Rap Subgenres
What Is Phonk? The Memphis Rap Sound, Explained
Phonk is a rap subgenre named in 2012 and built on 90s Memphis tape rap: cowbells, 808 bass, chopped vocals. Its lineage, its sound,…
Cyphlore
Blog
Lists
The best rap, hip-hop and R&B, ranked (albums, songs and how we rank)
The best rap, hip-hop and R&B, ranked: our top 25 rap albums, top 10 rap songs and top 10 R&B albums, each scored on…
Comparisons
Hip-hop vs R&B (and every other rap and R&B comparison)
The difference between hip-hop and R&B, then every other pair people argue about: rap vs hip-hop, R&B vs soul, drill vs trap, phonk vs…
Eras
Eras of hip-hop and R&B: a decade-by-decade timeline
Every era of hip-hop and R&B, decade by decade, from the 1973 Bronx party to the TikTok era: the sound, the records and the…
Scenes
Hip-hop scenes: every region’s sound, mapped
Every hip-hop region and scene, mapped: New York, LA, the South, the Midwest, the Bay, the UK, Europe, Korea, Africa and Latin America, by…
Culture
What is hip-hop? Origin, four elements and the 50-year arc
Hip-hop is the Bronx-born culture of rapping, DJing, breaking and graffiti, plus 50 years of music. The culture, the elements, the eras, mapped.
Rap subgenres
Rap subgenres: every type of rap, explained (boom bap to phonk)
Every type of rap, mapped: 22 rap subgenres from boom bap and G-funk to drill, rage and phonk, each with its region, origin year…
Craft
How to rap: the hip-hop craft handbook (writing, flow, beats, mixing)
How to rap, from first verse to finished track: rhyme types and schemes, flow and breath control, beats and 808s, vocal mixing, and the…
Institutions
Hip-hop awards and institutions, explained (Grammys, BET, XXL Freshman, Hall of Fame)
Hip-hop's awards and institutions, explained: the Grammy rap and R&B categories, the BET Hip Hop Awards, XXL's Freshman Class and every Rock Hall rap…
Music business
The music business, explained: how artists make money (deals, royalties, distribution)
How the music business pays artists: record and 360 deals, royalties, split sheets, sample clearance, distribution costs and who to hire, in plain English.