Dru Ha

If you're wondering how important it is to establish a relationship with your city's top DJ, how to nab a feature and why keeping strong alliances is key; listen here. This is the eight episode of XXL’s The Break podcast. Where new artists come first.

XXL caught up with Duck Down Music co-founder and CEO Dru-Ha for the label's 20th anniversary.

Hip-hop has its share of self-made success stories. Sometimes, the indie hustle is much more respected than securing a big major label deal. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are the latest triumph, but there have been other entities in hip-hop that have stuck to this model for years. In...

It's been more than 15 years since 2Pac and Biggie Smalls were shot and killed in two separate moments of violence, and those grim anniversaries are the reason for the new book 2pac Vs. Biggie: An Illustrated History Of Rap's Greatest Battle, co-penned by hip-hop writers Jeff Weiss and Evan McGarvey...

From Common and Raekwon to Cortez Bryant and Karen Civil, industry insiders talk to XXL about the day Tupac died...

Producer/DJ Statik Selektah lends his ear to the freestyles on the XXL app for the iPhone and iPad and lets up and comers know if they're ready or not…

Peep what this respected music industry vet had to say about some eager up and comers...

Sha Money sits down with the App and sees if these up and comers are Ready or Not...

Dram lends his ears to some aspiring rappers' freestyles...

Duck Down's CEO takes a listen to the user freestyles on XXL's Ready or Not App...

Sha, Drama and Dru Ha will be rating aspiring rappers' freestyles uploaded on The XXL App all month long...

Upload your freestyles now...