Sampling has been a cornerstone of hip-hop since its inception, with producers repurposing existing music to create entirely new sonic landscapes. A standout hip-hop sample is more than just a looped ...

The world is mourning the loss of the undisputed Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The music icon passed away on Thursday morning (Aug.16) at her Detroit home surrounded by family and loved ones. The ...

The hip-hop world has lost a true pioneer in the game. Legendary rapper Lovebug Starski, whose real name is Kevin Smith, passed away in Las Vegas on Thursday (Feb. 8). According to reports, the rap ...

This article has been handpicked from the Okayplayer editorial archives and included in our Hip Hop 50 collection as a noteworthy inclusion to the genre's rich and diverse narrative. The article has ...

At various points in my previous articles, I have at least pointed to the fact that I, having been born in the 2000s, had to learn about hip-hop out of order, at least compared to those who had been ...

Future & Metro Boomin, Drake, Young Thug, Lil Baby, Big Sean and French Montana all have this thing in common in their discography. By Heran Mamo “Mile High Memories” from Future and Metro Boomin‘s ...

Billboard rounded up rap, R&B and Afrobeats songs by Rema, MF DOOM, Snoop Dogg, Burna Boy, Ashanti, Nipsey Hussle and Queen Latifah that sample and interpolate Sade. By Heran Mamo Rema‘s latest single ...

Funk allowed Black musicians and their audiences to shapeshift and speak truth to power—even while speaking in tongues. But as Stanley Nelson and Nicole London’s documentary WE WANT THE FUNK! reveals, ...

Hip-hop has evolved massively over the decades, but much has stayed the same in terms of how a sound engineer approaches the mix. The vocals are so important in this genre because they are carrying ...

There are only 22 albums in hip-hop history that have been christened with a perfect XXL rating. Amongst that rare ilk sits Lauryn Hill's 1998 classic, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The 16-track ...

Now that we’ve talked about the best albums, songs, debuts, and EPs of 2025, it’s time to get even more granular and pay ...

Lauryn Hill may have mostly retreated from the public eye, but she’s never really left rap music. Her brief catalog—one solo album, one live album, and two albums with the Fugees—still casts a long ...