brokencool

Last week, The Hip Hop Museum held its annual gala in New York City. I've had the honour of working with The Museum since May 2024. It was incredible to attend this historic night with incredible honorees, performances, and moments, including Nas and Resorts World donating $2 million to The Museum. A personal highlight for me was hanging with Mr. Cheeks and the LB Fam. I remember watching Lost Boyz videos on Much Music’s Rap City in Toronto as a teenager, and it was dope to chop it up with them and see my Wife do a special handshake with Cheeks 😆. Speaking of which, what made this NY trip more special was having my Wife join me and having her visit the Museum site to see why this is such an important project for me (thanks to @bxmillennialprophet for the incredible tour). Also, shouts to the homie @defeducation —it was great to connect in person! Also shouts to Grandmaster Caz, J. Period, Shirt Kings, Father MC, Adam S, and everyone else I got to chop it up with there. And finally, much love to @rockybucano for all the trust he has shown me and for allowing me to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime project. If you can, please donate to The Museum by visiting THHM.org or hitting the 🔗 in my bio. #rap #hiphop #music #explorepage

I started listening to rap music when I was eight years old. Hip-hop culture has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. It is a foundational piece of who I am as a person. In 2025, The Hip-Hop Museum (@thhmuseum ) will open in the Bronx. It’s a 52,000-square-foot space that celebrates where we started, where we’ve been and where we’re going as hip-hop culture. It will be a place for the world to celebrate hip-hop and gather. Today, I’m excited to share that I’ve joined The Hip Hop Museum team. I will be the Editor-in-Chief of The Hip-Hop Museum Newsletter (subscribe here: uhhm.org/contact/ ). I will also be helping with other aspects of the Museum, including curation and museum installations. Thank you to @rockybucano @wednesdaysfinest and the whole team for the faith they have shown in me to contribute to what will be an iconic space and a must visit in the birthplace of hip-hop, New York City. Not bad for a kid from the 6ix. #rap #hiphop #newyork #bronx #music

This was the article I wrote for @andscape that led to me being a lead writer on Will Smith’s Class of ‘88 podcast. The story focuses on @djjazzyjeff and @willsmith 's 1989 Grammy boycott, taking a stance against the decision to announce the only rap award during the non-televised portion of the show. Key quote from the story: “Not even a Grammy slight could take the shine off “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” Its success, and how it sparked the duo’s careers and the meteoric rise of Smith as a Hollywood heavyweight, is stunning. Carli recalled shooting the video for the single, which was done in one 18-hour shoot, and then watching the footage with director Scott Kalvert. “Holy crap, the camera loves [this kid],” Carli remembers saying. “He’s so incredibly expressive, and he’s selling the story. I called my boss and I said … ‘You know, this kid is going to be a movie star. I think he can be as big as Eddie Murphy.’ ” Carli then proceeded to call Simmons, who managed the duo at the time, to share her feelings about the budding star. Famously, Simmons told Carli that he might be as big as Malcolm-Jamal Warner, but not Eddie Murphy.” 🔗 in my IG story. #rap #hiphop #music #grammyawards

Did you ever wonder about the full story behind one of @champagnepapi most iconic intro tracks, “Over My Dead Body”? A few years ago, I spoke with Canadian icon Chantal Kreviazuk, who is featured on the song, about how it came to be. Read the full article at the 🔗 in my IG story. “I remember it being super organic and spur-of-the-moment. And there was this neat respect, probably because I had about 15 singles out at that point in Canada. I’m sure he knew me, and I obviously knew he was this amazing person that just bloomed onto the scene.” #canada #rap #hiphop #drake

The @stanleycup Playoffs are in full swing. Read the article I wrote about the return of hockey jerseys to Hip Hop fashion - 🔗 in my IG story. Key quotes from the article: Dart Adams, a Boston-based journalist and rap historian, recalled being at the center of the hockey jersey movement in Boston. “My neighborhood rap group, TDS Mob, used to rock Boston Bruins gear. They were affiliated with Boston’s premier rap crew, The Almighty RSO,” remembered Adams. “By early 1990, RSO began rocking Bruins gear, too. Jackets, hats, T-shirts and the most enduring being Bruins jerseys.” Ekeleme did not work at the league during the ’90s. But she said the missed opportunity for the league was due to not having enough people internally who understood the culture. “You have to be aware culturally of what’s happening in a particular community. The NHL is just getting to that point now where we’re catching up internally and understanding and being exposed to these different cultures,” she said. “It’s easier now with social media versus back in the ’90s. We’ve also come a long way in understanding that hip-hop culture is not dangerous, it’s No. 1 when it comes to music. Back then you could argue that hip-hop culture still felt very niche and still only belonged to Black culture.” #rap #hiphop #hockey #fashion #nhl

