Hip-Hop
Chance The Rapper performs in October 2015, in New York City.

Chance The Rapper performs in October 2015, in New York City. Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for vitaminwater hide caption

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Music Reviews

Chance The Rapper's 'Coloring Book' Reveals Shades Of Gospel

The Chicago rapper's new mixtape, Coloring Book, walks a line between the secular and the religious, bringing gospel sounds to listeners who may not have darkened the doors of a church in a while.

Chance The Rapper's 'Coloring Book' Reveals Shades Of Gospel
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"I've suffered a lot of scars to get where I am," says rapper Mr. Lif, a.k.a. Jeffrey Haynes. His new album, Don't Look Down, is his first in seven years.

"I've suffered a lot of scars to get where I am," says rapper Mr. Lif, a.k.a. Jeffrey Haynes. His new album, Don't Look Down, is his first in seven years. Dom Savini/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Music Interviews

'What Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Stronger:' Mr. Lif On Music And Healing

"I've suffered a lot of scars to get where I am," says the rapper, whose life was cracked in half when his tour bus crashed into a ravine. His new album, Don't Look Down, is his first in seven years.

'What Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Stronger:' Mr. Lif On Music And Healing
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Gizzle at her home in Los Angeles in April.

Gizzle at her home in Los Angeles in April. Graham Walzer for NPR hide caption

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Microphone Check

Gizzle: 'I Mean For It To Matter'

She's the one behind the curtain of the biggest and best-loved rap and R&B songs in recent memory.

Gizzle With Ali Shaheed Muhammad And Frannie Kelley
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Kanye West and Jay Z onstage at Tidal's March 2015 launch event in New York.

Kanye West and Jay Z onstage at Tidal's March 2015 launch event in New York. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images hide caption

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Music News

Kanye West And The Streaming Arms Race

West said his latest album would only ever be available on Tidal. Now that fans can hear it on other streaming services, he faces a lawsuit alleging he "tricked" people into signing up.

Kanye West And The Streaming Arms Race
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OG Maco.

OG Maco. Courtesy of Biz 3 Publicity hide caption

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Microphone Check

OG Maco: 'I Want To Give The World A Fighting Chance'

"I don't want anybody to do exactly what I'm doing," says the Atlanta rapper. "I want people to look at why I'm doing what I'm doing. And if you agree with that, you go do what you do about it."

OG Maco With Ali Shaheed Muhammad And Frannie Kelley
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Tarica June walks through Washington, D.C. in her video for "But Anyway," a song examining gentrification in her hometown.

Tarica June walks through Washington, D.C. in her video for "But Anyway," a song examining gentrification in her hometown. YouTube hide caption

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Music Interviews

A D.C. Rapper's Love Song To A Gentrifying Hometown

Tarica June wrote "But Anyway" in response to quickening change in District. What she didn't expect was the wave of positive feedback — especially from other gentrifying cities across the country.

A D.C. Rapper's Love Song To A Gentrifying Hometown
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Terrace Martin in Los Angeles in March.

Terrace Martin in Los Angeles in March. GL Askew II for NPR hide caption

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Microphone Check

Terrace Martin: 'I Believe You Should Be Yourself'

"My job is only to be a servant of the community, and just to inspire. That's it. That's my whole job, and I know that."

Terrace Martin With Ali Shaheed Muhammad And Frannie Kelley
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