JAY-Z

“Beach Chair” was the moment JAY-Z finally let go of his youth, marking his journey into the philosophical elder statesman we celebrate today.

Every hip-hop head inherently subscribes to revolution, whether they know it or not.

Among the metrics with which we differentiate MCs, this one claim may be the most telling. At the very least, it’s worth talking about. Here’s why.

One can only hope that one day, we will achieve world peace.

No journalist — no one, really — on Earth is as thorough as Nardwuar The Human Serviette.

“You seem unquestionably bored out of your fucking mind,” which, yes.

Let’s take a look at six rappers who are parents who remind us that family life transcends hipness and certainly belongs in hip-hop.

Here are five noteworthy examples of rappers running back the formulas of their biggest hits.

We’ve ranked the 10 best rap songs from movie soundtracks. See you in the comments.

For music lovers, festivals represent headlines and history, openings and closings, and being there — or wishing you were.

From “I” to “gang,” we break down the most prevalent keywords in rap this past decade.

50 is the new 30.

From MF DOOM to Kendrick Lamar, we break down the art of the concept album in hip-hop.

“I could imagine raising children on this music.”

Imagine the creative chemistry Danger Mouse might share with rappers like Danny Brown, Action Bronson, and Tyler, The Creator. I know I have.

“Show & Prove” is a testament to the camaraderie that helps push emcees to greater heights.

You have to listen to understand.

Music venues are the playgrounds of adults and adolescents.

To date, Donald Glover is the only man on Earth who has mastered both.

The licensing checks are a bit more reasonable.

The greatest behind-the-scenes content preserves fantasy without doing a disservice to creators.

Donna and Yoh discuss the third act of artist careers, aka musical dessert.

JAY-Z, call me.

“Offer anything you can of your value without any expectation of getting something in return.”