Today marks two years since I joined the team at The Hip Hop Museum, which has gone by in the blink of an eye. Over these past two years, we've done some incredible things. On a personal note, I'm proud that we are putting out the best Hip Hop content every month in The Hip Hop Museum Newsletter - subscribe at THHM.org. Shout out to all the artists, managers, publicists, and others who have helped support this content. The Hip Hop Museum social channels are also putting out some of the best Hip Hop content daily (be sure to follow) - special shouts to @mmlunlimited @bxmillennialprophet Beyond content, we are doing some incredible things on the partnerships front, and The Museum will be home to the greatest collection of Hip Hop artifacts anywhere. We also launched an amazing new brand and website last year, and we are on the cusp of The Museum’s soft opening in late 2026. Behind all this is an exhaustive amount of work to bring you a world-class institution in the birthplace of Hip Hop culture, The Bronx, NY. This is all backed by an incredible team who are a pleasure to work with - special thanks to @rockybucano , @wednesdaysfinest , and @mignonespy for the trust they’ve shown me since day one. Rocky, your vision is what has us at the place we are at today, and the Museum will truly be Hip Hop’s forever home. Coming from the T-Dot🧊, it’s an honour to have been involved these past two years. Growing up in Toronto, Hip Hop is all I cared about, and I feel lucky to be representing the city on a global scale. I look forward to many more years with The Hip Hop Museum, and I can't wait for everyone to visit. #hiphop #thehiphopmuseum #thebronx #toronto

The March issue of The Hip Hop Museum newsletter dropped last week. As always, the issue was packed with the best Hip Hop content produced today! To subscribe and learn more about how you can donate to The Hip Hop Museum, head to THHM.org The March issue features: - An exclusive interview with Salt (@daonlysalt ) of the legendary Salt-N-Pepa (@saltnpepaofficial ). Salt talks crossover success, the challenges of being in a group, Hip Hop today, and more. - We caught up with Hip Hop legend and pioneer MC Lyte (@mclyte ) to talk about her storied career, being the first female MC to perform at The White House, beef in Hip Hop, and more. - Sabriya M. Dublin, Esq. (@sabriyamarie ) is General Counsel for the legendary Death Row Records (@deathrowrecords ). Sabriya tells us what Hip Hop means to her. - March’s Meet The Team feature highlights Indira A. Abiskaroon Valbuena (@i_abiskaroon ), Creative Director and Director of Curatorial Affairs of The Hip Hop Museum. 🔗 to all features in my bio. #hiphop #rap #TheHipHopMuseum #music

The February issue of The Hip Hop Museum Newsletter just dropped. - I caught up with legendary producer and Hip Hop icon Prince Paul (@djprincepaul ) to talk Gravediggaz, De La Soul, whether or not Hip Hop has lost its humor and more! - Actor and producer Blair Underwood (@blairunderwood_official ) got his start in the 1985 Hip Hop classic film Krush Groove. The Hip Hop Museum asked Blair what Hip Hop means to him. - A pioneer of the early New York City graffiti movement, TOPAZ (@theebonydukes ) stands as a foundational figure and a key member of The Ebony Dukes, widely recognized as the first organized graffiti crew in the Bronx. We caught up with TOPAZ to talk about his donations to The Museum, doing pieces on trains in Hip Hop’s early days, graffiti’s place in Hip Hop today and more! - To celebrate Black History Month, Canada Post (@canadapostagram ) has launched a vibrant new stamp collection, marking the first time the Crown Corporation has ever featured Hip Hop artists. The Hip Hop Museum caught up with Eli Yarhi, Manager of Stamp Development at Canada Post, to talk about the stamps, why this Black History Month was the moment to recognize Hip Hop, how the designs came together, and more! 🔗 to all features in my bio! #rap #hiphop #blackhistorymonth #music #graffiti

