NWA

What Old-School Hip-Hop Has to Say About Our Political Moment

What Old-School Hip-Hop Has to Say About Our Political Moment

Beyond NWA and Public Enemy: rappers have been sounding the alarm about police brutality since the birth of hip-hop. It’s time we listened to old-school hip-hop.

The 10 Best Hip-Hop Tracks of 1991

The 10 Best Hip-Hop Tracks of 1991

1991's best hip-hop songs lean more towards beats production than the era's increasingly popular gangsta rap genre.

Ice Cube’s ‘Death Certificate’ Soundtracked the Rodney King Era

Ice Cube’s ‘Death Certificate’ Soundtracked the Rodney King Era

It was during the period between the Rodney King beating and subsequent court verdict that Ice Cube cut Death Certificate, a chilling glimpse into the anger and frustration South Central Los Angelinos were feeling.

A Slapdash History of the Hip-hop Megamix

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.

Something 2 Grind 2: An Interview with Graf Orlock

Hip-Hop’s Laboratory of Language

Hip-Hop Storytellers: The Vignette