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In May 2010 we asked superproducer
Just Blaze "What Happened To The Remix?" - who would have thought that that answer would make it's way into the pages of the colossal 420-page coffee table book
Hip Hop: A Cultural Odyssey Book?
Bound in black leather and described as "the definitive literary and photographic celebration of the groundbreaking culture," the luxury book features unseen photos by Hip Hop photographer Jonathan Mannion, interviews, essays and profiles on a range of Hip Hop pioneers, legends and players key in the growth and global impact of Hip Hop of Hip-Hop, including
Jay-Z, Kanye West, Eminem, Run-DMC, Queen Latifah, Will.I.Am, Diddy, 50 Cent and
Will Smith.
Afrika Bambaataa penned the book's intro with a further 150 or so artists contributing commentary, including
Cee Lo, Chuck D, Faith Evans, Ice-T, Kool Keith, Method Man, Nelly, ?uestlove and
Spinderella.
Watch our interview with Just Blaze below, along with more details on
Hip Hop: A Cultural Odyssey and how to get your hand on it.
Rihanna became an aggressively focused triple threat this year. Leading lanes in both music and fashion, she also took a step in to the realm of film. And there’s no doubt that the mischievous Barbadian has definitely upped her celebrity stock with the help of a camera or two over the last 12 months. Aside from the Paris Hilton-esque ‘It Girl’ persona she’s been pushing, she’s also been flying the flag for the pop world like no other. Returning with her seventh album, much to the anticipation of her fans, there’s evidence this time around of growth and maturity within Rhi Rhi’s game.
Let’s not get it twisted, Slaughterhouse is the squad. Flipmode may have said it but Slaughterhouse are it.
A deadly foursome, consisting of Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, Joe Budden and of course Royce Da 5’9, are all names not to be scoffed at as far as lyrical prowess is concerned. Successful entities within their own right, now a collective they are signed to Eminem’s Shady Records imprint, and the time has come for the underground to go overground. 
No art form or genre has ever had to justify its very existence the way hip hop does. Whether it is the various accusations levelled at it as having negative effect on society, or the broad generalisations that question its very validity as an art form, it remains a source of huge debate from its very inception. It was always viewed as the new brash kid in school who always has to justify himself.
Well, this kid grew up and has become a force and is becoming harder to ignore as perhaps the voice of the 21st century. This is, of course, amazing considering where it all started. And this is what Ice-T's new documentary Something From Nothing: The Art Of Rap attempts to tackle. 
If the happy ending to the much chronicled story of Royce da 5'9" was his reunion with Eminem, the emcee now moves into the sequel stage of this novel. From ghostwriting for Dr. Dre, to prison, to his alliance with Slaughterhouse, the faith in Detroit’s recognised son hasn’t been deserted by his long-time admirers and this year has shown why. Whilst the emphatic performances on his Bad Meets Evil EP with Slim Shady have catapulted 5'9" back into the radar of critics and fans who seek material away from the underground, Success Is Certain aims to maintain the emcee's current momentum.
It was in 1999 when the world first witnessed when ‘Bad’ met ‘Evil’. Detroit’s finest rappers and long-term friends Eminem and Royce Da 5’9" collaborated on the former’s Slim Shady LP, where both of their sick-to-def styles crossed paths making for a fine outing. But throughout the years, disagreements, personal tragedy and label drama contributed to the distancing of the pair. But after Royce and Em patched things up and became labelmates again (via Shady’s partnership with Royce’s Slaughterhouse collective) the Motor City’s meanest deliverers join forces once again, with the intention of causing an uproar within the realms of Hip Hop’s finest duos.
Ten years into the 21st Century and Hip Hop is now one of the biggest grossing industries in the world today. Forget the music – the clothing, films and TV deals have all played a part in establishing this way of life as one of the biggest phenomenons. To think it all started off with just two turntables and a mic...
As 2010 dawns, its time to take a look at what has had the streets and discussion boards talking; the artists, the controversies and sadly, the losses. The Hip Hop Highlights of the Decade... 
Although 2009 has seen Eminem, Jay-Z and Rakim make welcome returns to the game, there is yet another figure which the Hip Hop community has felt empty without. 50 Cent, the most influential and controversial artist of the new millennium, steps back into the rap arena with the hugely delayed - but equally anticipated - Before I Self Destruct album.
Balancing business with beef in ‘09, fans and haters have been debating whether or not 50’s musical relevance is necessary, with Lil Wayne, Drake and other rap rookies basking in the glow in which the G-Unit General once ran roughshot in.
Darker and murkier than all of his prior albums, Before I Self Destruct presents an evolved