Beyoncé releases surprise new track for Fourth of July weekend
Morning Dew (Donk) reportedly conceived for Beyoncé’s second album B’Day, which will be reissued for its 20th anniversary in September
How Paris became a nexus for Black culture
It’s got Europe’s largest Black population, the world’s second-biggest rap scene and a long literary history. But even as diasporic culture takes hold in Paris, some ask when commercial success will lead to structural change
‘His ability is hard to deny’: is Tom Hardy a secretly good rapper?
The unconventional actor is releasing a new hip-hop album, the latest unlikely new string to his bow, but the big surprise is that he might actually be great
The Black Lights review – Mica Levi, Moin and Klein thrill at an awesome addition to the UK festival circuit
Tapping into the kitsch and romance of a Blackpool weekender, this debut offering from Manchester’s White Hotel becomes a triumph of pan-genre experimentalism
Bad Bunny review – dynamic Latin superstar hosts thrilling party
The Puerto Rican musician kicks off in a white suit fronting a salsa band in full flow, then switches up with a swaggering, chaotic rave in a replica island home
‘It’s giving me carnival vibes’: how Fête de la Musique became a must-visit event for the Black diaspora
Begun in 1982, the festival is now a magnet for Black Britons, who spill across Paris enjoying genres from amapiano to zouk. But can it resist commercialisation – and is it getting too big?
Rapper Mystikal sentenced to 20 years in prison for third-degree rape
The Louisiana musician has now been sentenced, having pleaded guilty to the charge in March
With warmth, kindness and unlimited energy, Kanya King revolutionised Black British culture
The Mobo founder, who has died aged 57, had an unprecedented vision: to give Black British music a glitzy and joyful awards ceremony. But her impact went well beyond it
Kanya King, founder of Mobo awards for Black British music, dies aged 57
Entrepreneur died of colon cancer, with Mobo Organisation hailing her as ‘one of the most fearless champions’ in the music industry
Badenoch-supporting US rapper Azealia Banks to attend Spectator summer party in London
Magazine’s editor Michael Gove will welcome performer who described Conservative party leader as ‘iconic’
‘I’ve rebranded as a stoic. It’s my ting now!’ The crime and punishment of Pozer, UK rap’s fastest, fiercest talent
In a chaotic London childhood, Isaiah Sampson got drawn into drug dealing and worse before hauling himself into the charts. He opens up about his psychological scars and trust issues
Doja Cat review – pop superstar or true freak? US iconoclast plays the tension to perfection
Moving seamlessly through extravagant choreography between bubblegum–rap and darker, rockier material, the singer is always in full command
Ecca Vandal, the genre-defying punk-rap star on getting offline and having tea with Flea: ‘It constantly spins me out’
The Australian singer’s new album, Looking For People to Unfollow, is a punchy rejection of ‘faux-sincerity’ and music being reduced to TikTok-able snippets
Drake: Iceman / Maid of Honour / Habibti review – triple-album comeback is a boring, bloated disaster
It’s possible that the world’s biggest rapper is using this epic content drop to get out of his record deal, but aside from some bright spots on Iceman, should the public really be subjected to it?
Kanye West loses lawsuit over uncleared sample played at stadium fan event
Rapper known as Ye must pay six-figure sum to four plaintiffs who successfully argued he infringed on their copyright