It's been over a year since our last FAM interview, so this unexpected drop may come as a surprise to you. Well, it was definitely a shock for me to find myself in New York's Power 105 studio, sitting across the console from DJ Self! I was having my own 'just happy to be here' moment, but when he said he had a quick window to do an interview, I had…

As we look toward the future and aim for the stars, FAM brings you more real conversation with the next generation of rap. There's no denying the wealth of young talent out there, artists whose energy and perspective are the much needed breath of fresh air in an otherwise stifling musical climate. Leading the new school are Su Bviley and Vice, two …

People cop mixtapes for different reasons. In the beginning, when there were no tracklists, the DJs reputation was based upon his ability to select, blend and scratch records. Personality can go a long way too, even as the game transitioned into the exclusive era. DJ SNS has excelled throughout all of these stages of the game by mastering each skil…

I'll readily admit: I don't necessarily have my finger on the pulse of what's going in the rap world outside of the Northeast. Honestly, it's all a little blurry for me once you get past Pennsylvania. So to capture my attention from all the way out in South Carolina, it takes a special kind of artist. By somehow incorporating Jean-Claude Van Damme …

Maino's accomplished career has been the fulfillment of a dream. Inspired by the classic mixtapes of the 90s, he left the prison system after serving nearly a decade, setting out to make an impact in the music industry from his first day of freedom. Now just days before the release of his newest album, "The Day After Tomorrow," we take Maino back o…

Like so many others who were there, I was fascinated by Jeromes Dream: the 3-piece from Connecticut that sparked endless debates on messageboards and bidding wars on eBay. The raw emotional fury manifested in their elusive records and blink-of-an-eye live sets was unlike anything I had ever seen or heard before. It had been over a decade (and sever…

You'd be hard pressed to meet a rapper as humble as Tom Gist. Paradoxically, you would find it even more challenging to name another lyricist as talented. Embodying the work ethic of the independent artist, and bodying every record he gets on, are equal parts of this Harlem-bred MC. From his days battling under the alias Arrogance to his breakout a…

Pardon me for geeking out a little bit on this one, but one of my favorite rappers ever, Cormega, was kind enough to give FAM a call this week! With 2 decades worth of experience in the rap game and a catalog of acclaimed albums, Mega is set to drop his new double-disc "Raw Forever" September 27th; an exciting, ambitious project he recorded with a …

Taking a break from his schedule DJing 7 days a week for Albany's Jamz 96.3, the Grammy-nominated DJ Iroc provides FAM with possibly our most captivating interview yet! A member of the Bad Boy camp throughout their beef with Death Row and the passing of the Notorious B.I.G, Iroc was present for some of the most pivotal moments in hip-hop's history.…

In this episode, ForAllMasters.com touches down in Brooklyn to visit the Mixtape Librarian himself: Tapemasta. Without a doubt, the authority on all things related to mixtapes, having amassed a collection of recordings numbering well into the thousands; Tape gives our listeners (and this self-proclaimed connoisseur) a real history lesson! Sharing o…

Recorded on a side-street in the Lower East Side, ForAllMasters posts up in G-Bo the Pro's SUV to revisit his last collaboration with DJ Double R - Tape #25 "It's Been A Long Time." It's been roughly 14 years since it's release, but G-Bo's vivid memory provides the perfect commentary track to this classic tape. An innovator in the world of mixtapes…

And now for something completely different. Primal Scream collaborator, remixer to the stars, producer extraordinaire: Jagz Kooner joins us (at 2 a.m. London time) to field our questions concerning his remarkable body of work. His ethics shaped by punk rock, his mind expanded by hip-hop, Jagz' distinctly aggressive approach to crafting electronic m…

We went OT on this one! Rapper/DJ/Producer Red Handed joins us all the way from Oklahoma City to talk us through damn near his whole career. The BX-native bestows story after incredible story on his experiences from going 3 rounds with Jay-Z to touring Japan with Foxy Brown. We even chop it up about the best studios and restaurants in New York City…

In this installment, the big homie Phace invites us into his home-studio to reminisce on the glory days: when music was released on vinyl and rappers had to actually meet to do a song together. A renowned ghostwriter (on the low though, shh...), Phace discusses what turned him off about the industry and inspired him to get his money behind the scen…

Welcome to ForAllMasters! In our first installment, we take it uptown to the Bronx, home of the comic-voiced Snaggapuss, an original member of DJ Doo Wop's recently reunited Bounce Squad. FAM catches up with him to talk about his two-decades-long career: from recording on 4-tracks to meeting Dr. Dre, to comparisons with other rappers, and instances…