To celebrate the golden anniversary of hip-hop, we rounded up 35 essential hits. These songs were hugely significant for the genre's growth and made an impact on the music industry. Our picks are ...

The current US Top 30 has no songs that could be officially described as rap or hip-hop – for the first time since 1990. That’s 35 years ago, when George Bush the first was in the White House, when ...

Hip-hop and rap have been driving culture in the U.S. for almost four decades now, especially in America. So why are these ...

Like doo-wop, the earliest era of rap was full of groups and ensembles, many with numbers in their name, who were known for routines in which they passed lyrics between each member and often broke out ...

When the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” debuted in 1979, I remember it as a moment of connection. My parents purchased the 12-inch extended single for my sister and me. And, like many kids, we ...

Welcome to The State of R&B, ESSENCE’s look at the past, present and future of rhythm and blues. In this piece, ESSENCE editor Rivéa Ruff reports on the blending of hip-hop and R&B. Since the ...

In the early 1990s, bass drummer Derrick Moss, snare drummer Lumar LeBlanc and other members of the Young Olympia Brass Band decided to split off to form a new brass band: The Soul Rebels. They wanted ...

Fabolous has fans buzzing after revealing he spent nearly two years untangling a decades-old record deal that began in 1999 and may still be tied to Desert Storm and Def Jam.

Rapper Roxanne Shanté has a theory about why women in hip-hop now wield not only massive popularity, but respect. “(The music industry) is able to see that female rappers are worth money. They are ...

Listen to new must-hear songs from emerging R&B/hip-hop artists like Gabriel Jacoby, Lola Brooke, Wale, EARTHGANG, Nile Rodgers, and Sincere Hunte.

You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email. Follow Callie Ahlgrim Every time Callie publishes a story, you’ll get an alert straight to your inbox!