It’s 2019. Hip-hop has been the biggest genre in music for more than two years now, but The Grammys still reek of bias against the genre. Recent snubs of iconic albums like Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. and Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy sting badly, but sadly they weren’t a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention. And while The Grammys can continue to deny all the accusations … [Read more...] about The Grammys are Statistically Biased and Hip-Hop Doesn’t Need Them
jay z
“The Black Album”: Lyrical Breakdown of Jay-Z’s Least Collaborative Record
Fifteen years ago, Jay-Z announced that he was leaving hip-hop: but only on his own terms and with his own voice. The Black Album was meant to be the climax of Jay's career, a raw and personal record with minimal features. For the first time ever, here are the numbers to cement the album's legacy forever. I just felt like, it being the last album, that I wanted to do it … [Read more...] about “The Black Album”: Lyrical Breakdown of Jay-Z’s Least Collaborative Record
Behind “The Black Album”: Production & Sampling Deep-Dive
November 14, 2003: with nothing left to prove, Jay Z releases The Black Album, a project billed as his last. Fifteen years on, we reflect on the production throughout the LP, breaking down the sampling, examining the sonic palette and looking at the collaborators Jay chose to score his classic curtain closer. Fifteen years ago, Jay-Z felt he’d said all he had to … [Read more...] about Behind “The Black Album”: Production & Sampling Deep-Dive
Dissecting No I.D.’s Production Masterclass on “4:44”
In a genre often preoccupied with youth culture, an album exploring the trials of adult relationships and responsibilities is like a breath of fresh air. That goes double when it’s the work of a veteran producer and a legendary emcee. We’re celebrating their excellence with this, an in-depth exploration of No I.D.’s incredible production work on Jay’s most mature record. … [Read more...] about Dissecting No I.D.’s Production Masterclass on “4:44”
Dissecting Jay-Z’s Forgotten Classic Album “Vol 2… Hard Knock Life” [20th Anniversary]
Today marks 20 years since the release of Jay-Z's third studio album, Vol 2... Hard Knock Life. While the album's legacy is often overlooked in favor of other Jay classics, Hard Knock Life still remains Jay's commercial peak to this day, and represents the beginning of hip hop's invasion of the mainstream. On Pusha T’s 2018 highlight, “Infrared,” he muses about the … [Read more...] about Dissecting Jay-Z’s Forgotten Classic Album “Vol 2… Hard Knock Life” [20th Anniversary]
