Features
Friday, June 8 2012
Flash Points: Racial Profiling, Riot Porn and the Zombie Apocolypse
This week we look at racial profiling through the lens of controversial writer John Derbyshire. We also talk about racism within hip-hop and find ourselves stimulated by the riot porn of the new Jay-Z and Kanye West video. Flash Points ends on a more positive note: the rise of the walking dead.
Thursday, March 29 2012
A Million and One Questions: Jay-Z and the B-Word
Could a “hot 16” change black fatherhood for generations to come? If that is the thought, than we’ve forgotten what hip-hop does best: It reflects and narrates.
Thursday, February 9 2012
“Don’t Let Me Fall”: Hip-Hop in the Age of Austerity
Rappers have always wrestled with the question of how to succeed in a society where the odds are stacked against them. The biggest difference now is that their middle class listeners have the same worries.
Tuesday, January 26 2010
Part 2: From Handsome Furs to Oneida
Slipped Discs continues with hip-hop royalty, a genre-busting classical quartet, the future of soul music, an Americana demigod and many more. All records that missed our top 60 list last year.
Friday, December 18 2009
The Best Singles of 2009
PopMatters kicks off our annual two-week-long best music of the year feature with the 50 best singles of 2009, highlighted by a trio of American indie rock headliners.
Columns
Tuesday, August 7 2012
In Defense Of... Jay-Z as the Most Important Person in Hip-Hop History
In light of Jay-Z being named executive producer of the NBA2K video game franchise last week, we look at just how far Mr. Carter has taken the boundaries of hip-hop and success -- and how or if the culture will survive once he decides to leave it for good.
Thursday, September 22 2011
Watch the Discourse: Luxury Rap, Success and Self-Absorption
The value of a release as large as Watch the Throne is that it goes beyond the gargantuan personalities involved or even the monster show dates designed to promote it. Part of the value is the discussion it generates.
Tuesday, January 4 2011
Deciphering the Jay-Z Code
He's got 99 problems but a book ain't one. Jay-Z's nonlinear memoir illuminates rap as personal narrative, lyric poetry, and transformative medium.
Tuesday, September 29 2009
Jay-Z: The Journey of an Icon
We can debate this greatest rapper business from now until the end of time. Let's just say Jay-Z is the greatest hip-hop icon ever, and call it a day.
Reviews
Thursday, September 20 2012
Made in America Festival: Labor Day Weekend - Philadelphia
Made in America’s line up just kept pushing the ante and winning every time. Each artist brought such talent to the stage that it was hard to miss any moments.
Wednesday, March 2 2011
Jay-Z: The Hits Collection Volume One
Artistically, Jay-Z's Hits Collection could be tons stronger, and anyone curious about the rapper who buys this without skimming his non-radio friendly cuts will be missing out on his best work.
Tuesday, September 8 2009
Jay-Z: The Blueprint 3
A frustrating attempt at experimentation with flashes of brilliance, mediocrity, and wackness, The Blueprint 3 falls short of breaking Jay-Z's curse of following up a great album with something lackluster.
Friday, November 9 2007
Jay-Z: American Gangster
American Gangster may never be seen as Jay-Z's defining moment, but it marks his comeback far more effectively than Kingdom Come ever even tried to.
Wednesday, November 22 2006
Jay-Z: Kingdom Come
Jay-Z has pulled off the world's best example of "shooting oneself in the foot": making a really really good record about how that particular record is the best ever.
Blogs
Tuesday, January 11 2011
Listen: Kanye West and Jay-Z's 'Watch the Thrones' Single "'H.A.M."
Kanye West and Jay-Z premiered “H.A.M.”, the first single off their forthcoming joint album Watch the Thrones, around midnight today on Facebook. The full LP…
Wednesday, May 19 2010
Eminem and Jay-Z Ready to Rock Yankee Stadium, Comerica Park
When Jay-Z and Eminem announced last week on ESPN that they'll be doing a double concert at Yankee Stadium and Comerica Park this fall, I…
Tuesday, November 17 2009
Jay-Z and Rihanna Live in London (video)
R&B superstar Rihanna formally launched her new album, Rated R, last night in London. The album drops last week and she played her first live…
Monday, November 2 2009
Jay-Z - "Empire State of Mind" (feat. Alicia Keys) (video)
"Empire State of Mind" is destined to be played in promos for Knicks games. "Let's hear it for New York!" Alicia sings in the cheesy…
Tuesday, September 1 2009
Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3 (new album / video / stream)
Jay-Z The Blueprint 3 (Roc Nation) Releasing: 11 September (US) / 14 September (UK) Full album stream Despite his announcing a retirement from rap and…
News
Friday, June 29 2012
The innovators of hip-hop
Few would have imagined that one of the most powerful and acclaimed protest songs of the year, “Reagan,” would be about the Iran-Contra scandal of…
Tuesday, August 9 2011
Jay-Z and Kanye West ascend the 'Throne'
JAY-Z AND KANYE WEST "Watch the Throne" Roc-a-Fella Records (3 1/2 stars) The kingdom is in peril. Confidence has been shaken: "Tears on the mausoleum…
Monday, August 23 2010
Jay-Z still rides his cash cow
LOS ANGELES — All hail returning royalty. For the third time in the last four years, Jay-Z has been anointed hip-hop's "Cash King" by Forbes;…
Wednesday, April 21 2010
Coachella festival thrives as other parts of the music industry falter
LOS ANGELES — The big question heading into last year's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival was whether the event would survive the recession. This…
Friday, January 22 2010
Stars to turn out for Haiti telethon Friday
Less than 24 hours after an earthquake devastated Haiti on Jan. 12, George Clooney was on the phone with MTV Networks president Judy McGrath trying…
