The Culture, Curated

Jay-Z launched Roc-A-Fella Records by signing Memphis Bleek, laying groundwork for a roster that grew to include massive artists like Kanye West, DJ Clue and The Diplomats.

Lil Durk's lawyers want an unspecified text message tossed from his murder-for-hire trial, arguing it was late-disclosed and the phone was unlawfully...

The irony stands out: the White House overlaid Drake's "Hoe Phase" lyrics on a TikTok showing ICE deportations, even though he told a 2017 London...

Thirty-one years on, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… still stands as the blueprint for mafioso rap and New York grit. Raekwon turned raw street tales into...

Rubberz's #58 Billboard Hot 100 climb and '80s synth-pop pivot sparked immediate AI suspicions, with brittle hi-hats, awkward lyrics, and lip-sync...

Lil Uzi Vert flipped a weather-forced Lollapalooza no-show into a fan win by dropping the surprise eight-song EP “Maverick Almost Forever” on his 31st...

Cardi B released the surprise single “AH HA” on July 31, playfully calling out haters after her record-breaking U.S. arena tour that sold over 450,000...

Cardi B returns with fiery single “AH HA,” her first solo track since Am I the Drama?

• She mocks haters with signature swagger and a Trump jab...

Lil Uzi Vert marked their birthday with a surprise drop of the eight-track EP Maverick Almost Forever ahead of Lollapalooza. The nostalgic cover...

Snoop Dogg supplies original music for Eli Roth's Ice Cream Man, the first release from The Horror Section, pairing rap icon status with...

Big U's latest federal charges include solicitation to commit violence and witness tampering, with allegations tying back to a 2010 dispute.

• The...

Wale links with British singer Elmiene on "Overthink," a smooth R&B preview of his upcoming album Early Hours that pairs his reflective bars with...

• Primal sound leader: Under Playboi Carti, Ken Carson channels Opium's loud, industrial energy that's reshaping rap
• Prolific output: Five albums in...

• Lyrics: Cardi laughs off haters with "Hoes suck my d-ck, I'm like 'Ah, ha'" chorus, calling out those desperate for her attention
• Rollout: Dropped...

Fenix Flexin posted alleged project stems to prove "Rubberz" wasn't AI-generated. Producer Medasin immediately debunked it, claiming Flexin ran Treblo...

A decade-old Twitter spat over a wedding cake debate snowballed into years of online attacks and diss tracks between Christian rapper Datin and...

Cardi B drops her first single since Am I the Drama? with a sharp Trump jab: “Black trucks at the club, look like Trump in this bitch” plus a blunt...

38 Spesh's Fool's Mate title nods to chess's quickest checkmate, mirroring the lightning-fast NY rap beef that exploded at Summer Jam. Despite...

Tyga kicks off a major career pivot with the $TARFACE album, dropping a fully realized '80s-inspired alter ego across a tight 10-track project. The...

The 2026 XXL Freshman Bonus Cypher captures six rappers freestyling off the top with genuine laughs and energy over Jay Trench’s beat.

Standout...