Rae Sremmurd, who held the #1 spot for the last 3 weeks for their song Black Beatles, on the precipice of fame.

The 32-year-old Atlanta rapper released three No. 1 albums in seven months.

On codeine syrup and Sprite

The story of Deso Dogg, a German rapper-turned-ISIS propagandist who may or may not have been killed in an airstrike.

“Life has a soundtrack. And certain music is a soundtrack to a certain type of identity or feeling. 50 Cent, the Game, and those kinds of guys—they made us feel like our lives were worth nothing, basically.”

The 22-year-old rapper on escaping North Long Beach and his desire to be a “regular” guy.

In Brooklyn’s Brownsville, being in a gang can mean as little as being born on a specific block. Ackquille Pollard spent his final free days as a viral rap sensation, before being jailed as the leader of a sect of Crips.

How 23-year-old Metro Boomin became every rapper’s favorite producer.

“Thug is alone even in a room full of people. He is unapproachable. He radiates volatility. I can't even imagine him making actual, on-purpose eye contact with another human. Looking into a person's eyes—seeking some kind of a connection—is an admission of neediness, and Young Thug would rather be shot dead in the street than need a thing from another human being.”

A profile of Killer Mike, the self-described “gangsta rap suburban father” whose speech about Ferguson went viral last fall.

Catching up with N.W.A’s controversial former manager.

A week at Coachella with the rapper and some mushrooms.

An ode to Juiceboxxx, a 27-year-old rapper from Milwaukee no one’s ever heard of.

360 degree deals and the music industry’s new hostages.

Migos, a young Atlanta rap trio, has decamped to a mansion outside of town to avoid trouble, ride Go-Karts, shop for $2300 backpacks, and continue their streak of red-hot singles.

“Like they said in Step Brothers: Never lose your dinosaur. This is the ultimate example of a person never losing his dinosaur. Meaning that even as I grew in cultural awareness and respect and was put higher in the class system in some way for being this musician, I never lost my dinosaur.”

The business of being Pitbull.

The postscript of a viral hit.

Making vision boards with rap’s strangest fallen star.

A profile of rapper Bun B, “the unofficial mayor of Houston.”

An oral history of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s ‘Baby Got Back.’

On the sudden death of an up-and-coming rapper.

Three days on road with former chef and current rap eccentric Action Bronson.

On the murder of Jam Master Jay.

With flash, hip-hop echoes rock’s golden age.

When rock was at its peak in 1972, Americans earning the equivalent of $1m a year took just over 1 per cent of national income. In 2010, this group’s share of national income had grown to almost 10 per cent. At the same time, the average tax paid by these top earners almost halved. The rise of Jay-Z’s “new black elite” reflects the growth in numbers of the super-wealthy. But the opulence that he and West flaunt also reflects the growing estrangement of those at the top from the rest.