Buckshot - "No Comparison" + "Slippin'" [LIVE]

Buckshot rocks the stage with KRS, performing 2 classic 9th Wonder tracks live at our VIP tent at Rock The Bell

BIG BOI LIKES TWITTER.

At the Los Angeles leg of the Rock The Bells Tour, we sat down with Big Boi from Outkast to talk about his upcoming solo album, the new Outkast project, and the advantageous uses of Twitter.

"This is probably gonna end up on Twitter too" (c) Big Boi

Yuuuuuuuuuup. How'd you guess?

ROCK THE BELLS 2009 RAP UP.

Hip Hop Official presents its wrap up of the Rock The Bells LA Show presented by 5 Gum, featuring the likes of Raekwon, M.O.P., Murs, Mickey Factz, KRS-One, Big Boi, and hosted by the lovely Hayley Marie Norman. If you missed the show, you missed out on life.

KRS-One & Buckshot - "Robot" [LIVE]

The Blastmaster and the BDI Thug rock a live performance at our VIP tent at Rock The Bells Los Angeles. EXCLUSIVE!!!! The tent and performance were brought to you by 5Gum and HHO. We love the kids.

This joint appears on their upcoming collaboration album, Survival Skills.

Raekwon & Crooked I Get Ready To Rock The Bells.

East meets West as the Rock The Bells veteran Raekwon talks to the rookie Crooked I about hitting this summer's biggest hip hop tour, and what to expect while he's out there. Dope moment from these too lyrical assassins. Rae even goes as far as to stay he might have to touch the stage with Crook to perform together. Can you image that shit? Good Lawd. I'm already getting excited for the L.A. spot at Rock The Bells...and it's over 2 months away. Stay thirsty, my friends.

Raekwon Explains "The Purple Tape"

At the Rock The Bells Press Conference I had the chance to chop it up with the god, Raekwon regarding his thoughts on the upcoming tour and some of the artists he'd be sharing the bill with like Crooked I (of Slaughterhouse). Of course, Only Built For Cuban Linx (OG and Part 2) came up in the conversation, but I didn't want to ask him the same generic questions about it. Since I'm a lifelong Wu fan, I asked him a question that I've wanted to know since 1995:

Why was the original Cuban Linx tape purple?

Rae goes in on how they came up with the idea and how it's been tied to the album forever. Being a true WU fan, Crooked I throws out his own questions for Raekwon in this East meets West interview. This is some behind the music shit right here.

Rock The Bells 2009 Press Conference.

We brought you the lineup freestyle. And now here are the highlights from the press conference where they announced the official lineup for Rock The Bells 2009. KRS-One, Damian Marley, Raekwon, and Tech N9ne in the building.

Rock The Bells 2009 Lineup Freestyle.

Supernatural does what Supernatural does best, and freestyles the entire lineup for the 2009 Rock The Bells Tour. Headlined by Nas & Damian Marley, the roster also includes The Roots, Common, KRS-One, Slum Village, Raekwon, RZA, and so much more. To peep the full roster, let Supernat tell ya in this video.

Rock The Bells 2009 Lineup Anounced.

Headlined by Nas and Damien Marley, and featuring the Roots, Common, Big Boi, Slum Village, KRS-One, Raekwon, RZA, Slaughterhouse, Tech N9ne, and Reflection Eternal. Hip hop, hip hop, and more hip hop. It's gonna be crazy, and HHO will be there every step of the way to bring you all the action.

Stay Tuned...we'll have the video of Supernatural freestyling the lineup shortly.

Blacksmith TV: Talib @ Rock the Bells: Part 2

This is Episode 4 of Blacksmith TV. If you missed Ep 3, get your late pass here. If you already saw it, then sit back and relax and watch Talib as he arrives just in time for his Rock The Bells performance in NYC. Kweli puts together his set at the last minute, links up with Mos Def to run through a couple of Black Star songs, and recounts the story of the amazing dinner he had the first time he met the mighty Mos Def.

Make sure to check out the Blacksmith website.

Blacksmith TV: Talib @ Rock the Bells

In the third episode of Blacksmith TV, Talib tries to make it to his set at the New York leg of Rock The Bells tour. He also rides a bike. I need a bike.


Props to Tunji for the video.

New Items for the Rock The Bells Auction.

Hip Hop Official and Rock The Bells have added some dope new items to their Charity Auction. We teamed up with the Wu-Tang Clan to bring you some exclusive autographed items that you can be yours! All you have to do in bid on the items, and all money goes to fight diabetes. Don't Sleep. Go here at check out all the items available.

