The 125 Best Rap Singles of 1995
Despite standout work by Wu-Tang Clan and others, the rap industry warred with itself, yielding an unmistakable feeling of dread.
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Black History Through Rap
Before she became a “gangsta rap” antagonist, C. Delores Tucker helped assemble a 1985 rap compilation with Philadelphia youth.
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The 75 Best Rap Singles of 1985
Thanks to stars like Run-D.M.C. and Roxanne Shanté, rap grew fitfully into a pop culture fixture. But respect for the art remained elusive.
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The Honorable Shyne
The Honorable Shyne may not exactly convince us of Shyne’s musical importance, but it unfurls his improbable story with aplomb.
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Bars for Gaza
Over a year after the Israel-Hamas war began, numerous rap songs have appeared that address the ongoing conflict.
Blu & Exile, Love (the) Ominous World
Blu’s third album of 2024 revolve around familiar concerns: fulfilling his hip-hop ambitions, and trying to find spiritual sustenance.
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Rise of a Killah: My Life in the Wu-Tang by Ghostface Killah
Not quite a full autobiography, Rise of a Killah compiles interviews with Ghostface Killah that tend to be impressionistic in details.
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Ol’ Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys
A Tale of Two Dirtys strains to show us that the much-missed Wu-Tang star was a compelling artist, not a holy fool.
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The 100 Best Rap Singles of 2004
As rap teetered between pop corporatism, brilliance and malaise, the eccentric MF DOOM as well as exotic Southern sounds offered redemption.
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Boldy James & Conductor Williams, Across the Tracks
On Across the Tracks, Boldy James illustrates a drug hustler’s lifestyle in colorful language, not thematic exposition or narrative tension.
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Your Old Droog, Movie
Your Old Droog’s “Movie” isn’t quite a God-tier film, but it’s a solid excursion with quality production and “nutty bars.”
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ShrapKnel & Controller 7, Nobody Planning to Leave
“Nobody Planning to Leave,” a collaboration between ShrapKnel and producer Controller 7 unfolds as a kind of fragmented tapestry.
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