Confrontation, Confessions, and Conversations in Rap Music

Black silhouette of a man wearing a hoodie in front of a blue background with splashes of darker shades of blue. There are warped pink pencils in the top left and a silhouette of a notebook. 4 sets of sheet Music notes are curved in the background.

Confrontation, Confessions, and Conversations in Rap Music

By: Emma Paff Throughout the decades, storytelling in rap has shifted from straightforward accounts of street life to more cinematic tales. Nowadays, artists have been more heavily exploring topics such as mental health, addiction, love, and family, giving their music an intimate tone. This shift has led us to more conversational pieces, allowing listeners a quick glimpse into the artist's personal hardships. The incorporation of narrative and dialogue gives the […]

September 21, 2025 50 16

Image of the "Scary Hours 2" EP cover art, a dark blue background with the text "Scary Hours" and two blue diamonds in the center.

Music

Drake: Scary Hours 2 EP Review

By Christopher BrockerHip-hop Music Director Scary Hours 2 by Drake released March 5, 2021, and is the sequel to the 2018 EP Scary Hours. Scary Hours consists of “Gods Plan” and “Diplomatic Immunity.” The title derives from a tweet Drake wrote during the height of his beef with rapper Meek Mill. The tweet came before the release of “Back To Back,” an infamous diss track. Scary Hours 2 was announced […]

March 11, 2021 604

Music

Drake’s “Toosie Slide” TikTok Challenge is a Guide for Music Artists and Social Media Marketers

By Rey BanuelosGuest Writer There is nothing new about songs being popularized on the social media app TikTok. The app allows users create 15-second clips, usually set to music. Most of the times, popular influencers or users can make a song trend on the platform. However, Drake was able to promote the song directly into a challenge. The lesson here is that the social media app allows artists to directly […]

May 16, 2020 128

This is a picture of the words “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” with prayer hands and a 6 for Toronto inside a cell phone screen.

Music

A look back at If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

By Ethan Hamilton Music Reporter Five years ago, Drake had enough. He was enjoying the success of his latest album Nothing Was the Same but felt that he wasn’t being garnered the same respect as the other great MC’s in the rap game. So he released his surprise mixtape If You're Reading This It’s Too Late and changed the rap game forever. Before I.Y.R.T.I.T.L. came out, Drake was viewed as “soft” […]

March 9, 2020 97

The single cover is from the Lebron James “More Than A Game” documentary soundtrack

Features

A Look Back to 2009’s “Forever”

By Gio Gilmore Music Journalist The year is 2009: you’re in the back of your parents car listening to the radio and hear a new song. It is “Forever” by Drake featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem. It's been about 10 years since that song has been released as a single. Since the 10th anniversary of the song is approaching later this year, let's take a look back at […]

April 26, 2019 559

Music

Have Trigger Fingers Turned to Twitter Fingers?

By Joseph Bonney Hip-hop Journalist Hip-hop culture has been notorious for having feuds between rappers also known as beef. Back in the day you had Death Row Vs. Bad Boy. Rappers like Tupac and Biggie would snap at each other on beats, picking out the flaws and weaknesses of the opponent. The term ethered, which is when someone is clearly defeated by their opponent, was coined by Nas, who attacked […]

November 11, 2016 46

Music

Top 10 Songs of 2014: Allison Johnson, KTSW Music Director

By Allison Johnson Music Director At the end of every year I always dread sitting down and trying to figure out how to somehow put into a short list form all of the incredible albums, songs and artists that have sparked my interest and conversations. However, it is customary to compile such a list, so here are my top 10 songs of 2014 (though they may change within the next […]

December 17, 2014 31

Drake