Aug 25 Biggie’s crown and Tupac Shakur letters will be up for hip-hop auction at Sotheby’s By Mark Kennedy, Associated Press Rivals in life, the rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur are being united for an auction at Sotheby’s, the first-ever dedicated hip-hop auction at a major international auction house. Continue reading
Aug 21 Megan Thee Stallion says person who shot her was fellow rapper Tory Lanez By Andrew Dalton, Associated Press More than a month after she was shot in the feet after a party in the Hollywood Hills, hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion is saying for the first time that fellow rapper Tory Lanez was the person who pulled the… Continue reading
Aug 15 WATCH: We asked Common to freestyle about facts. Here’s what happened By Joshua Barajas The PBS NewsHour is never freewheeling with facts, but we loved it when Common came to our studio to freestyle about them. Continue reading
May 24 Watch 7:39 The Beastie Boys on rap, friendship and taking a stand for their values By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport The rap trio Beastie Boys played a formative role in the evolution of American hip-hop music. They have sold millions of albums with their unique blend of rap, rock and humor, all while prioritizing their friendship above their career success. Continue watching
Apr 01 Watch 7:28 How rapper Nipsey Hussle gave back to the community that raised him Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle died Sunday after being gunned down in broad daylight in Los Angeles. In addition to his successful music career, the native of south L.A. was an entrepreneur and activist, dedicated to initiatives supporting youth and the… Continue watching
Apr 14 Why Kendrick Lamar’s new album is preoccupied with Fox News By Joshua Barajas Damn, King Kendrick has a new album out. Kendrick Lamar follows his universally lauded 2015 album “To Pimp a Butterfly” with “DAMN.” The new album is packed with thematic overtures and bon mots his fans will parse in… Continue reading
Nov 20 Watch 8:42 Hip-hop and history blend for Broadway hit ‘Hamilton’ By PBS News Hour He’s on the $10 bill and he died in a duel, but what else do you know about Alexander Hamilton? Now his life is the subject of a cutting-edge hip-hop Broadway musical, created by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Jeffrey Brown talks to… Continue watching
Aug 14 Watch 7:16 ‘Straight Outta Compton’ calls out racial divide that lingers today By PBS News Hour The album "Straight Outta Compton" by rap group NWA burst onto the hip hop scene in 1988, evoking the turmoil of gang violence, crack cocaine and poverty and the tension between young black Americans and the police. A new movie,… Continue watching
Jan 15 Watch 6:43 American rapper taps into the flow of China’s economy By PBS News Hour A Fulbright scholar studying in China found an unusual calling for his language skills and economics knowledge: writing and performing bilingual raps about Chinese development and inequality in Beijing comedy clubs. With songs like “Mo Money, Mo Fazhan” and “Laowai… Continue watching
Jan 15 Understanding modern China through comedic rap By Simone Pathe Stand-up comedian Jesse Appell has made a name for himself in China, parodying pop songs with lyrics about China's macroeconomic woes. Paul Solman catches up with the Boston Fulbright student on the NewsHour Thursday. Watch Appell's music videos, in full,… Continue reading