The final Bandcamp Friday of the year arrives December 2. I’ve made a habit of rounding up music recommendations from recent Reader stories for each Bandcamp Friday, and since this is the 26th one, I hope it’s redundant to explain that for a 24-hour period, Bandcamp passes along its usual share of sales revenue to […]
Tag: Rubberoom
Posted inMusic
Rest in power to Meta Mo of Rubberoom
In the early 90s, Chicago hip-hop first began making waves around the country. Several local acts put out albums on national labels in 1992: Smash Records released Ten Tray’s Realm of Darkness, Loud Records dropped Tung Twista’s Runnin’ Off at da Mouth, and Relativity issued Common Sense’s Can I Borrow a Dollar? That same year, […]
Posted inMusic
Building on the pillars of Blue Groove Lounge
An oral history of DJ Jesse de la Peña’s foundational Blue Groove Lounge hip-hop night, on the occasion of its belated 25th birthday parties
Posted inMusic
Gifts to teach hip-hop heads their history
Each of these reissues helps unfold a different chapter in the rich narrative of the Chicago hip-hop scene.
Posted inMusic
Keeping the beat
Chicago’s beat scene has to do without the attention the city’s rappers get, but it’s a vital incubator for adventurous, ambitious instrumental hip-hop.
Posted inNews & Politics
Hip-hop taught Andre Vasquez about community—and he wants to take those lessons to City Hall
In the 90s Andre Vasquez rapped as Prime and joined underground collective the Molemen. Now he’s a socialist candidate for 40th Ward alderman, hoping to unseat entrenched incumbent Patrick O’Connor.
Posted inBlogs
Listen to Chicago’s hip-hop past with a stream of an out-of-print 1995 compilation, Talent Fest
We’ve got an exclusive stream of an out-of-print 1995 Chicago rap compilation called Talent Fest and an interview with the man who released it.
Posted inBlogs
Listen to Kid Millions’s latest Chicago rap mix
One of the guys behind rap reissue label Dope Folks Records drops another Soundcloud mix filled with throwback Chicago rap tracks.