Danny Brown Is the Patron Saint of Rap Misfits Danny Brown Is the Patron Saint of Rap Misfits
Uninterested in universal truths or uplifting mantras, the Detroit artist’s new album, uknowhatimsayin¿, takes pride in his singular life.
Oct 10, 2019 / Stephen Kearse
Chance the Rapper’s Tedious Benediction Chance the Rapper’s Tedious Benediction
On The Big Day, Chance gets swallowed up by the pomp, circumstance, and symbolism of his long-awaited debut album.
Aug 7, 2019 / Stephen Kearse
Quelle Chris Upends How We Talk About Guns Quelle Chris Upends How We Talk About Guns
The Detroit rapper’s new album offers a panorama of gun culture that brims with disarming nuance and clarity.
Apr 25, 2019 / Stephen Kearse
Maurice Carlos Ruffin Confronts the Horror and Spectacle of Racism Maurice Carlos Ruffin Confronts the Horror and Spectacle of Racism
His debut novel, We Cast a Shadow, is among a series of recent works that pair analysis of race with grim, fantastical tales of metamorphosis.
Apr 23, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse
What’s the Value of an Athlete’s Labor? What’s the Value of an Athlete’s Labor?
Steven Soderbergh’s imaginative new film, High Flying Bird, teases out alternative ideas of work, ownership, and agency, in sports and beyond.
Mar 11, 2019 / Stephen Kearse
The Fyre Festival Documentary Is a Lurid Look Into Start-Up-Culture Grift The Fyre Festival Documentary Is a Lurid Look Into Start-Up-Culture Grift
Chronicling the infamous music festival, the documentary looks at how tech bros turned a luxury getaway into a blockbuster scam.
Jan 14, 2019 / Stephen Kearse
Earl Sweatshirt’s Relentless Introspection Earl Sweatshirt’s Relentless Introspection
On Some Rap Songs, Earl excavates hard truths about himself and his heritage, and the results are dazzling and gut-wrenching.
Nov 30, 2018 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse
The Anarchic Fun of Vince Staples The Anarchic Fun of Vince Staples
On the rapper’s new album, FM!, he relishes any opportunity to inject gravity and grim contradiction into pure party jams.
Nov 9, 2018 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse