Hip-hop

Astrology’s pretty ancient, but we’re here for it as a modern-day cultural phenomenon—horoscopes and astrology memes are delightfully prevalent on social media, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a millennial who doesn’t know the ins and outs of their sign. But, whether or not the zodiac has any actual impact on our day-to-day lives, it’s definitely affecting our listening habits every month with this ongoing playlist series in which we corral our favorite hitmakers born under the current sign.“

Allow me to reintroduce myself—my name is Hov, H-to-the-O-V,” opens rapper JAY Z on his iconic The Black Album standout “Public Service Announcement.” The line, now engraved in hip-hop’s lexicon, is one that speaks to the fiery essence of Sagittarius, the astrological sign that dominates the sky from November 22 to December 21. Like JAY Z, whose 50th birthday falls on December 4, people born under this sign are said to be bold, confident, and optimistic. According to astrologers, Sagittarians can be spontaneous and adventurous in nature—and potentially restless or irresponsible when out of balance.

From Britney Spears to Taylor Swift, DJ Khaled, Janelle Monáe, and Miley Cyrus, some of this generation’s most daring and bright musicians were born under the Sagittarius sun. To celebrate the zodiac fire sign, symbolized by the centaur as well as the archer, we put together an era-spanning collection of hits and classics for your Sagittarius music horoscope, including Christina Aguilera’s “Genie in a Bottle,” Sia’s “Chandelier,” Teyana Taylor’s “Rose in Harlem,” Billie Eilish’s “everything i wanted,” and more.

Astrology’s pretty ancient, but we’re here for it as a modern-day cultural phenomenon—horoscopes and astrology memes are delightfully prevalent on social media, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a millennial who doesn’t know the ins and outs of their sign. Whether or not the zodiac has any actual impact on our day-to-day lives, it’s definitely affecting our listening habits every month with this ongoing playlist series in which we corral our favorite hit makers born under the current sign.‍

With the end of summer comes the start of Virgo season on August 23. Symbolized by the modest maiden, the earth sign is ruled by Mercury, the Roman god of communication, eloquence, and boundaries. Virgos are the idealists of the zodiac, always well-organized and practical as they delve into the finer details of life.

In the selection of tracks for our music horoscope playlist, you’ll find “Clarity” by Kim Petras, “Drive Safe” by Rich Brian, and “Overdue” by Metro Boomin, on which some of our favorite newer artists embrace their tender hearts in true Virgo spirit. We also mix in some classics––Cassie fantasizes about the most efficient way to approach her crush on “Me & U,” Nas paints a world free of injustice, racism, and destruction on “If I Ruled the World,” and Amy Winehouse takes a methodical approach to keeping a relationship in the friend zone on “Just Friends.” Beyoncé, Jay Electronica, and Tayla Parx are also featured. Use this playlist as a soundtrack for the last days of summer as you channel Virgo energy and get back into a routine.

‍Photo courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment

Welcome to a history of the Grammys’ greatest misses. The first Grammy Awards were given out in 1959, and obviously the organization has doled out well-deserved honors to countless awesome artists since then. But let’s face it: It’s a lot more fun to home in on the mistakes that this august assemblage of music-industry pros has made in terms of legendary artists they’ve snubbed for decades. So here’s a handy tally featuring some of the most glaringly obvious omissions from the Grammy rolls. Note that if we’d made this list in 2019, it would have also included Tanya Tucker, who won her first Grammy in 2020 at the age of 61, no less than 47 years after her first nomination (yes, she started young). And note further that we aren’t counting Lifetime Achievement awards, which are bestowed as opposed to being won in a competitive context.

Looking all the way back, the Grammys actually missed a big one straight out of the gate. The first awards ceremony occurred in May of ’59, three months after Buddy Holly was killed in the infamous “The Day the Music Died” plane crash, and both of his solo (i.e., non-Crickets) albums had been released in ’58. You can probably tell where this is going. Many of the artists who shaped the ’60s didn’t fare much better—Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, and The Grateful Dead, for instance, remain in the non-Grammy pile to this day. The awards missed their share of ’70s heroes as well, from ABBA to Bob Marley and beyond. (For the latter, it didn’t help that the industry did not have a reggae category until 1985.) So how did the Grammys do when hip-hop and New Wave were in the ascendant? Well, ask Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Depeche Mode, or The Cure, whose (surviving) members have presumably given up on waiting for the call. The Notorious B.I.G. and Nas can tell you there was some catching up to do on the hip-hop side in the ’90s. And country superstars like Dierks Bentley and Martina McBride have their issues with the institution too. In fact, when you step back and see how much titanic talent has been given the cold shoulder by the GRAMMYⓇs, it sort of starts to seem like a badge of honor.