Nigerian pop stars are often accused of singing about love and money and ignoring social issues. Falz isn’t one of them.
Articles on Rappers
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Both genres recently celebrated big birthdays. From their origins in the clubs and jams of the 1970s and 1980s, house and hip-hop have become global cultural forces.
When delivered with integrity, rap can be a cathartic experience for both the speaker and the community receiving the message
The same boldness that enabled hip-hop to endure can benefit teachers in the classroom, a hip-hop scholar writes.
On Aug. 11, 1973, a block party in the Bronx spawned a genre that would go on to influence nearly all aspects of US culture – and the music, fashion and art of countries around the world.
Dip hop artists move across the stage, hands flying through the air, as audiences pulse to the rhythm of a blasting bass beat.
As hip-hop turns 50, an unfortunate reality is that so many of its pioneering artists never live to see much more than 50 years themselves, a professor of hip-hop writes.
Legend has it that African Americans soldiers brought back a love of cognac after service in Europe in World War II. It’s a lovely story, but the history goes back much further.
Hip hop’s swaggering braggadocio acts as a counterpoint to the Roy family’s rarefied worlds of high finance and plutocratic untouchability.
From Tupac to Jay-Z, many a rap artist has set pen to paper to pay homage to the women who gave them birth.
Ronald Reagan may have been known as ‘The Great Communicator,’ but rap artists don’t view his legacy through such rose-colored glasses. A professor of Black studies and history takes a closer look.
Since rap music emerged in mainstream culture in the late 1980s, politicians have derided its lyrics and imagery as violent. Over the years, rap has become an easy target to blame for violence.
Since rap music emerged in mainstream culture in the late 1980s, conservatives have derided its lyrics and imagery as violent. But hip-hop artists argue those images reflect urban realities.
Despite the attention paid by the press when two Black hip-hop artists signaled their support for Donald Trump, they do not represent swelling enthusiasm for Trump from young, Black men.
In voicing youthful outrage over inequality and violence, Bangladeshi rappers are creating a powerful form of protest music — just as American MCs have done for 40 years.
50 Cent was caught dishing dirt with revenge porn aimed at the girlfriend of his rival. He hopes to beat the rap by declaring bankruptcy. But can he?
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of Hip-Hop, University of Virginia
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Teaching Assistant Professor of Musicology, West Virginia University
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Professor of Music, University College Cork
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Associate Professor of American Culture, University of Michigan
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Professor of Religious Studies, University of Arizona
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Fellow, Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, American University
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Professor of Black Studies and History, Amherst College
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Assistant Professor of European Studies, University of Florida
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Lecturer, Federal University, Oye Ekiti
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Rap Lyricist and Lecturer in Music Performance at Confetti Institute of Creative Technology, Nottingham Trent University
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Professor of Sociology, University of Richmond
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Associate Professor of Religion, San Diego State University
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Associate Professor, Rutgers University, DEA Fellow, Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (FMSH), Rutgers University
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Professor of Music, Wesleyan University
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Professor of Higher Education, University of South Carolina