The first time I heard about 24-year-old R&B singer Frank Ocean was in a Childish Gambino (Donald Glover's rap act) lyric: "I wanna suck your breasts and finger-blast to Frank Ocean." It's safe to say that I was introduced to his music as the baby-making kind. But Frank Ocean's debut album that dropped digitally last week and officially on Tuesday is more emotional than sexually charged. It's riddled with confusion and happiness, elation ... Read More

There are countless poster girls for reading and literature, but so few of them know how to spit dope rhymes. La Shea Delaney and Annabelle Quezada (aka the B*tches in Bookshops) set out to change all that. Parodying Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “N*ggas in Paris,” these literary ladies spin verses about reading on the subway, buying print books instead of digital (best lyric: “You use a Kindle? I carry spines/Supporting ... Read More

Femcees have a hard time in the hip-hop game. The industry seems to think that it can only acknowledge the work of one female rapper at a time--and each new one gets compared to Nicki Minaj, no matter how little the two have in common. Though female rappers are often treated shittily, talented new acts are popping onto the scene every day. One of my current favorites is Nitty Scott, a Brooklyn-based rapper who spits ridiculous, clever, and ... Read More

Tell me you caught Nicki Minaj's performance at the Grammys. Tell me that I am not alone in labeling it a hot mess.  I love Nicki Minaj. As a feminist of color, I acknowledge all the problems that hip hop has with representing women, especially women of color (don't get me started on the "Stupid Hoe" music video). To be fair,  these problems exist in all artistic industries, from film (the recent Pariah vs. ... Read More

  Move over Nicki Minaj, because there’s another Nikki on the scene--Nikki Lynette.  The latter's song, “Shut The F*ck Up Boy,” might have the best chorus ever, and is currently being played on repeat here at the BUST HQ. Lynette’s got serious mc chops, a slight Left Eye vibe, and a dash of afro-punk style. We think she's a pure original, and a must-watch. Check the video out below and then go download her ... Read More