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Music

Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill delights the crowd during a 2015 concert.
ARTS

‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’ is the name of the game on ‘Expensive Pain’

Few artists fly as successfully under-the-radar as Meek Mill. Even with anthems like “Dreams and Nightmares” still bringing clubgoers to their feet nearly a decade later, Meek has always been somewhat overshadowed by industry pioneers like Drake and Kendrick Lamar. But with a dedicated legion of stans, Meek seems unbothered by his rivals, returning as confidently and comfortably as ever on his latest album, “Expensive Pain.”


Canadian rapper Drake performs in Summer Sixteen Tour 2016 in Toronto.
ARTS

Drake disappoints with ‘Certified Lover Boy’

Scheduled to be released as early as January, Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy” was arguably the most anticipated hip-hop release of 2021. After multiple postponements, the Toronto native finally delivered on his promise, releasing “CLB” at 2 a.m. Friday. 


Kanye West performs at The Museum of Modern Art’s annual Party in the Garden benefit in May 2011.
ARTS

Kanye West gives fans his best album since ‘Life of Pablo’ with ‘Donda’

Kanye West has been on a fascinating run as of late. After announcing his 10th album, “Donda,” over a year ago, West spent the past two months performing the new tracks at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with the sets becoming progressively zanier and the many songs/features being changed each time. Now, West has finally released “Donda” for the whole world to hear. 


ARTS

J. Cole returns with ‘The Off-Season’

J. Cole has been on a stellar run the past ten years. After landing five consecutive albums at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, he went on a run of exceptional features in 2018 with rappers like 21 Savage on “A Lot” and Dreamville labelmate J.I.D. on “Off Deez,” before he released “Revenge of the Dreamers III,” a project which allowed Cole to curate the best and brightest rappers — in and out of his label — to release his own “Cruel Summer.” 



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