Anslem Samuel Rocque

Complex.com • 5th September 2018

A Decade of Defiance: A Look Back at Beats by Dr. Dre's First 10 Years

It's been 10 years since Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine decided to change the headphone game forever with the launch of Beats By Dr. Dre. Here's an interactive timeline of some of the brand's biggest milestone over the past decade.

Complex • 8th August 2018

BlocBoy JB and Big Boi Hit the Studio to Talk Music, Style, and Sneakers

BlocBoy JB knew he was coming to Atlanta to meet Big Boi at Stankonia Studios, but the Memphis upstart didn’t realize this was no ordinary studio. Originally owned by R&B star Bobby Brown, the space is where Big and fellow OutKast member Andre 3000 recorded several of their classic albums. Here's a brief convo between the new school and old school of the South.

Complex • 29th May 2018

Best ASAP Rocky Songs

Rocky’s expanded his reach and influence through fashion, film, and directing, among other ventures, but the music is what propels his compelling narrative forward. He’s got an impressive catalog to back up his status as one of the brightest stars of this generation. On the heels of his latest release Testing, these are ASAP Rocky’s best songs.

Complex • 8th May 2018

The Best Nicki Minaj Features

There's no doubt about it: Nicki Minaj is a star. But let’s say some folks are still on the fence about the illuminating wattage of her star power. All you have to do is check her lyrical resume.

Complex • 24th April 2018

The Best Drake Hooks

Despite being one of the biggest mainstream successes in recent rap history, Drake is no stranger to haters, who long to bring him down once and for all: he’s too sensitive, he’s played out, his Caribbean accent sucks (Okay, that one is kind of fair). The ghostwriting accusations didn’t help, and have made critics even more quick to downplay Drake’s success, and even more reluctant to give credit where credit is due.

Complex • 17th April 2018

The Best Migos Songs

Atlanta continues to produce some of the biggest acts in rap these days, and Migos are at the forefront of the latest crop of artists shining. Consisting of Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff, the ATL trio started off feeding the streets, and before long gained traction on the mainstream level while still staying true to their trap roots.

Complex • 10th April 2018

Pusha T's 30 Best Verses

You oftentimes hear the phrase "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper" thrown around loosely, but in Pusha T's case the description is appropriate. The Virginia Beach representative,​ who initially built his rep brick by brick, switched to raps around the turn of the millennium and has since mastered the craft, earning the respect of his big homies, contemporaries, and up-and-comers in the process.

Complex • 1st July 2017

The Jay Z Encyclopedia

With the release of his thirteenth solo album 4:44 upon us, it’s a fitting time to break down the language, life, and times of Jay Z, and give context to the people, places, and things in the God MC’s worldview. This is the Encyclopedia of Jay Z.

Complex • 15th June 2017

Music Exec Jimmy Henchmen Opens Up About the Realities of Serving Six Life Sentences

James Rosemond can’t escape his past. Try as he may, the sins of his former life still haunt him. Known for years as “Jimmy Henchmen,” Rosemond has earned a reputation as a fearsome figure in the music industry as well as the streets. The fact that he's currently serving six life sentences while waiting for a retrial on murder-for-hire allegations only adds to the mystique. But during the course of a two-hour phone conversation from prison, the longtime manager proves himself to be more benevolent than violent.

Complex • 13th September 2016

An Open Letter To 2Pac (In His Own Words)

Reflecting back on 2Pac's immense catalog of music for the 20th anniversary of his passing, here is one fan's clever reworking of the legendary MC's song titles to compose a brief tribute to 2Pac in his own words.

Genius • 7th September 2016

Remembering The Rap Song That Fantasized About Rudy Giuliani’s Assassination

At the turn of the century, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani was gunned down while in office. The contentious two-term mayor (1994-2001) was presiding over a City Hall conference—ex-wife Donna Hanover at his side—when five shots rang out from the crowd, taking his life and staining the podium in blood. Giuliani had a long list of enemies so there were numerous suspects, but ultimately all fingers pointed to Screwball, a Queensbridge rap group comprised of Hostyle, KL, Blaq Poet and Solo.

