Music
The 60 Best Songs of 2018
The year in song reflected the state of the world around us. Here are the 60 songs that spoke to us this year.
18 Dec 2018
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Music
Say It Loud! 100 Great Protest Songs: Part 5 - Bright Eyes to Childish Gambino
PopMatters has scoured the musical spectrum for the best examples of the protest song form, including anthems of great popularity and obscurity alike. Our list concludes today with the most recent examples of important protest music.
22 Jun 2018
Film
'Black Panther' Is Its Own Kind of Animal
Marvel Studios scores another major success, and taps the zeitgeist, by allowing Ryan Coogler free reign to make the most thoughtful, socially conscious superhero film to date.
20 Feb 2018
Music
Wokeness, Out of Focus: The 60th Annual Grammy Awards
It was a year of truly progressive nominees. It was a year of confrontational, powerful performances. It could've been an all-timer -- and then the Grammys went horribly, painfully wrong.
Evan Sawdey
30 Jan 2018
Music
The Best Hip-Hop of 2017
The hip-hop story is more exciting to follow than a lot of primetime TV as it changes and adapts, telling stories of so-called "minorities". These are the ten albums that we think tell the biggest stories of 2017's hip-hop scene.
06 Dec 2017
Music
Kendrick Lamar - "LOYALTY." ft. Rihanna (Singles Going Steady)
Standing on a funky foundation, the beats are intoxicating and the chemistry between Lamar and his co-star, Rihanna, take this to another level.
10 Aug 2017
Music
Kendrick Lamar - "HUMBLE." (Singles Going Steady)
Typically for a Kendrick Lamar single, there's plenty to chew on here...
12 Apr 2017
Music
J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only
A deeply personal album 4 Your Eyez Only represents J. Cole's most mature and cohesive record to date.
17 Jan 2017
Music
The Good and Bad of ACL 2016 Weekend Two
No music festival is perfect, but with its stacked lineup and orderly schedule Austin City Limits Festival 2016 is a success in all the important ways.
17 Oct 2016
Music
Isaiah Rashad: The Sun's Tirade
Isaiah Rashad doesn't go out of his way to prove his transcendent talent on The Sun's Tirade, but it's undeniable by the album's conclusion.
16 Oct 2016
Music
Artists and Audience Rally International Support Around Social Causes for Global Citizen Festival
Relive highlights of the 2016 Global Citizen Festival including songs Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Metallica and Chris Martin & Eddie Vedder.
11 Oct 2016
Music
Austin City Limits 2016 Weekend 2: Saturday
Kendrick Lamar gives a towering headlining performance on Saturday night, and the electronic sibling duo Tennyson is our pick for the sleeper favorite of the festival.
09 Oct 2016
Music
Mac Miller: The Divine Feminine
When you can't rap or sing, but you want to declare your love to your new woman, you might as well do it through groove.
02 Oct 2016
Music
Panorama Offers Social Commentary From Kendrick Lamar and New Songs From the National
Stellar sets from the Julie Ruin, Foals, Kendrick Lamar, the National and more made for an exciting second day of the inaugural Panorama Music Festival.
01 Aug 2016
Music
BJ the Chicago Kid - "The New Cupid" feat. Kendrick Lamar
Just to prove it's 2016, Kendrick Lamar pops in, and it's an unforced appearance, not exploitative in the least. A funky, sexy, eclectic single.
29 Mar 2016
Music
Funkadelic - "Ain't That Funkin Kinda Hard on You (We Ain't Never Gonna Stop Remix)"
Kendrick Lamar and Ice Cube do fine fresh jobs, but George Clinton is still the king and they know it.
08 Mar 2016
Music
The 58th Grammy Awards: Authenticity Is the Hardest Thing to Fake
Amidst the numerous deaths of pop music icons, we thought the Grammys might do something soulful this year. Lamar and Howard, at least, gave us what we needed.
16 Feb 2016
Music
Grammys 2016: 10 Essential Artists Who Helped Kendrick Lamar Shape 'To Pimp a Butterfly'
The To Pimp a Butterfly production credits illustrate its communal spirit.
