Rare is it when an artist, especially in the overly macho realm of Hip Hop music, can convey a variety of emotions and ideas that don't border on the line of becoming mawkish. This elusive accomplishment was flawlessly demonstrated by Mr. J Medeiros (member of the Hip Hop group The Procussions) on his stellar solo debut Of God and Girls. With a high level of compassion and an alarmingly intense...

It's been almost two weeks since Panacea's sophomore set, The Scenic Route, was released. Producer Kyle Murdock just found out the first week sales were higher than that of their 2006 Rawkus/Glow In The Dark debut, Ink Is My Drink. But there is little time to celebrate.

The Washington, D.C. duo's blue collar work ethic rarely allows them to sit back and enjoy their moderate success. Murdock is busy trying to...

Subsequent to 9/11 nothing really made sense. Two of my friends were dead. I had a bullshit job and I couldn't pay rent. My quest for personal meaning shrunk in the shadows of a broken skyline. On September 18, 2001 "Labor Days" dropped. I stopped by Other Music on East 4th Street, copped it, popped it in and began walking, with discman in hand, the entire 92 blocks to my...

If you have the privilege of seeing Ledisi live, or live from your laptop via YouTube, a few things are obvious: confident stage presence, amazing pipes, great audience participation. What you don't get at first glance is the ‘little soul sister that could' has some serious hustle in her. Besides creating and running her own label, LeSun Records, Ledisi keeps herself busy with a constant touring schedule and the occasional...

Okayplayer send resident writer Mike Gadd to chop it up with DJ/Producer extraordinaire, Mark Ronson.  Here is what he learned:

Spend 15 years doing something and chances are you're going to wind up being pretty damn good at it. Take DJing for instance; quasi-celebrity status or not, (step)son of Foreigner rock God or not, Mark Ronson is good. Really, really good. But not just behind the two steel wheels...