Revenge of the 40-Year-Old Rapper: A Roundtable Discussion
Five people. Countless opinions. Let’s get into it.
Music
Why Growing Up Is No Longer a Death Sentence for Rappers
Aging used to mark the waning of a rap career . Now, it’s key for forging a tighter bond with fans
Who’s Having the Best Rap Career After 40?
These 40 MCs prove relevance is a state of mind
The 9 Best Voices in Rap, Ranked
Like the late great Guru once said: It’s mostly the voice that gets you up
Two cities start the reparations conversation — will the country follow?
Welcome to Minority Report, a weekly newsletter from the LEVEL team that packs an entire week into a single email. From the long road to…
How KRS-One’s ‘Sound of Da Police’ Went From Anti-Cop Anthem to Theme Song and Back Again
The 1993 song reinvigorated the rap legend’s career — and against all odds became a Hollywood (and police) favorite
5 Tattoos Celebrities Probably Should Have Thought Twice About, Ranked
So much for invisible ink
How Covid-19 Killed Live Shows and Rappers’ Incomes
With touring accounting for more than half an artist’s income, people have been forced to get creative.
What Happens When Your White Coworkers Discover Your Side Hustle
Sure, I got promoted — but it wasn’t the career advancement I’d anticipated
9 Anthems That Slap Harder Than ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ Ranked
It takes more than gleaming and ramparts to make a song a classic
6 More Brands Kanye West Should Try to Reinvigorate, Ranked
The Gap is looking for that billion-dollar Adidas come-up — but why should Yeezy stop there?
Chuck D Wants a Black Woman in the White House
The revolution is being televised and it’s still scary for Black folks. PE’s fearless leader believes it’s time for men to step aside.
Soul Music Gave Me Surrogate Fathers — Then Helped Me to Know My Own
Growing up, old-school soul…
5 Bars From ‘Thank Me Later’ You Can Send Your Ex While Drunk, Ranked
Drake’s studio debut turns 10 today, but its emotherapy is still powerful
A Phone Call With Max B, Riding Out His Last Year of Prison
The mixtape phenomenon isn’t out until…
The 7 Greatest Ice-T Movies That We’ve Never Seen, Ranked
In honor of National Iced Tea Day, please enjoy this completely unscientific list
The 6 ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Characters Who’d Make the Best Soundcloud Rappers, Ranked
Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony — then everything changed when the Fire Nation got ProTools
The 7 Best Soundtracks to Underwhelming Films, Ranked
Rotten-tomato cinema, certified-fresh album
The 5 Most Shameless Sneaker Songs (For People Who Are Definitely Not Sneakerheads) Ranked
You won’t find these on a hypebeast’s playlist
The 6 Verzuz Participants in Most Serious Need of Tech Support, Ranked
Sure, anything can happen, but maybe that thing should be ‘upgrading your home internet’
Eminem’s 8 Best Guest Verses, Ranked
On the 20th anniversary of ‘The Marshall Mathers LP,’ we remember the blond’s ambition to torch whatever he touched
I Hope My Songs Bring You Comfort in This Hard Time
Grammy vet Anthony Hamilton reflects on soul…
How Eminem Conquered Black Music (and White Privilege) With ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’
Looking back on the racial politics of a certified hip-hop classic, 20 years later
The 8 Most Trustworthy Geminis, Ranked
With Taurus’ days behind us, we turn our attention to the most-maligned sign
Boosie’s Not Building His Sons Into Men, He’s Creating Victims
The rapper is breaking the law — and…
Future’s 6 Saddest Sadboy Songs, Ranked
We can’t see it comin’ down his eye
The 7 Songs Latinx Folks Do NOT Want to Hear at Your Party, Ranked
If we hear one note of ‘Suavemente,’ we’re outta here
The 7 Worst Sex Punchlines From Otherwise Great Rappers, Ranked
Just because you’ve got bars doesn’t mean they’re all keepers
The Untold History of Oakland’s Soul Beat, a Pioneer Among Black-Owned TV Networks
Channel 37 wasn’t just one of the first Black-owned stations in the country — it was a launchpad for Bay Area stars
The Night Little Richard Reminded America He Was the True King of Rock
In 1988, the legend took the stage at the Grammys not to accept an award, but to give one — and to demand what he deserved