Nas
Absent Jay Z inducted to Songwriters Hall by Obama via video
Jay Z, whose wife Beyonce is expecting twins soon, was absent from the 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame, where he was inducted by a charismatic longtime fan: former U.S. President Barack Obama.
Obama, appearing in a taped video, told the audience Thursday that he's been listening to Jay Z since he was a "young and hungry state senator" and compared himself to the New York rapper.
"Nobody who met us as younger men would have expected us to be where we are today. You know what it's like not to have a father around, you know what it's like not to come from much, and to know people who didn't get the same breaks that we did. So we try to prop open those doors of...
Related "Nas" Articles
Absent Jay Z inducted to Songwriters Hall by Obama via video
Jay Z, whose wife Beyonce is expecting twins soon, was absent from the 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame, where he was inducted by a charismatic longtime fan: former U.S. President Barack Obama. Obama, appearing in a taped video, told the audience Thursday...
Trap Music Titan Jeezy At The Dome At Oakdale
Jeezy is one of the pioneers of trap music. Venerate him or blame him, depending on how you feel about the hip-hop subgenre.
Born in South Carolina, Jeezy grew up in Atlanta, and he's been connected with rappers like Gucci Mane and T.I., fellow titans...
'Hot felon' Jeremy Meeks makes NY Fashion Week debut
Philipp Plein, reveling in his disruptor status and usually a mainstay in Milan, didn't disappoint. Social media viral sensation Jeremy Meeks, the "hot felon," was on his runway alongside rappers, an army of people dressed as Statues of Liberty, and Times...
Apathy Talks Hip-Hop In CT And His New 'Handshakes With Snakes'
Connecticut's own Chad Bromley, 37, better known by his stage name, Apathy, is one of the most consistent acts in hip-hop. Hailing from Willimantic in Windham County, Apathy also stands tall as Connecticut's underground king.
Apathy has been on the scene...
French Montana At Toad's Place
French Montana raps a lot about weed and cocaine. And also about not worrying about anything.
The rapper is often in the tabloids for a variety of reasons — beefs with other rappers, notable girlfriends, fashion choices, and for his fondness for exotic...
Coachella 2016: Vince Staples, Run the Jewels add an urgency to the day
In a Sahara tent known for sensory overload and cut-loose fun, the Long Beach rapper Vince Staples delivered a bracing jolt of the reality behind Coachella's traditional escapism.
"See this weight is on my shoulders, pray Jehovah lift me up / And my pain...
Kendrick Lamar didn't win the Grammy for album of the year, but he's moving rap to a bigger stage
At the end of his emotionally charged performance at the 58th Grammy Awards, rapper Kendrick Lamar stood in front of a screen that projected an outline of Africa with his hometown, Compton, superimposed over the continent.
He rapped of police brutality...
Joss Stone explains the worldly influences on 'Water for Your Soul,' her new album
Joss Stone was wandering around a Hollywood record store when she found herself in the world music section.
"How fitting," she laughed, flipping through a crate of vinyl that covered everything from European dance music to reggae.
After breaking out a...
Grammys 2015: Jhené Aiko keeps her music in motion
Jhene Aiko, her agent and her manager are huddled together on a recent afternoon going over upcoming gigs for the buzzing alternative-R&B star.
The Los Angeles native is in the middle of a victory lap for a breakout year that included her first hit...
Kendrick Lamar debuts new song as last 'Colbert Report' musical guest
Kendrick Lamar debuted an untitled new song during "The Colbert Report" on Tuesday night, capping the show’s nine-year run of musical guests with a devastating, slow-build track that equaled his memorable performance of “I” a few months back on...
Nas wraps 20 years of rapping with 'Time Is Illmatic'
Nasir Jones' rise from the housing projects of Queensbridge in New York to the top of the rap game is at the center of the film "Nas: Time Is Illmatic." The documentary celebrates the 20th anniversary of the prolific emcee's debut, "Illmatic," widely...
Review: Oldies and newbies at Lollapalooza 2014
Nostalgia tried to crash the big weekend party in Grant Park. Five of the six headliners had played Lollapalooza before, and two of the most anticipated sets were by hip-hop artists — Eminem and OutKast — whose greatest hits are a decade old or more.
...
Lollapalooza: Outkast closes day two
Reports from Saturday, day two at Lollapalooza in Grant Park, from Greg Kot (GK), Bob Gendron (BG) and Kevin Williams (KW):
11:31 a.m.: Blood Orange's Dev Hynes posted several tweets after his Lollapalooza set Friday saying that he and his girlfriend had...
Lorde brings lower-key music vibe to Infieldfest at the Preakness Stakes 2014
Lorde, the 17-year-old singer-songwriter from New Zealand, waited more than halfway through her hourlong set to satisfy the majority of the Preakness InfieldFest crowd on Saturday afternoon.
They wanted "Royals," Lorde's Grammy-winning hit single. With...
Maryland racing industry embraces new optimism as Preakness approaches
It's hard to overstate how bleak an outlook Maryland thoroughbred racing faced as recently as four years ago.
Magna Entertainment Corp., which owned Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park, had declared bankruptcy and squandered a chance to bring lucrative...
Aloe Blacc wants to do good beyond helping you 'Lift Your Spirits'
How much legwork does pop stardom require?
Next weekend Aloe Blacc will appear along with some of music's buzziest acts — OutKast, Haim, Skrillex, Lorde — at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the idyllic annual gathering near Palm Springs...
Coachella 2014: 10 rising acts you should know now
This post has been updated. See below for details.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a mere two weeks away, so those looking to impress with underground knowledge better start cramming.
Few souls are more in demand than geeks armed with...
Full Lollapalooza 2014 lineup showcases festival veterans
Outkast and Calvin Harris will join Eminem, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon and Skrillex as headliners Aug. 1-3 at Lollapalooza. If that sounds a bit familiar, it should — five of the six top acts have played Lollapalooza before.The latter four acts were...
Nas to mark 'Illmatic' anniversary with reissue, film, tour
At age 20, Nas issued his game-changing debut album, "Illmatic." Twenty years, and several additional acclaimed albums later, the prolific rapper is returning to his debut. Widely considered one of the greatest rap records of all time, the album is...