L.A. Times - Entertainment — Before artists like J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Jessie J were selling out shows worldwide, they were musicians clamoring for their big break. Through BET's Music Matters campaign, they received a boost that undoubtedly contributed to their present-da... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — photo by Kawai Matthews Philly neo-soul singer Bilal is releasing the followup to 2013's A Love Surreal next week (6/30) with In Another Life via eOne/Purpose Music Group. The record was produced by the great Adrian Younge (who also has... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — Jazz musician Kamasi Washington, who's on the new Kendrick Lamar album, the new Thundercat album, and has his own new album out now on Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label, has announced a lengthy tour. He'll be in NYC for shows... more info

Stereogum — Chance The Rapper put on his free Teens In The Park (TIP) Festival for 13-24-year-olds at Chicago’s Northerly Island today. Chance’s buddy Donnie Trumpet was scheduled to headline, but of course Chance also came out to perform some of their colla... more info

The Independent — To Pimp A Butterfly was a dizzy, disorientating and astonishing piece of work that left you with as many questions as it did answers about growing up, America and the human soul. more info

Stereogum — Thundercat, aka Stephen Bruner, was a key member of the collective that made Kendrick Lamar’s jazzy hip-hop meditation To Pimp A Butterfly one of the year’s best releases. He was also part of Kamasi Washington’s lauded new jazz record The Epic.... more info

Stereogum — Janelle Monáe’s Wondaland Arts Society is getting ready to release a new compilation EP called Wondaland Presents: The Eephus, and amazingly, the breakout early track isn’t Monáe’s catchy-as-hell “Yoga.” Instead, it’s the previously unk... more info

L.A. Times - Entertainment — Before Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Ice Cube, Miguel and the Roots headline the 2015 BET Experience at L.A. Live next week, the network will kick things off with a free concert. more info

Stereogum — Stephen Bruner (bka Thundercat) will release his first solo material in two years next week on his old label, Brainfeeder, after having worked on two of the best-received records of 2015 so far: Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly and Kamasi Washi... more info

Stereogum — If you didn’t make it down to Bonnaroo, chances are you checked out the livestream that we hosted here on the site, or at least heard about a few special occurrences. Kendrick Lamar and Chance The Rapper joined Earth Wind & Fire onstage, Kacey Musg... more info