The Most Memorable 1999 Albums (Part 2)
PopMatters turned 25 recently, and these memorable 1999 albums celebrate the popular music that defined the year of our birth. This is part two with more to follow.
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Hip-Hop Matters: The Best Hip-Hop Albums of August 2021
The ten best hip-hop albums of August 2021 reveal truths about our strange, alarming but often exciting contemporary socio-cultural landscape.
The 75 Best Songs of 2011
Nostalgia Alert! Jump back a decade and enjoy the best songs of 2011. They are headlined by a synthpop classic, a massive hit from a hot diva, pristine harmonies of a young band headed for greatness.
The Best Hip-Hop Albums/Mixtapes of 2010
Epic, sleek, weed rap, emo, sociopolitical, gangsta, or house party? In which direction will hip-hop go? 2010 was a year for all of the above.
The 2020 Grammy Awards Didn’t Chase the Dark Clouds Away
In 2019, a spotlight on queer musicians and fast-paced broadcast made the Grammys have some real cultural relevance. Its 2020 edition, clouded by tragedy, scandal, and bloat, only served to remind us why award shows are so problematic.
A Slapdash History of the Hip-hop Megamix
The megamix is a variegated mural, with flashes of color – neon pink, chartreuse, head-gash red – popping off chipped concrete, an amalgamation of flavor so fresh it strains the vision, so vivid it glows.
Nas Is Ineffective and Ungrounded on ‘NASIR’
On NASIR, Nas is completely overshadowed by the musical performances of Kanye West and his collaborators.
The Best Album Re-Issues of 2014
The music world saw reissues from all over the genre map, spanning classic rock titans to electronic music legends.
Bring Back the Beat! What’s Up with Hip-Hop Reissues?
The record industry makes huge efforts to reissue rock CDs, but nowhere near as much effort for hip-hop CDs.