Genius • 8th July 2016

How Skeff Anselm Helped Tribe, Mos Def, and Brand Nubian Make Classics

The name Skeffington “Skeff” Anselm might not ring bells for casual rap fans, but the longstanding engineer/producer has played a part in some of the genre’s most classic records. Just check the liner notes on some of your favorite albums from the early to mid ’90s. Everyone from Brand Nubian and De La Soul to Heavy D and MC Serch to D.I.T.C. members like Diamond D and Lord Finesse have recorded with Skeff, but his legacy will forever be tied to A Tribe Called Quest.

Hip-Hop Wired • 21st September 2015

10 Things We Learned About the Music Industry From Empire Season One

Most mainstream takes on Hip-Hop culture tend to end in pure struggle. Fortunately, Lee Daniels’ Empire is one of the rare exceptions. Despite having its fair share of melodramatic, soap opera moments, the show actually entertained and stood out from the crop of newcomers last year, landing FOX a bonafide hit. Not just on the Nielsen ratings but on the music charts as well.

MadameNoire • 8th June 2015

Michael Jackson Could've Been the Greatest LGBT Advocate Ever

When the Olympian formerly known as Bruce Jenner made her big reveal as Caitlyn Jenner on the cover of Vanity Fair you could hear the Internet break. Sorry, Kimye, but news of baby number two was immediately eclipsed by CJ’s coming-out party. Folks were just too curious to finally get a glimpse of her transition, and when we did, our collective jaws dropped in shock and awe.

Hip-Hop Wired • 15th October 2014

Technically Speaking: Ryan Leslie Calls Industry Audible Via New Start-Up

Ryan Leslie is a man of the people. He’s also a man of many talents. Grammy-nominated record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur and child prodigy are just a few of the titles that the Washington, DC-native currently holds, which reflect both his diversity and creativity. Over the past several years he’s also quietly added tech titan to his ever-expanding list of accomplishments and skills.

MadameNoire • 20th December 2013

Beyoncé’s Surprise Album: More Old Tricks Than Unoriginal Ones

It took me two weeks of listening to Beyoncé’s “Netflix album” (I’ll explain that term later) to decode her vision. While several critics and Twitter philosophers have wasted character quotas trying to decipher the possible anti-feminist or TMI-turn up merits of Beyoncé’s surprise album, we should have all actually seen it coming. Here's why.

Black Enterprise • 28th June 2012

Epic Records’ Astro on Continuing Education & Pursuing Acting

Black Enterprise talks to Astro the Astronimical Kid, from X-Factor. He speaks on life after reality TV, working on his debut album on Epic Records, being mentored by LA Reid, Spike Lee's influence on him and why he's Black History in the Making.

Black Enterprise • 1st April 2012

WATCH: David Banner on Trayvon Martin Shooting Death

Black Enterprise talks to David Banner on the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. The artist/producer shares his fierce thoughts on how this incident fits into the scope of systematic racism in America.

Black Enterprise • 9th December 2011

Ludacris Cooks up Success with Straits Atlanta Restaurant

Chris “Ludacris” Bridges purchased his 5,170 square-foot property in Downtown Atlanta for $2.7 million with no intentions of opening an Asian fusion restaurant. The entertainer/entrepreneur was just looking to rent the space out and collect a check. But after meeting Chef Chris Yeo at a Ludacris Foundation event, the Singaporean cuisine enthusiasts partnered and opened Straits Atlanta in 2007.

Black Enterprise • 13th September 2011

Rapper Gene “Malice” Thornton Finds God & New Career as Author

For the past decade, hip-hop fans have known Gene Elliott Thornton, Jr. strictly by his stage name Malice and one-half of rap group the Clipse with his brother Terrence “Pusha T” Thornton. That all changed earlier this year when the Virginia-based rapper added author to his resume with the release of his debut novel, Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind, and Naked. Inspired by real-life events and his newfound faith in God.