We don't talk about the sound of rap anymore, because there isn't one. Or two. Or twelve. The map is more like a metaverse, a malleable collection of regional sounds, virtual alliances and divergent ...

Last year, we posted a list of independent hip hop releases of 2020 that we recommend buying on Bandcamp, and if you’re missing any of those, we still recommend them. But as it’s a new year, here’s a ...

“The Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap,” a 129-song boxed set, has a very challenging (and maybe impossible) goal: pinning down a constantly evolving genre. By Jon Caramanica In 1990, hip-hop ...

Back when rappers were dead set on either spitting harsh rhymes or dancefloor anthems, Whodini began injecting R&B and funk elements into its hip hop songs. That style peaks on “Freaks Come Out at ...