50 years of hip-hop: A genre born from a backyard party
Fifty years ago this month, some teenagers threw a back-to-school party in the Bronx. Today that party is considered by many "the birth of hip-hop."
Music Features
How Miami rap made overindulgence the new baseline
The 305's hedonistic reputation is not unearned, but there is artistry in its debauchery, and a young generation reinvesting the rewards of their predecessors' battles against censorship.
How New Orleans soldiered through struggle and gave rap its bounce
Even before a pair of hometown labels pushed past gatekeepers, NOLA mastered a reliable alchemy: no sound so straight you couldn't swing it, no hurdle so high you couldn't dance over it.
Eric B. & Rakim change the flow of rap with 'Paid in Full'
With their 1987 debut album Paid in Full, Eric B. & Rakim introduced internal rhyme schemes to rap, and changed the flow of hip-hop forever.
Le Tigre's feminist rage has always been fun
The synth-pop band just finished its first tour in nearly 20 years. After a recent show in Brooklyn, two longtime fans reflect on why this music still hasn't lost its power.
Post Malone chases happiness, chicken nuggets and love in new album 'Austin'
Hip-hop superstar Post Malone shares stories of fatherhood, self-doubt and why he named his latest album after his real name.
Sinéad O'Connor was our freedom singer, our keener and our feminist killjoy
O'Connor committed to a lifetime program of dissent, discontent and refusal against establishment evils. She carried all that swirling vehemence in her body and exorcised it through her howling music.
How Houston became the self-sustaining heart of Texas rap
Isolated at the bottom of the map, the Bayou City had to build its scene from scratch, and its influence inched ever outward. Today you can hear its pulse everywhere, beating slow and low.
How St. Louis recalibrated rap radio
Call the melodic, countrified swing that took over early 2000s radio an overnight sensation if you like, but it didn't come from nowhere — just a city many considered to be nowhere.
Tyler Childers is back, and taking chances
The grassroots country star, whose fan base crosses lines of identity and politics, is releasing a song called "In Your Love," from a new album. Its video tells a queer, Appalachian love story.