Benny Sings' City Pop comes out Feb. 22 via Stones Throw. Takuroh Oyama/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

J. Cole, onstage in Oakland this summer, refracted hip-hop through an absurdist lens on KOD. Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images hide caption

The songs on Nao's Saturn, one of NPR Music's favorite R&B projects of 2018, matched the London-based singer's distinctive tone. Alex Colombino/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

H.E.R. performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Nov. 8, 2018. Cameron Pollack/NPR hide caption

An illustration of Mac Miller, drawn during his Tiny Desk Concert performance in Aug. 2018. Deborah Lee/NPR hide caption

Mac Miller performs a Tiny Desk Concert on August 1, 2018. Eslah Attar/NPR hide caption

Daniel Caesar performs a Tiny Desk Concert on April 30, 2018. Morgan Noelle Smith/NPR hide caption

Tom Misch performs a Tiny Desk Concert on May 4, 2018. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

We get Gabriel Garzón-Montano's "Golden Wings" just as springtime begins to fully reveal itself to us. Lissy Elle Laricchia/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

The Crossrhodes performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Dec. 1, 2017 (Jenna Sterner/NPR). Jenna Sterner/NPR hide caption

Robert Glasper, Common and Karriem Riggins will release their debut album as August Greene this March. B+/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Wyclef Jean performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Oct. 11, 2017. (Christina Ascani/NPR) Christina Ascani/NPR hide caption

Thundercat performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Sept. 29, 2017. (Jennifer Kerrigan/NPR) Jennifer Kerrigan/NPR hide caption