar in the Oval Office. These are historical firsts. What’s also interesting is watching the public relationship between Obama and Kanye West. Let’s break it down...