Southern hip-hop’s influence continues shaping modern music through strategic sampling, with artists like Future, GloRilla and Sexyy Red drawing from classic Southern tracks. Recently, Juicy J noted ...

Some samples breathe new life into forgotten classics, while others recontextualize a song's place in contemporary music more ...

This article has been handpicked from the Okayplayer editorial archives and included in our Hip Hop 50 collection as a noteworthy inclusion to the genre's rich and diverse narrative. The article has ...

This week, the musical world lost an icon when composer, arranger and producer David Axelrod died on Sunday (Feb. 5) at the age of 83 from complications of a brain aneurysm. Although not a well-known ...

The hip-hop world has lost a true pioneer in the game. Legendary rapper Lovebug Starski, whose real name is Kevin Smith, passed away in Las Vegas on Thursday (Feb. 8). According to reports, the rap ...

In 2001, Just Blaze, the producer of “Song Cry,” made a soul sample. In 2020, JuneTheJenius, the producer of “When To Say When,” made a rap song sample. Junius retweeted a supporter who beamed, “‘Song ...

It was announced yesterday that Ron Howard of all people will be directing a concert documentary about Jay-Z’s upcoming Made in America festival in Philadelphia, which is set to go down on September 1 ...

If there's one thing about Drake that every hip-hop fan should should know, it's that the Canadian superstar is a student of the game. Growing up influenced by the rap culture and its artists, Drizzy ...

Sampling has quietly reshaped music over the past five decades. A snare hit here, a vocal yelp there, maybe a drum loop that ...

Billboard has rounded up 16 songs by R&B and rap artists that sample old African songs. By Heran Mamo Aminé‘s third studio album 13 Months of Sunshine — which dropped Friday (May 16) — pays homage to ...