Did Drake and Kendrick Lamar Kill Battle Rap?
The biggest rap battle in history between Drake and Kendrick Lamar blurred the line between victory and cultural collapse. Has hip-hop killed itself?
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How Rap’s Civil War Was Shaped by AI
The recent “Rap Civil War” accelerated the use of AI in rap music and, as with digital sampling, creatives will use it regardless of the implications.
War & Peace: The Cultural Meaning of Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake
The Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake feud is serious, but it is the claim to and manipulation of culture that may have the greatest consequences for all of us.
The Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2011
2011 was a year of great diversity, in which rap fans were faced with enough variety to find whatever flavor of hip-hop they wanted.
The 50 Best Songs of 2009
As part of PopMatters’ 20th anniversary, we are revisiting classic features. Travel back in time a decade ago to 2009, when indie rock was in its full ascendency,and hear the songs that soundtracked the era.
Drake Goes Long on ‘Scorpion’ and We’re All the Better for It
With Scorpion, Drake makes a cohesive argument for broadening our attention spans and enjoying life's music, regardless of runtime.
Drake: More Life
More life, more everything, more Drake, more songs, more sounds, more tings.
The Best Pop Singles of 2016
Celebrating the songs this year that operated within the constraints of "radio music", truly a genre all its own, and produced excellent results.
YG: Still Brazy
YG stakes his claim as one of California's most immersive scene-setters and gives us a defining anti-Donald Trump anthem for the ages.
Frank Ocean and a Short History of Spite Albums
Frank Ocean's Endless, the decidedly less commercial of his two recent releases, might just be a victory for artists who've been forced to release music to fulfill contractual obligations. Here's a look at some of history's more significant spite albums.
PartyNextDoor: PartyNextDoor 3
PartyNextDoor 3 finds the artist easing up on the emulation and indulging in musical eccentricities unique to him
FKi 1st: First Time for Everything (Part 1)
With First Time for Everything (Part 1), FKi 1st continues to construct the supersonic bridge to the days of future past with their amalgamation of trap, drum, and bass tones that sound more relevant than tomorrow.