New Orleans rap is weathering the storm
Over a decade removed from peak Wayne, New Orleans rap is having a renaissance.
Scenes
Can a streaming platform create a niche music genre?
How Spotify has flattened internet music scenes like phonk and digicore with its editorial playlists.
Bells & Whistles, Vol. 10: The Rodeo
Millan Verma finds a moment of zen watching steer wrestlers at The Great Southland Stampede Rodeo.
Bells & Whistles, Vol. 8: Yeat is everywhere and nowhere
An essay on the rise of Yeat and a new kind of stardom.
Visions of Atlanta at the Popstar FM Show
Millan Verma sees the future at Popstar Benny’s showcase of Atlanta rap.
Deep-internet bubbles: How microgenres are taking over SoundCloud
As the internet decentralizes culture, SoundCloud has unfurled into a sprawl of microgenres. Kieran Press-Reynolds investigates.
eoy_2021: Digicore takes shape
In 2021, digicore grew from its underground sprawl into a substantive genre. Here are 15 songs that set the tone.
eoy_2021: The year plugg took over
An online rap scene bloomed again in 2021. Here are some of the albums and singles that defined the new wave.
Return of the Swag: Getting silly with Soundcloud’s up-and-comers
Jude Noel explores the Myspace-era stylings of some of SoundCloud’s newest generation.
Get Metsmerized: The MLB’s Novelty Rap Songs
Billy Bugara dives deep into the good and mostly bad of this forgotten history.