J Dilla wasn't just your favorite producer's favorite producer, he was also your favorite rapper's favorite producer — and these beats are a testament to that. Drums, percussion, bass, samples, synths ...

“Batches” were what Jay called his musical dispatches—the primary way he communicated musically from his Detroit basement to the outside world. Another Batch is the crucial turning point, not only in ...

As the Recording Academy honors Fela Kuti posthumously, it reminds us that culture doesn’t wait for institutions to catch up. Contributing to that introduction is the recent rise of lo-fi hip-hop ...