Today, we celebrate the 57th birthday of one of hip hop’s most respected lyricists and a cornerstone of the golden era sound; CL Smooth. Born Corey Brent Penn Sr. on October 8, 1968, the New Rochelle, ...

Over the past year, the Kennedy Center has beefed up its hip-hop programming with conversations, concerts, and special guests including luminary lyricists, trendsetting DJs, and scholars who have ...

Albums like To Pimp a Butterfly and 1999 blend jazz harmonies with sharp lyricism, proving the genre’s deep connection. Hip-hop may keep evolving, but funk and jazz remain its heartbeat, fueling its ...

Tribute concerts can feel like burial ceremonies for the living. But at a live 2011 homage to vibraphonist and icon Roy Ayers by hip-hop-loving jazz pianist Robert Glasper and smooth-sampling rap ...

On this day in 1994, Pete Rock and CL Smooth released their second and final studio album, The Main Ingredient, through Elektra Records. Today marks the 31st anniversary of this timeless classic that ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. On this week’s episode of “Drink Champs,” N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN were joined by revered rapper CL Smooth. Coming up in Mount Vernon, ...

James Brown's funky beats, brought to you by drummer, Clyde Stubblefield, are the most popularly sampled in hip hop, but what about jazz? Has it not significantly impacted hip hop as well? The answer ...