Witt’s reporting focuses on Kali, the leader of RNS, and Dell Glover, an employee of a CD pressing plant in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Recounting 15 years of IRC chat-room history, Witt chronicles the major label leaks and hacks of piracy collectives the Scene, which initially shared single mp3s, and Rabid Neurosis, a.k.a. RNS, which was the first of these groups to traffic in full, pre-release albums.

The storied characters of the London grime scene reflect on the mythical genesis of the musical movement in a new film Open Mic, by documentary photographer Ewen Spencer. He reveals iconic footage of early battles and performances and traces the growth of the genre as it blows up – “out of the estates and into Top of the Pops” – with new interview material that looks back on the events with the benefit of retrospect.

The first album released by Bad Boy Entertainment was the Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die, an instant classic and possibly the most influential rap record ever made. For Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, the label's founder, it was the first in a remarkable streak of commercial hits: twenty-one straight gold- or platinum-selling albums, including Puff's own Grammy-winning debut, No Way Out, plus home-grown artists like Faith Evans, the Lox, Mase, Total, and 112. By the mid-1990s, Bad Boy was the biggest label in pop music. This is the story of how it all began.

"This is the mother, the metal mother," says Jay Millar, examining a brilliant silver disc on the machine floor of United Record Pressing in downtown Nashville. "And the mother is where it all starts."

While Odd Future are the face of hip-hop’s DIY audacity and Frank Ocean is R&B’s most compelling ascendant superstar, their managers (and guardian angels) are making the most of the music industry’s slow implosion.

When they were over in London a couple weeks back, Ratking went off inside a green screen studio for a new episode of Just Jam, a live performance stream on the UK-based, music and culture web channel, Don’t Watch That TV. Watch the noisy NYC trio play songs from their just-released debut album, So It Goes, against a public access-style backdrop of galloping horses and guys in ski masks.

Dieses Konzert aus dem "Karussell für die Jugend" ist der früheste existierende Konzertmitschnitt der Düsseldorfer Elektronikpioniere. Die Gruppe hatte sich erst im gleichen Jahr gegründet und ist hier in ihrer ursprünglichen Besetzung zu sehen: Ralf Hüttner (Keyboards), Florian Schneider-Esleben (Flute, Vibes) und Klaus Dinger (Drums).

Twenty years after the Wu-Tang Clan invaded and radically altered hip-hop, Shaolin’s finest are struggling to reunite for one more album. Here, a 10-part portrait of how the legendary group lives apart today.

During his trip to Austin for SXSW last week, Lil Wayne sat down with hip-hop journalist Elliott Wilson for his CRWN series. In the hour-long interview, the self-described "triple OG" talks about idolizing Jay Z, his protégés Drake and Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar’s "Control" verse, Kanye West’s "Yeezus Tour", his final solo album, skateboarding, his prison memoir, and sports.

A few months into his stay here, the space recalls the kind of adolescent dream scenario in which your parents encourage your artistic endeavors without necessarily requiring that you clean up after you complete them. There is a full ashtray perched precariously on the bed, and the floor is a jumble of fast food takeaway containers, empty cigarette boxes, newspapers, books and assorted music equipment, the most immediately visible of which are a graffiti-tagged MIDI keyboard and a clarinet, which leans dangerously close to a ketchup-stained plate. “I love it here,” says Marshall, grinding up some weed for a joint. “I can make beats in bed. I can make beats naked. I can make beats on the toilet. I can make beats in the tub.”

"Also Security ham wer keine, brauch ma a net. Hier war no nie Stress. Außadem ham wa noch zwai Männer hia, die sin zwar grad Bier holn, aba die kommn glai wieda." Man kann sich gar nicht vorstellen, wie beruhigt wir waren. Mann waren wir beruhigt. Und als uns Mike kurz vor dem Auftritt auch noch erklärte, daß seine Kumpels angekündigt hätten, Savas zu verprügeln, falls er LMS spielen würde, da stieg der Chill-Faktor ins unermessliche. Auf der Bühne dann war hardcore. Durch das völlige Fehlen irgendeiner ordnenden Hand stand ungefähr ein Viertel des Publikums auf der Bühne. Nach 3 Tracks hatten Savas und Jack noch ungefähr einen Quadratmeter Platz, in dem sie sich bewegen konnten. Im Publikum drängten sich ebenfalls die Menschen. Die Veranstalter hatten wohl irgendwann beschlossen, die Kasse zuzumachen, dafür aber die Türen auf. Das heißt, wer später kam, war umsonst drin und da waren einige, die drin waren. Später dann mußte ich nochmal raus zum Auto. Die Stresser waren weg, dafür standen dort jetzt 2 Mädchen, die wohl irgendwie zum Jugendhaus gehörten. "Wir passen auf euer Auto auf. Die wollten das nämlich knacken und die Anlage rausholen. Wir haben das mitgekriegt und deshalb stehn wir jetzt hier." Ich mußte lachen. Was für eine verrückte Stadt. Unser 50 Mark Autoradio klauen. Schweinfurt ich liebe Dich.

