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Best Things to Do in New York on Thanksgiving Weekend
Thanksgiving Weekend is here, and you know what that means: turkey & stuffing hangovers, Black Friday shopping sprees, and all the madness that comes along with the official start of the holiday...
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The Hip-Hop Guide to NYC’s Best Restaurants
The bustling neighborhoods of New York City are home to some of the biggest names in music, past and present. With natives like Jay-Z, RUN-DMC, Nicki Minaj, and too many more to name, there’s no...
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NYC: The Ultimate Date Night Playground
New York City is alive with endless possibilities for date night. Looking for romance or something out of the ordinary? The city has you covered with its diverse range of spots. Imagine soaking in the...
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Okayplayer Presents Respect the Architect: Quelle Chris
Quelle Chris exists in his own, self-contained galaxy in the hip-hop universe. He knows no other way.The unconventional rapper, producer, and songwriter has developed an impeccable resume over a...
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Okayplayer Celebrates 25 Years With 25 Essential Artists From the OKP Boards
Okayplayer started with Amir “Questlove” Thompson much like Def Jam started with Rick Rubin. If you swap out the NYU dorm room with a Philly bedroom, Russell Simmons for Angela Nissel, and a hip-hop...
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Shout Outs From the Okayplayer Extended Family on Our 25 Year Anniversary
Okayplayer is lucky to hold such a special place in music and culture. As we hit the quarter-century mark, here are some heartfelt words and memories from our extended family explaining what...
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OKP 25-Year Anniversary: The Exclusive Questlove Interview
“People always ask, ‘Why is Ahmir everywhere?’ And I just tell them that the gateway to everything is always Okayplayer,” Questlove said in an interview with Okayplayer for the site's 25-year...
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The Masterful and Calculated Rise of Boldy James
It has never been easy to be a successful and skilled rapper, regardless of how rap fans tend to behave as if one-of-one talents grow on trees. Few understand the patience and wherewithal the job...
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Is ScHoolboy Q's 'Blue Lips' The Most Important Album of His Career?
The pace and amount of rap albums that drop per year have increased drastically from the 1990s, which has helped the genre become as huge as it is. On the flip side, albums don’t really feel like...
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J. Cole’s Biggest Competition is Himself
J. Cole’s position in the pantheon of hip-hop has certainly been earned. With over 17 years in the game as a rapper and producer, he has notched six platinum solo albums and countless hits. However,...
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The Most-Memorable Album Rollouts of the Last Decade
The artistry behind executing a good album rollout is a skill that not many artists of today can say they have mastered. While one may argue that an artist’s abilities should be gauged solely by the...
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FIRST LOOK FRIDAY: Asha Imuno’s Experiential Debut
Within the margins of a 16-track album, Asha Imuno defies the limitations of sound through a genre-bending storytelling experience. His debut album, PINS & NEEDLES, is most simply described as a...
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The Fab Five: Our Most Anticipated Albums From Female Artists
Women move every needle — whether it’s entertainment, entrepreneurship, activism, or culture in general. March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate women’s contributions to history and to the...
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The Love Hard Tour: An Unforgettable Night In Brooklyn With Keyshia Cole &...
As hoards of people poured out of Barclays Center on Sunday evening, it was clear that the events of the night had been made into everlasting memories. Keyshia Cole’s Love Hard Tour was a hit with...
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Missy Elliott Has Always Been A Time Traveler
Sampling in modern hip-hop has been a point of contention, with some rap fans feeling the samples are either too obvious, not flipped enough, or not different enough from the source material. That...
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What You Missed from the Viral Shannon Sharpe and Steve Stoute Interview
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Shannon Sharpe, the NFL Hall of Famer, has made himself a media superstar, through his work on Fox Sports, ESPN, and his own podcasts. On his hit...
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All Hail The Queen
Hip-hop’s 50th anniversary was just last year; it was a time to celebrate our legends, from the early days of the genre to present day. One of the most important people in hip-hop is Queen Latifah,...
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Black-Owned Bookstores in NYC to Check Out
We might be biased, but we know that New York City is one of the best cities in the world, and with such a bold statement, we’re backing it up with proof! We’ve always been big supporters of Black...
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'Hell's Kitchen,' Always Remember Where Dreams Begin
(This page contains content sponsored by the Broadway musical, Hell's Kitchen)The rousing new Broadway musical, Hell’s Kitchen, is a sensational production befitting the chart-topping catalog of...
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First Look Friday: tg.blk
Music reverberates everywhere, as it is a medium for conveying emotion. Much has been made about rap’s recent decline in popularity, but it’s as global as ever, with each region having its own version...
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Does Big Sean Belong in Hip-Hop’s Elite Tier?
A long-term effect of intense competition is it reveals who you are. Will you sink or swim? Can you stand tall against your peers or will you falter? With how competitive the mid-to-late 2000s blog...
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Women’s Month Spotlight: Harlem’s Own, DarDra Coaxum
There is something about being a New York City native that breeds pride in where you come from and informs the things that you do. DarDra Coaxum, co-owner of both the restaurant Harlem Shake and HRLM...
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What’s Left for Roc Marciano to Prove?
Passion can take you very far. Remaining dedicated to your passions and applying yourself, year after year, can open up a world of possibilities. Roc Marciano, Hempstead, Long Island’s own, has been...
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Courtney Bell, Detroit’s Not-So-Secret Weapon
The Detroit rap scene has been on fire for the last few years. And truth be told, there’s always been something about the Motor City that produces a certain caliber of distinct, one-of-a-kind talent....
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The Spring 2024 Festivals On Our Radar
The spring is when everything picks up, whether it’s parties, concerts, or just get-togethers with your friends. In music, the warmer temperatures usher in festival season, when all of your favorite...
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Slow Money: Artist Pay in the Streaming Era
Not long ago, music was a lot less accessible. You had to get off the couch, go outside, head to your favorite music store, buy that album or single, and give it a spin. Now that we’re fully...
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The Most Important Producers in Rap Right Now
Music begins with the beat. In the world of hip-hop, the songs are a perfect marriage of production and lyrics, with each side of the equation elevating the other. Of course, there are incredible...
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Do Rap Albums Still Even Matter?
In modern music, it feels like there’s a new single taking off every few weeks, especially from younger artists who came up in the streaming era. Hit singles during the advent of streaming, YouTube...
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Rapper and Producer Duos We'd Love to See
There seems to be a new rap album with one sole producer every month, with a majority of them being great listens. These types of link-ups allow the rapper and producer to really grow with each other,...
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Atlanta is Hurting Following the Passing of Dungeon Family Originator Rico Wade
Rico Wade, one third of the legendary Organized Noize Productions trio and orchestrator of the Dungeon Family, died Friday (April, 12, 2024) at the age of 52. Anyone who knows the legacy of ATL music...
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