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Rakim (left) and Eric B., 1987 David Corio / Contributor/Getty Images When hip-hop got its start 50 years ago, it was a DJ cutting between two record albums and an MC rhyming over the beats. The the rhymes had predictable patterns; they almost always fell at the ends of the lines. But in 1987, there was a seismic shift in the complexity of rap activated by Eric B. & Rakim […]

When I got downstairs to greet Obongjayar and his bandmates at NPR headquarters, they had already found their way over to some stationary bikes near the lobby to get the adrenaline pumping. OB and crew seemed shy but ready for this moment. During the show, I witnessed my colleagues go from wiping away tears to bouncing and clapping within a matter of minutes. That emotional balance is Obongjayar's Tiny Desk […]

Noname, Chief Keef, Kanye West, and Dreezy. Collage by Jackie Lay / NPR. Daniel DeSlover / Frazer Harrison / Dimitrios Kambouris / Xavier Collin/Getty Images / AP Images As it celebrates its 50th birthday, we are mapping hip-hop's story on a local level, with more than a dozen city-specific histories of the music and culture. Click here to see the entire list. A city for poets, brawlers and hustlers — […]

photo credit: Maya Fuhr Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. Transcript : AYESHA RASCOE, HOST: Being the only Black professional in an office can be draining. Electronic music artist Aluna has similar feelings about her workplace - studios and stages. And in the arena of dance music, where it feels like there is little minority representation, she is raising her voice. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "KILLING ME") ALUNA: (Singing) […]