Something's different about the arrival of the latest African pop stars on the international scene. They are finding success as a wave without compromising or catering to the American music industry.
On Sunday, Jay-Z accepted an honorary Grammy by taking gentle aim at the awards' failure to support Black musicians. "We want y'all to get it right — at least get it close to right" he said.
Alynda Segarra examines our frailty and resilience with an unsparing, yet tender cadence. This week on 8 Tracks, NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich looks at lyrics that stand on their own as poetry.
Sonic Youth's co-founder took her cues from a '60s girl-group but forges a new lane. NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich functions as your antidote to the algorithm in eight tracks to know this week.
From the storied Blue Note club in New York, the five-time Grammy-winner talks about the diverse audiences his eclectic music attracts and how he's reshaping the idea of musical genres.
After battling drug addiction and alcoholism, the Detroit rapper emerges from a downward spiral with Quaranta, his most thoughtful album, embracing the wisdom of his 40s.
The singer Cassie has accused the rap mogul of subjecting her to years of abuse, in a suit made possible by the Adult Survivors Act. Can the case spark a sexual assault reckoning within hip-hop?
Ahead of a daring return to music, the outrageous half of OutKast talks New Blue Sun, his wild ayahuasca trip and why he gets so many requests to play flute at funerals.
Trotter, aka Black Thought, reflects on his childhood in Philly, his decades-long friendship with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and his life as a musician. Trotter's new memoir is The Upcycled Self.
The arrest of Duane Davis in the 1996 shooting of the rapper in Las Vegas is a huge development in a case that has evaded closure, as competing narratives and mythologies have emerged in its place.
The show has always been the biggest dedicated stage for hip-hop. In the year of its 50th anniversary, with chatter of its demise looming, how do those in the building see things?
The pop star has always loved out-trolling her trolls. But Doja Cat's fourth album and dramatic rollout pushes that persona further, interpreting her antics through a playfully demonic lens.
The stylish genre-bending rapper has been pursuing his moment for years. With his debut album, How Do You Sleep At Night?, he finally gets to make a big first impression.
The Chicago rapper and poet is among the greatest lyricists of her generation. In asking tough questions of the art she practices, her third album reveals a fearless and visionary performer.
