Toppa Top 10: Ten Caribbean Producers Who Influenced Hip-Hop
The island-rooted beatmakers behind some of rap's greatest classics.
Double Barrel: Reggae Samples and Hip Hop Classics with DJ Gravy + Corey Chase (Mixtape)
The history of hip-hop is deep with sounds borrowed from Jamaica.
Toppa Top 9: Kardinal Offishall on the Greatest Jamaican MCs
Words by Kardinal Offishall, as told to Jesse Serwer—
With Jamaica 50 on the horizon and our Trini rappers Toppa Top 10 still stirring debate, we've been thinking about how best to large up Jamaica's gre... Read More...
Heds and Dreds: The Flatbush Flavors of Special Ed
Words by Jesse Serwer
When Odd Future burst onto the scene last year, journalists and bloggers seemed amazed that kids not yet old enough to get into a club could make sophisticated rap records that were... Read More...
Heds and Dreds: Smif-n-Wessun and the Caribbean Influence on Hip-Hop
Words by Jesse Serwer, Photos by Fubz
For as long as I've been on the LargeUp team, we've discussed launching a column that would highlight Caribbean music's influence on hip-hop. It's a topic we've touc... Read More...
Toppa Top 10: Reggae Samples In Rap Songs
Words by Jesse Serwer
Hip-hop's been borrowing from reggae since Jamaican-born Kool Herc updated the soundsystem throwdown for his new home in the Bronx. But the reggae references, both sonic and other... Read More...