By Kelsey Benson
As rap music is amongst the most powerful cultural movements in the world today. An influence on fashion, films and all elements of the record industry, it is unsurprising that it takes up plenty of the space online too. There is plenty of debate about which is the best hip hop blog out there. Really it is a subjective call. To find out which blog suits your taste best, here are some of the most popular.
A very prevalent site with fans of hip hop and black culture in general is Bossip. A high production spot bursting with fresh content and up to the minute news and views, it is well worth checking out. The span of stories on it is not limited to music with politics and current affairs frequently under its radar.
One of Bossip's main rivals is Concrete Loop. Like Bossip it looks beautiful and has an exciting and easy to use interface. The content here is, however, much more about hip hop than anything else, though the focus does at times switch to fashion.
Shem Anthony, a colourful and experienced New Jersey rap mogul, runs the excellent Street Dose blog. The articles here are usually about information rather than opinion with the aim of stimulating a debate in the comments section. A great place if you are looking to discuss rap music in detail with other super fans, or argue the merits of your favourite emcees.
Though not a dedicated rap blog, Daddy's Hangout has become a popular spot for fans. Run by a dedicated father looking to give dads everywhere a place to talk about the things that interest them (mainly sports, family issues and music), it houses a terrific section on hip hop. Not as professionally executed as the above blogs but a warm and informal place to spend time on-line.
Atlanta rapper Senor Kaos runs his The Kaos Effect blog as both a wickedly effective self-promotion tool and a zone for him to spread news and views on all things rap, technology and business. It's an energetic read with lots of bragging and self-promotion but also plenty of real information. It also offers some good advice for people looking to break into the business.
There are quite a few fans that don't really care that much about the music of hip hop. For them it is all about the personalities involved or, more to the point, the personal lives of the personalities involved. These people are catered for over at Gossip On This, a site dedicated to dishing dirt on famous rappers and R n B moguls like Beyonce, Usher and P-Diddy.
Find the best hip hop blog is never going to be about reading a list and picking the name you like most. You have to actually visit them and see them for yourself. These are just a few of the blogs available online. Have a look around and find the one which suits your view on the rap scene.
A very prevalent site with fans of hip hop and black culture in general is Bossip. A high production spot bursting with fresh content and up to the minute news and views, it is well worth checking out. The span of stories on it is not limited to music with politics and current affairs frequently under its radar.
One of Bossip's main rivals is Concrete Loop. Like Bossip it looks beautiful and has an exciting and easy to use interface. The content here is, however, much more about hip hop than anything else, though the focus does at times switch to fashion.
Shem Anthony, a colourful and experienced New Jersey rap mogul, runs the excellent Street Dose blog. The articles here are usually about information rather than opinion with the aim of stimulating a debate in the comments section. A great place if you are looking to discuss rap music in detail with other super fans, or argue the merits of your favourite emcees.
Though not a dedicated rap blog, Daddy's Hangout has become a popular spot for fans. Run by a dedicated father looking to give dads everywhere a place to talk about the things that interest them (mainly sports, family issues and music), it houses a terrific section on hip hop. Not as professionally executed as the above blogs but a warm and informal place to spend time on-line.
Atlanta rapper Senor Kaos runs his The Kaos Effect blog as both a wickedly effective self-promotion tool and a zone for him to spread news and views on all things rap, technology and business. It's an energetic read with lots of bragging and self-promotion but also plenty of real information. It also offers some good advice for people looking to break into the business.
There are quite a few fans that don't really care that much about the music of hip hop. For them it is all about the personalities involved or, more to the point, the personal lives of the personalities involved. These people are catered for over at Gossip On This, a site dedicated to dishing dirt on famous rappers and R n B moguls like Beyonce, Usher and P-Diddy.
Find the best hip hop blog is never going to be about reading a list and picking the name you like most. You have to actually visit them and see them for yourself. These are just a few of the blogs available online. Have a look around and find the one which suits your view on the rap scene.