Add to playlist: Kashus Culpepper’s ‘southern sounds’ and the week’s best new tracks
Welcome to our new series highlighting the best emerging artists – first up, a former firefighter and US Navy recruit who counts Samuel L Jackson as a fan
Lola Young, breakthrough hitmaker with Messy, tops Ivor Novello songwriting nominations
London singer-songwriter picks up three nominations, with her collaborator Conor Dickinson earning two alongside Ghetts and Raye
Sharon Osbourne urges US to revoke Kneecap rappers’ visas after Israel criticism
Irish language group uses Coachella gig to denounce Gaza attacks, saying ‘Palestinians have nowhere to go’
Central Cee review – UK rap superstar tentatively enjoys stadium success
Cycling through a set of stiff hand gestures, the rapper sometimes seems unsure what to do on stage. But when mediated through screens, his connection to his fans is palpable
Drake expands lawsuit against Universal Music Group, alleging defamation at Super Bowl
Lawsuit argues Kendrick Lamar’s half-time performance ‘further solidified’ public belief in allegations made in diss track Not Like Us, but UMG calls amendment ‘absurd’
One to watch: Pozer
Putting the angst in gangsta, the rising south London rapper brings a touch of vulnerability to his murky tales of drug deals in the ’hood on his debut EP
Negros Tou Moria: Mavri Ellada review – a rebetiko rap riposte to Greek social division
This pioneer of ‘trabetiko’ mixes working-class folk music with trap on tracks about being a second-generation Greek born to Ghanaian parents
Kae Tempest review – a brave, intimate set where the personal is political
The laser-focused spoken-word performer returns to the musical stage with new tracks focusing on their identity – but wider concerns are never far away
‘The drill scene was dead. They’d locked everyone up’: RIP Germain on his shocking coffin installation
In a room stinking of industrial bleach and cooled to the temperature of a morgue, the artist explores pop culture’s voracious appetite for violence – by trapping the viewer in front of 101 hours of drill videos
Shaboozey review – viral country superstar finds comfort in intimacy
From scorned lovers to campfire heartbreak and outlaw vengeance, the charmingly tipsy singer takes the crowd on a JD swigging journey through the Old West
Stormzy to receive honorary Cambridge University doctorate
Rapper is honoured for his philanthropic work alongside the likes of John Rutter, Angela Davis and Simon Russell Beale
‘Drake lost a rap battle’: Universal files motion to dismiss rapper’s ‘misguided’ lawsuit
Drake’s attorneys accuse Universal of being ‘a greedy company’ that is ‘finally being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation’.
Playboi Carti: Music review – the most anticipated rap album this decade was worth the wait
Already staggeringly popular since its long-awaited release on Friday, the Atlantan rapper shows off his almost mystical level of vocal range on his jaded, narcotised third LP
Little Simz sues former producer Inflo over unpaid debts
The British rapper and actor alleges that Dean Cover has failed to repay a loan of £1.7m from 2023
Will Smith announces first album in 20 years, Based on a True Story
Actor-rapper will release project on 28 March, including the song Beautiful Scars which makes reference to his infamous Oscars slap