Maya Angelou, celebrated US poet and author, dies aged 86

Maya Angelou, the American poet and author, died at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Wednesday. She was 86.

Her son, Guy B Johnson, confirmed the news in a statement. He said: "Her family is extremely grateful that her ascension was not belabored by a loss of acuity or comprehension.

"She lived a life as a teacher, activist, artist and human being. She was a warrior for equality, tolerance and peace. The family is appreciative of the time we had with her and we know that she is looking down upon us with love."

Johnson said Angelou "passed quietly in her home" sometime before 8am on Wednesday.

Bill Clinton, at whose inauguration Angelou read her On the Pulse of the Morning, said in a statement: "America has lost a national treasure, and Hillary and I a beloved friend."

Angelou’s failing health was reported as recently as Tuesday, when she canceled an appearance honoring her with a Beacon of Life Award because of “health reasons”. The ceremony was part of the 2014 MLB Beacon Award Luncheon, in Houston, Texas, part of Major League Baseball’s Civil Rights Games.

Last month, forced to cancel an appearance at a library in Arkansas, she wrote: "An unexpected ailment put me into the hospital. I will be getting better and the time will come when I can receive another invitation from my state and you will recognize me for I shall be the tall Black lady smiling. I ask you to please keep me in your thoughts, in your conversation and in your prayers."

Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson, in St Louis, Missouri, in 1928. She described in an NPR interview how her brother's lisp turned Marguerite into Maya.

She survived several personal trials: she was a child of the depression, grew up in the segregated south, survived a childhood rape, gave birth as a teenager, and was, at one time, a prostitute.

She wrote wrote seven autobiographies, including the 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and was a playwright, director, actor, singer, songwriter and novelist.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was an indictment of the racial discrimination she experienced during her childhood. "If growing up is painful for the southern black girl," she wrote, "being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult."

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has had a wide appeal, particularly to younger female readers and continues to appear on school and university reading lists in the US and the UK. 

In 1993, she read On the Pulse of the Morning at President Clinton's first inauguration, a performance that made the poem a bestseller. The poem celebrates the diversity of ethnic groups in the US, and calls on the nation to leave behind cynicism and look forward to a new pride in itself, and a new dawn for the country.

Clinton on Wednesday said he would "always be grateful for her electrifying reading ... and even more for all the years of friendship that followed."

Angelou was a long-time Clinton supporter. One month before his inauguration, she told the New York Times: “Since the election, I have found it easier to wake up in the morning,” and “there seems to be a promise in the air.”

And her loyalty to Hillary Clinton has been steadfast, even as Barack Obama campaigned to be America's first black president.

“I made up my mind 15 years ago that if she ever ran for office I’d be on her wagon. My only difficulty with Senator Obama is that I believe in going out with who I went in with,” she told the Guardian.

Actors, writers, directors, activists and politicians shared thankful and mournful notes in response to Angelou’s death.

JK Rowling called her "utterly amazing"; Lena Dunham thanked Angeloufor "your power, your politics, your poetry. We need you more than ever."

Angelou had lived in North Carolina since the early 1980s, when she became a professor at Wake Forest University, a private liberal arts college. A statement from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem called Angelou "a national treasure whose life and teachings inspired millions around the world".

The mayor of Winston-Salem, Allen Joines, said the town would probably remember Angelou best for her commitment to health and theatre.

She supported the founder of the National Black Theater Festival in Winston-Salem, and eventually became its first chairperson in 1989. In 2012, the Maya Angelou Women’s Health and Wellness Center opened in the city. A street in Winston-Salem is named after Angelou.

Despite her many accomplishments, the mayor said small moments seemed to touch the poet.

In April 2008, the town threw Angelou an 80th birthday party. Despite entertainers and speakers present at the party, the mayor said, “The thing that seemed to touch her the most was a group of little kids.”

