NPR Music critics reflect on the lyrics that captured the year's mood, sparked emotions and stayed with them long after the music stopped. Lyrics of a song can reach us in ways that no other speech ...

Rap music in 2025 was a rich mix of introspection, experimentation and cultural significance. As mainstream rap fell in and out of favor, the genre flourished with adventurous producing, serious ...

Lazarus and Rakim’s “Not to Be Defined” bridges generations of hip-hop with sharp lyricism and timeless energy. October 2025, Hip-hop history is being written as “Not to Be Defined” by Detroit-based ...

Every year, we’re told that hip-hop is in crisis. But if you ask us, it feels like there’s too much heat to keep up with. What’s lost on the chart-watchers lamenting rap’s mainstream lull is that the ...