2025 was an incredible year at The Hip Hop Museum! In 2026, The Museum will open its doors. Exciting times ahead! In 2025, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with so many incredible actors, broadcasters, and artists for The Hip Hop Museum Newsletter and THHM.org Here are just some of my favourite articles and moments from the past year (part 2). If you haven’t already, subscribe to The Museum Newsletter at THHM.org Jerome “J-Roc Tha Ghost” Harmon (@jrocthaghost ) is a Grammy-winning producer whose genre-defying sound has shaped the careers of music icons. In June, The Hip Hop Museum caught up with J-Roc to discuss his career-defining collaborations with artists like Beyoncé and Jay-Z, the backlash Timbaland faced over his comments about AI in music production, and which Canadian artist gave him his first number-one. In July, I caught up with legendary MC Tash of Tha Alkaholiks (@tash_of_tha_alkaholiks ) to discuss his solo album ‘Rap Life’, what he first thought when Pharrell gave the group a Pop beat, his favorite Liks album and much more! August brought an exclusive interview with one of Hip Hop’s most distinctive voices, Juvenile (@juviethegreat ). The Hip Hop Museum caught up with Juvenile to talk about his new album ‘Boiling Point’, the success of ‘400 Degreez’, why he remains one of the most respected artists in Hip Hop and much more. October brought an incredible interview with DJ, producer, and sonic storyteller J. Period (@jperiodbk ) to discuss orchestrating his live mixtape series, classic projects like ‘The Best of Lauryn Hill’, working with Black Thought, the importance of The Hip Hop Museum, and more. DJ Zirk (@official_icondjzirk ) is a pioneering force in Southern Hip Hop and a foundational figure in the Memphis rap scene. The Hip Hop Museum caught up with DJ Zirk to talk about the early days of the Memphis Hip Hop scene, his controversial hit regional single “Lock Em In The Trunk”, the Memphis sound, and more. And so much more, including amazing exclusives with Erick Sermon (@erick_sermon ), The D.O.C. (@c.d.o.c ), and Ras Kass (@ras_kass ). #rap #hiphop #fyp #music #2025

2025 was an incredible year at The Hip Hop Museum! In 2026, The Museum will open its doors. Exciting times ahead! In 2025, I've had the opportunity to connect with so many incredible actors, broadcasters, and artists for The Hip Hop Museum Newsletter and THHM.org Here are just some of my favourite articles and moments from the past year (part 1). If you haven't already, subscribe to The Museum Newsletter at THHM.org In January 2025, I conducted an exclusive interview with Nipsey Hussle’s brother, Blacc Sam. In this rare conversation for The Hip Hop Museum, I spoke with Blacc Sam about the creation of The Marathon brand (@themarathonclothing ), Sam watching the “Hussle In The House” video for the first time from prison, forthcoming unreleased Nipsey Hussle music, his brother’s genius mind, forthcoming initiatives for The Neighborhood Nip Foundation, and much more. In February, The Museum caught up with legendary Kentucky Hip Hop group Nappy Roots (@nappyroots ). The Hip Hop Museum caught up with Skinny DeVille, B. Stille, Ron Clutch, and Fish Scales to talk about the career of Nappy Roots, their influence on the growing blending of Country and Hip Hop, and how they came to build their own brewery, Atlantucky (@atlantucky ). Also in February, I caught up with LaRoyce Hawkins (@laroycehawkins ) one of the stars of @nbcchicagopd ) to ask him the question: What Does Hip Hop Mean To You? In March, I caught up with Darius Rucker (@dariusrucker ), lead singer of Hootie & The Blowfish (@hootieofficial ) and acclaimed solo artist, to ask him the question: What Does Hip Hop Mean To You? April brought an incredible interview with acclaimed producer Mark Batson (@markbatsonofficial ). The Hip Hop Museum caught up with Mark Batson for an in-depth discussion about his creative process, Eminem, why Dr. Dre is the greatest producer ever, his unique experience working with Jay-Z, and much more. In May, renowned sports producer, host, and radio host Donnovan Bennett (@donnovanbennett ) told us what Hip Hop means to him. #fyp #rap #hiphop #2025 #sports

The December issue of The Hip Hop Museum Newsletter just dropped!!! The December issue features: - A candid interview with Hip Hop Museum CEO @rockybucano looking back on the progress made, the challenges faced, and the road ahead. Oh, and did we mention Rocky gives us more details on The Museum’s public opening? - An exclusive interview with West Coast Rap legend @ras_kass - We find out what Hip Hop means to superstar DJ, musician, and producer @wuki and more!!! Read all the features at THHM.org or hit the 🔗 in my profile for all features. #fyp #rap #hiphop

Rap Rising on @audiomack has been updated with new music from @yourolddroog @itsmarcoplus @getbenny @dababy and more!!! Listen at the 🔗 in my bio or search “Rap Rising” on Audiomack. #fyp #rap #hiphop