Mainstream success never motivated Gang Starr. Reinventing both the wheels of steel and microphone mathematics did. Indeed, the duo's "Mass Appeal" single spat in the face of "suckas" who'd sell their  …

Always a joker in the pack of bebop's founding heroes, Thelonious Monk took longer than most to find the public's approval. His somewhat thorny voicings and amusing between-the-cracks piano style might …

Working within different contexts (quartets, solo, the occasional big-band date), Monk demonstrated his music's ability to adapt. Often revisiting favorite numbers, he always brought something new and  …

Despite the enormous debt owed to her by pretty much every female country singer to come down the pike over the last few decades, there will never be another Tammy Wynette. Between her solo smashes and …

The immortal duets cut by Tammy Wynette and George Jones became sacred texts of country music, and by the time Nashville unleashed a generation of stars who'd grown up on those tunes, Tammy was in dema …

Townes Van Zandt was wired differently from the rest of us. He was a troubled soul whose hard-living ways only complicated his life further, leading to an untimely end. At the same time, he had an unca …

No matter how far out Townes Van Zandt's songs ventured, his country and blues roots always kept things grounded, and he wasn't shy about sharing his influences with his audience. Legendary bluesman an …

The man known as "the Killer" stands as one of rock's architects, a performer whose sheer impact can't be calculated. Part of the legendary Sun Studios stable (along with Elvis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Ca …

While his status as a Golden State legend starts in the early `90s, E-40 has earned the respect of everyone from Lil Jon to Master P in the decades - and countless records - since his underground days. …