Now we know what a puppet show created by Kanye West and Rhymefest may have looked like. more ›

Over the weekend, lots of interesting music news broke, not the least of which was the announcement of the Wicker Park Fest line-up. To compile the other noteworthy items, we've assembled this handy Monday Music Digest. There's news from Rhymefest, Rockie Fresh, Rabble Rabble and more! more ›

More proof that there's never a dull moment in Chicago politics (even if turnout is disappointingly low): 20th Ward aldermanic candidate Che ''Rhymefest'' Smith announced via Twitter this morning that he would not be seeking a recount in Tuesday's runoff election between him and Ald. Willie Cochran. more ›

Che "Rhymefest" Smith may be getting attacked by 20th Ward Ald. Willie Cochran about his lyrics in the days leading up to their April 5 runoff election. But Smith gained some ground earlier this week when he was endorsed by three former opponents from last week's election. One of Smith's endorsers, George Davis, echoed the issues of high crime and vacant lots that's a cornerstone of Smith's campaign. more ›

We're guessing that 20th Ward Ald. Willie Cochran didn't expect to find himself in a runoff election with Che "Rhymefest" Smith next month. Or maybe he did and wanted to wait until the sprint to April 5 to start attacking the local rap star for his lyrics. more ›

If there was anything that came out of this election, it was good humor. The "Mayor Emanuel" Twitter feed wound up being more popular that that of the Mayor-elect (who, by the way, reiterated today on Roe Conn that he'll make a donation to charity if the person behind the doppelganger's feed outs himself). And then there's Ed Bus, who conceded last night as only the alderman of the 53rd Ward can: by threatening to "jerk off" Emanuel if he doesn't "keep things as they are. more ›

The mayoral race isn't heading to a runoff, but for voters in Wards 6, 15, 16, 17, 20, 24, 25, 38, 41, 43, 45, 46 and 50 the races aren't over. Those races are headed for runoffs; as many as 9 incumbents could lose their seats on April 5. more ›

Che "Rhymefest" Smith, rapper and current 20th Ward aldermanic candidate, is leaving the platitudes behind in his race against incumbent Alderman Willie Cochran and instead seems to be running on a simple platform of "making things happen." Smith has been using social media like Twitter and YouTube to get his message across highlighting all that is wrong in the 20th Ward, which encompasses some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods such as Englewood, New City, Back of the Yards, Woodlawn and Washington Park. more ›

Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist and candidate for 20th Ward Alderman Che "Rhymefest" Smith is calling on some legends to help him raise the campaign cash he feels is necessary to unseat incumbent Willie Cochran. Case in point: a fundraising concert tomorrow night with the Atomic Dog himself, George Clinton. more ›

Alderap. more ›

Not too surprisingly, Rhymefest is calling on some of hip-hop’s heavy-hitters in order to help drum up some dough for his campaign as 20th Ward Alderman. According to a news release, ‘Fest is holding his campaign kick-off fundraiser on Sunday, Nov. 14th at the Shrine, located at 2109 S. Wabash Ave. One special guest is Lupe Fiasco, who is connected to Rhymefest through the transitive power of Kanye, and with whom Rhymefest talked extensively about politics in 2008. more ›

With rappers like Kanye West and Rhymefest dominating headlines for reasons ranging from impromptu performances on airlines to running for Alderman it’s easy to forget that the city has a whole host of talented emcees exist in Chicago. Then again, those who drop rhymes for a living aren’t exactly bashful when it comes to releasing new music, are they? To wit, this is what Chuck Inglish of minimalist rap duo The Cool Kids said about “Big Talk,” the twosome’s new single: “It will murder your speakers.” Well, alrighty then. more ›

Still don't know what you're doing tonight? Aching for some more political drama, with the mid-terms in the rear-view mirror? Check out The Interview Show tonight at the Hideout. A live show hosted by Tribune Media Services columnist Mark Bazer, done in the format of a talk show, except on stage in front of a live audience and not broadcast on television. more ›