Item include:

-Signed Rock The Bells 2007 poster
-Signed copy of the The Wu-Tang Manual
-Signed ODB/Rock The Bells T-Shirt
-Signed Wu-Tang collector trading cards

Best of 2008: Part 1

In Part 1 of a 2 part series, ee dig back into the vaults to bring you the highlights of the year that was 2008. Interviews include Tribe, De La, Raekwon, Ghostface, Method Mad, and more. Stay tuned for Part 2 in the next week or so.

[VIDEO] Murs - "Lookin Fly"

Off his new album, Murs For President. Who needs a budget for a music video?

De La Soul Interview @ Rock The Bells.

Hip Hop Official teamed up with Guerilla Union to bring you this interview with De La Soul. True legends...20 years in the game. Dave and Maseo talk about Rock The Bells, their longevity and future projects. But they real question is: Where's Posdnuos?

Rock The Bells 2008: Los Angeles Recap.

Check out the Hip Hop Official video recap from the Rock The Bells Tour as they stopped in sunny Los Angeles. (a.k.a. the best day of 2008). Featuring Tribe, Nas, De La, Pharcyde, Mos Def, Ghostface, Raekwon, Meth and Red, and re-introducing the special guest performer the Black Eyes Peas (minus Fergie)!

"So hip-hop I bust nuts in graffiti." (c) Q-Tip


More footage from the show coming soon! All Access, baby.

Photos from Rock The Bells 2008 - Los Angeles

As you all know, Hip Hop Official was live+direct from the Glen Helen Pavilion in Los Angeles San Bernardino for the Rock The Bells Tour 2008. We took hundreds of photos from the event, featuring all your favorite rappers and your favorite rapper's favorite rappers.

I don't have to tell you that it was the Hip-Hop event of the year (Sorry Kanye). Everyone who performed ripped it. Not one person left unsatisfied... Well, except those that came to see MF DOOM.

Shout out to Jay Three Photogrpahy for the sick camera work.

Part 1.

Click HERE to view entire gallery.

Part 2.

Click HERE to view entire gallery.

We'll have video from the event coming this week...Stay Tuned.

Fake MF Doom.

So I've heard rumors and stories about Doom not showing up for shows, but instead having a stand-in, a Doom imposture if you will, show up and lip synch to the CD while hiding behind his Metal Face mask. Well, evidently this happened again. It went down this weekend at the biggest hip hop festival of the year, he Rock The Bells show in Los Angeles. Doom was the headlining act for the secondary stage, and when it was time for him to perform...well, he wasn't really performing. In fact, it wasn't even him.

I was at the show, but not at the stage when it went down (Nas was performing on the main), but I heard the ruckus. People were PISSED. Watch the video, the fans knew within the first 40 seconds that something was mad fishy. They started booing and throwing shit on stage immediately. Evidently, this wasn't the first time he's done this to Guerilla Union (the company who puts on the RTB event), in fact, he was performing this year in order to make up for him pulling this same fuckery on them before. The worst part is, they paid him upfront. Needless to say, the fans and Guerilla Union were not happy with MF Dupe. Or should we call him Masked Fake Doom?

This begs the question. Is MF Doom even real? Is it really one person? We all know he has like 17 different aliases. He ALWAYS performs with the mask and wears it in interviews and photo shoots. Has anyone ever really met him sans-mask? Have we been duped the whole time?

Why do people still pay him to perform? It's only a matter of time before he's blackballed from the industry. And I bet he's sitting in a lounge chair right now laughing at all of us.

Rock The Bells L.A.

Hip Hop Official was on hand for the Rock The Bells show in Los Angeles San Bernardino this weekend, and let me just say - standing on stage, with Mos Def to my right, and De La to my left, and watching Tribe perform in front of 40,000 screaming fans was one of the sickest events I've ever been a part of. It was historic, and they tore it down. I know most people were there to see Nas, but Tribe was definitely the most memorable part of the show. Believe that.

Here are some photos we took during some of our interviews, but this is just a taste. We'll have about 500+ more photos for you tomorrow, plus interviews and footage from the event on Wednesday. Keep on refreshin.

(We had some skateboards made with the HHO and Rock the Bells logo, as well as the names of every artist on the bill. We had every artist sign them, and will be auctioning them off for charity in the not so distant future, so stay tuned for that.)

Today.

I'm on my way.

I'll have a full write up and review on Monday, and backstage access and interviews with all your favorite artists next week. Stay tuned...