7 Things You Didn’t Know About Memorial Day

Memorial Day is not all sunshine and hot dogs — it's a day for remembrance. Here, TIME presents some little-known facts about the start-of-summer holiday

As we noted two years ago, Memorial Day isn’t just an excuse to take a long weekend and loaf around eating grilled meats — although those are certainly among the reasons to love the holiday. So before you head out to your barbecues and pool parties, here are some facts about everybody’s favorite summer kick-off holiday.

1. It was originally called Decoration Day

To honor the deceased, soldiers would decorate graves of their fallen comrades with flowers, flags and wreaths. Hence Decoration Day. Although Memorial Day became its official title in the 1880s, the holiday wouldn’t legally become Memorial Day until 1967.

2. It wasn’t always celebrated the last Monday of May

After the Civil War, General John A. Logan, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, called for a holiday commemorating fallen soldiers to be observed every May 30. But due to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which took effect in 1971, Memorial Day was moved to the last Monday of May to ensure long weekends. Some groups, like the veterans’ organization American Legion, have been working to restore the original date to set the day apart and pay proper tribute to the servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives defending the nation.

3. It’s legally required to observe a National Moment of Remembrance

In December 2000, Congress passed a law requiring Americans to pause at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day to remember and honor the fallen. But this doesn’t appear to be common knowledge, or if it is, by 3 p.m. most people seem to be too deep into a hot dog-induced food coma to officially observe the moment.

4. James A. Garfield delivered a rather lengthy speech at the first Memorial Day ceremony

Of course then it was still called Decoration Day, and at the time, Garfield was a Civil War General and Republican Congressman, not yet a President. On May 30, 1868, he addressed the several thousand people gathered at Arlington National Cemetery. “If silence is ever golden,” Garfield said, “it must be beside the graves of 15,000 men, whose lives were more significant than speech, and whose death was a poem the music of which can never be sung.”

5. Several states observe Confederate Memorial Day

In addition to the national holiday, nine states officially set aside a day to honor those who died fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War: Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia. The days vary, but only Virginia observes Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday of May, in accordance

6. Waterloo, New York is considered the birthplace of Memorial Day

According to the town’s website, in 1966 Congress unanimously passed a resolution to officially recognize Waterloo as the birthplace of the holiday. However, it remains a contentious debate, with other towns, like Boalsburg, Pa., claiming the title of “Birthplace of Memorial Day” as well.

7. More than 36 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home this Memorial Day

At least, according to AAA estimates. That’s the highest total since the recession. with the federal observance of Memorial Day.

Obama Marks Memorial Day With Call for Better Veteran Care

Obama, whose administration is currently investigating allegations that Veterans Affairs facilities delayed care for needy veterans, said better support was needed for those who had fought for their country

President Barack Obama paid tribute to America’s fallen members of the armed forces at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Monday to mark the Memorial Day holiday.

Obama, who returned hours earlier from a surprise visit to troops in Afghanistan, pledged again to end the war there by the end of the year and called for better support for America’s veterans, a nod to the recent troubles that have plagued the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, who has faced calls to resign since it emerged that VA medical facilities had reportedly falsified records to cover up long waits for care, was in attendance.

“We must do more to keep faith with our veterans and their families,” the President said. Those who had fought for their country, he added, must “get the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.”

Obama stopped short of directly addressing the issue, but in aninterview airing Monday afteto take care of these men and women and their families who sacrificed so much,” said Hagel, who still backs Shinseki. “Let’s see what happened, why it happened, how it happened. Then we’ve got to fix it.”

At Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, Obama also repeated his statement made in Afghanistan on Sunday that the U.S. was at a “pivotal moment” in Afghanistan, reiterating his pledge to pull out most troops by the end of the year.

“By the end of this year, our war in Afghanistan will finally come to an end,” he said.

Obama spoke at Arlington on its 150th anniversary, and harked back to its creation amid the Civil War.rnoon with CNN, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the idea of veterans on secret waiting lists being denied care “makes me sick to my stomach.”

“Because it is a clear responsibility we have as a country, as a people, to take care of these men and women and their families who sacrificed so much,” said Hagel, who still backs Shinseki. “Let’s see what happened, why it happened, how it happened. Then we’ve got to fix it.”

At Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, Obama also repeated his statement made in Afghanistan on Sunday that the U.S. was at a “pivotal moment” in Afghanistan, reiterating his pledge to pull out most troops by the end of the year.

“By the end of this year, our war in Afghanistan will finally come to an end,” he said.

Obama spoke at Arlington on its 150th anniversary, and harked back to its creation amid the Civil War.

“We declared upon this hill a final resting place for those willing to lay down their lives for the country they loved,” he said.

Heads-up! Stargazers on alert for rare, possibly epic meteor shower

 When the sky falls, you'd think people would run for cover.

Not tonight.

If the clouds cooperate, skies all over North America will light up between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. ET Saturday in a rare sight that's excited everyone from space geeks to insomniacs to regular folks.

"I AM SO PUMPED FOR THE METEOR SHOWER TONIGHT OMG,"tweeted one woman.

Actually, these meteors aren't necessarily falling on the Earth. Rather, it's the Earth that's moving through the debris of Comet 209/P Linear.

Whatever the reason, experts say this one-night-only phenomenon known as the May Camelopardalids could produce a huge light show -- or be a dud. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory noted that some forecasters are predicting about 100 meteors per hour, while others have much higher expectations, predicting more than 1,000 meteors per hour.

It's not like there's a lot of history to say which way things will go.

"We have no idea what the comet was doing in the 1800s," said Bill Cooke, the head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "The parent comet doesn't appear to be very active now, so there could be a great show or there could be little activity."

Awe-inspiring photos: 'Blood moon' mesmerizes sky gazers

Still, the mere prospect of a big light show is enough to get people up in the middle of the night -- if they go to sleep at all -- to take it all in. CNN Meteorologist Sean Morris noted that this is the first time in a generation that Earthlings can see a new meteor shower.

This cosmic event has been years in the making: NASA announced in 2012 that Earth would encounter debris from this comet -- which also rotates around the sun -- crossing our orbit this weekend.

The meteors should radiate from a point in Camelopardalis, a faint constellation near the North Star that's also known as "the giraffe," Cooke said.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory recommends that those who want to see the show find a spot away from city lights, give themselves time to adjust to looking at the night sky and use their own eyes (no binoculars necessary) to enjoy the view.

The best place to watch the shower will be east of the Mississippi River or in California. The worst may be parts of the Plains and Northeast, where rain and cloud cover is possible. If you're in Europe, Africa, Asia or South America, don't even bother to look.

Several people tweeted about what they'll be wishing on, while others wished for someone with whom they could enjoy the occasion.

"Meteor shower tonight!!!!!" read one post. "Everyone turn off lights, go outside, put down blankets, cuddle up and enjoy!!!!

But not everyone is comfortable with the spectacle, it seems.

"Everyone wants me to watch the meteor shower," tweeted one woman, "but I think he deserves his privacy."

Astronaut tells kid, 'You'd love it up here'

Review: 'Godzilla' might make you feel like a kid again

Godzilla is a 2014 science fiction monster film featuring the Japanese film monster of the same name in a reboot of the Godzilla film franchise. The film retells the origins of Godzilla in contemporary times as a "terrifying force of nature", depicted in a style faithful to the Toho series of Godzilla films. The film is directed by Gareth Edwards, written by Max Borensteinand stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, and Bryan Cranston.

The film is a co-production between Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, with participation by Toho. Warner Bros. will also distribute the film worldwide, except in Japanwhere it will be distributed by Toho.^[5] It is the third Godzilla film to be fully filmed^{[Note 1]} by an American studio, the second being Godzilla: Final Wars, and the first having been the 1998 Godzilla. This film received wide release worldwide on May 15, 2014, in North America on May 16, 2014, and is scheduled for release in China on June 13 and Japan on July 25, 2014 in 2D and 3D.^[6]

Bellator 120 results: Rampage Jackson def. King Mo Lawal via unanimous decision

MMA’s "biggest grudge match" is now a historical footnote as Quinton Jackson and Muhammed Lawal settled their score in the Bellator 120 main event earlier this evening (Sat., May 17, 2014) on pay-per-view (PPV). And it was a little on the anticlimactic side.