Vielleicht ist der Fall von Mamoru Samuragochi so zu erklären, des angeblich gehörlosen Komponisten, der als "japanischer Beethoven" berühmt wurde und der am Mittwoch einräumen musste, dass er gar nicht selbst komponiert hat. Am Donnerstag hieß es dann, er sei wahrscheinlich nicht einmal taub. Bis dahin war der 50-jährige Samuragochi in Japan ein Star. Von seiner "Hiroshima-Sinfonie", mit der er die Opfer des Atombombenangriffs von 1945 ehren wollte, hat er mehr als 100 000 CDs verkauft; berühmt geworden war Samuragochi mit Filmmusik, auch Videospiele wie Resident Evil hat er mit klassischer Musik vertont. Das Wunder des tauben Komponisten brach mit einer dürren Pressemitteilung seines Anwalts zusammen. Samuragochi gebe bekannt, dass er seine Musik nicht selbst geschrieben habe. Seit fast 20 Jahren habe er einen namenlosen Ghost-Komponisten dafür bezahlt, "weil mein Gehör immer schlechter wurde". Dieser habe bei etwa der Hälfte seiner Werke mitkomponiert, ließ er erklären. Selber habe er jedoch "die Ideen" geliefert. Zunächst ließ Samuragochis Anwalt auch noch verlauten, der Ghost-Komponist wolle unerkannt bleiben. Seine "persönlichen Umstände" ließen es nicht zu, dass er sich äußere. Doch am Donnerstag zerstörte der Mann im Schatten in einer gut einstündigen Pressekonferenz dann endgültig den Mythos von "Japans Beethoven": Er habe entgegen Samuragochis Angaben in den vergangenen 18 Jahren alle Stücke allein geschrieben, erzählte der Teilzeit-Musiklehrer Takashi Niigaki, auch die hochgelobte Hiroshima-Sinfonie. Und mehr noch: "Vom ersten Tag an bis heute hatte ich nie das Gefühl, dass er taub ist."

Schmitt beweist in seinem Antrag, dass Politik immer da ist, wo auch Noten sind. Oder, um es in Schmitt'schen Original-Worten wiederzugeben: "Heißt, bei Liedern, Text mit Musik beträgt der politische Anteil allein durch die Musik immer mindestens 50 Prozent." - "Immer" und "mindestens" - schon für diese Offenbarung sollte die Musikwelt Schmitt dankbar sein. Schmitt also will der Linken das Singen der Internationalen verbie... nein, das wäre zu profan. Lesen wir Schmitt besser wieder im Original: Aussetzung der akustischen oder gesanglich musikalischen Intonierung des Liedes 'Die Internationale' innerhalb der Partei DIE LINKE, bis ein Ergebnis über die zukünftige Anwendung und Verwendung vorliegt, da die gesangliche musikalische Intonierung des Liedes 'Die Internationale' zwar kämpferisch, aber auch militaristisch, gewalt- und kriegsverherrlichend ist, ein Symbol des Kapitalismus darstellt und Militarismus ein Element des rechten politischen Spektrums ist, genauso wie die deutsche Nationalhymne." Schmitt sieht auch die Musikrichtung Techno in gleicher Traditionslinie, "da dort die monotone technologische Zählweise 01 01 01 01 ... ist, woraus sich ein monotoner Musikrhythmus ergibt, der somit auch eine moderne Interpretationsform des Militarismus ist." Daraus erklärten sich, sagt Schmitt, "auch die Besucher von sogenannten Techno-Loveparades, die vorwiegend aus dem konservativen bis rechtspolitischen Spektrum kommen".

Hard-hitting and darkly comic music documentary-turned-social commentary following Nicholas Kidd, a young, ordinary guy who shoots to fame overnight when his mock-rap YouTube video goes viral. As he is invited onto talk shows, to awards ceremonies, and even to partake in a charity poetry reading, Kidd illustrates the absurdity of his fame and how disturbingly surreal it is that the joke has got so out of hand. But slowly the tables turn and, lured by sex, drugs and wild partying, we watch Kidd get swept up in the world he started out mocking.

