hip-hop — ALL ARTICLES

Album Review: Thundakat Reintroduces Herself as Jaye Naima on Confessional Debut ‘Life Goes Hard’

The candid rapper undergoes a four-part transformation on her first full-length album.

REVIEWSAfterglow ATXSeptember 12, 2023album review, life goes hard, thundakat, jaye naima, rap, hip-hop, C.S. Harper, C.S. Hayter

Album Anniversaries: 35 Years Later, the Beastie Boys’ ‘Licensed to Ill’ Remains an Important, Yet Questionable, Part of Hip-Hop History

Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill was released 35 years ago last month. Though an undeniably seminal work, and a part of a process that saw the growth of hip-hop’s popularity, some questions about its continued relevance continue to crop up: What did the growth it brought about entail, and what does Licensed to Ill say about that process?

ANALYSISAfterglow ATXDecember 10, 2021wonjune lee, license to ill, beastie boys, hip-hop, 80s

Album Anniversaries: Revisiting Kendrick Lamar’s 'To Pimp a Butterfly' in the Trump Era

Kendrick Lamar’s jazz-rap opus paints a candid portrait of an African American rapper who struggles with his identity and fame, and its cultural significance only grows in the Trump era.

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