Musicians Fought the Law, and the Law Won—Sometimes
De La Soul are known for the effect their use of samples had on their music sales and availability on streaming sites. They’re finally streaming. Why now?
The Rec Room Party Where Hip-Hop Was Born
Thinking quickly and reading the dance floor, an innovative DJ began playing the funkiest parts of every record.
Can Jay Z Help Students Read James Joyce?
Rapper Jay Z recently released his 13th studio album 4:44. Could this be used in the classroom to enlighten and educate students in secondary schools?
Bill O’Reilly: The Thug Life
The O’Reilly Factor follows a “set of binary codes of the form sacred vs. polluted,” expressed in a number of ways according to sociologist Matthew Norton.
New Brown Godz Look Back: M.I.A.’s Arular at 10
A look at M.I.A's groundbreaking Arular at ten years old.
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.
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.
Nineteenth-Century Rappers, Corn Laws, and the Rise of Free Trade
The strange intersection of corn laws, rap, poetry, and free trade.