Riley Wallace
Verified
As seen in:
The Indianapolis Star,
HipHopDX,
XXL (Magazine),
Exclaim!,
Okayplayer,
Southern Daily Echo,
buzz.bournemouth.ac.uk,
Hampshire Chronicle,
Andover Advertiser,
WZMB-FM (Greenville, NC)
Covers:
Hip Hop, new artists, editorial centered on industry professionals
Author & Illustrator (@hiphopdx @exclaimdotca & more) + daddy & vinyl head. Legacy verified in 2018 🥶. NEW BOOK “From Boom Bap To Trap” hitting shelves soon.
Articles by Riley Wallace
Two men jailed following investigation into robbery near Dorchester
Two men, Cain Hughes, 23, and Kalup Hughes, 34, were sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Thursday 29th. The Court sentenced Cain to three years in jail. Kalup received a sentence of five years and four months. At around 7.40 pm on Friday, 14 February 2025, Dorset Police had received multiple calls involving two men in the area of Crossways in Dorchester. The pair stopped other motorists and asked for assistance with their broken-down Ford Focus near the Woodsford level crossing.
Train delays in Dorset continue due to weather
Delays on the Southern Western Railway this morning between Weymouth and Wareham, after a person died on tracks near Wool railway station, have now ended and trains are back and running. Replacement buses are no longer running.
Person dies on tracks near Wool Railway Station
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Train delays set to last the week
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Floods continue after Storm Chandra hits Bournemouth
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International Holocaust Remembrance
Today is International holocaust Remembrance Day, and events for it have been taking place around Bournemouth. Stand up to Racism BCP had sent delegates on a study tour which focused on learning about what occurred in some of Poland’s largest concentration camps. Throughout the delegate, the group visited three holocaust concentration camps, Warsaw, Krakow and Auschwitz which are the largest of the extermination centres.
The 2024 Down East Holiday returns to Greenville
The Down East Holiday Show brought attention to businesses and families from all parts of the state. Held at the Greenville Convention Center, the event sold tickets to lines of customers all weekend. The Down East Holiday Show is an annual event that hosts businesses selling homemade and craft-based gifts. Rows of booths were displayed all throughout the building, vendors behind them promoting their products as Christmas gift ideas for loved ones.
The Ivy opens in Bournemouth introducing stylish dining to the town
A highly anticipated new restaurant has officially opened its doors in the centre of Bournemouth, offering high class dining for the area. The once New Look was quickly revamped after closing down and snatched up to make the first Ivy restaurant in Dorset. Local Dan Young said: “I’m looking forward to the opening of The Ivy, I’ve been to the one in Edinburgh and that was really nice, hopefully at some point I can book a table here.
AMC Fills Seats With New Films Underway
The film We Live in Time provides packed parking lots for Greenville’s Motion Picture Theatres as it debuts this month. We Live In Time has become an internet sensation since its release date on October 11th. Since the film’s premier, TikTok stars and influencers post videos of themselves crying after seeing the movie. The tear-jerking elements in this A24 film are caused by a story of love, growth, and loss.
Sheppard Memorial Library sees uptick in members this month
Sheppard Memorial Library turns the page this month after Library Card Sign-Up Month brings in a surplus of new members. According to Karrine Melton, a dedicated employee of more than a decade, Sheppard Memorial Library has experienced an abundance of membership card sign-ups following a library promotion this month. Melton holds the position of Social Media/Web & Team Coordinator at the Evans Street location in the heart of downtown Greenville.
Kanye West Albums Ranked Worst to Best - Can't Tell Us Nothing
There’s no disputing that Kanye West has had one of the wilder story arcs in modern music history. Never one to hold his tongue, his timeline has seen him gradually evolve from the protagonist of an endearing underdog story to a seemingly unstable, yet admirably uncancellable villain. However, above all the personal drama the producer, rapper and fashion mogul has very publicly endured since his debut album The College Dropout dropped 20 years ago, his music has remained his constant.
Remembering Those We Lost 2023
In 2023, Hip Hop culture celebrated a significant milestone: 50 years since its genesis at a back-to-school jam hosted by the iconic DJ Kool Herc at 1520 Sedgwick & Cedar in the Bronx. But while the year was marked by triumphs, it was, as is often the case, marked by some tragedies too. As Hip Hop continues to evolve, the loss of influential figures remains an inevitable, yet always difficult, reality for fans to confront. This is particularly true when such losses are startlingly untimely.
