About

OUR MISSION
The Tortoise General blog supports hip hop in its pure form. We strive to advance the cause of hip hop by providing unmatched excellence in journalism, superior entertainment, and professional development. The Tortoise General helps build healthy communities and improve the quality of life through support of groundbreaking educational programs, strong families, vital social services, enriching arts and culture, and inclusive civic affairs, with a special commitment to the communities in which the Tort Team does business. Word up. 

Elements of Hip Hop




HISTORY
The Tortoise General was first published as an accredited medical journal in January of 1989 as the result of a publishing partnership between the major medical schools based in Philadelphia, PA. Originally called The Tortoise Journal of General Medicine the intent of the paper was to allow medical students in Philadelphia to publish their scholarly work to an international audience of their peers and superiors. The first edition was an A2-sized black and white quarterly publication. Over the years as the study of Americanized medical science declined in favor of ancient eastern practices and theoretical herbal techniques, the paper slowly grew and changed its focus from medical science to the dropping of science, and Hip Hop in particular. 

Taking it back to the roots!

In 1992 the newspaper changed its name to The Tortoise General's Rap Sheet and started gaining a large following in Philadelphia’s urban community, becoming an authority on what was fresh at the time. In 1995 the paper expanded to New York City and Baltimore, and the following year there was another major expansion to Boston and the west coast, with the opening of our office in Westwood, Los Angeles.

In 2003 our staff realized the opportunity that the Internet provided for our readership and launched the online portion of the newspaper simply called The Tortoise General Blog. The faltering economy and the collapse of the record industry led to declining revenues and troubled investors, which led to the cessation of physical publishing in 2009. Today our team of talented columnists, researchers, reporters, and industry veterans strives to bring you the best and worst of hip hop on an ongoing basis.

Our Cover from the January 1996 Issue!