Victoria Moorwood is a freelance contributor at GRAMMY.com. She regularly covers breaking rap news, in-depth features with her favorite artists and hip-hop's impact on social justice movements. She has been published in a variety of print and digital outlets, including REVOLT.tv, HipHopDX, DJBooth, Audiofemme and Cincinnati Magazine, among others. Bay Area-bred, currently Cincinnati-based.
Four years after releasing his debut album, Lucky Daye still likes to keep his fans guessing. The New Orleans native has had a winding career so far, getting his start as a backup vocalist and songwriter for R&B sensations like Keith Sweat, Ne-Yo, Boyz II Men, and Mary J. Blige. Born David Brown, Daye became a rising R&B star in…
Women have always been essential to rap and, today, they’re getting their deserved recognition more than ever before. The world of female rap has continuously contributed to the genre’s sound, fashion, commercial success — not just in comparison to their male counterparts, but across the genre as a whole — increasing its global impact. The lyrical prowess of early pioneers…
Eminem is heading to Inglewood, Calif. this Sunday (Feb. 13), where he will perform at the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show alongside frequent collaborator Dr. Dre, rap superstars Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg, and the queen of hip-hop soul herself, Mary J. Blige. The show is already shaping up to be legendary, with the five rap icons poised to take over…
The sky's the limit for Cordae after releasing his sophomore album, From A Bird's Eye View. The Maryland-raised rapper followed up his GRAMMY-nominated 2019 debut, The Lost Boy, with the deeply personal effort, which sees contributions from Lil Wayne, H.E.R., Lil Durk, Stevie Wonder, Gunna and more. Recent tragedies — including the death of his grandmother and murder of his…
Just three years into his career, iann dior has gone from viral SoundCloud star to topping the Billboard Hot 100 (with his 24kGoldn duet, the 5x-Platinum hit "Mood") and collaborating with the likes of Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Baby. As he prepares for the Jan. 21 release of his second LP, On To Better Things, the Puerto Rico-born, Texas-raised…
Anyone who's still asking if R&B is "dead" in 2021 just isn't paying attention. Not only did R&B singers enjoy record-breaking success this year, but the genre also became more intertwined with mainstream music than ever before. In charting accolades, Summer Walker clenched her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with her second album, Still Over It. The…
After a social injustice-battling, pandemic-stricken 2020, rap returned this year with a much-needed dose of bangers and star power. This year was mostly dominated by extravagant albums released by rap's elite, as well as impressive entries from promising up-and-comers. As fans inched toward a place of somewhat-normalcy, rap once again provided the backdrop to our collective moments at concerts, music…
For Rick Ross, Richer Than I Ever Been is not just the title of his upcoming 11th studio album, nor a testament to his growing economic empire. Fifteen years after releasing his debut project, Port of Miami, and some 20-odd business partnerships later, the 45-year-old rap star says he feels the most fulfilled in his life and career than ever…
The 2021 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has been canceled due to flooding from Hurricane Ida, festival organizers announced on Tuesday. The Manchester, Tennessee, fest, which featured headlining acts like Megan Thee Stallion, Tame Impala, Lizzo, Foo Fighters, Tyler, the Creator, and others, was set to take place this weekend (Sept. 2-5). In a statement shared on Instagram, Bonnaroo organizers…
Six-time GRAMMY winner Kacey Musgraves is heading on tour next year to support her forthcoming fifth studio album, star-crossed. Her 15-city North American trek, dubbed star-crossed: unveiled, kicks off Jan. 19, 2022, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and ends Feb. 20 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. The upcoming tour, Musgraves' first string of shows since her two-year Oh, What…
Like many of us, blackbear spent the seamless string of early pandemic-filled months holed up indoors, battling the feelings of isolation and anxiety brought on COVID-19. Unlike many of his fans, though, the Los Angeles-based artist, singer and hit songwriter emerged from last year's quarantine period with two new projects: his fifth studio album everything means nothing and new EP…
At 25 years old and arguably hitting his stride in his almost-decade-long career, G Herbo looks at his life with gratitude and pride. In the past year, the Chicago native celebrated his silver birthday, became engaged to Taina Williams, welcomed his second son and recently released his fourth studio album, 25. However, speaking by phone with GRAMMY.com one day before…
Polo G is forging his own path to greatness, one goal at a time. The 22-year-old Chicago native started off 2021 with a major milestone: his first No. 1 record. “RAPSTAR,” his guitar-laced, flex-filled single, debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in April. “I had put that on the list of things that I need to accomplish…
As fans hungrily devour Limbo, his newly released sophomore album, Aminé can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Over two years in the making, the LP marks his official follow-up to his 2017 debut, Good For You. After generating a promising buzz, starting with his 2016 summer smash, "Caroline," Aminé released a placeholder mixtape, OnePointFive, in 2018. In between, he…
