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.
As rap teetered between pop corporatism, brilliance and malaise, the eccentric MF DOOM as well as exotic Southern sounds offered redemption.
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.
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.
From Ras Kass to De La Soul, the year 2003 brought plenty of announcements for albums that never appeared in stores.
As the industry slowly crumbled, action figures like 50 Cent and Lil Jon rolled off the assembly line with muscular, eardrum-popping sounds.
While Missy Elliott and the Neptunes dominated 2002, the rise of 50 Cent, Dipset, and Southern rap promised to transform the culture.
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.
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.
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.”
Twenty years ago today, Madlib released The Unseen as Quasimoto. This San Francisco Bay Guardian essay was published at its initial release.