Conway The Machine Ends 2023 On A High Note With Conductor Williams-Produced 'Conductor Machine'
Even with a fractured right tibia and dislocated kneecap forcing him to postpone dates for his Won’t He Do It tour in support of his third studio LP of the same name, Conway The Machine put in a lot of work in 2023—not that output has ever really been a problem for the Griselda camp. This year, though, saw La Maquina invest a huge amount of sweat equity into his Drumwork Music Group.
Black Rob's Posthumous 'Life Story 2' Is A Worthy Final Curtain Call
One-time “Bad Boy for life,” Black Rob’s journey came to a sudden end on April 17, 2021, after suffering from cardiac arrest following years of serious health issues (dating back to 2013 when the rapper suffered a stroke, enduring multiple subsequent strokes in the years leading up to his death).
A Tribe Called Quest's 20 Best Songs Ranked
As 'Midnight Marauders' turns 30, we're counting down the influential group's top tracks Published Nov 09, 2023 For a wide spectrum of musical movements that fall within the lanes of jazz-infused hip-hop, Afrobeats, and, really, anything you cut from the neo-soul cloth, the origin can be traced back to a singular source: A Tribe Called Quest. The sometimes-foursome consisted of prolific producer and MC Q-Tip, the late Phife Dawg, DJ (and co-producer) Ali Shaheed, and — on occasion — Jarobi.
Westside Gunn's 'And Then You Pray For Me' Takes Bold Pivots From The Griselda Sound
Die-hard fans of Griselda know what to expect when they hit play on any album executive-produced by the imprint’s abbot, Westside Gunn: tight production curation, great features, excellent sequencing, and—as of late—scene-stealing performances by Stove God Cooks. However, one thing they generally haven’t been able to expect is the unexpected. This isn’t to discredit the Flygod, nor comment on his growth or progression as an artist.
Elcamino Shares Lessons Learned From Griselda & Why Making Trap Music Isn’t Easy
For those in the know, 29-year-old Buffalo MC and clothing designer Elcamino has remained a name synonymous with quality. An early player in the Griselda fold, Elcamino released his eponymous debut on the imprint in 2018. This was two years after Westside Gunn’s debut studio album, Flygod. Since then, he’s remained an active affiliate. For fans of the rapper, his connection to Griselda was always a grey area—and rightfully so.
Elcamino Breaks Down His Favorite Tracks From His BSF Debut ‘They Spit On Jesus’
The Griselda universe is indeed becoming ever larger; prominently, Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher are all sharing their platform with a new cohort of talented spitters. Gunn is bolstering the likes of Rome Streetz and Estee Nack (to name a few), while Conway is pushing 7xvethegenius and Jae Skeese under his Drumwork imprint. Meanwhile, Benny is taking his Black Soprano Family to the next level.
MIKE & Wiki Prove A Worthy Duo On The Alchemist-Produced 'Faith Is A Rock'
After connecting this past November for the snack-sized One More EP, Wiki and MIKE have unleashed a full-length project, Faith Is A Rock, produced entirely by The Alchemist. Containing three songs from the EP—the collaborative “One More,” and solo tracks “Be Realistic” and “Odd Ways”—this 10-song project admirably delivers what core fans of both MCs had hoped for from a more substantial offering, with Al unsurprisingly in peak form.
Smoke DZA & Flying Lotus Wet Appetites For A Longer Offering With Bite-Sized 'Flying Objects' EP
Coming off of an incredibly active 2022, which included collaborative releases with 183rd and Nym Lo, Real Bad Man and The Smokers Club — among other releases — illustrious Harlem-based MC Smoke DZA returns with his second project of the year, Flying Objects, an EP sonically crafted entirely by the highly esteemed producer and filmmaker Flying Lotus.
Homeboy Sandman Journeys Closer Toward God & Self Betterment On 'Rich'
Following up his 2022 collaborative LP with rapper/producer Deca, Still Champion, Homeboy Sandman reunites with producer Mono En Stereo for a new 11-song project Rich. Mono En Stereo, of course, has a rich history with Homeboy Sandman, having crafted his 2019 LP Dusty, and, most recently, a solid chunk of his unofficial 2022 holiday release 12 Days of Christmas & Dia de Los Reyes.
