of best friend/flagship artist Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace. (Especially compared to that of fellow slain rap icon Tupac Shakur, whose unfinished material has been hodge-podged into nearly a dozen releases since his death in 1996.) Fortunately, “Notorious” is a worthy addition to Wallace’s catalog.

It seems like Respiration, the monthly Lansing hip-hop show, has been around forever. But after nearly three years, the event is coming to an end because of dwindling attendence.Respiration got its start in May 2006, when Marc “Clok” Raskolnikov and EJ “Verse-is” D...

If the first  Elevation event at Rendezvous on the Grand was any indication, Lansing's hip-hop fans are hungry for music more than just one night a month. A crowd of more than 100 attended the free trial run last Thursday, featuring performances by East Lansing rapper and event organizer Othello and Lansing's DJ Collectives and DJ Ruckus spinning their own mixes of funk, soul and hip hop.

As successful as One Be Lo has been, you'd think he excelled at catering to his audience. Holding a reputation as one of the most highly regarded emcees in the state, One Be Lo has developed an international fan base with his clever but not excessive, socially conscious but not preachy, brand of hip hop. But if you ask him, the Pontiac native makes having fans sound like the icing on the cake.

With releases by F.O.S., One Be Lo and Othello and another slated for Philthy soon, 2007 was a solid year for capital-area hip hop. City Pulse intern William E. Ketchum III shares his thoughts on the best in local underground hip-hop releases. 

One of hip-hop detractors' most frequent arguments against the genre is the inability of many rap artists to perform well live. They claim rappers lazily traipse around the stage, clutter their performances with unnecessary guest appearances and can't deliver the same presence as a vocalist or instrumentalist.

One of Lansing's own will get a shot at national exposure this week at New York's Apollo Theater.

When it comes to Thanksgiving, the turkey on the table is as important as the Pilgrims in the textbooks.

From Nas' street soliloquies to A Tribe Called Quest's smooth vibes and Chuck D's social commentary, hip-hop's diversity is what makes it succeed. A show at Mac's Bar last weekend featuring Lansing rap acts Philthy, 3rd Degree and F.O.S. and Grand Rapids rap group/jazz ensemble La Famiglia...

Since 1967 the Sierra Club's Michigan Chapter has strived to preserve the state's environment through individual initiative and group participation in local, federal and international programs.