Music Features

Jam Master Jay, the trailblazing DJ who propelled Run-DMC to become hip-hop’s first superstar group, was shot dead at a recording studio in Queens, New York more than two decades ago. Now three men will stand trial for the death of the DJ, whose real name was Jason Mizell. Prosecutors …

Welcome to our weekly rundownof the best new music — featuring big singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more.This week, Megan thee Stallion sets the record straight, Ice Spice delivers a cheeky shot at her competitors, and Lil Nas X drops the antics and gets reflective. Plus, new …

As the tenth anniversary of Glen Campbell’s Ghost on the Canvas was approaching, Dave Kaplan —whose Surfdog Records released the haunting album in 2011 — was pondering ways to honor it. A late-period landmark for Campbell, who died in 2017 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease, Ghost on the …

One of last year’s most unexpected musical twists was the ascent of Zach Bryan, the rootsy singer-songwriter who sounds not unlike Bruce Springsteen or Jason Isbell — and went all the way to Number One on the Hot 100 with the ballad “I Remember Everything,” assisted by Kacey Musgraves. His …

A S HE TOOK his sunrise walk through a quiet Las Vegas suburb of tan stucco houses and desert landscaping in late September, Duane Davis resembled nobody’s idea of a gangster legend. A bald man on the soft side of 60 in a white Polo Sport T-shirt and loose-fitting pants, …

David Andrew Burd, better known by his rap name Lil Dicky, co-created, writes, and stars in the FX series Dave, which is partly based on his own life. His transition from viral meme to bonafide rapper to television star capable of attracting cameos from Brad Pitt, Drake, and Rachel McAdams …

In a maroon-and-gold recording studio crowded with punk legends, Laura Jane Grace prepares to roar. There’s Bikini Kill bassist Kathi Wilcox with her swooping, arctic bangs; Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo, sharing a mic with Dustin Reid, executive director of the nonprofit label Red Hot; Patti Smith Group drummer Jay …

It’s an afternoon in July 2023, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams is in his element. Standing at a podium at the foot of the marble staircase in New York’s City Hall, the Mayor is flanked by staffers, supporters, and hip-hop stars including Eric B. (of Eric B. and …

Brent Smith was sitting in a slow-moving line of ATVs and golf carts at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival in September when he saw them start to assemble. Thousands of fans — a growing sea of humanity — were slowly recognizing the lead singer of Shinedown as he, members of …

Boygenius-mania was only the most visible sign of the fantastic year indie rock had in 2023, with strong albums from newcomers (Blondshell, Kara Jackson), established stars (Mitski) and veterans (Wilco, the National). In the new episode of Rolling Stone Music Now, we go through some highlights of the year in …