One of the most influential voices of the seminal magazine The Source, he chronicled rap’s rise and its explosion into the cultural mainstream.
Category: Rap and Hip-Hop
-
ASAP Rocky Grew Up, Settled Down (with Rihanna) and Returned to Rap
The artist reflects on how the chaotic eight years since his last release — including three kids and two trials — led to his latest album, “Don’t Be Dumb.”
-
Want Your MTV? A Rogue Site Is Bringing Back the Videos.
The unofficial website MTV Rewind has recreated the channel’s classic era, pulling in thousands of clips. Its developer says it’s an antidote to the algorithms.
-
The Kid Mero, Now a Morning-Radio Motormouth
The podcast star from the Bronx is taking over the marquee a.m. slot on New York’s storied hip-hop station Hot 97. We rode along on his first day.
-
Fetty Wap, ‘Trap Queen’ Rapper, Is Released Early From Prison
The Grammy-nominated singer was sentenced to six years in 2023 for drug trafficking. The reasons for his release were unclear.
-
Judge Denies Salt-N-Pepa’s Attempt to Obtain Master Recordings
A federal judge agreed with Universal Music Group that the hip-hop act never owned the copyrights to its earliest work.
-
Bruno Mars, Robyn, Jill Scott and More: 8 Songs We’re Talking About
Bruno Mars, Jill Scott and Mandy, Indiana have new albums on the way, and a frantic tune from an anime film is No. 1 in Japan.
-
For 2hollis, Music Is a Family Business. So We Interviewed Him and His Dad.
The 22-year-old pop phenom’s father is John Herndon of the post-rock band Tortoise. They chatted about songwriting, nepotism and what they’ve taught each other.
-
Readers Pick the Songs That Defined Their 2025
Stories behind tracks by Fontaines D.C., Beyoncé, Nina Simone and more.
-
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s Lawyers File Appeal, Arguing His Sentence Was Unjust
The mogul’s lawyers say that a judge issued an excessively steep sentence for prostitution offenses after Mr. Combs was acquitted of more serious charges.
-
British Police Drop Case Against Bob Vylan After Its Anti-Israel Chant
Bob Vylan, a punk-rap duo, caused international outrage by chanting the message at the Glastonbury music festival this year.
-
9 Artists to Watch
A gifted Queens rapper (Lexa Gates), a noisy British band (Maruja), a Drake-approved emo songwriter (Julia Wolf), a lo-fi power-pop project (Sharp Pins) and more.