This Is My Rifle: The Death of Free Speech - Pt. 1 SOPA

Posted by Jason James on 01/25/12 | Filed under Features, This Is My Rifle

I don’t know about you, but in my opinion losing our right to free speech so some asshole at Universal can sign another Justin Bieber and buy a solid gold Rolls Royce just doesn’t seem like much of a fair trade. But that's exactly what SOPA proposes.

The Filesharing Apocalypse is Coming, & It’s Taking Hip-Hop Down With It

Posted by Nathan S. on 01/24/12 | Filed under Top Stories, Features

I know you'd rather look at pictures of faceless booty models and talk shit about Nicki Minaj than read about legislation and nerdy computer stuff, but whether you're an artist or a fan, if you care about download music on the interwebs (hint, if you're reading this you do) you really should be prepared for the impending file sharing apocalypse. See more...

I Wish Someone Would Tell Me What Happened to Skee-Lo

I know there are like seven people in the world who have recently thought to themselves, "Hey, I wonder whatever happened to Skee-Lo?", but since all seven of them are citizens of RefinedHype Nation, myself included....it turns out the man got screwed by his label, got disillusioned and gave up music:

From Young Jeezy to MC Hammer, Rap Name Changes That Failed

Posted by Nathan S. on 01/23/12 | Filed under Top Stories, Features

Tity Boi's switch to 2 Chainz is a rare example of a successful hip-hop name change - probably because the man named himself fucking Tity Boi in the first place - but most rappers who attempt such a feat aren't so lucky. From "don't call me Young" Jeezy to "please call me Mike Bigga" Killer Mike, new rap names never stick, and here's proof....

Fails of the Week: Mega-Clusterf**k, Kobe Gets Cleaned Out & More

Posted by Nathan S. on 01/20/12 | Filed under Top Stories, Features, Fails of the Week

In the latest of an ongoing series that will include the best...or worst...fails of the week from the world of hip-hop, sports, pop culture and beyond. In this week's very special edition, I examine the MegaUpload clusterfuck, Kobe getting cleaned out by his ex-wife and more....

Etta James, Soul’s Realest Singer of All-Time, Dies at 73

Just like the greatest rapper of all-time debate, the greatest soul singer of all-time debate can get heated, but there's no debating that Etta James belongs at or near the top of any legitimate list. So it's with a heavy heart that I write James passed away today at the age of 73. Few could match Etta's blend of heartbreaking emotion and often raunchy delivery. See more...

This Week in Cool Random Sh*t…....

Posted by Nathan S. on 01/19/12 | Filed under Features

I'm so busy looking at Rosa Acosta pics working that I never have the time to post them. So today I figured I'd clean out my email and give you one collection of time sucking randomness, from Rihanna's new Armani ad to the original Black Star cover. See more...

Absurdly Wealthy Warren Buffet Throws Down With Jay-Z, Throws Up the Roc

How rich is Warren Buffet? So rich that he makes Jay-Z's bank account look like Young Buck's. (Buffet's net worth is $50 billion. Yep, that's "b" as in "billion".) But there's one thing Warren Buffet doesn't have that Hova does - any semblance of coolness. See more....

Meet the Mystery Booty of the Week, Brianna Frost (Pics)

Posted by Nathan S. on 01/19/12 | Filed under Top Stories, Features, MBOW

Everyone's favorite, and I do mean favorite, RefinedHype series, "Mystery Booty of the Week (MBOW)" is back. Is the series a shameless and sexist way to keep your eyeballs glued to RefinedHype? You bet it is. Do I hear any complaints? Yeah, that's what I thought.

From Ludacris to Wiz Khalifa, Calling Out Rap’s Drunk Drivers

Posted by Nathan S. on 01/18/12 | Filed under Top Stories, Features

Yesterday Hot 97 DJ Peter Rosenberg, whose brother-in-law was killed by a drunk driver, took to the air to call out rappers who endorse drunk driving. Huge props to Rosenberg for addressing the issue, he can count me as a supporter. And with that in mind I compiled a list of rap's most famous drunk driving examples