Music

On Love, Morality, and Hozier’s Unreal Unearth

Is this new medium reducing art to a formulaic hunt for virality or is it inspiring innovation and increasing independent artists' opportunity for exposure?

What can El Sistema tell us about the politics of music education? What's the right way to promote inclusion?

Are the boundaries of genre serving to create divides based on race in the music industry? And how might Billboard be complicit?

Hip-hop has a complex relationship with old school and new school, but J. Cole might bring the genre to a more stylistically inclusive middle ground.

When it comes to the exceptional sound of a Stradivarius violin, will digitization and reproduction affect our opinion of its artistry?

Is hip-hop's popularity a function of appreciation or appropriation? And where should we draw the line?

Spotify is convenient and inexpensive for listeners, but what compensation for the musicians who contribute to its catalog?

This article dives into the underlying moral issues that arise during Rap feuds, when rappers throw insults at one another. Are there things that are unethical to say in a feud?

The landscape of Hollywood gives male celebrities permission to prey on younger women, like 31-year-old rapper Drake's relationship with-18 year-old model Bella Harris.

Janelle Monáe's newest album offers insight into both how crucial queer black female representation is, and how it's achieved through a concept known as artivism.

Nicki Minaj's new album has drawn criticism, but the artist is not afraid to defend herself -- especially on Twitter.

"This is America" is a viral hit, but can it be the wake-up call America needs?

Mumble rap has both its ardent fans and harsh critics. But what impact will the subgenre have on the social impact of hip-hop?

Hip-hop is more than controversial lyrics -- it's also revolutionized a fashion sub-culture.

Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa have both taken measures to fight Chicago's violence epidemic. But are their actions enough?

Misogyny has long been a controversial part of hip-hop. What effects does this misogyny have on its subjects-namely, women of color?

How should listeners view the Christian themes in Chance the Rapper's music?

What role does the n-word play in contemporary society, and should anyone be able to use it in the first place?

Frank Ocean's career poses interesting questions about subverting, and in some ways reifying, hip-hop's trend towards the hyper-masculine and the misogynistic.