All articles tagged with #hip hop
Cardi B delivered a standout BET Awards 2026 performance, arriving on a lights-wrapped sport bike to perform a high-energy medley from her album Am I the Drama? (Errtime, Hello, Check Please, Pretty & Petty), even climbing a stripper pole before returning to the bike; she led nominations with six nods and won Best Female Hip-Hop Artist as Druski hosted the show.
The piece traces Jay-Z’s delayed breakthrough with Reasonable Doubt, showing how he evolved from a fast-rapping street figure to a confident boss whose branding—along with Roc-A-Fella’s hustle and bold NYC collaborations—helped redefine hip-hop and launch luxury-leaning rap culture, while noting his enduring influence and later controversial status.
Tay Keith (BryTavious Chambers), the Grammy-nominated Memphis-born producer behind Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” and multiple Drake collaborations, has died at 29. Police say no foul play is suspected and autopsy results are pending after he was found in his Nashville apartment. Keith’s résumé spans hits for Beyoncé, Eminem, Megan Thee Stallion, Miley Cyrus and many others, with recent work including tracks for Jack Harlow, Doja Cat and Scott.
Rolling Stone's mid-2026 best-songs roundup curates a genre-spanning soundtrack—from Charli XCX's dystopian SS26 to Bruce Springsteen's anti-ICE protest, Ella Langley's tear-jerking country, Olivia Rodrigo's Eighties-tinged vibe, and a wave of hip-hop, indie, and international collabs—highlighting a year defined by political bite, intimate storytelling, and boundary-pushing pop.
Roots Picnic 2026 returned to Philadelphia with a larger Belmont Plateau footprint, introducing real-time updates via a new app, a second entry to cut lines, bigger stages, more food and activations, and city-wide pre-events. Jay-Z headlined Day One with a career-spanning set that included a rare Roots-era reunion and guest appearances (Bilal, Jazmine Sullivan, Meek Mill), while Day Two closed with Erykah Badu. The festival celebrated milestones like De La Soul Is Dead’s 35th, Reasonable Doubt’s 30th, The Blueprint’s 25th, and Baduizm’s 30th, across a lineup that spanned hip-hop eras, despite some sound hiccups. Overall, attendees and organizers hailed the edition as a strong, evolving showcase for Roots Picnic.
Rob Base, half of the hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock and the man behind the 1988 hit It Takes Two, died May 22 at age 59 after a private battle with cancer, passing peacefully with family by his side and leaving a lasting musical legacy.
Rapper Rob Base, best known for the 1988 hit It Takes Two with DJ E-Z Rock, died at 59 after a private battle with cancer, according to a post on his official social media account.
Rapper Rob Base (Robert Ginyard) died May 22, 2026 at age 59 after a private cancer battle. The Harlem artist, famed for the 1988 hit It Takes Two with DJ E-Z Rock, helped shape 80s hip-hop; the track reached No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is platinum, later widely sampled. Base remained active on stages and produced the 2025 film Urban Flesh Eaters; his death was announced on Instagram with tributes to his legacy.
Rob Base, one-half of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock and the co-creator of the 1988 dance-floor hit It Takes Two, died on May 22 at age 59 after a private battle with cancer, surrounded by family. Born Robert Ginyard in Harlem, he and DJ E-Z Rock helped popularize a hip‑hop/house crossover with It Takes Two and Get on the Dance Floor, and Base remained active in music through the years with a production company and film work before his death.
Pitchfork’s review hails Drake’s MAID OF HONOUR as a sprawling, genre-mixing club-rap record that signals a hungry, risk-taking comeback, blending dancehall, Jersey club, Afrobeat and an expansive production roster led by Gordo into a personal, volatile yet ambitious set of tracks.
Drake’s Iceman is arguably his strongest solo outing in a decade, thanks to inventive production, sharper flows, and a surprisingly cohesive visual rollout. The album relitigates old beef with Kendrick, Future, and more, threading bragging rights with moments of introspection, and it often lands on songs that push Drake into new vocal territory. It isn’t flawless—some lines and transitions feel forced, and the relentless beef-talk weighs it down at times—but overall Iceman marks a bold, technically skilled comeback that reconnects Drake with his best rap instincts.
Pitchfork deems Drake's ICEMAN a lukewarm entry in his comeback trilogy, heavy on self-pity and feuds with thin production and preoccupation with streaming numbers and label drama, marking a missed opportunity to regain momentum.
Drake targets DJ Khaled on the ICEMAN album with a personal diss, while Khaled’s seemingly indirect reply—sharing a Jamaica horseback video paired with a Sizzla lyric—has fans debating whether he’s truly answering Drake, a read complicated by Khaled’s earlier silence on Palestine issues.
A lively countdown of Lizzo’s greatest tracks, from Good As Hell at #1 to Pink (2023) at #20, highlighting her signature blend of disco‑funk, hip‑hop and flute-driven hooks, with empowering lyrics and notable collaborations (Missy Elliott, SZA, Mark Ronson) that chart her evolution from high‑energy party anthems to emotionally charged moments like Jerome and Cuz I Love You.
Nearly 25 years after Jam Master Jay’s 2002 killing, Bryant pleaded guilty to a federal murder charge, saying he helped others gain entry to a Queens recording studio to ambush the Run-DMC DJ; prosecutors tied him to the case with DNA on a hat and witness testimony, though he did not name the other participants. Earlier, Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington were convicted (Jordan later cleared) and Washington has challenged his conviction. Bryant faces an estimated 15–20 years for murder plus related drug and gun charges, with no sentencing date set.