Darren is a Bronx-born writer/reporter who's dabbled in entertainment journalism for over a decade. Bylines have appeared in/on Maxim and Maxim online, AOL's The Boombox, Alternative Press, Popmatters, Star, Blender and others. His CD reviews have been published in the All-Music Guides to Rock and Hip-Hop.
Darren Ratner
Nas’ ‘God’s Son’ Album Remembered 10 Years Later
In hip-hop, an artist's reputation can change in a flash. One minute, you're a hot young rapper from Queens, boasting talent so strong other emcees quiver in your wake; the next, you're fading into the backdrop, churning out so-so albums of uninspired verses and wondering what went wrong, and, more importantly, how to make it right.
Top 10 Michael Jackson Songs
It's hard to believe that pop icon Michael Jackson is three years gone. It feels like yesterday we were hearing the incomparable 'Thriller' album for the very first time. We remember sitting on our couches glued to the TV as he accepted accolade after accolade at awards shows for hit after hit, and found him curious when he dodged the spotlight almost as much as he embraced it. Jackson's lif...
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Celebrity Cameos in Hip-Hop and R&B Videos
Ron Howard? Pamela Anderson? Jaleel White? No, these famous faces aren't uniting to form a new soul group; they've just famously showed up in some of your favorite hip-hop and R&B music videos.
Celebrity Cameos in Videos: Pamela Anderson in Kanye West’s ‘Touch the Sky’
Kanye West seemed a tad disappointed in 2006, when the appearance of Pamela Anderson in his 'Touch the Sky' video didn't win him an MTV Europe Music Award. Nevertheless, you can almost see how Anderson's buxom, Baywatch frame in a white suit (one that -- shocker -- barely fits) was obligatory for this sexed-up, button-pushing shout-out to daredevil Evil Knievel, who, by the way, later sued the rap
Celebrity Cameos in Videos: Hugh Hefner in Nelly’s ‘Work It’
No clue as to how superstars Nelly and Justin Timberlake convinced the almighty Playboy magnate to appear in this 2003 video, but given that it was filmed at the Playboy mansion, with busty babes and '70s porno influence all around, it probably wasn't hard (and we hope that's not what she said)...
Celebrity Cameos in Videos: Kelly Ripa in Jay-Z’s ‘Change Clothes’
The appearance of this 'Live With Kelly and Michael' star at the 1:58-mark seems awkward at best. Was it that Jay-Z's reported bestie, Gwyneth Paltrow couldn't show for the gig? We like how Ripa stares at the lights, forces the smile and her hubby Mark Consuelos just sits there chewing his gum, almost as if he's wondering how he got roped into the whole thing...
Celebrity Cameos in Videos: Scarlett Johansson in Justin Timberlake’s ‘What Goes Around… Comes Around’
Accompanying what could be Justin Timberlake's steamiest track to date, the nine-minute video to 'What Goes Around... Comes Around,' from his 'FutureSex/LoveSounds' album, gave starlet Scarlett Johansson her first step into the music industry playing the other half of a tumultuous, passionate relationship...
Celebrity Cameos in Videos: Christopher Mintz-Plasse in Kid Cudi’s ‘Erase Me’
Kanye West protege Kid Cudi could've handled this 'Erase Me' video on his own, showing up in a Jimi Hendrix-like getup. Still, the addition of 'Superbad' star Christopher Mintz-Plasse (aka McLovin) as a long-haired British drummer from a '70s heyday was a welcome hoot...
Celebrity Cameos in Videos: Eddie Murphy in Michael Jackson’s ‘Remember the Time’
No disrespect to comedic legend Eddie Murphy, but his performance in Michael Jackson's shiny, Egyptian-themed 'Remember the Time' video kept us both bored and entertained at the same time. Yes, watching Murphy's facial expressions is always a treat, but all he really did in this video was, you know, sit there...
Celebrity Cameos in Videos: Ben Stiller in Diddy’s ‘Bad Boy for Life’
Actor and comedian Ben Stiller isn't the only celeb to make an appearance in this 2001 Diddy video featuring his Bad Boy Family. There's Blink-182's Travis Barker, the Red Hot Chili Pepper's Dave Navarro and even Snoop Dogg. But hey, Stiller landed the most screen time...