Chingy | Chinglish Album review | HipHopDX
Rapper Howard Bailey Jr., better known as Chingy, saw his career become an early example of gossip helping to derail a career years before cancel culture and screenshotting DMs became ubiquitous in pop culture. His 2010 studio album, Success & Failure, was his first release after being ostracized by the majors following false rumors about a relationship with trans model Sidney Starr that sent his career into a tailspin.
Rory Takes His Curation Game To The Next Level On Debut LP 'I Thought It'd Be Different'
For long-time fans of the Joe Budden Podcast, no moment in modern podcast history was more significant than when Joe fired Rory during Episode 437, “You Want It To Be One Way.” Not that Rory and Mal (also a former JBP co-host) didn’t land on their feet; their subsequent podcast, New Rory & Mal, is wildly successful. However, none of those pod-politics should be on your mind or sway your decision to press play on Rory’s latest venture, I Thought It’d Be Different.
Amadeus360 Bridges The Boom-Bap Gap With Tightly Curated LP 'The MPC Jedi'
Even though the term “real Hip Hop” remains largely subjective, in recent years, boom-bap has almost become a slur used to encapsulate older artists and heads who refuse to amalgamate with the contemporary tapestry. However, the clear generational divide has yet to stop golden era greats and a younger legion of artists willing to carry the torch forward from building upon its foundation. The new LP by Brooklyn-based producer Amadeus360 is clear evidence of this.
Play X Play: Belly Breaks Down "Ambiance" & More Of His Favorite Tracks From 'Mumble Rap 2'
Palestinian-Canadian rapper and award-winning songwriter Belly has built a massive discography that dates back to the mixtape era when he, quite prominently, dropped three solo tapes hosted by a trifecta of mixtape-era giants: DJ’s Kool Kid (2003), Kay Slay (2004) and Big Mike (2006), respectively. He’s since sold millions of records, written hits for names like Beyoncé and The Weeknd and worked with icons. Not to mention, he counts JAY-Z as a mentor (a massive flex in itself).
Armani White's "Road to CASABLANCO" Proves The Philly MC Has More To Offer Outside Of His Big Hit
Philly MC Armani White had an unconventional blow up. After years of grind, things finally clicked with his breakthrough hit, the Neptunes-sample international smash single “Billie Eilish,” amassing well over 40 billion streams. Now he drops off his first collection of songs since his meteoric rise and subsequent Def Jam signing, Road to CASABLANCO (a subtle nod to his 2018 Santo-produced “Casablanco Freestyle,” in name only).
Belly Talks 'Mumble Rap 2' & Reflects On His Legacy: 'I Can't Be Anything but Grateful' Original
Few contemporary artists better embody the spirit of Russell Crowes’ Maximus screaming “Are you not entertained?!” better than Palestinian-Canadian rapper, songwriter and producer Belly. Hailing from Canada’s capital, Ottawa, with a discography dating back to 2003, he’s broken many barriers over the past two decades — not just as an MC.
Conway The Machine Continues To Upgrade His Programming On 'Won't He Do It'
Longtime fans will tell you Conway The Machine rarely misses, and his previous effort, God Don’t Make Mistakes — a commercial breakthrough for the Buffalo native — more than proved his ability to win by further broadening his gritty sound without sacrificing any of his edge.
Black Thought & El Michels Affair | 'Glorious Game' album review
Coming off the critically acclaimed Cheat Codes — a runner-up for the DX Best Hip Hop Album Of 2022 award — Tariq Trotter, better known as Black Thought, once again asserts his Zeus-level pen with Glorious Game, a collaborative LP with El Michels Affair (headed by one of his fave producers, Leon Michels).
Talib Kweli & Madlib | 'Liberation 2' Album Review
Seventeen years removed from their first collaborative effort, the elusive crate-digging Zeus Madlib and Brooklyn’s own Talib Kweli–the Libs–return with Liberation 2, a Luminary-only album a decade in the making. It’s easy to imagine why the album took so long; they have been swamped since their first Liberation project. Talib (among other things) dropped a cumulative 12 projects in that time span–Madlib had closer to 20, including respective AOTY contenders Piñata and Bandana with Freddie Gibbs.
