LL Cool J almost never made it to NCIS because of a mechanical shark

Rapper and NCIS star LL Cool J revealed on Hot Ones that his career was nearly cut short by a mechanical shark on the set of ...
Neon Music

When Hip-Hop Conquered Everything: 1996 Turns 30

1996 marked a turning point in hip-hop production. The boom-bap that dominated early ’90s New York started fragmenting into ...
Complex

15 Predictions for Rap Music in 2026

Here are 15 predictions for rap music in 2026. No, there won’t be a breakout AI star in rap. That said, having lived through ...
Defector

Is Mainstream Rap Dead Or Does It Need Another 2011?

Welcome to Listening Habits, a column where I share the music I’ve been fixated on recently. I did not write about it when it happened, but last year there was a bit of a manufactured crisis in rap ...

Sound of 2026: Rap polymath Jim Legxacy is the runner-up

Legxacy (the x is silent) was born James Olaloye in Lewisham. The child of Nigerian immigrants, he paints a bleak picture of ...

For the haters: 17 of Jennifer Lopez’s notable R&B cuts and Hip Hop collabs

The remixes, the hooks, the guest verses that mattered. Here’s the proof that Jennifer Lopez stayed tapped into the culture ...
The Source

Today In Hip Hop History: “Hit ‘Em High” By B Real, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, and Method Man On The ‘Space Jam’ Soundtrack Debuted 29 Years Ago

Today In Hip Hop History: "Hit ‘Em High" By B Real, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, and Method Man On The 'Space Jam' ...