‘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.
Editors Picks
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.”
Canceling Kanye West Is Like Canceling Your Grandfather
Kanye West is our problematic grandpa.
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.
Price of Fame: The Invisible Weight of Artistic Success
Capitalism reinforces the illusion that money is the answer to all problems. As many of our favorite artists have learned, it's not.
Beat Break: T-Minus Shares the Story Behind His 5 Biggest Songs
The Canadian hitmaker talks J. Cole's "Kevin's Heart," Kendrick Lamar's "Swimming Pools," Drake's "The Motto" and more.
5 Ways to Talk About Spotify’s Hateful Conduct Policy & Its Implications
Let's properly steer a conversation that is both contentious and crucial in our contemporary moment.
We're Only Mad If You Don't Make a Dope Album
It's easy to cancel an artist like Kanye on social media—that is, until he has a brand new product for us to consume.
Roscoe’s Wetsuit: Searching for the Meaning of Childish Gambino’s “This Is America”
Childish Gambino's "This Is America" begs for us to search for meaning, but Donald Glover never makes the search easy.
Memphis' Hip-Hop Takeover Is 25 Years In the Making
The most known unknown city won’t be that way for long.
Janelle Monáe & Kali Uchis Pivoted to Love Their Bodies—Thankfully, So Am I
"Healing is neither immediate nor linear, but music certainly helps."
Beat Break: !llmind Shares the Story Behind His 5 Biggest Songs
We picked !llmind's brain about producing songs for Kanye, Drake, J. Cole and more.
5 Years Later, ‘Acid Rap’ Showed Us What a Little Happiness Can Do
Five years on, Chance The Rapper's breakout project is proof that happiness is a potent form of resistance.
Provocateur Turned Self-Saboteur: Why Kanye West's Support of Trump Is His Biggest Misstep
With Taylor Swift, it was Kanye West vs. The People. With Donald Trump, it's Kanye West. vs. His Own People.
Kill Our Darlings: J. Cole, Kanye, & the Problem with Rapper Role Models
"It turns out our heroes aren’t false prophets, just humans. It turns out so are we."
All Your Favorite Rappers Are Essentially Just Working Office Jobs
If there’s one common thread shared by all professionals, it's that we'll do whatever it takes to keep our paychecks rolling in.
Amy Winehouse, Biggie Smalls & Death Giving Albums New Life
Whether it's one album or 12, every album is a gift, but death makes the gift a sacrament.
How Tyler, The Creator’s ‘Wolf' Planted the Seeds From Which 'Flower Boy' Bloomed
On the album's fifth anniversary, we explore how 'Wolf' sprouted so 'Flower Boy' could blossom.
How 'Atlanta''s Paper Boi Is Highlighting the Warped Reality of Newfound Rap Fame
'Atlanta' and Paper Boi are displaying the most authentic rapper's journey to ever grace television.
The Curse of Crooked I's Critical Ear
The veteran MC tackles the difficulty of listening to rap music for enjoyment—as a professional rapper.
Life Told Through Rap: 25 Years With A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Midnight Marauders’
This is a work of fiction. The only thing real about this story is the music.
Meet Adrian Daniel, a 'Flawd' Alt-Soul Singer From Brooklyn
We caught up with the rising star at SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas.