The 100 Best Rap Singles of 2004
September 2, 2024
As rap teetered between pop corporatism, brilliance and malaise, the eccentric MF DOOM as well as exotic Southern sounds offered redemption.
ALL: Hip-Hop 2000s
The Best Rap Singles: Former Entries
December 21, 2023
The Best Rap Singles series began in 2020 and has undergone changes in the years since. This list of entries shows what’s been removed.
Best Rap Singles: Class of 2003
December 5, 2023
In an era when hip-hop was at a commercial peak, it was common for vital new voices to spend years working towards international attention.
2003 Ads for Lost Albums
December 5, 2023
From Ras Kass to De La Soul, the year 2003 brought plenty of announcements for albums that never appeared in stores.
The 125 Best Rap Singles of 2003
November 14, 2023
As the industry slowly crumbled, action figures like 50 Cent and Lil Jon rolled off the assembly line with muscular, eardrum-popping sounds.
The 125 Best Rap Singles of 2002
September 7, 2023
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
August 6, 2023
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
June 24, 2023
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.
Twenty Years of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”
November 4, 2022
I recently spoke with The Ringer for a story about the 20th anniversary of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” which has become a pop landmark and perennial “jock jam.”
On Quasimoto’s The Unseen
June 13, 2020
Twenty years ago today, Madlib released The Unseen as Quasimoto. This San Francisco Bay Guardian essay was published at its initial release.