rap

With the news that Tyler, the Creator has been banned from performing in the UK for the next three to five years, certain things come to mind. Firstly, it feels like the world has regressed back in time, through the courtroom scenes of the…

Dr. Dre Compton Dr. Dre, like many top level musicians, is something of a walking contradiction. He has frequently played the role of villainous gangster rapper, but never all that convincingly. This is a man who had Suge Knight do his…

You would be hard pressed to find two acts that exist on the opposite ends of the musical spectrum to the degree that Perfume Genius and N.W.A do. The former is a soulful singer/songwriter known for writing intimate, sparse songs about his…

B Dolan Kill the Wolf B Dolan might not be a household name but his mastery of storytelling and lyrical prowess are two of the many reasons why he should be. Spitting rhymes for Sage Francis’ Strange Famous Records and a recent addition…

Vince Staples Summertime '06 In an interview with Pitchfork last year, Vince Staples claimed that in music, especially ‘urban music’, “We’re all in the zoo, and the listeners are the people outside of the cage”.  It’s fitting then, that…

This weekend, New York rapper Nas makes the trek to the midlands of Ireland to perform his 1994 debut album Illmatic in its entirety at Mullingar's Life Festival. Widely recognised as a classic in the rap pantheon and hailed by many as one…

Hollywood Undead Day of the Dead Hollywood Undead are unintentionally hilarious. Their current line-up features luminaries such as J-Dog, Da Kurlzz, Funny Man, JOHNNY 3 TEARS, Charlie Scene and, uh, Danny. Former members include Shady…

Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly To Pimp a Butterfly closes with a conversation between its author Kendrick Lamar and the late Tupac Shakur. The latter’s dialogue is taken from a November 1994 interview conducted with music…