Lamar's blowout Juneteenth concert, held at the Forum in Los Angeles and live-streamed on Amazon Music, planted flags for the future of LA rap, while uniting in hate for a certain Toronto titan.

Canon-making is a core part of rap fandom, the subject of endless barbershop parleys and message-board battles. But something curdles when the companies that control the music business enter the chat.

AI can conjure the voice or likeness of a dead celebrity with just a few clicks. This opens a host of legal questions about the rights of the deceased and their heirs to control their digital replicas

Drake and Kendrick have been trading diss tracks for weeks, and it's gotten darker and darker with each track. Drake accuses Kendrick of beating women, and Kendrick accuses Drake of abusing minors. It's a spectacle, but who are the pawns? Brittany chats with NPR Music's Sidney Madden and writer Tirhakah Love about the collateral damage in this rap beef.

Then, Brittany turns to Holding It Together a new book that describes how America has avoided building a social safety net and instead relies on women to provide the services that could be universal to all. Author Jessica Calarco joins the show to dive into the book and take a look at the cultural forces that keep women holding it all together.

2024 seems destined to go down as the Year of Pop Culture Grievances. Megan vs. Nicki. Beyoncé vs. Nashville. But above all: Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake, who are currently engaged in the nastiest lyrical warfare rap fans have seen in a minute. Today, we're talking about all the pettiness: Why so much beef, and what makes a good battle? And is there ever a clear "winner" in these battles?

As the jolt of adrenaline lit by the clash between the two biggest rappers of a generation fades, it's worth holding onto the possibility — however slim — that something new can grow from the chaos.

In their ongoing feud, Lamar skips AI for real emotion. "Euphoria" is so visceral and real that it's exactly what's been missing in this rap beef.

After a decade ruled by their influence, the buzzy reunion of two hip-hop giants finds one imbued with a startling new power.

If the current conflict between J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake feels confusing, it's because the artists often hailed as hip-hop's "big three" have never played by the same rules.

The Mexican singer-songwriter racked up more than 8.5 billion views globally on the platform this year.

Nine artists including T-Pain, Demi Lovato and Charlie Puth have granted Google permission to use their singing voices for the new tool, Dream Track.

In 2016, a rift between hitmakers showed the limits of rap's tolerance for rule-breakers. As Mark Anthony Neal explains, "authentic" Black masculinity has always been a moving target in hip-hop.

Artificial intelligence technology can now create new songs that sound like they're the work of real artists, which introduces creative possibilities — and raises legal and ethical questions.

This year's performers included J. Cole, Drake, Usher, Burna Boy, City Girls, Ari Lennox, Summer Walker, JID and many more.

The duo trades threats and out-of-pocket disses of virtually everyone they've ever encountered on a new album. It's ugly, but it mostly works as a more targeted, focused version of Drake's whole deal.