Southern hip-hop’s influence continues shaping modern music through strategic sampling, with artists like Future, GloRilla and Sexyy Red drawing from classic Southern tracks. Recently, Juicy J noted ...

This week, the musical world lost an icon when composer, arranger and producer David Axelrod died on Sunday (Feb. 5) at the age of 83 from complications of a brain aneurysm. Although not a well-known ...

The hip-hop world has lost a true pioneer in the game. Legendary rapper Lovebug Starski, whose real name is Kevin Smith, passed away in Las Vegas on Thursday (Feb. 8). According to reports, the rap ...

This article has been handpicked from the Okayplayer editorial archives and included in our Hip Hop 50 collection as a noteworthy inclusion to the genre's rich and diverse narrative. The article has ...

Ennio Morricone, the celebrated Italian film composer who died on Monday at the age of 91, could elevate any film with his remarkably bold and expressive scores. Spaghetti westerns, Hollywood dramas, ...

No shortcuts, no gimmicks. Just a rising star from PG County, Md. is ready to make his story known globally. 2 minutes ago In 2001, Just Blaze, the producer of “Song Cry,” made a soul sample. In 2020, ...

Sampling in hip-hop has been going on since the genre’s inception, but in 2023, it’s been more prevalent than ever. If everything sounds familiar, it’s because it definitely is. Words: Grant Rindner ...

Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Nestled deep into the sonic layers of “Redbone” is ‘70s funkadelics staple “I’d Rather be With You ...

Dedicated students of ’90s hip-hop revere and revel in the soul sample chop. (For those illiterate in hip-hop speak, chopping is when a sample is cut into pieces to be used instrumentally in a track, ...

Steely Dan brings its drum-tight grooves and jazzy time changes to the American Airlines Center Wednesday night. The Dan have been around long enough that you should know what to expect: a clinic in ...