What Old-School Hip-Hop Has to Say About Our Political Moment
Beyond NWA and Public Enemy: rappers have been sounding the alarm about police brutality since the birth of hip-hop. It’s time we listened to old-school hip-hop.
NWA
The 10 Best Hip-Hop Tracks of 1991
1991's best hip-hop songs lean more towards beats production than the era's increasingly popular gangsta rap genre.
Ice Cube’s ‘Death Certificate’ Soundtracked the Rodney King Era
It was during the period between the Rodney King beating and subsequent court verdict that Ice Cube cut Death Certificate, a chilling glimpse into the anger and frustration South Central Los Angelinos were feeling.
A Slapdash History of the Hip-hop Megamix
The megamix is a variegated mural, with flashes of color – neon pink, chartreuse, head-gash red – popping off chipped concrete, an amalgamation of flavor so fresh it strains the vision, so vivid it glows.