William E. Ketchum III is a multimedia journalist who covers music, TV/film, pop culture, race, and social justice.
Dee-1 is on a mission to clean up hip-hop. But is his message connecting?
The rapper infuses faith and meaning in his uplifting songs.
Usher’s Road to the Super Bowl
The singer will perform at halftime of the N.F.L.’s championship game in Las Vegas on the heels of his popular career-spanning residency and the release of a new album.
Benny the Butcher Is Still Sick of Rap Critics
Benny the Butcher on how Snoop helped him sign to Def Jam, his unreleased Drake collab, and why he’s done with overcritical rap fans.
When I Fell in Love With Hip-Hop
At a block party, in a basement, at a funeral. Twenty-five rappers on the moment their lives “changed forever.”
Can Rappers Grow Old In Peace? Why Ageism Is a Neverending Debate in Hip-Hop
BET’s essay series, Uncomfortable Conversations, dives into the ongoing, difficult topics that have dominated and plagued hip-hop for decades. Here, we tackle stereotypes around ageism as we advance the culture.
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...