Against convention for new album releases, Houston rapper Maxo Kream released his third album on a Monday, due to the date’s personal significance. Weight of the World‘s Oct. 18 release coincides with his niece Jalae’s birthday, as well as the anniversary of his cousin Andrew’s death. Maxo even remembers Oct. 18 as the date that his younger brother — Jalae’s …
Tyler, The Creator is Number One, Again
Unpacking the enigmatic artist’s latest mainstream smash and what it means for hip-hop
When Tyler, The Creator collected his Grammy for 2019’s IGOR, he did so begrudgingly. “I’m half and half on it,” he said on the night of the awards show. “On one side, I’m very grateful that what I made could be acknowledged in a world like this, but also, it sucks that whenever we—and I mean guys that look like …
New Music Friday | The Top 10 Albums Out On June 25
NPR Music contributors share their picks for the best albums out today.
The artist known as Doja Cat is back this week with a vibrant, unapologetic celebration of youth and sex on Planet Her. We kickoff this week’s crazy-packed show with the song “Payday” and talk about the ways Doja Cat leans more into pop singing and less on the rap that has defined much of her career. We’ve also got highly anticipated releases …