O’Shea Jackson, better known as Ice Cube, has developed a career as a groundbreaking rap artist, a movie star and a filmmaker. Family audiences watching Ice Cube’s recent movies may not be aware that — before he hit the silver screen — Ice Cube was a notorious and controversial rapper. In the late 1980s, Ice Cube joined Dr. Dre and Eazy-E to found the seminal and controversial rap crew NWA. The group’s 1989 album ‘Straight Outta Compton’ was hugely influential in kickstarting the gangsta rap movement that dominated U. (more…)

A few days ago, I was browsing http://www.cable-tv.com/, doing some research on the various TV providers my area. I was also listening to Internet radio, jamming out to some 90s hip hop when all the sudden a track by Soulja Boy titled “Doo Doo Head” began playing.

Is this really what hip hop has come to?

In the eyes of many fans and artists, hip-hop music has taken a turn for the worst. I’m not speaking for all rappers – there are definitely some talented and lyrically adept underground emcees – but what happened to mainstream hip hop?

When it first broke ground in the early 1980s and through the “golden age” of the mid 80s and early 90s, hip-hop music actually meant something. It was influential, diverse and most importantly – a unifying force in the African-American community. Artists like Public Enemy, Run-D.M.C., Rakim and Big Daddy Kane were some of the most notable pioneers of the “golden age,” giving hip hop a sound and a name. Back then the music was motivated by the passion of the artist, whereas today it’s driven by commercialism and marketability.

Today, when you turn on the radio, every hip-hop song is about drugs, money, expensive cars and material possessions. As legendary rapper Nas so eloquently put it, “hip hop is dead.”

He may be right.

After nearly three decades of growing popularity, hip hop has seen a significant drop-off in sales over the last 10-plus years. According to Billboard Magazine, hip hop/rap sales have dropped 44% and shrunk to 10% of all music sales since 2000.

Needless to say, today’s hip-hop music has also faced tremendous criticism. Many people, both inside and outside the hip-hop community, have denounced it for spreading the wrong values by endorsing using/selling drugs, theft, rape and illegal activity.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

That’s the sound of hip hop on life support. With fewer 2Pac’s and Biggie’s and more Soulja Boy’s and Lil Jon’s, the outlook for this once glorified and unique musical genre gets dimmer and dimmer every day.

You would have to be living under a rock to never have heard of Kevin Bacon. If you have been taking up residence under a rock, Kevin Bacon is a middle aged actor who has been in hit films like Friday the 13th, Footloose and X-Men First Class.

One fact that the casual Kevin Bacon fan might not know is that he is also in a Band with his brother Michael. The Bacon Brothers (their bands name) have been performing together professionally since 1995. While the brothers have not (more…)

Snoop Dogg is one of the most versatile rappers today. He is not only a successful musician, but he is also a rapper and family man. Snoop Dogg’s rap career started in 1993 when he released the album “Doggystyle.” One of the most popular singles off of the album was “Gin and Juice”. The song hit number one of the U.S. Rap singles chart and peaked at number 8 on the U.S. Hot 100. Snoop Dogg is credited with being one of the founders of a sub-genre of (more…)

There are plenty of talented musicians in this day and age and many of them have been able to gain quite a lot of popularity over the last few years. The great thing is that while there are a select few of these artists who aren’t as talented as some make them out to be, many of them are excellent at their craft. Here are the top 5 most popular musical artists today.

1. James Hetfield of (more…)

Beyonce’ is unarguably on the greatest singers of the 21st century. She has had several hit singles and won numerous accolades including 16 Grammy Awards. She started off by singing in the popular group Destiny’s Child. She released her debut solo album “Dangerously in Love” in 2003 and quickly proved that she could be a successful solo artist.

One of the most alluring things about Beyonce’ is her beauty. She looks more beautiful every time that she appears in a magazine or at an event. Her hair is always done nice and her makeup is (more…)