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The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1981

Most of the best hip-hop of 1981 didn’t appear on rap records — with Grandmaster Flash’s “Wheels of Steel” a gloriously historic exception.

SPOTLIGHT

Joseph Rathgeber on Caltrops

New Jersey writer Joseph Rathgeber discusses his zine Caltrops, which has become a key document of the underground rap renaissance.

The #HipHop50 Parade

The yearlong #HipHop50 celebration has become a microcosm of the myths and reality that continue to define the culture.

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The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1981

Most of the best hip-hop of 1981 didn’t appear on rap records — with Grandmaster Flash’s “Wheels of Steel” a gloriously historic exception.

The 125 Best Rap Singles of 2002

While Missy Elliott and the Neptunes dominated 2002, the rise of 50 Cent, Dipset, and Southern rap promised to transform the culture.

The 125 Best Rap Singles of 2001

While 9/11 and Jay-Z vs. Nas defined the year, global forces began disrupting the cloistered rap industry, whether it was ready or not.

The 125 Best Rap Singles of 2000

In the first year of the 21st century, hip-hop mutated in unusual ways, and a canyon grew between the haves and the have-nots.

The 50 Best Rap Singles of 1981

Most of the best hip-hop of 1981 didn’t appear on rap records — with Grandmaster Flash’s “Wheels of Steel” a gloriously historic exception.

The 125 Best Rap Singles of 2002

While Missy Elliott and the Neptunes dominated 2002, the rise of 50 Cent, Dipset, and Southern rap promised to transform the culture.

The 125 Best Rap Singles of 2001

While 9/11 and Jay-Z vs. Nas defined the year, global forces began disrupting the cloistered rap industry, whether it was ready or not.

The 125 Best Rap Singles of 2000

In the first year of the 21st century, hip-hop mutated in unusual ways, and a canyon grew between the haves and the have-nots.