It was supposed to be a rare meeting of two of Portland's most widely-respected MCs. Instead, it turned into yet another example of what many in the local hip-hop scene believe is an ongoing, targeted ...

Gregory Poe, who performs as Illmaculate, in North Portland near the St. John's Bridge. (Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian) An album release should be a celebratory time for a musician, especially in one's ...

Last fall’s Battle of the Bay in Oakland, Calif., looked just like a boxing match. In this corner, a towering ex-con turned battle rapper, a new guy eyeing the throne. In the other, a 28-year-old from ...

I went to Toronto on August 5th and 6th to cover the international battle rap event World Domination II, presented by King Of The Dot. Due to its length I will be releasing the account of my weekend ...

It was Saturday night and Illmaculate was scheduled to take the stage at Blue Monk as part of a hip-hop bill that had been long scheduled. Things started to take a turn for the bad when the police and ...