From left, Leyla McCalla, Saba, and Victoria Legrand of Beach House. Photo illustration: Abel F. Ros/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images, Brad Barket/Getty Images, Mike Windle/Getty Images; Vanessa Leroy for NPR hide caption
NPR Hip-Hop
Denzel Curry performs a Tiny Desk concert. Bob Boilen/NPR hide caption
Saba (left), Lizzo (center) and Rosalía have released some of our favorite songs of the year so far. Collage by Estefanía Mitre / NPR/Photos courtesy of the artists hide caption
Lil Nas X performs onstage during the Grammys in April. Rich Fury/Getty Images for The Recording Academy hide caption
MUNA self-titled album tops this week's shortlist of the best albums out on June 24. Isaac Schneider/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
New Music Friday: The best releases out June 24
From bebop to hip-hop: Gary Bartz's sax sound shapes many eras
WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center
From bebop to hip-hop: Gary Bartz's sax sound shapes many eras
Roséwave is light and breezy, but not necessarily unsophisticated — the sound of an experience kissed by sweet summer heat. Vanessa Leroy/NPR hide caption
The rapper Logic, whose latest album, Vinyl Days, was released June 17. Justin Fleischer/Courtesy of the artist. hide caption
"Rap — this is a whole lifestyle," Pusha T tells NPR. "This is a whole culture." Amy Harris/Amy Harris/Invision/AP hide caption
Lil Nas X performs onstage at the BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 27, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET hide caption
Naira Marley performs a Tiny Desk (home) concert. Naira Marley hide caption
Trouble performs during the V-103 Live Pop Up Concert at Philips Arena on Saturday, March 31, 2018, in Atlanta. Robb Cohen/Robb Cohen/Invision/AP hide caption
NPR Music's best music of May includes (from top left, clockwise) Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Julia Reidy, Ravyn Lenae and Ethel Cain. Courtesy of the artists hide caption
Gunna and Young Thug perform at half time during game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics on November 17, 2021 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images hide caption
Young Thug's racketeering charges show how hip-hop is still criminalized
pH-1, Mndsgn and Audrey Nuna performa a Tiny Desk (home) concert. NPR hide caption
Jack Harlow is a rising star in the hip-hop world, someone that legends praise and peers envy. Urban Wyatt hide caption