Most Reeves is a contributor at GRAMMY.com.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, a cultural movement that rose from humble beginnings in New York to fuel a worldwide phenomenon. Scholars may debate whether its roots precede Aug. 11, 1973, when DJ Kool Herc debuted his "merry-go-round" technique of playing funk breaks back-to-back to a roomful of teenagers in the Bronx. However, there’s little doubt that…
"The sun rises in the East, but it sets in the West," raps Ice Cube on Westside Connection’s 1996 hit, "Bow Down." Indeed, hip-hop began in the Bronx, New York. But many of the culture’s most unforgettable moments have come from Southern California, a region where young Black and Brown people took to hip-hop soon after the Sugarhill Gang’s "Rapper’s…
Four decades after he dazzled hip-hop fans across the globe with “La-Di-Da-Di,” his witty and unapologetically raunchy solo showcase for Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew, Slick Rick’s legacy as a masterful storyteller, pioneering melodic rapper, and style icon remains secure. Slick Rick emerged during the early years of hip-hop’s vaunted golden age. He was a platinum-selling solo…
In 2022, rap seemed to be slowly evolving into something new. It was a year when long-gestating regional and cultural trends reached a new fever pitch. Savvy listeners seemed more focused on the emerging voices who were breathing fresh life into the form, even though established stars continued to earn critical and commercial acclaim. This trajectory resulted in the sense…
