Hip Hop/Rap
Louis Fowler
Fans of the comedy classic Friday may recognize the name Big Worm, but the Big Worm behind Bench All-Stars is rooted not in South Central L.A., but on the streets of Oklahoma City.

Hip Hop/Rap
Joshua Boydston
It's odd that in this hyperpolitical cross-section of American history, the voices of socially conscious rappers à la Public Enemy or A Tribe Called Quest are being drowned out over the sound of poppin’ bottles, smackin’ booties and the jangle of diamond jewelry.

Hip Hop/Rap
Joshua Boydston
Oklahoma City's own Breezy Burnz is tough to pin down, but that's half the fun of his latest mixtape, Product of My Enlightenment, a top-to-bottom solid effort that boasts a smattering of hip-hop complete with some of the catchiest hooks the 405 ever has seen.

Hip Hop/Rap
Louis Fowler
Oklahoma City’s rap revolution continues with Mr. Metaphor from Spyda “the Wise Musician,” a self-proclaimed “worldwide producer” with a style that’s “more doper than rocks of crack.”

Hip Hop/Rap
Joshua Boydston
Tulsa rap export Johnny Polygon made a splash with 2010’s Rebel Without Applause. Now he’s back with his most fully realized effort to date.

Hip Hop/Rap
Ryan Querbach
Harlem, New York, rapper A$AP Rocky has released his highly anticipated debut album, Long.Live.A$AP.

Hip Hop/Rap
Joshua Boydston
A lot of hip-hop is pure escapism: fantasies about fast cars, attractive women and having more money than you know what to do with. High Character is not that; it’s about as real and down-to-earth as it gets, while still taking the time to appreciate the small things the world gives us.

Hip Hop/Rap
Ryan Querbach
Atlanta rapper T.I. has released Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head, his eighth studio album and the first since his most recent stint in prison. The title is no doubt a reference to his legal troubles on federal weapons charges, but it also makes reference to the Marvin Gaye song of the same name, which is sampled in the album’s opening track.

Hip Hop/Rap
Joshua Boydston
If Norman’s Myke Brown keeps making music as good as he does in Don’t Forget the Y, Myke with a Y is sure to be a household name.

Hip Hop/Rap
Ryan Querbach
Atlanta rapper and one-half the legendary duo Outkast, Big Boi has released his new solo project, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors. It’s far from a typical hip-hop album; every song has a different feel to it, sometimes even stepping outside of the genre.

Hip Hop/Rap
Ryan Querbach
Rapper The Game has released his fifth studio album, Jesus Piece. The project is the Compton, Calif., MC’s attempt to rebound from his lackluster fourth LP, last year’s The R.E.D. Album.

Hip Hop/Rap
Ryan Querbach
West Coast rapper Kendrick Lamar finally has dropped his major-label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d City.

Hip Hop/Rap
Ryan Querbach
Seattle-based rapper Macklemore has once again teamed up with producer Ryan Lewis to cook up an album that is nothing short of fantastic.

Hip Hop/Rap
Ryan Querbach
Lupe Fiasco, trying to rebound from his disappointing third album, Lasers, has released his highly anticipated fourth album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1.

Hip Hop/Rap
Ryan Querbach
Kanye West and his G.O.O.D. Music crew have finally dropped their long-awaited compilation album, Cruel Summer. It has its moments, but overall falls short of the high expectations that come with any Kanye project.