Lil Kim's 'La Bella Mafia': 10 Things You May (Or May Not) Have Known
In many ways, 2003 was an important year for rapper Lil Kim; a few years removed from her platinum-selling sophomore album, The Notorious K.I.M, and her first Grammy alongside Christina Aguilera, Mýa and Pink for the Missy Elliott and Rocwilder-produced “Lady Marmalade,” she had reached her mainstream apex, and all eyes were on what she was about to do next. She was also in the midst of turmoil.
Tony Yayo | The Loyal Album Review
Time flies, as it’s been almost two decades since day one member of the defunct G-Unit, Tony Yayo, dropped Thoughts Of A Predicate Felon—his sole commercially successful solo album—and almost seven years since his last mixtape. Now, fresh from a 22-city Canadian tour, the Southside Jamaica Queens native is making a grand reemergence with The Loyal, a new 12-song LP that sees Yayo updating his sound and adapting to new energy.
The 16 Best Lupe Fiasco Songs
Makeup - 10 mins ago The lack of universal praise that Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco receives within rap music is hugely disheartening. The fact that an artist of his caliber, so recognized in the field that he literally teaches Rap Theory and Practice at MIT, doesn’t even exist as a footnote on a prominent list of the “50 best rappers of all time” is, at best, confusing.
Boldy James and Rich Gains' 'Indiana Jones' Album Review
Just a few weeks after it was reported that rapper Boldy James had been in a car accident in the Detroit area that left him with broken vertebrae in his neck and other injuries, the MC (who has since moved to a rehab center) released a sobering collaborative project with Rich Gains, Indiana Jones. It’s one of his heartiest “one-producer” offerings to date, sitting at 17 tracks.
Skyzoo's "The Mind Of A Saint" Is A Master Class In Executing A Conceptual Album
Fully thematic albums can be a mixed bag. If an artist’s concept is too complicated or obscure, listeners will lose interest. Conversely, if it’s too loose, artists open themselves up to criticism for poor execution. Brooklyn MC and ATL restaurant owner Skyzoo’s latest release, The Mind Of A Saint: A Soliloquy by Skyzoo, is a master class in pulling off a conceptual album without breaking character or losing steam (no easy feat).
Rappers That Died in 2022 | Remembering Those We Lost
The number of rappers that died in 2022—particularly those who had yet to fully flourish before meeting untimely fates—was nothing short of soul-crushing. With so many young lives lost, some as young as 15, Hip Hop continued to feel like, in the words of GZA, a deadly video game with just one man. With ambitions of success and social media clout seemingly overriding a desire to use platforms to better their situations, rapping remained one of the most dangerous professions in America this year.
Best Hip Hop Producers of 2022 | HipHopDX
As always, when the year draws to a close, the DX staff converge to puff out their chests and furiously debate, critique and rank the year’s finest across the spectrum of the culture. 2022 was a big year for music, from big newcomers to seasoned veterans; the year’s more exciting, acclaimed releases were crafted by producers who have been leading the rising tide for the past few years.
Busta Rhymes | The Fuse Is Lit Album Review
Busta Rhymes, Hip Hop’s least duplicable figure, was set to return after an eight-year hiatus in 2020 with the electrifying Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God (a sequel to 1998’s Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front). With renewed vigor, he didn’t make us wait as long this time for new material, dropping off a short and sweet new five-song EP, The Fuse is Lit, a salute to his Jamaican roots and proof he can shine among the next generation.
Busta Rhymes 'When Disaster Strikes' | 10 Things You May Not Have Known
This past September marked the 25th anniversary of Busta Rhymes’ classic sophomore effort When Disaster Strikes…—an album that shaped his career and solidified him as one of the more successful acts in Hip Hop. However, to understand this album’s importance, you must put his place in the culture (going into 1997) in the proper context.
Jeezy & DJ Drama
For those there to witness it firsthand, the long-gone mixtape era was—for lack of a more extended, sappy manifesto—special. During this period, rapper Jeezy, still going by Young Jeezy, connected with DJ Drama to drop a handful of classic mixtapes before they , the most notable of which was 2005’s Trap Or Die, which launched the famed Gangsta Grillz series into a new dimension. 11 studio albums later, Jeezy and the Hip Hop world is in a much different place.
Armani Caesar Reflects On DJ Shay's Influence Over Her Career: 'Shay Was The Visionary'
Exclusive – Armani Caesar is on track to become the big star her team thought she would be with the release of her new album, The Liz 2. It’s a moment the late Demetrius Chawton Robinson, a.k.a. DJ Shay, foresaw years ago when he first helped a group of Buffalo, New York kids he believed in grow into what would become a lot of individual movements under the grand umbrella of Griselda Records.
