A History Of The 'Big' Business Of Hip-Hop

Jason Shelowitz is an artist and graphic designer based in Manhattan who combines his love for design with his passion for hip hop in his latest project, "Rap Quotes."

The Harlem Shake, now two weeks into its life as America’s favorite (or most annoying) meme, has shown a surprising resilience in an age when most Internet jokes have a 24-hour shelf life. More than 4,000 videos featuring the words “Harlem Shake” were being posted per day to YouTube during the peak of the mania last week, and new versions continue to crop up. The primary element holding the videos together, which feature everything from dancing walruses to Power Rangers, is the song “Harlem Shake,” a hip-hop instrumental that sports a now-infamous beat drop about 15 seconds in.

The Harlem Shake, now two weeks into its life as America’s favorite (or most annoying) meme, has shown a surprising resilience in an age when most Internet jokes have a 24-hour shelf life. More than 4,000 videos featuring the words “Harlem Shake” were being posted per day to YouTube during the peak of the mania last week, and new versions continue to crop up. The primary element holding the videos together, which feature everything from dancing walruses to Power Rangers, is the song “Harlem Shake,” a hip-hop instrumental that sports a now-infamous beat drop about 15 seconds in.

brand-m: Hip-hop man Swizz Beatz has purchased a stake in electronics firm Monster Cable and has joined the company’s exec board.

In two unlikely instances of mash-up marketing, a new hip-hop video features wholesome youths rapping about organic dairy farming. And a new cookbook is aimed at fans of heavy metal: Mosh Potatoes.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Indie hip-hop star Destorm Power talks about YouTube stardom, touring, hip-hop, and the future of indie music.

A woman fell into a trance and collapsed onto the coffin as the burial of a Haitian hip-hop star was greeted with hysterical singing from his adoring entourage.Evenson Francis, known to fans on the streets of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince as "Shacan Lord", never escaped his recording studio when Tuesday's earthquake hit, robbing Haiti of a bright young star.Along with his group "Gasoline Clan", the 31-year-old performer was regarded as a "pioneer of Haitian hip-hop," explained his producer Roosevelt Francois.