On this date in 1987, LL’s Bigger And Deffer album was released via Def Jam/Columbia/CBS Records. As his second release, the critics expected the “sophomore jinx”, but received the exact opposite. In ...

The room is filled with young, black rappers. I sniff around for the old familiar rock ‘n’ roll smells—beer, sweat, and weed—but all I get are competing whiffs of orange juice and aftershave. Since it ...

This article originally appeared in the September 1987 issue of SPIN. In honor of the 50th anniversary of hip hop, we’re republishing it here. The room is filled with young, black rappers. I sniff ...