Lauren Schwartzberg
We Asked Musicians in Their 20s What They Think of the '27 Club'
What do Brodinski, Zola Jesus, Bobby Brackins, and more think of their impending 27th birthdays?
Double Dutch's Forgotten Hip-Hop Origins
When hip-hop developed in New York, teams of girls would double dutch in the middle of dancing crowds at clubs, an element of the culture that has been lost along the way.
We Asked Rappers What They Thought About 'Empire'
"This shit is bringing back the soul in TV and I'm with it."
The Ancient History of Grills
As ever-present as grills may seem today, mouth bling isn't new. Actually, grills have been appearing, disappearing, and reappearing throughout human history in fits and spurts as civilizations have risen and fallen around the world.
Stream ‘Silver Cloak,’ Drippin’s Debut EP
Drippin is one of those club music producers whose goal is to "have you on the edge of being uncomfortable."
Lesbian Hip-Hop Hits Prime Time
SIYA is arguably the first out and proud lesbian rapper to reach a mainstream US audience. Her latest video for the song “Real MVP,” which featured the MC serenading a thick hip-hop honey, made its nationwide debut on the Oxygen network.
Nicki Minaj’s Former Manager Debra Antney Explains Why Nicki Is the Hardest Working Rapper Alive
"There wasn’t no partying, there wasn’t no drugs, there wasn’t no guys, there wasn’t none of that. There wasn’t no mess. She wasn’t on a bunch of meds, And she wasn’t into drama... She worked."
Public Enemy's Former Lawyer Talks Cultural Appropriation and Copyrights in Hip-Hop
"Genres of music cannot be owned, so there is no legal mechanism to protect rap artists from cultural appropriation. The best 'protection' is to have a diversity of critical voices opining on the artistic merit of the music."
Play The Interactive Music Video Game For QVALIA's "Sound The Alarm"
We talked with QVALIA's Michael Hazani about learning to code so he could make a playable soundscape, as well as how he transitioned from EDM toplining to creating his own immersive projects
For MC Lyte, Hip-Hop No Longer Reflects Reality
MC Lyte released the first female rap album in 1988 and her fourth album was the first female rap album to go gold. I talked with the rap pioneer about race and gender within hip-hop culture.
Monie Love Thinks 'Okeydoke Rappers' Are Fucking It Up For Everybody Else
This past August, at the Summer Madness Music Festival & Conference, I took the time to ask a bunch of rap's female OGs about gender in hip-hop and the impact of the so-called "white-washing" of the culture. Who better than Native Tongues member and...
A New Souls of Mischief Record Is Exactly What Hip-Hop Needs Right Now
Listening to Souls of Mischief’s latest album, There is Only Now, is like watching a 40-minute movie with your ears.