The songs we love from the first half of the year span a wide emotional and musical range, from wild percussive romps to raw pleas for empathy to Beyoncé's command to leave it all on the dance floor.

The songs we love from the first half of the year span a wide emotional and musical range, from wild percussive romps to raw pleas for empathy to Beyoncé's command to leave it all on the dance floor.

The songs we love from the first half of the year span a wide emotional and musical range, from wild percussive romps to raw pleas for empathy to Beyoncé's command to leave it all on the dance floor.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with the rapper about making his new album It's Almost Dry, working with Kanye and Pharrell and reflecting on what longevity looks like in hip-hop.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with the rapper about making his new album It's Almost Dry, working with Kanye and Pharrell and reflecting on what longevity looks like in hip-hop.