Category Sticky

Behind the Beat: How Heatmakerz & the Diplomats Reenergized “Gangsta Music” on “Dipset Anthem”

With “Dipset Anthem”, the Diplomats created an immortal song. For our latest Behind the Beat, Rsonist (of The Heatmakerz) tells… Read More

March 22, 2023

De La Soul on How J Dilla Invented The Modern Beat Tape

In an exclusive interview, De La Soul discuss why J Dilla beat tapes were treated as the holy grail amongst… Read More

February 7, 2023

Why the Black Sitcom Renaissance is Happening Now

The year 2022 has brought with it a much-needed resurgence of new Black sitcoms across networks and streaming services alike,… Read More

December 29, 2022

How Black Women in Indie Music are Navigating the Toils of Touring

As fans are making their return to live concerts, Black women are speaking up about the difficulties of touring as… Read More

December 27, 2022

Okayplayer’s 10 Best TV Shows of 2022

A slew of superb series arrived, returned, and ended this year. From Industry to Atlanta, these are the 10 best TV shows of… Read More

December 21, 2022

Okayplayer’s 22 Best Albums of 2022

While the music was constantly good in 2022 — sometimes even great — there weren't many game changers. Here are… Read More

December 20, 2022

Behind the Beat: EZ Elpee on How Capone-N-Noreaga’s “Bloody Money” Sent a Chill Through Hip-Hop

The criminally underrated EZ Elpee was the producer behind “Bloody Money”, the dark heart of Capone-N-Noreaga’s The War Report. For… Read More

December 19, 2022

Okayplayer’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guide: Black Designers, Culture, Tech & Home Goods

For last-minute gift givers, we're sharing the best options including pieces by Theophilio, Ami Colé, Homage Year, Bevel, Honor The… Read More

December 13, 2022

Behind The Beat: How Mos Def & Diamond D Created “Hip Hop,” the Epicenter of ‘Black On Both Sides’

Released just over 23 years ago, “Hip Hop” sits at the epicenter of Mos Def’s classic debut, Black On Both… Read More

November 1, 2022

The Making of Miguel’s ‘Kaleidoscope Dream’ Album

Miguel’s Kaleidoscope Dream is an album that splits time between rebellious youth and reverence for a classic feeling. We spoke… Read More

September 28, 2022

Behind the Beat: JoogSZN on Why Drakeo the Ruler is One of the LA Greats

For Behind the Beat, Thomas Hobbs spent time in LA with JoogSZN. The producer talked about his partnership with the… Read More

August 17, 2022

How Professors Are Making A Case For Hip-Hop In Academia

Over the course of 30 years, hip-hop has been on a journey to becoming more respected in academia. For these… Read More

August 16, 2022

The 10 Flyest Female Rappers of All Time

From Lil' Kim to Cardi B, these are some of the flyest female rappers in hip-hop that aren't just rap… Read More

August 11, 2022

The Need For Black Sign Language Interpreters In Hip-Hop

Black sign language interpreters are fighting for visibility in hip-hop both on and offline. Before he worked with Chance the… Read More

July 21, 2022

10 DJ Drama Mixtapes That Defined the Golden Era of Gangsta Grillz

Take a look back at DJ Drama's wildly influential Gangsta Grillz mixtape series, the soundtrack to the DatPiff era of… Read More

July 12, 2022

What Is A Black TikTok Influencer Worth?

Black TikTok influencers don't earn nearly as much as their white counterparts, one of many problems they face in the… Read More

June 29, 2022