Songwriting for "Every Breath You Take" is credited 100% to Sting (credit by his birth name, Gordon Sumner). Sting took all the credit despite the fact that both fellow Police members Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers contributed to the song (drums and guitar riff, respectively). Andy Summers came up with the song's guitar riff after a particularly bitter argument with Sting. Sting eventually conceded and told Andy "go and make it your own". When Andy came back with an early formation of the now-famous guitar lick, the band knew they had a hit on their hands. Unfortunately, Andy Summers never pushed for his share of the song's credit. As the song's sole composer, Sting earns the vast majority of royalties when the song is played on the radio, sampled or included in something like a commercial or a movie. This fact alone should have been enough to make Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland furious in the early to mid 80s. But at some point they probably stopped losing sleep over their loss. Then came Puff Daddy. Unfortunately for Diddy, no one from Bad Boy Records (Diddy's label) thought to secure Sting's permission to sample the 1983 pop song for the updated 1997 remix. Had Diddy asked permission first, he likely would have been required to hand over 25% of I'll Be Missing You's publishing royalties to Sting. By forgetting to ask permission before the song was released, Sting was able to demand and receive 100% of the remix's publishing royalties.

“It was relatively easy,” said David Byrne, “back in the day, to work with only a smallish number of people watching, as we sometimes succeeded and sometimes failed.” In the mid-’70s, the early days of his band Talking Heads, “we felt comfortable trying out different things, songs that were quickly abandoned and stage wear that proved impractical,” he wrote in an email. “That’s all hugely important (the songs part anyway) as it allowed us to explore, refine our identity and go down those musical dead ends without the embarrassment of public scrutiny.” Now, online exposure can make for an overnight viral sensation. But “it can also destroy and eliminate that crucial period of anonymity,” he said.

Since the mid-1980s, he has been the industry’s very own burly, bearded version of Forrest Gump, appearing in the background, slightly blurry but ever present, at a remarkable number of key musical moments. Except that Rubin's ubiquity is not an accident. His production credits include LL Cool J’ Radio (which may have been the first real hip-hop album); The Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill; “Walk This Way” by Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith; Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (as executive producer); the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Sex Magik; Tom Petty’s Wildflowers; Johnny Cash’s American Recordings series; and various songs and albums by Justin Timberlake, System of a Down, Metallica, Slayer, Danzig, Weezer, AC/DC, Nine Inch Nails ... The list goes on.

I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means. I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture. Period. By a long jump. I honestly feel that because Steve has passed, you know, it’s like when Biggie passed and Jay-Z was allowed to become Jay-Z. I think that’s a responsibility that I have, to push possibilities, to show people: “This is the level that things could be at.” So when you get something that has the name Kanye West on it, it’s supposed to be pushing the furthest possibilities. I will be the leader of a company that ends up being worth billions of dollars, because I got the answers. I understand culture. I am the nucleus.

I'll march my band out, I'll beat my drum / And if I'm fanned out, Your turn at bat, sir. / At least I didn't fake it. / Hat, sir, I guess I didn't make it!

Recently, Tyler sat down at a sold event in New York’s Highline Ballroom to speak to Elliot Wilson, for the CRWN live interview series. The interview – which lasted over an hour – took place on April 23rd and was not your typical Tyler interview. Instead of the usual joke answers we have come to expect from Odd Future interviews, Tyler instead gave fans an insight into his life and creative process, among other things.

An unreleased 15 year-old video by Deftones has shown up for the first time on YouTube tonight, without fanfare or possibly even the band being aware of it – but it's a serious gem for fans of the band's earlier days. When Deftones recorded the video for their 1998 smash single "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)," they apparently made a second video in the same location for the highly popular, dreamy acoustic version of the track. It’s a minimalist video, featuring frontman Chino Moreno singing the song under a bridge, but a very cool dose of nostalgia nonetheless.

I tried but I could not find a way / Looking back all I did was look away / Next time is the best time we all know / But if there is no next time where to go? / She's the sweetest queen I've ever seen / See here she comes / See what I mean / I could talk talk talk talk myself to death / But I believe I would only waste my breath

In this week's New York magazine, Carl Swanson uses the opening of an exhibition at the New Museum to explore the question of whether or not 1993 changed the world. As part of the issue, we interviewed several directors, musicians, actors, and TV showrunners for their thoughts and memories from two decades ago.

Noreaga and his longtime friend Geno Sims collected a treasure trove of hip hop footage back in the late 90’s for a documentary show they called The What What. And in this newly unearthed trailer, there is literally too much to comprehend. There’s random bits of Big Pun, KRS One, Eminem making crank calls, Snoop Dogg at his most misogynistic, a chubby 50 Cent coveting NORE’s then-new Skytel 2-way pager…There’s Jay-Z and Amil, Capone in prison, De La Soul….and at the 2:25 mark, we see Cam’ron shopping his new 17-year-old artist Juelz Santana to Chris Lighty (RIP) and his staff. Amazing.