A highly localised critique of South Korean society, Psy’s song ‘Gangnam Style’ became a global sensation thanks to a YouTube video that went viral.
Throughout his outspoken career, Eminem and politics has made for an explosive mix, coming to a head on his fearless new album, Revival.
Containing both her hardest and most personal songs to date, ‘The Pinkprint’ found Nicki Minaj asserting her dominance over both the pop and hip-hop world.
Often audacious, always surprising, the best Kanye West samples are all the proof you need that the hip-hop icon remains at the cutting-edge of music.
The Gentle Giant debut album established the group as one of the most distinctive and forward-thinking of the new wave of prog rock bands to emerge in 1970.
A bizarre ride through funk, rock and jazz history, The Pharcyde’s debut album remains unique in the history of hip-hop – a rare example of rap without ego.
With stark production and sung vocals, ‘808s & Heartbreak’ found Kanye West bearing his soul and paving the way for The Weeknd and Drake.
Straddling the chart-savvy and the underground, Kanye West’s ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ remains a masterpiece that’s both amazing and appalling.
Mixing hip-hop with R&B, New Jack Swing dominated the US charts between 1989 and 1993, and its innovations have left an indelible influence on modern music.
With a meticulous focus on every aspect of its creation, ‘Take Care’ found Drake laying the blueprint for hip-hop in the 2010s.
The final work of Daevid Allen’s life, Gong’s ‘I See You’ found him writing some of the best material of his career, while Gong updated their classic sound.
Planet Gong’s ‘Live Floating Anarchy 1977’ saw the anarchic Daevid Allen and his band of psychonauts sell hippie idealism to punk rockers.
Steve Hillage was part of Gong’s formative years, recording the ‘Radio Gnome Trilogy’ with Daevid Allen. “It left an indelible mark on me,” he says.
From its inspiration to its samples, ‘Jesus Is King’ is Kanye West’s most gospel-inspired album yet, pushing the music in an explicitly hip-hop direction.
‘Expansion Team’ was Dilated Peoples’ most commercially successful album, beloved by fans with a fondness for hip-hop’s Golden Age.
