ALL: Opening Acts

Rap Songs for Home

As the coronavirus epidemic continues to roil the globe, this playlist of rap songs is assembled the meaning of the word “home.”

Rap Art in the Coronavirus Era

As the world adapts to life under a global pandemic, the album art of several recent rap releases is having a noticeable impact.

First Wave Hip-House: 1988-1990

As a shotgun marriage between two hot springs of black innovation, hip-house’s reputation lies between unalloyed club bliss and pop kitsch.

Madlib, the Instrumentalist

Madlib is one of the most acclaimed hip-hop producers of the past two decades. But his instrumentals often go unnoticed.

Star Wars Funk

George Lucas’ Star Wars hit America like a pop culture meteor in the summer of 1977. The R&B scene wasn’t immune from the impact.