Randall Roberts
14 Feb 2016
Music
Grammys 2016: Thundercat Emerges From Shadows to Discuss 'To Pimp a Butterfly'
Born Stephen Bruner, the bassist was one of Lamar’s secret weapons on To Pimp a Butterfly.
Randall Roberts
14 Feb 2016
Television
Guessing the Grammys 2016: Expect Weirdness
Speculating on the nominees' odds in a dozen big categories.
14 Feb 2016
Music
The New Faith of Kendrick Lamar: Dramatic Unity in 'good kid, m.A.A.d city'
Lamar's story is more that just a personal statement or expression; it seeks to bring light into a city corrupted by darkness.
Wynton Guess
07 Feb 2016
Music
Dr. Dre: Compton (take 2)
After 15 years of largely playing mentor to developing artists, Dr. Dre makes a triumphant 11th hour solo return.
18 Aug 2015
Music
Dr. Dre: Compton
A rapper/producer that started in the '80s raps and produces a surprisingly good album three decades later.
16 Aug 2015
Music
Kendrick Lamar - "For Free? (Interlude)" (video)
Kendrick Lamar has released a new video from the lauded To Pimp a Butterfly and it has sparked a lively conversation.
04 Aug 2015
Music
Them Changes: A Conversation with Thundercat
He's the go-to bass mastermind who's anchored already-iconic albums by Kendrick Lamar and Kamasi Washington. For his latest mini-album, Thundercat gets both sad and weird, taking us on a true emotional journey.
28 Jul 2015
Media
When Kendrick Lamar Hits NPR, We All Win
When everyone feels they can be an expert, how do you reassert your ownership over a topic? By waiting for its crossover moment.
16 Dec 2014
Music
Ab-Soul: These Days...
Ab-Soul's follow-up to Control System sees him forgetting all quality control.
15 Jul 2014
Music
Counterbalance: Kendrick Lamar's 'Good Kid M.A.A.D. City'
I can feel this week's album's energy from two planets away. I got my drink, I got my music, I will share it, but today I'm yelling. Yelling about a 2012 hip-hop breakthrough and the subject of this week's Counterbalance, that is.
27 Jun 2014
Music
Ranking the Performances: The 56th Annual Grammy Awards
Was music’s biggest night worth staying up all night for? Read on to find out.
27 Jan 2014
Music
Guessing the 2014 Grammys
Predictions and behind-the-scenes info on who will win the 2014 Grammys in ten major categories.
10 Jan 2014
Music
Drake: Nothing Was the Same (Take 1)
The problem with Drake, and a major flaw of Nothing Was the Same, is Aubrey Graham's continued failure to be convincing in his chosen role.
24 Sep 2013
Music
In Defense of Music Festival Fatigue
It's time to question how relevant these large gatherings are as the multi-band concert industry continues to expand to obnoxious heights.
04 Jun 2013
Reviews
Sweetlife Festival: 11 May 2013 - Washington DC
Washington, DC’s Sweetlife Festival does things a bit differently. And that is a very good thing.
Corey Beasley
27 May 2013
Reviews
BUKU Music and Art Project: 8-9 March 2013 - New Orleans
With a diverse lineup, BUKU intended to incorporate the post-industrial vibe as well as the garish festivity of Mardi Gras World, which it pulled off with varying degrees of success.
11 Apr 2013
Music
Dido: Girl Who Got Away
Returning with her fourth album after a four-and-a-half-year absence, Dido fails to make good on her promises to reinvent her sound.
20 Mar 2013
Music
Emeli Sandé - "Next to Me" (Kendrick Lamar Remix) (video)
OK, this is a hot one. Critically acclaimed young rapper Kendrick Lamar remixes Emeli Sandé's "Next to Me", which was one of 2012's most addictive songs. Lamar's verse introduces the tune and Brit Award winner Sandé takes it from there.
07 Mar 2013
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