1. Lil Baby: My Turn (#1 Billboard 200), “The Bigger Picture” (#3 Billboard Hot 100) 2. Megan Thee Stallion: “Savage” (#2 Billboard 200) 3. Nicki Minaj: “Trollz”…
View More The Throne (estimated): June 2020Author: mreeves
On Deck: June 2020
Nappy Nina, 30 Bag Noname, “Song 33” Ethel Waters, “Come Up and See Me Sometime” Joey Negro, “Must Be the Music” Tammy Lucas, “Is It Good…
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On Quasimoto’s The Unseen
Twenty years ago today, Madlib released this landmark album under the guise of Quasimoto. This San Francisco Bay Guardian essay was published during the time of its initial release.
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Anti-Crack Raps
This chapter from a 2014-2015 series on early rap music focuses on how artists responded to the crack plague of the mid-to-late 1980s. It’s an example of how the culture has always illustrated current events throughout its history.
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2020 Protest Raps: Music for the American Spring
The start of June brought a new groundswell of songs generated by widespread protest against police brutality and racist violence. It fulfills a tradition that dates back to the earliest days of recorded rap: when a crisis hits the black community, the musicians shift to address it.
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