Little Dragon: Tiny Desk Concert
The boundary-pushing dance pop group delivers a performance awash in upbeat and optimistic melody.
Music & Culture
A legendary private collection of early blues music is out for everyone to hear
NPR's Scott Detrow talks with Smithsonian curator John Troutman and blues musician Dom Flemons about the new folk music album, Playing for the Man at the Door.
How Nicki Minaj took hip hop by storm in 2010
Nicki Minaj spent years hustling in the rap world before she even put out an album. Then in 2010, it all came together with a celebrated guest verse and a debut album that took hip hop by storm.
2023 'Til Infinity
Giving rap the future it deserves means smashing the infrastructure as it is. But with the battle lines drawn, we can still take heart in the artists teasing just how much further the culture can go.
The birth of trap music and the rise of southern hip-hop
In 2003, T.I. and other Atlanta rappers created new subgenre of rap: trap music. Twenty years later, its influence is everywhere.
Hip-hop at 50: A history of explosive musical and cultural innovation
To mark hip-hop's 50th anniversary, NPR's All Things Considered explores five moments that are integral to how the culture grew and evolved.
As hip-hop turns 50, reflecting on the role Latin artists played
Friday marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. African-Americans created the art form, but Latinos played a historic role in the birth and evolution of hip-hop.
A dancer's killing — over voguing — highlights the dangers Black LGBTQ Americans face
O'Shae Sibley was stabbed for voguing to Beyoncé at a New York City gas station. His death, which is being prosecuted as a hate crime, comes as anti-LGBTQ bills and incidents surge across the U.S.
How LA proved hip-hop could go global — by staying thoroughly local
There may be no better case for the power of hip-hop's geographic diversity than Los Angeles, whose sprawl of distinct creative microclimates is a genre unto itself.
Sixto Rodriguez, singer-songwriter of 'Searching for Sugar Man' doc, is dead at 81
Sixto Rodriguez, the musician whose story was documented in the film Searching for Sugar Man, has died at 81. He had minor success in the U.S., but was surprised to learn his music was a hit abroad.