Urban Bytes

When the Grammys celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008, stars went all out with their wardrobe that evening. And while we think that Fantasia's decision to go with a floor-length gown was a good one, her skunk-like hair was not the right accessory to complete this outfit...

Kanye West is easily one of the most stylish men in hip-hop. And although we may not agree with all of his style choices (Remember the leather kilt?), he does tend to look chic on the red carpet. So when he invited Fantasia to perform at his 2005 New Year's Eve bash, you'd think she'd go all out on the ensemble or at least ask her stylist for advice...

Winning 'American Idol' has its perks. Aside from the win and the big record contract, Fantasia was also given the chance to develop some lipgloss colors for famed makeup company MAC. And when she attended the launch of her line at a MAC location in Harlem, N...

Jay-Z decided to use the social function as an opportunity to promote his new album, 'Magna Carta Holy Grail,' which drops on July 4. The business-minded rapper gave out goodie bags filled with Samsung Galaxy smartphones with the new project available on it for some listening pleasure...

Hip-hop has grown beyond what it was at its core in the 1970s. These days, the genre is a multi-million dollar empire. It's a multi-faceted industry full of rappers from all walks of life: from the "nerd rap" of folks like Kansas' XV to the super commercialized song-rap of Atlanta's Future...

There's a running joke in rap music about the quintessential weed carrier -- where ever you see the rapper, you see the weed carrier. Whether it's during performances, in pictures or in videos, the emcee's right-hand man is always there...

Tax season rolls around every year at the same time, but somehow a substantial number of rappers forget to pay Uncle Sam -- he doesn't play when it comes to his money. Before much time passes, your favorite emcee's name is splashed across the internet with the tagline: 'Hit With Tax Lien...

To be successful in hip-hop in 2013, an artist has to learn what production works best for him. Even if there's a beatsmith that's popular, every and any rapper may not be able to match the backing without sounding contrived. Meek Mill knew what he had in Jahlil Beats years before Rick Ross came knocking and even once signed to MMG, the Philly rapper brought Jahlil along for the ride...

With the amount of drama swirling around rappers nowadays, they need a hard-nosed publicist on hand to correct a Twitter faux pas, recorded outbursts and misguided remarks. Young artists like Chief Keef need a fixer round-the-clock. Why would anyone threaten to slap harmless Katie Perry...

The music business definitely isn't what it used to be even 15 years ago. Some albums that shipped platinum in the 1990s probably wouldn't even move numbers these days. In a sea of rappers, there are only a few who are consistently making it to the top of the charts and those artists are the ones who've succeeded in making the crossover hit -- a track that resonates from hip-hop radio to the Top 4