XXL Mag

As the resident R&B specialist and one of the longest-standing members of Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music imprint, John legend has come a long way since his 2004 debut. Since then, he has gone on to release two more solo albums and a collaborative LP with The Roots, and has appeared on countless songs with some of hip-hop's greats, including Rick Ross, Ludacris and Andre 3000. ...

In an industry where men are often the dominate figures, female lyricist Rapsody has clearly figured out how to shine through in the rap game. The North Carolina native has been signed with 9th Wonder’s A Wonderful World Music Group since 2008 but has made sure not to allow the legend’s reputation overshadow her potential. Putting ou...

Kidd Kidd has been in the game for a while, but is just now starting to get the attention he deserves. The New Orleans native was once affiliated with Young Money and appeared on Lil Wayne’s platinum-selling single “Mrs. Officer.” His grind ...

Theophilus London is feeling the vibes. After locking himself in a sprawling house in Palm Springs, CA—where he's been arduously recording his sophomore LP Vibes—he came back to his hometown of Brooklyn for the 2013 Afropunk Festival last weekend (August 24-25). With influ...

After a long wait the visual has finally arrived to the Magna Carta Holy Grail track featuring Justin Timberlake. Reliving the iconic night when Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson, Jay-Z presents "Holy Grail".

For years, when people thought about Boston hip-hop, there was only one name that popped up—Guru, as one half of Gang Starr with DJ Premier. The city, long a hotbed for punk and indie rock—not to mention the arena-sized egos of Aerosmith and Boston—has slipped under the radar for decades on the hip-hop side of things; even Guru left the Bean for the more hip-hop-savvy shores of Brooklyn. But thes

Poking fun at Kanye West's "I Am God" , Saturday Night Live's Jay Pharoah presents "I Am A Dog".  Decked out in dog gear from head to toe, the comedian reinacts Yeezy's style to perfection. Jay Pharoah is the comedian who stole the show at this year's Espy's peforming a quite memorable Jay-z impersonation....

Big Sean stopped through the Power 105 Breakfast Club for the second time this month addressing "Control", the Diddy- J. Cole fight, and the Danny Brown Detroit drama. However when on the topic on "Control" responses, Sean stunned listeners as he responded to Papoose's verse by saying "Who...

There is a petition going on to honor the late great Notorious B.I.G.  The petition is looking to co-naming the corner of Biggie's childhood home on St James Place and Fulton Street in Brooklyn to Christopher Wallace Way. Here is a excerpt from the petition: Artistically during Christopher Wallace time in music he was considered the best at his craft, so much so, he was given the highest esteem b

As part of our 150th issue celebration, XXL is giving away an over-sized 24 x 36-inch poster of this month's cover of the issue. The cover features hip-hop superstar Drake as he prepares to release his newest album, Nothing Was The Same. Thi ...

After two solid weeks of seemingly every rapper on the planet offering their opinion om Kendrick Lamar's verse on Big Sean's "Control," the man of the hour finally broke his silence on the track. In an interview with Peter Rosenberg on Hot 97 this morning, Kendrick Lamar called in to offer his thoughts on the controversy and what he hoped to accomplish with his famous "King of New Y

With the release date of the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto V just a few weeks away (Sept. 17), Rockstar Games continues to tease fans of the GTA series today by releasing the official trailer for the game. In the one-minute clip, excited fans can get a glimpse into the plot lines of the game, its expansive design and the ramped-up production quality. Check it out above...