Armani Caesar's "The Liz 2" Aims To Solidify Her Status As Griselda's Wild Card
EXCLUSIVE – One glass ceiling that consistently hangs over Griselda Records and the various offshoot brands run by its starting lineup is its aesthetic. While they are unquestionably incredible artists, their sound has cultivated a fan base that isn’t likely to sit through any drastic watering down of their music; this is why Armani Caesar is a secret weapon. The 33-year-old MC has found a way to avoid being artistically boxed in. “I am the wild card,” Armani tells HipHopDX.
BSF 'Long Live DJ Shay' Is A Worthy Memorial For The Late Buffalo Producer
Not all compilation albums are created equal, certainly not when they have an overabundance of moving parts and personalities. This has certainly been true in the case of Benny The Butcher and his constantly evolving Black Soprano Family crew. Past releases, like their Trust Gang collaboration Trust The Sopranos and even the Gangsta Grillz tape, Da Respected Sopranos, were good but not great.
Armani Caesar Talks Elizabeth Taylor: "She Represents Queendom & Luxury"
EXCLUSIVE – Two years removed from her Griselda debut, Armani Caesar is set to drop her sophomore LP, The Liz 2, on the storied Buffalo imprint late next month. Much like the first installment, the project’s artwork features an oil painting of the late Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor, embellished with a third eye, by artist Isaac Pelayo. In conversation with HipHopDX, Armani broke down the decision to base her Griselda breakout around the legendary actress.
Westside Gunn Adds $100K Last Supper Painting To His Collection
EXCLUSIVE – Plenty of people were in attendance for painter Isaac Pelayo‘s one-night-only The New Renaissance solo show in LA on September 17 — including Griselda abbot Westside Gunn. In conversation with DX, Pelayo (who describes Gunn as a mentor) had noted that he originally intended to have the rapper and avid art collector present at the show. However, his schedule ultimately didn’t allow it.
Griselda-Affiliated Painter Isaac Pelayo Talks Westside Gunn Relationship & Upcoming Show: “It’s Like My Debut Album”
Exclusive – The magic of Griselda lies in its overarching curation — handled exclusively by the imprint’s mastermind Westside Gunn. Serving almost as a grimy, street-centric answer to early 90s Native Tongues, the brand continues to exist as the catalyst for an entire sub-genre of music that has seen countless independent artists launch careers in the past few years. That, though, is just one side of Griselda; it’s the side most commonly reported by outlets, understandably.
Danger Mouse & Black Thought Punch In the 'Cheat Codes' for Hip-Hop Harmony
Published Aug 10, 2022 8 With all the tools — a reputation as an all-time great wordsmith and daily visibility on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon included — to make great mainstream efforts, Black Thought remains admirably committed to crafting lyrically rich, left-field hip-hop.
Westside Gunn ‘Peace Fly God’ Is Built For Seasoned Griselda Fans
For Griselda mastermind Westside Gunn, it’s not unusual for projects to come together quickly following a flash of inspiration. In fact, his first Paris Fashion Week experience inspired 2020’s Pray for Paris, his most commercially successful project to date. Upon returning stateside after 2022’s Paris Fashion Week, Gunn locked in with one of his imprint’s most buzzing new signees, Stove God Cooks, and Boston native Estee Nack for his latest project, Peace “Fly” God.
Logic 'Vinyl Days' Is A Respectable Farewell To His Def Jam Era
Hip Hop retirements inevitably end; for those who eat, breathe and sleep the culture, it’s almost impossible (as many have learned) to “turn it off.” The latest example is the bi-racial Maryland native Logic. After stepping away from the industry to be a full-time parent and, apparently, a Twitch streamer in summer 2020, he announced he would return to rapping a year later.
Lupe Fiasco | Drill Music In Zion Album Review
Many MCs get left off best rapper lists, but none more inexplicably than Chicago-native and self-proclaimed “most black-balled rapper ever,” Lupe Fiasco. True, it may lay in his refusal to play the industry game, especially in his late career. While die-hard fans — the same who went to war alongside him to get Lasers released over a decade ago — have continued to hold him in high reverence, he isn’t quite as popular for younger Hip Hop listeners, which is fair.
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