This story is the second installment of a three-part series discussing major changes in popular music throughout the course of 2024. Today’s story focuses on the current state of rap music. This year ...

Rap in 2025 was all about experimentation. From the year’s first runaway hit, NBA player-turned-musician Gelo’s single “Tweaker,” to the maximalist ecclesiastics of Playboi Carti’s Music, or even in ...

Nasir Jones is a storyteller. He makes that clear on “Illmatic,” an introspective and poetic album that set the foundation for rap music. With a smooth flow and contemplative lyrics over jazz-heavy ...

Rap music in 2025 was a rich mix of introspection, experimentation and cultural significance. As mainstream rap fell in and out of favor, the genre flourished with adventurous producing, serious ...

The rock n’ roll of Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley differs greatly from the rock of the Beatles – which differs from the hard ...

**For clarity, rap and hip-hop are used interchangeably throughout the article, as both represent the same space in music charts.** Additionally, in mid-September 2025, only four hip-hop songs were on ...

Some people often fail to understand that rap music is a cultural thing. A Black American thing, not just an American thing. It has Black American origins, created by Black people, in a Black and ...

What's going on with rap? After celebrating 50 years of legacy in 2023 with marquee moments like the Hip Hop 50 multi-headliner concert at Yankee Stadium, plus Kendrick Lamar's historic run – capped ...