The philosophical concept of yin and yang is based on the idea that completely opposite forces are still interconnected. In the hip-hop world, these contradictory counterparts are the chosen value judgements of rap fans worldwide: dopeness and wackness. While one stands for greatness, the other not so much, both are thought of in black-and-white terms [...]

The concept of the cover song has existed for about as long as music has. In some cases, good covers take on lives of their own; they transform a song’s meaning, help it or its writer find a new audience, and sometimes turn a throw away a major hit. Here are the top ten that [...]

Rappers are never shy when it comes to boasting about their brain smarts. Countless rap songs have been based around the simple-but-egotistical premise of a rapper asserting their lyrical brilliance and worldly intelligence. But they don’t always get it right, with even worldwide icons like Jay-Z, Outkast and Run-DMC copping to some gross lyrical inaccuracies [...]