Rashid Brings Brazilian Rap to Lincoln Center
As Rashid prepares to step onto the stage at Lincoln Center where Rakim and Big Daddy Kane performed, he believes Brazilian identity opens doors for today’s hip-hop artists.
rap
Sci-Fi Goes Hi-Fi: 10 Artists Explore Hip-Hop Futurism
What follows are ten hip-hop artists whose works have been shaped in some form or another by the works of sci-fi in the Afrofuturist mold.
The 15 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015
No year in the best hip-hop was as eclectic as 2015, representing various gender identities, sexualities, geographies, worldviews, and genre infusions.
Decoding the Rap-Comic Complex in Childish Gambino’s Final LP
Through a dystopian plot, Childish Gambino’s final record attempts to narrate his insecurity, as opposed to its raw, uncomplicated exploration in Atavista.
Heems’ ‘VENNA LP’ Communicates Across Boundaries
On VEENA LP, Queens rapper Heems delivers a significant and sonically diverse work of NYC rap fueled by diaspora blues. It’s his best record as a solo artist.
Ice Spice’s Good Karma on ‘Y2K!’
Ice Spice’s Y2K! may have an obvious title, named for her birth year, but she wasn’t born yesterday. In 2024, stating a fact is the realest thing you can do.
Da Beatminerz Keep It Real on ‘Stifled Creativity’
Da Beatminerz, the renowned hip-hop production duo comprised of DJ Evil Dee and Mr. Walt, are back with the bass to celebrate hip-hop’s storied funky sonics.
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.
What Taylor Swift, BTS, and Stromae Can Teach Us About Mental Health
Taylor Swift, BTS, and Stromae are at the frontlines of de-stigmatizing mental health challenges as something so relatable that they can make a hit song about it.
Exploring the Hip-Hop Vibration with Hank Shocklee
Tying in his legacy to a new short film trilogy, legendary Public Enemy/Bomb Squad producer Hank Shocklee traces the line from his classic grooves to our modern sound.
Hip-Hop Matters: The Best Hip-Hop of January 2023
The best hip-hop of January focuses on albums from underground veterans, viral upstarts, and hyper-productive modern masters.
Big Dada Kane: An Interview with Poet-Rapper Malik Ameer Crumpler
Bestriding boundaries between hip-hop, poetry, and surrealism, poet-musician Malik Ameer Crumpler forges a strange and compelling work that is utterly and uniquely his own.