Hip-Hop/R&B archive
Watch Rye Rye Just Wants To Be 'Young And Playful'
December 27, 2012 – Rye Rye's debut album was all set to be released in 2009, but then her life got in the way.
Watch The Best Rap Of 2012: A Conversation
December 25, 2012 – Microphone Check hosts Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Frannie Kelley remember the year in hip-hop.
Watch 2 Chainz: A Pop Star For All Of Us
December 25, 2012 – He laces his bouncy, terse rhymes with a charisma reminiscent of another musician — Ringo Starr.
Watch Ne-Yo On A Career Made Stronger By Missteps
December 23, 2012 – The singer says his transition from songwriter to performer was clumsy, but instructive.
Listen Homeboy Sandman: A Rapper Leaves Law Behind
December 19, 2012 – The New York MC gave up a promising career path to rap full time.
Listen Reverend Run: From Rapper To Preacher
December 19, 2012 – Host Michel Martin talks with Rev. Run about his evolution from rapper to preacher.
Watch Top 5 Slept-On R&B Songs Of 2012
December 12, 2012 – Many singers made great R&B away from the mainstream this year. Here are five worth your attention.
Listen R. Kelly's Queer, Campy 'Closet' Reopens
November 27, 2012 – The R&B singer recently unveiled new chapters in his melodramatic Trapped in the Closet series.
Read Song Premiere: Solange, 'Lovers In The Parking Lot'
November 21, 2012 – A new album by the R&B singer, who has a mega-famous sister and an indie cohort, drops next week.
Watch It Isn't (Just) Ironic: In Defense Of The Hipster
November 20, 2012 – A rising hit by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis helps refute the idea that irony dominates youth culture.
Watch DJ Shadow On Sampling As A 'Collage Of Mistakes'
November 17, 2012 – The hip-hop producer says he loves scouring old records in search of "accidental brilliance."
Watch First Watch: Miguel, 'The Thrill (Live)'
November 15, 2012 – This live in-studio performance distills the best parts of the R&B singer into a single video.
Watch What Can You Make With $80 And A Hot Glue Gun?
November 5, 2012 – The low-budget video for Lushlife's "Magnolia" takes a simple idea to an astonishing end.
Read First Listen: Cody ChesnuTT, 'Landing On A Hundred'
October 21, 2012 – ChesnuTT's new album is a dynamite collection of timeless, celebratory, searching soul music.
Watch Death Grips In Concert Soundcheck
October 19, 2012 – Performing mostly in a fitting haze of red, the group creates a visceral experience on stage. Soundcheck