Cedric Shine

For the masses who gravitate towards big heartbreak ballads, the young New York singer-songwriter has a soulful pop doozy.

A #TBT secret holiday classic by one of Philly's finest hip-hop DJs and his soulful collaborator.

Just a guess — you're not done shopping yet, are you? Allow us to ease your load a bit with some thoughtful ideas for the hip-hop head on your list.

We all listen to music differently. What we hear is shaded by our history, our knowledge, our equipment, our mood, our taste. But every year there are moments when everybody who lives and breathes hip-hop is on the same subject.

Madison Square Garden has figured large in hip-hop culture, and this weekend the arena hosts two nights of Kanye West's Yeezus tour and the final performance of A Tribe Called Quest. We're giving away two tickets to Sunday night's show.

Music news: A new song from Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar talks about "Control."

Miley Cyrus' sexually charged performance of her new single during the MTV VMAs has been causing quite a bit of a stir.

The rapper is grittier than Lauryn Hill and more soulful than MC Lyte, and possesses a knack for realness that recalls the artist formerly known as Mos Def.

Moments of exchange heat the video, change it from a document to a work of art, but the visual artists who stand in front of and with Jay (his co-stars) represent another conversation — one going on since the 1970s between hip-hop and the art world.