Daddy Energy and Mommy Vibes: Exploring the Evolution of Slang Sarah Erin, Brooklyn College Though un-noteworthy at first glance, slang words like "Mommy" and "Daddy" represent a long and fascinating cultural evolution.… February 14, 2024
The Most Famous Drummer You’ve Never Heard Of Morgan Brown, Wake Forest University Gregory "G.C." Coleman left behind a huge legacy in hip hop music, whether you know his name or not.… September 8, 2023
Takeoff Left a Permanent Imprint on Hip-Hop Liam Jackson, Michigan State University This young rapper's life may have ended recently, but his impact on the music industry will last forever.… November 22, 2022
Why Rapper and Artist Ryn Should Be on Your Radar Meagan Bess, University of North Carolina at Greensboro From rap to jazz to soul, this up-and-coming artist does it all.… April 11, 2019
Rapper/Producer Duo Freddie Gibbs and Madlib Are Back at It Again Brandon Scott, University of New Hampshire The 'Pinata' sequel, 'Bandana,' is slated to release next month.… March 28, 2019
Juice WRLD’s Second Album, ‘Death Race for Love,’ Doesn’t Quite Cut It Brandon Scott, University of New Hampshire The bloated album did well on the charts, but its standards are clearly lower.… March 22, 2019
After a Six-Year Hiatus, Rapper Diggy Simmons Has Just Dropped His New Album Meagan Bess, University of North Carolina at Greensboro The son of Rev Run has laid the groundwork for a successful career of his own.… February 21, 2019
J. Cole’s ‘Middle Child’ Is a Syllabus for Aspiring Rappers Layan Sasa, University of Texas at San Antonio The real is back, the ville is back.… February 13, 2019
Boogie’s Debut Album, ‘Everythings for Sale,’ Channels Its Namesake Desperation Brandon Scott, University of New Hampshire Aside from a few scattered positives, the 13-track project feels like a throwaway.… February 10, 2019
21 Savage’s ‘i am > i was’ Might Be the Best Trap Project of 2018 Brandon Scott, University of New Hampshire On his new album, the 26-year-old finally leaves the gimmicks behind.… January 7, 2019
Tiny Meat Gang Just Released Their Sophomore Rap-Parody EP, and It’s Straight Fire Nicole Andrasko, University of Pittsburgh The YouTube-famous duo have returned with another pop-culture-bashing album.… January 3, 2019
Ski Mask the Slump God’s Debut Album ‘STOKELEY’ Is Angry and Unvarnished Brandon Scott, University of New Hampshire The album has head-banging potential, but the 22-year-old's work still needs some polishing.… December 26, 2018
St. Louis Rapper Smino Is Officially One to Watch Brandon Scott, University of New Hampshire The MC’s sophomore project, 'NOIR,' is brimming with promise.… December 20, 2018
The 5 Most Slept-On Rap Albums of 2018 Brandon Scott, University of New Hampshire Overshadowed and under-played, each of these projects deserves way more attention than they received.… December 5, 2018
Trippie Redd’s New Mixtape Is a Hitch in His Otherwise Smooth Ascent Brandon Scott, University of New Hampshire 'A Love Letter to You 3' flounders in the shadow of its predecessors.… November 27, 2018
Vince Staples’ ‘FM’ Doesn’t Have Time for the Lip Service of Mainstream Rap Moiz Rizvi, University of Texas at Austin Because nowadays, who needs more bulls***?… November 18, 2018
Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist Make Magic with ‘Fetti’ Brandon Scott, University of New Hampshire The trio of veterans are pushing sonic boundaries on the multifaceted collab.… November 13, 2018
The 5 Best Songs to Remember Jon James By Sarah Brown, University of Florida The rapper's untimely death has only given his music a renewed sense of poignancy.… November 3, 2018
Unimpressed by Modern Rap? Try Some Saba Brandon Scott, University of New Hampshire The Chicago-based musician is everything good about timeless hip hop.… October 15, 2018
Eminem’s ‘Kamikaze’ Is a Loud Cry for Retirement Melissa Lee, State University of New York at Oswego Shady’s back … but please don’t tell a friend.… September 17, 2018
A Beginner’s Guide to Sheck Wes Jonathan Christian, Northwest Vista College The self-proclaimed 'mudboy' insists he ain’t no joke.… September 9, 2018
Is Hip-Hop Provocateur Russ a Rap God or Just a SoundCloud Pot-Stirrer? Tori Ihnen, Fort Hays State University If Step No. 1 is calling attention to yourself, Russ has done that in spades. It's his music that might not be up to snuff.… August 6, 2018
What You Should Expect from Travis Scott’s Upcoming Album Alexis Rogers, Temple University Rumor has it the project might even feature a Stevie Wonder collab.… August 2, 2018
Why Gorillaz’s New Album, ‘The Now Now,’ Falls Short Jen Tombs, University of Warwick It's one big chilled out synth-fest ... where every song sounds the same.… July 7, 2018
In ‘Scorpion,’ Champagne Papi Confirms He Is Indeed a Papi, Among Other Surprises Jamie Lovley, University of Maine The album's impressive streaming record might actually be its least surprising quality.… July 2, 2018
Death Grips’ Latest Album, ‘Year of the Snitch,’ Is Absolute Insanity Jonathan Christian, Northwest Vista College Seriously, insanity.… June 28, 2018
Teyana Taylor Makes Her Sophomore Studio Album Short and Sweet Remington Jensen, University of Idaho The eight-track 'K.T.S.E.' sees Taylor in gloss, with priceless production behind her and a voice like Noname.… June 26, 2018
Tierra Whack Wants to Invite You to Her Surreal World Jonathan Christian, Northwest Vista College The Philadelphia rapper’s eccentric debut album, 'Whack World,' is a fresh and amusing trip into the mind of its subversive creator.… June 23, 2018
‘Queen,’ the Long-Awaited Album from Nicki Minaj, Has Hype at All-Time Highs Ayanna Totten, East Stroudsburg University After a four-year hiatus, Minaj hopes to reclaim her title as Queen of rap. … June 22, 2018
Here’s What to Expect from the Gorillaz Upcoming Album, ‘The Now Now’ Bradley Howlett, Grand Valley State University The big question is: Will we be getting their 'Humanz' sound, or a return to their more classic style?… June 19, 2018
Kanye West’s 2018 Project Is Simple and Calculated Remington Jensen, University of Idaho After two years' hiatus, and on the heels of a slew of controversial remarks, West is back.… June 6, 2018
Psychedelic Ride: A Song by Song Review of A$AP Rocky’s ‘Testing’ Bradley Howlett, Grand Valley State University 'Testing' is a new look for A$AP, and it definitely feels a little awkward.… June 5, 2018
Wayne’s World: Revisiting ‘Tha Carter III’ 10 Years Later Yoni Yardeni, Pierce College Lil Wayne’s 2008 album is a modern-day classic ‘cause Wayne win, and they lose.… June 4, 2018