The Beautiful Washed State of Aubrey Graham
The hooks on ‘Scary Hours 2’ are the same old hitmaking…
Music
Black Exceptionalism Is Not Always Black Excellence
When Black people struggled to penetrate media of…
The 10 Most Memorable NPR Tiny Desk Concerts, Ranked
All hail the only office we miss
How Open Mike Eagle Survived His Demons Through Anime
Life changes hit the rapper hard — and shows like ‘Tokyo Ghoul’ helped him process it all
6 Other Things Justin Timberlake Should Apologize for, Ranked
We can forgive his awkward dancing, but J.T. should keep the remorse train rolling
DMX Is Finally Happy
We always rooted for Earl Simmons — but seeing his joy as he turns 50 has helped us find our own
How a Few Great Hip-Hop Journalists Won In Hollywood
Some of the genre’s best and brightest come together to talk about why they made the transition from rap magazines to TV and movies—and how
The Striking Similarities Between These Rappers and Ancient Philosophers
The work and statements of some of our favorite MCs line up quite comfortably alongside philosophy’s greatest — and most notorious — minds
Illness Changed My Life, but I Didn’t Panic
Consequence reveals how he coped with a shocking diagnosis
My Lifelong Journey Embracing Mixed-Race Identity
Singer Raiche shares her experience defining herself and what truly matters most
I’m Officially Too Old To Listen to Dudes Rapping About Oral Sex
The problem isn’t the subject matter…
The 7 Best Hip-Hop Biopics, Ranked
It’s a mooooooovie!
How MF DOOM Saved a Generation of Lost Hip-Hop Fans
The masked rapper’s worldbuilding and commitment reminded us that there was always something more to discover
Remembering Phife Dawg as Only His Mother Could
Cheryl Boyce-Taylor’s memoir ‘Mama Phife Represents’ is a stunning work of elegy just when we need it most
9 Things That You Forgot Happened in 2020, Ranked
What a glorious, innocent time it was
The 5 Most Unforgettable Verzuz Memes We Got in 2020, Ranked
Pandemic Wi-Fi remains undefeated!
The Gifts From “12 Days of Christmas,” Ranked
Timeless song, sure, but how do the offerings from said true love stack up?
5 Hip-Hop Beefs Not Even Verzuz Could Squash, Ranked
Not even Timbo and Swizz could call a truce between these pairs
LEVEL Celebrates Its Best Men of 2020
From neighbors to fathers to first responders, anyone can be the best of us
The 9 Earwormiest ‘Animaniacs’ Songs, Ranked
The recently rebooted cartoon classic had slaps!
10 Questions I Still Have About That Gucci-Jeezy Verzuz
Now that our blood pressure’s back to normal, let’s get into it
Learning How to Be Self-Sufficient From the Most Important Producer of 2020
Sometimes the best lessons come from the bumps and bruises along the way
The 7 Best Civil Wars, Ranked
If this country’s gonna fracture, let it happen like one of these glorious conflagrations
The Ultimate Underappreciated List: 30 Black Folks Who Need Their Flowers ASAP
Wake up and appreciate the greatness of these criminally slept-on heroes
This Is Who Lil Wayne Has Always Been
Even if cosigning Trump was a natural progression of Wayne’s…
Everything I Know About Business I Learned From E-40
For 35 years, the Bay Area legend has been…
The Story Behind the Most Epic Million Man March Photo You’ve Never Seen
So Fresh Prince, Puff Daddy…
The Artist Formerly Known As Loon Never Stopped Being a Father to His Son While In Prison
The former Bad Boy star’s bond with his son is tighter than ever
My Music May Define This Election
This is my first time paying attention to politics. Biden pulled me…
No Country For Tory Lanez
After silence and outright disrespect, it’s time to excommunicate Meg’s alleged shooter for good.