Latest articles by Fred Garratt-Stanley
“There's only one person on Earth who could turn a highly conceptual, fiercely political, free-form jazz-rap fusion record into a global hit”: Making Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly
10 years on from the release of Kendrick's seminal Grammy-winner, we look back at how TPAB was made - and why it still resonates even more deeply a decade later
"I can't really say why it caught on, but if people think something sounds good, they'll use it": A brief history of the dub siren
We explore the evolution of an instantly recognisable sound effect that originated with early dub music before becoming synonymous with jungle and UK bass
"God bless Mr Rupert Neve - there wouldn't be a Miseducation without him!": The making of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Apple Music's best album of all time
We revisit our 2023 feature on the making of Lauryn Hill's hip-hop classic, featuring conversations with producers Che Pope and Gordon "The Commissioner" Williams
10 genius moments in hip-hop sampling history, from Dilla to DJ Premier
We spin the record back on ten hip-hop tracks that show samplists at the peak of their powers
10 of the most explosive diss tracks in musical history, from Biggie Smalls to Bob Dylan
We take a rage-fuelled ride through some of the most incendiary songs that disrespect and disparage through the medium of music
Making Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers: "We've got no boundaries anymore. We can do whatever we want, whenever we want, however we want it"
Best of 2023: We dive into the key moments of sampling and production that shaped Kendrick Lamar's deeply confessional fourth studio album
How M1onTheBeat rose to the top of UK drill with just a laptop, a pair of monitors and a copy of FL Studio: "I want producers to thrive just as much as the people behind the microphone"
To mark the release of his debut solo project, we sit down with the pioneering producer known for his work with Drake, Headie One and Digga D