The Best Hip-Hop Album Release Week Every Year of 2010s
Long live overstuffed new-music-Fridays.
Opinion
Black Women In Music Deserve Better
On Summer Walker, and why Black women should be able to breathe without being analyzed for perfection.
Dr. Dre’s Immeasurable Influence: ‘2001’ 20 Years Later
The success of Dr. Dre’s ‘2001’ was hardly guaranteed.
ROLE MODEL & the Mootness of Perfection
Take him or leave him, but don’t ever say ROLE MODEL didn’t know himself.
Method Man’s ‘Tical’ 25 Years Later: An Imperfect Experiment
For the expanded Wu universe to have existed at all, the noticeable missteps of Tical had to come first.
I Can’t Stop Playing Deb Never
Deb Never is an LA-based musician who makes… Well she doesn’t make happy music.
More Than Animated Babbling: In Defense of Rapping “Offbeat”
Rappers are always finding new pockets, just not the ones you might expect.
A Brief History of Rappers Releasing 2 Albums in 1 Year
Is it a good idea to release two albums in one calendar year?
Breakdown: Royce da 5’9”’s Rhyme Scheme on Eminem’s “Detroit vs. Everybody”
To celebrate the song’s fifth anniversary, let’s break down Royce da 5’9”’s verse.
FKA twigs & the Torture of Yearning
We listen to ‘MAGDALENE,’ and we remember everyone we have ever loved, and how easily they stopped loving us.
Wiki Embraces Himself on ‘OOFIE’: Review
The 26-year-old New York rapper documents his growing pains on his second studio album, ‘OOFIE.’
Emotional Oranges Create a Retouched Photograph on ‘The Juice Vol. II’: Review
The actual music on ‘The Juice Vol. II’ is good—great, even. It just feels over-produced.
nostalgia, FOREVER: Frank Ocean’s “Strawberry Swing”
The duality of “Strawberry Swing” is a reminder to make blessings out of the ordinary.
The Actor Is Present: Childish Gambino’s Last Act
If Austin City Limits was his last performance, Glover-as-Gambino treated the night as the culmination of his engagement with the audience as actors in his theater.
The Art of the Hip-Hop Concept Album
From MF DOOM to Kendrick Lamar, we break down the art of the concept album in hip-hop.
20 Years Later: Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Block Is Hot’
We break down Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Block Is Hot,’ 20 years on.
Earl Sweatshirt ‘FEET OF CLAY’ 1 Listen EP Review
Earl Sweatshirt’s ‘FEET OF CLAY’ picks up where ‘Some Rap Songs’ left off.
From Eminem to Nicki Minaj: The Art of Laughter in Hip-Hop
Laughter encourages us to listen closely to the odd spaces between the bars and the beats.
Why Every Producer Should Go on Tour
Here’s my biggest advice to anyone reading this: Try shit until you know what works for you.
5 Best French Hip-Hop Releases for October 2019
We bring you the best French hip-hop for the month of October.
Rex Orange County & the Pressure of Happiness
When you’re known for making lovelorn serenades to your beloved girlfriend, is there any room for unhappiness in your work?
Danger Mouse Is Rap’s Great “What If?” Producer
Imagine the creative chemistry Danger Mouse might share with rappers like Danny Brown, Action Bronson, and Tyler, The Creator. I know I have.
Kanye West ‘Jesus Is King’ 1 Listen Album Review
‘Jesus Is King’ is like elevator music for Christians.
Gallant Constructs a Shrine to His Dazzling Voice on ‘Sweet Insomnia’
On 'Sweet Insomnia,' Gallant constructs a body of work tailored entirely around his greatest strength: his voice.
Kevin Abstract’s Recurring Antagonist: America
To listen to Kevin Abstract is to, on some level, question your Americanness.
Kanye’s ‘Jesus Is King’ Album Has Serious Religious Implications
It would be easier if there were a way to ignore Kanye, but there isn’t.
My Struggles as an Artist In the Digital Age
“Tying our self-worth to things we have no control over is crazy. It’s a trap I’ve fallen into a lot.”
Can New Album Art Change How We Hear the Music?
What happens when our favorite album art is given a mood-setting twist? Does the music sound different?
The Emancipation of Kanye West in Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica provided Kanye West's Sunday Service a safe space.
How Hip-Hop Helped Me Quit Weed & Get Sober
One writer breaks down how hip-hop helped him get sober.
Dissecting Rap’s Uncanny Ability to Turn Memories Into Settings
November is a city of a million people. November is the last time she looked at you before leaving for good. November is everything at once.
Library Music Is Changing the Sampling Game In Hip-Hop
It’s been decades since sampling was uninhibited. Library music is changing everything.
Gucci Mane 'Woptober II' 1 Listen Album Review
Gucci Mane hasn’t lost his ability to be a great rapper, but he has gained a crisis of identity.
MAVI’s ‘let the sun talk’: Why I Can’t Stop Playing This Album
As the sun comes up on day nine, I press play once more.
The Artist-Fan Relationship: Patience, Trust & Promises
The artist-fan relationship is as wrought as any other relationship in our lives.
Mac Miller’s “So It Goes” & Accepting Endings
“Just like a circle, I go back to where I'm from.”
Breakdown: YBN Cordae & Anderson .Paak’s Rhyme Scheme on “RNP”
Like a Super Saiyan fusion or cereal and milk, separately they’re great but combined they are truly something special.
20 Years Later: Mos Def’s ‘Black on Both Sides’ Captures the Rhythms of Black Expression
Mos Def understood that hip-hop was a culture built on connectivity.
Wale ‘Wow... That's Crazy’ 1 Listen Album Review
Every sound and voice on ‘Wow... That’s Crazy’ complements the world Wale is creating; a world that is sonically lush and lyrically transparent.
Tekashi 6ix9ine: The Perils of Being King for a Night
The Bushwick rapper sang the one song a rapper isn’t supposed to sing.
