Ten years after Bazooka Kid, one of the most singular New Zealand albums, Duncan Greive sits down with PNC to talk about its genesis, and why rappers still don’t get their due in this country. 2009 was a year of transition for hip hop. Lil Wayne was at his commercial peak, winning four Grammys; Kanye … Read more
Meek Mill, rapper and former Drake adversary, had one hell of a 2018, culminating in his long-awaited fourth album. Jogai Bhatt reviews Championships. Championships comes off the back of what has been one of the most defining years of Meek Mill’s life. In 2018, the Philadelphia rapper was released from jail after a highly-publicised probation … Read more
Reilly Hodson looks at the best music videos of the year so far and how they’re commenting on these messed up times. In a world where music consumption seems to occur mostly with headphones plugged into a phone in one’s pocket, it’s easy to overlook the art of the music video. What was once one … Read more
Yesterday, Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s album ‘Everything Is Love’ was released with no warning. Is it any good? If Lemonade was the release and 4:44 was the repentance, then Everything Is Love is, indisputably, the glorious reconciliation. Over the weekend, the Carters released the closing chapter of their conceptual trilogy via the online streaming service Tidal. It’s … Read more
Miriama Aoake listens to Jay-Z’s new album 4:44 and finds the rapper full of introspection, self-criticism and, ultimately, black empowerment. A couple of weeks ago, Jay-Z was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame by Barack Obama, unanimously nominated by his industry peers. He was the first rapper to receive the honour. The following week, … Read more