Album cover of Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp a Butterfly"

Butterfly Flow: Tupac, Kendrick Lamar, and the Resurrection of New Black Godz

A look at mythic themes in Kendrick Lamar's recent #1 album To Pimp a Butterfly.
Billie Holliday singing into a studio mic in black and white

Remembering Billie Holiday

The 100th anniversary of Billie Holiday's birth.
"We Are The World" album cover

“We Are the World, We Are the Children” (Or Are We?)

Megahit "We are the world" turns 30 this year.
Tupac Shakur in black and white

Tupac Shakur Remembered in GRAMMY Museum Exhibit

A new exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum explores the lyrics and cultural contribution of Tupac Shakur.

Word to your Mother (Tongue): Can Hip Hop Save Endangered Languages?

Hip hop is not only linguistically innovative, it helps preserve indigenous languages via oral tradition.
Josephine Baker laying on top of a tiger rug in black and white

The Fuss About Josephine Baker

 A new one-woman Broadway show puts Josephine Baker back in the public consciousness.
violists laughing

Why Did the Violist Cross the Road?

Every subculture has its in-jokes. Classical musicians are no exception, and the punchline usually involves a viola.

Orson Welles at 100

2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Orson Welles.
Black and white headshot of Hank Williams in a cowboy hat.

The Music and Meaning of Hank Williams

Hank Williams
Scene of a parade from the 2014 movie Annie.

Our Obsession with Orphans: A Short History from Jane Eyre to Annie

Little Orphan Annie is the latest in a sequence of pop culture foundlings, but America’s orphans of the Great Depression weren’t endearing at all.