rap
Guru on Repetition
Kurt Andersen and hip-hop artist Guru talk about how repeating words, images, and sounds draws us into a piece of art. Guru (aka Keith Elam) is a rapper, composer, and musical chameleon. He is the lyrical half of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr and over the last two decades he’s collaborated with just about everyone […]
Homo Hop
Historically when homosexuality has come up in rap lyrics, it’s been as a slur. But a new sub-genre of hip-hop by gay artists is starting to catch on. Rappers like Shorty Roc, Deadlee, and Mlange Lavonne call it “homo hop,” and they’re fighting for acceptance among hip-hop heads and the LGBT community alike. Produced by […]
360 Staff Pick: Speech Therapy
In our contest-obsessed culture, it’s easy to tune out awards hoopla. But England’s Mercury Prize has done what a meaningful award should do: shine a light on an artist who deserves it. Twenty-six year-old Speech Debelle was virtually unknown before she won the prize last month. Her debut record, Speech Therapy, is filled with hopeful, […]
The New Ladies of Hip-Hop
Hip-hop gets a bad rap for being male-dominated and misogynist. But female MCs have been on the cutting edge of hip-hop since the beginning. The 80’s saw outspoken artists like MC Lyte, J.J. Fad, Salt-n-Pepa, Queen Latifah; in the 90’s we had Missy Elliott, Eve, and Lauryn Hill. If you take a look around this […]