Music Byron Mason II | 7 May 2020 Is TikTok Good or Bad for Rap? Is this new medium reducing art to a formulaic hunt for virality or is it inspiring innovation and increasing independent artists' opportunity for exposure?
Ethics in Culture Andrew Bobker | 28 May 2019 Elevating the Elite in Music: El Sistema and Cultural Hegemony What can El Sistema tell us about the politics of music education? What's the right way to promote inclusion?
Lil Nas X vs. Billboard: The Charting Conundrum of “Old Town Road” Are the boundaries of genre serving to create divides based on race in the music industry? And how might Billboard be complicit? 22 Apr 2019 | Byron Mason II
Is J. Cole the Savior of Hip-Hop? Hip-hop has a complex relationship with old school and new school, but J. Cole might bring the genre to a more stylistically inclusive middle ground. 14 Feb 2019 | Byron Mason II
The Sound of a Stradivarius: Preserving Art Through Reproduction When it comes to the exceptional sound of a Stradivarius violin, will digitization and reproduction affect our opinion of its artistry? 25 Jan 2019 | Meredith McFadden
Do White People Appreciate Hip-Hop Or Do They Appropriate It? Is hip-hop's popularity a function of appreciation or appropriation? And where should we draw the line? 14 Dec 2018 | Byron Mason II
Spotify and the Ethics of Music Streaming Spotify is convenient and inexpensive for listeners, but what compensation for the musicians who contribute to its catalog? 28 Nov 2018 | Andrew Bobker
Rap Feuds and Moral Standing This article dives into the underlying moral issues that arise during Rap feuds, when rappers throw insults at one another. Are there things that are unethical to say in a feud? 20 Nov 2018 | Byron Mason II
Hollywood Structures: The Age Gap in Relationships The landscape of Hollywood gives male celebrities permission to prey on younger women, like 31-year-old rapper Drake's relationship with-18 year-old model Bella Harris. 16 Nov 2018 | Emma Mazurek
Reevaluating Artivism in Janelle Monáe's "Dirty Computer" Janelle Monáe's newest album offers insight into both how crucial queer black female representation is, and how it's achieved through a concept known as artivism. 13 Nov 2018 | Sandra Laserna Cowal
Combating Bias? Nicki Minaj and the Merit of “Twitter Beef” Nicki Minaj's new album has drawn criticism, but the artist is not afraid to defend herself -- especially on Twitter. 7 Sep 2018 | Sandra Laserna Cowal
Childish Gambino's "This is America": Why It Matters "This is America" is a viral hit, but can it be the wake-up call America needs? 10 May 2018 | Byron Mason II
The Duality of Hip-Hop: An Examination of Mumble Rap Mumble rap has both its ardent fans and harsh critics. But what impact will the subgenre have on the social impact of hip-hop? 7 Feb 2018 | Byron Mason II
Dress Fresh to Impress: Hip-Hop's Impact Through Fashion Hip-hop is more than controversial lyrics -- it's also revolutionized a fashion sub-culture. 5 Feb 2018 | Byron Mason II
Are Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa What Chicago Needs? Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa have both taken measures to fight Chicago's violence epidemic. But are their actions enough? 30 Jan 2018 | Byron Mason II
Hip-Hop Misogyny's Effects on Women of Color Misogyny has long been a controversial part of hip-hop. What effects does this misogyny have on its subjects-namely, women of color? 18 Jan 2018 | Byron Mason II
In Chance the Rapper's Music, Do Rap and Religion Mix? How should listeners view the Christian themes in Chance the Rapper's music? 7 Nov 2017 | Byron Mason II
Considering the N-Word: To Reject or Reclaim? What role does the n-word play in contemporary society, and should anyone be able to use it in the first place? 28 Sep 2017 | Rachel Higson
Frank Ocean: Challenging Hip-Hop's Hyper-Masculinity Frank Ocean's career poses interesting questions about subverting, and in some ways reifying, hip-hop's trend towards the hyper-masculine and the misogynistic. 26 Sep 2017 | Alex Layton
The Ethics Behind the Kanye West-Taylor Swift Feud The Taylor Swift-Kanye West feud has only continued with Swift's latest music. What are the ethical issues behind the celebrity drama? 18 Sep 2017 | Emma Mazurek
Classical Sexism: Gender Bias and Female Conductors On gender bias and the lack of female conductors in the classic music industry. 24 Feb 2017 | Eleanor Price
Rebellion and Passion in India's Indie Music Scene India's indie music scene works to expand global understandings of their craft beyond Bollywood. 4 Jan 2017 | Summer Pappachen
