Since its inception in 1996, Smokin' Grooves has been one of hip hop's biggest tours--and also one of its most strategic. Though the lineup has been shuffled through the years--including everyone from the Fugees to Outkast to Cypress Hill--the assembly has never been made up of just any ol' marquee rap stars. Instead, the selections have always targeted hip hop's crossover (read: white) audience with acts that seem drafted from a college-radio playlist: A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, Gang Starr, etc. Somewhere between the pale faces that greet most underground rap shows (think Atmosphere) and the black bodies packed in for Cash Money's stadium tours, Smokin' Grooves... More >>>