XXXTentacion, Social Media, & the Policing of Grief
The idea of separating someone’s art from their reality has never been viable or realistic.
Opinion
Experimentation is Crucial in the Streaming Era, but Execution is Key
Artists are reshaping the form, length, and method of releases to help their albums stick beyond their first week.
Nas Let Me Down (For the Second Time)
Disappointment in 'NASIR' lies not in what the album attempts to be, but what it refuses to acknowledge.
Jay Rock, J. Cole, & What It Really Means to Go Mainstream
It's important to remember that "pop" is not a dirty word.
Tweet Rewind: Murda Beatz Always Knew Drake Would Fuck With His Beats
"Cookin Crazy Beat For Drake Ima Get That Placement Soon"
‘KIDS SEE GHOSTS’ & The All-Consuming Mythos of Kanye West and Kid Cudi’s New Album
Sometimes you fall in love with an album, and other times you free fall into an album's universe.
Jaden Smith Is His Own Luminary; Will Smith's Just Riding the Wave
Jaden’s certainly doing his part to solidify the Smith legacy.
10 Most Anticipated Hip-Hop Albums of the Second Half of 2018, Ranked
ScHoolboy Q, Anderson .Paak and Meek Mill are all set to deliver new albums before the end of the year.
How Rico Nasty Rose to Rule the Sugar Trap
'Nasty' captures everything to love about Rico Nasty and establishes her as the queen of her sound.
The Pursuit of Forms: Five Years of ‘Watching Movies With The Sound Off’ with Mac Miller
“Who the fuck is Mac Miller?” Five years ago, the answer to that question started to take shape.
Listeners in the Hands of a Projected God: ‘Yeezus’ Five Years Later
“As soon as they like you, make ‘em un-like you.”
J. Cole's "OSOM" Guest Feature on Jay Rock's 'Redemption' Should Have Been on ‘KOD’
These were the compelling and nuanced lyrics that “FRIENDS,” and the subject of addiction as a whole, demanded.
3 Burning Questions Before Nas Releases His New Album 'NASIR' Tonight
We do know the album will be executive produced by Kanye West.
Everyone Keeps Telling Me Kanye West Sampled My Song—I’m Starting to Believe Them
Maybe they randomly heard the song and subconsciously replayed it? Maybe I’m delusional?
What All Artists Can Learn From Kanye Abandoning His Pursuit of Perfection
The perfectionist promoting imperfection?
Which Producer Works Best with Nas? Here Are the 10 Best, Ranked
DJ Premier? Alchemist? No I.D.? We search for the greatest producing Nas collaborator of all time.
The Revolution (Evolution?) of Lo-Fi Hip-Hop
Modern lo-fi is not the stuff of the Nujabes-Dilla era. Is that a bad thing?
Kanye West and Kid Cudi Are “Reborn” & So Am I
The true value of a song like “Reborn” lies in the fact that it is an easily-accessible alternative to important conversations.
The Prophecy of Pusha-T & the Fall of Cash Money
Pusha-T's "The Story of Adidon" is the culmination of years of prophetic shots at Drake, Lil Wayne, and Birdman.
The Truth About Type Beats From a Type Beat Producer
This is how producers are getting eyeballs on their art—for free.
The Starter’s Guide to Saweetie
Saweetie stands to break the Bay Area curse and bring the art of punchlines back to the mainstage.
A Night and a Lifetime With Al Green’s ‘I’m Still in Love with You’
This is a work of fiction. The only thing real about this story is the music.
DJBooth Staff Reacts to Nicki Minaj's "Rich Sex" Featuring Lil Wayne
May the sexual puns come hard and fast.
Eminem's "Accent" Phase: An Absurdly Detailed Investigation
We dive deep to uncover the mysteries behind Eminem's 'Relapse'-era phase of weird accents.
Jorja Smith & Juice WRLD are Representing the Timelessness of Young Angst
Go ahead and feel shitty and revel in your angst.
Kanye West & Kid Cudi 'Kids See Ghosts': 3 Burning Questions Before the Album is Released Tonight
What should fans expect from Kanye and Cudi's collaborative offering? We asked a few friends.
10 Best Jay Rock Songs, Ranked
Before 'Redemption,' let's look back at the best from Rock's decade-long catalog.
2 Chainz Listing Things in Raps: An Absurdly Detailed Investigation
2 Chainz loves lists. Loves. Them.
The Pursuit to Just Feel Better: One Year With SZA’s ‘Ctrl’
One year later, ‘Ctrl’ remains a daily meditation on what I do and do not deserve.
Canceling Kanye West Is Like Canceling Your Grandfather
Kanye West is our problematic grandpa.
How 'Tha Carter III' Became a Classic Without Actually Being a Classic
Lil Wayne's 'Tha Carter III' is a classic album for the moment it was and the moment it became.
5 Most Awkward Rap Beefs of All Time, Ranked
The ones that should be in history books for children to study for decades to come.
Drake Was Right, He Really Shouldn’t Have Given Pusha-T His Time
Drake & Pusha-T’s entire beef has been shaped by time.
I Agree With Kanye, Bipolar Disorder Is My Fuckin' Superpower
Kanye's commentary about his mental health diagnosis aren't offensive, they're badass.
Kanye West's 'ye' Fails as an Album, but Succeeds as a Coping Technique
'ye' is not beholden to traditional song structure because mental illness is implicitly inconsiderate.
Why Music Producers Like Me Are Leaving "The Industry" to Sell Beats Online
There's an alternative route.
'So Help Me God': The Kanye West Album I Want Is the One He Never Released
Albums aren’t promised. I learned this lesson the hard way.
The Mythology & Art of the Musical Tag
Who was the first producer to ever use a name drop? What exactly makes for a good producer tag? What kinds of tags are there?
A Week With Janet Jackson’s ‘The Velvet Rope’
This is a work of fiction. The only thing real about this story is the music.
Drinking Sessions: My Journey Though Big K.R.I.T.'s Alcoholic Hall of Mirrors
"I'm two cups in and three shots away… It's hard to protect your feelin's when you so exposed"
5 G.O.O.D. Music Albums That Should Have Been 7 Songs
We retool 'Cruel Summer' and albums from Kanye, Pusha-T, Kid Cudi, and Big Sean to benefit from only being 7 tracks total.
DJBooth Staff Reacts to Pusha-T's Drake Diss Track "The Story of Adidon"
Lord have mercy on Drake's soul.
The Starter’s Guide to Jay Critch
Jay Critch is poised to be New York’s next great hip-hop star. Here's what you need to know...
Three Years Later: How The Social Experiment Turned Friendships Into Indie Rap History
'Surf' also made digital music history.
People Who Say "I Only Listen to Real Hip-Hop" Are the Worst
If you’re a hip-hop fan, treat rap like your teenage son.
Drake's New Single "I'm Upset" Is About a Disloyal "Hoe" (Not Pusha T)
If only the record was as good as the single artwork.
Our Entire Staff Reacts to Drake's Pusha T Diss Track "Duppy Freestyle"
Drake couldn't let those Pusha T bars on "Infrared" slide...
This J. Cole & Lil Pump Interview Could Have Been Great, But It's Still Something
Despite the awkwardness, the interview stands for something much larger than itself.