If 1994 is one of hip hop’s greatest years, then Illmatic is one of the richest cherries atop the proverbial cake. Whilst it might not have been the most immediately impactful of the year’s debuts, it still stands as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. We’re breaking down the samples throughout […]
How Curren$y Rose as the King of New Orleans, In His Own Words
Today marks the 38th birthday of New Orleans’ own Curren$y. We celebrate his born day by chronicling his path to becoming the latest king of the Crescent City. Happy Birthday, Spitta. Burn one for us. Curren$y cares about his legacy. The forefather of the fly doesn’t always make it clear, his nonchalant demeanor can mask […]
In Conversation: Where Did Solange’s When I Get Home Come From?
We sat down the two biggest Solange fans we have on the Sauce to have a conversation about her latest wave-making album When I Get Home. What follows is a conversation about the influences that helped craft Solange’s sound, the cultural roots of the album, and how her career has been building toward this project […]
How Kanye Made “The College Dropout” – Every Sample, Every Beat
It’s hard to imagine the world without Kanye West, and it’s hard to imagine Kanye West without The College Dropout. Fifteen years on, we’re breaking down the sampling on Ye’s triumphant debut and talking about the creation of a classic. Things were different in 2004: 50 Cent was a musical titan, Jay-Z had retired from […]
How Leikeli47, Vince Staples and Frank Ocean Teach Us to Stop Hearing and Start Listening
In today’s age of the Infinite Scroll, listeners are becoming desensitized and disengaged with art. But artists like Vince, Frank, and Leikeli47 are fighting back by manipulating imagery to challenge and confront your perspective head-on. Empathic listening is an active form of consideration that allows you to immersively engage with what you’re hearing. It’s an […]
18 Years of Beats: Inside J. Cole’s Unsung Career as a Producer [Beats & Bars]
J. Cole has tirelessly worked his way into our generation’s holy trinity of rappers alongside Drake and Kendrick Lamar, and his honest lyricism is celebrated by peers and veterans alike. Along the way, Cole’s been honing his craft as a dual-discipline artist and constantly reinventing himself to amplify his artistry beyond his voice. I think […]
Unprecedented: Big K.R.I.T.’s Groundbreaking Career as a Dual-Discipline Artist [Beats & Bars]
In today’s era of collaborative production, Big K.R.I.T. stands alone. Despite producing 67.9% of his album tracks alone – with no co-production whatsoever – K.R.I.T. has ascended commercial peaks historically reserved for elite rappers backed by production rosters as long as a phone book. He has carved his own path from the very beginning, employing […]
Behind the Sound of Janelle Monáe: It Takes a Village [Beats & Bars]
Singer. Songwriter. Actress. Visionary. Janelle Monáe is so many things, it’s easy to forget she’s also a producer, working alongside her closest collaborators to furnish her own sound. In this piece, we’re looking at how Monáe’s secret weapon – her production prowess – factors into her distinctive sound. Though she’s been active in the music […]
Straight from the Dungeons of Rap: An Exploration and Oral History of “Illmatic”
When a twenty-year-old high school dropout from Queensbridge dropped his debut album in ‘94, the landscape of hip-hop changed forever. We explore the cultural context surrounding the release of Illmatic, provide an oral history of the creative process, and break the album down track-by-track. This is a tribute to the legacy of arguably the greatest […]
Best Songs of 2018: Uzi’s Defiantly Long “New Patek” (that’s it that’s the list)
Year end lists are subjective garbage so we let Edward Alexander write a list about his favorite song of the year. When was the last time you heard a 6-minute rap single? In the new regime of hip-hop a premium is placed on concision. Hooks, verses, songs, singles, and albums seem to have collectively shrunk […]
