New books collecting objects central to rap’s physical history demonstrate the importance of celebrating these relics before they vanish. Credit... Supported by By Jon Caramanica For the last year, ...

In the Hip Hop universe, mixtapes have often been the unsung heroes that serve as the foundation for raw talents to blossom into legends. From the gritty streets to the digital realm of sites like ...

At first many dismissed it as a fad when it exploded out of the Bronx after a dance party in the summer of 1973 where Dj Kool Herc used two turntables to switch back and forth between two records to ...

Everyone’s favorite block-slashing rhythm game Beat Saber (2018) just got its first-ever hip hop mixtape, featuring some of the biggest hits in hip hop from the early ’90s until today. The Hip Hop ...

Editor’s Note: This story appears in the Winter 2023 issue of XXL Magazine, on stands now. Hip-hop has been the cornerstone of New York City's culture since its evolution in the Bronx in the 1970s.

On this day in 2002, 50 Cent released his breakthrough mixtape Guess Who’s Back?, marking a pivotal moment in his career and setting the stage for his rise to global recognition. Released through the ...

I’m from the small Central Illinois town of Decatur. My hometown is one of the sites where the war on drugs and many of its battles took place. In 2018, Decatur was listed at number seven in USA Today ...

The GRAMMY Museum is celebrating 50 years of hip-hop with the “Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit.” Running from October 7 until September 4, 2024, the 5,000-square foot installation explores the ...

The culmination of 2 Chainz’s rise to superstar status came in the form of his debut album under Def Jam Records, Based On A T.R.U. Story. Collaborations were heavy with big songs featuring Drake, ...

Brandon “Jinx” Jenkins rode his bike to Kmart after school. It was 2000 and he was 13 years old, but he wanted Ludacris’ debut album, Back for the First Time. When he got there, he had to convince the ...

How to encompass half a century of hip-hop? You start by acknowledging you can’t. Too many stars, too many songs, too many places, too many scandals: Hip-hop is an entire universe — a musical genre, ...