William E. Ketchum III is a multimedia journalist who covers music, TV/film, pop culture, race, and social justice.
Diddy Hasn’t Given Up On Love and Doesn’t Want You To Either
In an interview with BET.com, the music mogul explains the source of his philosophy and why it took him 13 years to drop his latest project, “The Love Album: Off the Grid.”
Inside Method Man's Silent Battle With Depression
While women were fawning over the hip-hop icon, he was learning to love himself.
Killer Mike Finally Realizes Who He Is — And His Latest Album Is His Most Personal Yet
The Atlanta rapper took his fans on a spiritual journey on his album “Michael” and crafted his summer tour like a revival at a Southern church.
‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ Turns 25: How a Classic Debut Galvanized a Generation of Black Women and Changed Hip-Hop
Whether it’s the duality of singing and rapping or the seamless combination of womanhood and spirituality, Ms. Hill’s classic debut continues to offer a blueprint for the next generation.
Toosii Opens Up About the Fight for His Hit ‘Favorite Song’ to Be Released, Bowling With Young Thug and More
Slow and steady wins the race for Toosii, who's having the biggest moment of his career so far.
How Detroit and Flint became havens for rap dark horses
More than any particular sound, lyrical style or historical movement, the true calling card of Detroit hip-hop just might be its underdog spirit.
You Know What the Midwest Is
Lil Durk to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony represent for the midwest.
Styles P is working to make hip-hop, and Black communities, healthier
“Coming up, you feel like you’re a product of your environment,” Styles P said after bagging up supplements for a customer. “But when you hit a certain level, you know you’re a product for your environment. There’s a big difference.
Art of the Come Up With Jabari Banks
Video produced by Langston Sessoms
Photography by Elliott Ashby
Design by Anita Nixon
How Friendship & Love of Music Brought Black Thought and El Michels Affair Together
Believe it or not, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t all that long ago. It’s been less than three years since the country went on lockdown, leaving U.S. residents stuck at home in quarantine as they worried about when they’d ever be able to safely walk outside. A lack of live concerts was one of many worries that were impacting the real world.
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Black Thought and Leon Michels were locked inside too — but they began to tap into their artistry to...
There Are No More Excuses To Sleep on De La Soul
De La Soul, a luminary rap group, reigns supreme as an unparalleled inspiration to The Roots, Common, Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def), Kanye West, and other daring artists who broke the mold in a genre that had room for evolving. However, their unparalleled legacy faced a perilous threat due to a maelstrom of rapidly-evolving technology and music industry bureaucracy - until this week.
Swizz Beatz on Being Back in His Music Bag With the New ‘Godfather of Harlem’ Season, The Grammys’ Hip-Hop Celebration & The Future of ‘Verzuz’
In a conversation with Billboard, Swizz shared how he dives into the mind of Bumpy Johnson for 'Godfather of Harlem,' why how hip-hop needs to advocate for itself with the Grammys, and the status of Verzuz.
Westside Boogie Is Healing His Trauma, One Bar At A Time
With 'More Black Superheroes,' Westside Boogie lays bare his trauma and life experiences with intensely personal lyrics. The Compton native is one of the most insightful young rappers in the game and has found ways to heal on and off his records.
When P. Diddy Ran a Marathon, a Generation of Black Men Got Healthier
For years, Mark Jenkins was the trainer who kept hip-hop in shape. In the 2000s, he trained Mary J. Blige, D’Angelo, LL Cool, and even Beyoncé. Most notably, he helped Bad Boys Records founder Sean “P. Diddy” Combs’ shed some of his party-going antics to lock in and get his body in shape within six weeks to run the 2003 New York City marathon. In his own words, below, he shares how Diddy brought generations of Black men to their feet.
Skyzoo Loves Snowfall So Much He Made an Entire Album About It
There’s fan fiction, and then there’s what Skyzoo has created with Mind of a Saint.