Colette Shade’s essays offer trenchant commentary on politics and culture from 1997 through 2008.

Hip-hop has come a long way since ... Jiggy With It,” B.G.’s “Bling Bling” and Notorious B.I.G.’s “Mo Money Mo Problems” ushered in an era of commercialization as well as ...

Former basketball player LiAngelo Ball is making a slam-dunk comeback among fans on social media after releasing a new catchy song.

Shade uses the content of Bling Era hip-hop — the lyrics, the music videos, the style — to illustrate the operating logic of this turn. For instance, she cites lyrics from songs by Jay-Z ...