You may have heard that one Che "Rhymefest" Smith is running for Alderman. In fact, that might be all you've heard. You've seen the video, but we haven't heard much about the issues - until now. more ›

Per the folks over at Fake Shore Drive, Che "Rhymefest" Smith is putting months of speculation to rest and released a brief video announcing he's running for 20th Ward Alderman. The 20th Ward encompasses parts of Englewood, New City, Back of the Yards, Woodlawn and Washington Park. Under incumbent Alderman Willie Cochran, capital improvements in the ward have been slow in coming over the years, which Rhymefest dutifully notes in his video. more ›

Kanye might be discontinuing Good Friday come December, but we thought we'd get a head-start on brainstorming who could take its place. As always, here are our humble suggestions. more ›

No, he’s not subsidizing his income by teaching rap at corporate retreats and Bar Mitzvahs. Rather, rapper and community activist Rhymefest coaches viewers on freestyling for the cost of free. In a video posted on the Chicago Tribune website, the El Che rapper relates tips on executing freestyles. Oddly, Rhymefest makes freestyling easier and harder than it looks. Shot against a simple white backdrop, Rhymefest summarizes freestyling as an art of surprisingly patient free association. You can make a compelling freestyle about the mundane objects around you, which is what exactly what Rhymefest does. more ›

Erm, we'll let the man speak for himself. more ›

It's been over a week since we last mentioned our favorite embattled Chicago MC, but luckily he's making more news for us: Kanye and fellow Chicago rapper Rhymefest are teaming up with Comedy Central to create a new puppet show, described as "hip-hop meets the Muppets." Tentatively titled Alligator Boots (we have no idea), the show is produced by the same guys that made Crank Yankers and has already filmed a pilot. It seems that video for "Champion" was a bit of a test-run for the show (no pun intended). The show, currently slated for a 2009 premiere, would follow a format similar to the Muppet Show in that each week it would be hosted by a celebrity guest (the pilot was hosted by Kanye, of course). Kanye has also been in talks with HBO about a series focusing on his life, with Curb Your Enthusiasm producer Larry Charles connected to it, but nothing has really advanced on that front, according to MTV. more ›

This year’s Hideout Block Party had it all: blues, world music, stoner rock, deep country blues, puppet shows, political dissidents, robo-rock, the return of Neko Case in two guises, and a punk rock marching band. In-between all of this the organizers managed to mix in voter registration, political discussion, and a drunken spelling bee. The amazing thing about this whole package? Its whole purpose was to raise money for various community centers, primarily in the interest in improving the lives of area children, proving The Hideout truly is striving to create a sense of community through the arts. more ›

This weekend's Hideout Block Party had quite a few arresting images -- Monotonix anyone? -- but the unholy meeting of Michael Jackson songs, Robbie Fulks, Rhymefest, and a whole mess o' zombies threatens to be one of the weirdest and most enduring mixture of sound and images of the whole weekend. The choreographed dancing to "Thriller" was pretty durn impressive, and the make-up and costuming was absolutely terrific. Where DO they come up with these ideas? We'll have a full photo set spanning the weekend up here soon, but for now, bring on the zombies! more ›

We have to hand it to The Hideout, those cats know how to throw a party. What began as an affair populated mostly by local bands friendly to the bar has expanded to become one of the most inventively and entertainingly booked local festivals of the year. more ›

Yeah, we can't download the 2.0 firmware either. Neither can folks actually buying the iPhone today, and the long lines at Apple stores across the nation are testament to the fact that this time Apple screwed up. But some folks are taking advantage of the situation ... Chicago's own Rhymefest is handing out copies of his new mixtape to fellow queuers outside the Apple Store in L.A.! more ›

The Interview Show, a monthly opportunity for host Mark Bazer to rub elbows with Chicago celebs, returns tonight to the Hideout. Here’s a few queries we’d like to see answered: more ›