It’s 2018, and the economy (for now) is booming. We live in an age in…
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anil Dash Teach You a Thing About New Jack Swing
On January 4, famed technologist Anil Dash and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda collaborated on a Spotify…
The Top 50 Hip-Hop Tracks of 2017
It was a weird year in American life. It was a weird year in hip-hop,…
Questlove’s Top 50 Hip-Hop Songs of All Time
On Questlove’s list of his favorite 50 hip-hop songs, he offers an important caveat. “I…
A Brief History of SoundCloud Rap
When SoundCloud launched in 2007, it was initially populated by DJs who posted hours-long sets,…
The World of Afrobeats
Afrobeats is the sound you heard on pop radio for much of 2016. It’s not…
Ed Droste’s Favorite Under-The-Radar Jams
To celebrate Grizzly Bear’s first album in five years, the solid-if-not-revelatory Painted Ruins, Ed Droste…
Who Is Vic Mensa?
On Vic Mensa’s debut album, The Autobiography, the young Chicago rapper’s personal travails come sharply…
B-Boys on Acid: A Brief History of Psychedelic Hip-Hop
This post is part of our Psych 101 program, an in-depth, 14-part series that looks…
Run the Jewels’ Merry Jane Mix
Launched in September 2015 by Snoop Dogg and marketing entrepreneur Ted Chung, Merry Jane is…
The Mary J. Blige Breakup Mix
Mary J. Blige’s new album, Strength of a Woman, is unapologetically devoted to heartbreak. Chronicling…
The Best Rap Songs of 2017 So Far
The despondent cover image of Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. may reveal more about the unsettled nature of…
J Dilla’s Posthumous Beats
The work of late hip-hop musician J Dilla is particularly suited to the record industry’s…
2 Chainz’ Pretty Girls Like Trap Music
In January 2017, 2 Chainz launched “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music,” a weekly Spotify playlist…
The Evolution of Joey Bada$$
Click here to add to Spotify playlist! Joey Bada$$ emerged from Brooklyn in 2012 as…
Hot Chocolate: Damu The Fudgemunk’s Premier Productions
Click here to add to Spotify playlist! Damu The Fudgemunk operates in a niche known…
Mike WiLL Made-It’s Next Phase
Five years ago, Mike WiLL Made-It took over the airwaves, his murky, undulating trap beats…
The Get Down: An Alternate Soundtrack
Click here to add to Spotify playlist! When The Get Down premiered on Netflix last…
Snoop Dogg Goes Indie
Snoop Dogg is a rapper who will collaborate with anyone for the right price. But…
Roc Marciano’s Blaxploitation Death Parade
Click here to add to Spotify playlist! Long Island rapper and producer Roc Marciano hails…
Nicki Minaj’s Queens Got Da Crown
Released in conjunction with a trio of new digital singles—including “No Frauds,” her half-hearted response…
Frank Ocean’s Blonded is a mix to dye for
Click here to add to Spotify playlist! After a four-year silence that ended with last…
Seattle’s Rap Underground
The emergence of a viable rap scene in Seattle didn’t happen overnight. Even as Macklemore…