The build up to Bellator 120's re-worked main event tonight (Sat., May 17, 2014) between Quinton Jackson vs. Muhammed Lawal was, at times, painfully contrived and difficult to watch.

But, both former Light Heavyweight champions from different promotions -- Jackson Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Lawal (Strikeforce) -- walked the walk at Landers Center in Southaven, Miss., to cap off a solid pay-per-view (PPV) debut for the promotion.

Lawal barreled out of the gate with an immediate takedown -- much to the chagrin of the local boo birds -- but Jackson was able to call upon his high school wrestling skills and power his way back up to his feet.

Only to get dropped again via ankle pick.

The Memphis homer once again found his legs and pushed off, giving himself about 90 seconds to make some magic happen with his hands. Unfortunately, "King Mo" was on his royal 10-speed, zipping around the cage and staying out of danger.

Round two got underway with a deflected shot to the pills, easily shaken off by Jackson, and a solid minute of bobbing and weaving. "Rampage" opened up his hands and shucked off a few takedowns while Lawal looked to be fighting (and running) scared.

The former UFC 205-pound kingpin got tagged by way of lazy defense -- then taken down -- but escaped and finished the second round as the aggressor. "King Mo" retreated to his corner with huge cut under his eye.

There was a renewed sense of urgency from Lawal heading into the third and final frame. Jackson was looking for the finishing blow, but was easily upended by the takedown-seeking interloper. He crawled back to his feet and scurried after "King Mo" for the remainder of the fight, swinging the entire way.

Meh.

Quinton Jackson def. Muhammed Lawal via unanimous decision

Lawal had a brief meltdown after the fight, accusing Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney of being a Jackson "dick rider" and offered to get cut if he (Rebney) didn't like it. While he refused to elaborate at the post-fight presser (video here), "King Mo" and "Rampage" continued their war of words.

I have a feeling this one isn't over with just yet.

Nevertheless, with his big Season 10 Light Heavyweight tournament win, Jackson now sets himself up for a future showdown against division champion, Emanuel Newton.

Early predictions?

For complete Bellator 120: "Rampage vs. King Mo" results, including play-by-play coverage of the entire PPV main card, check out our live results thread right here.

Alien designer HR Giger dies at 74

BERLIN (AP) — Swiss artist H.R. Giger, who designed the creature in Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror classic "Alien," has died at age 74 from injuries suffered in a fall, his museum said Tuesday.

Sandra Mivelaz, administrator of the H.R. Giger museum in Gruyeres, western Switzerland, told The Associated Press that Giger died in a hospital on Monday.

Giger's works, often showing macabre scenes of humans and machines fused into hellish hybrids, influenced a generation of movie directors and inspired an enduring fashion for "biomechanical" tattoos.

"My paintings seem to make the strongest impression on people who are, well, who are crazy," Giger said in a 1979 interview with Starlog magazine. "If they like my work they are creative ... or they are crazy."

Born Hans Ruedi Giger on Feb. 5, 1940, in the southeastern Swiss town of Chur, he trained as an industrial designer because his father insisted that he learn a proper trade.

His mother Melli, to whom he showed a lifelong devotion, encouraged her son's passion for art, despite his unconventional obsession with death and sex that found little appreciation in 1960s rural Switzerland. The host of one of his early exhibitions was reportedly forced to wipe the spit of disgusted neighbors off the gallery windows every morning.

A collection of his early work, "Ein Fressen fuer den Psychiater" — "A Feast for the Psychiatrist" — used mainly ink and oil, but Giger soon discovered the airbrush and pioneered his own freehand technique. He also created sculptures, preferably using metal, styorofoam and plastic.

Giger's vision of a human skull encased in a machine appeared on the cover of "Brain Salad Surgery," a 1973 album by the rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Along with his design for Debbie Harry's solo album, "Koo Koo" (1981), it featured in a 1991 Rolling Stone magazine list of the top 100 album covers of all time.

Giger went on to work as a set designer for Hollywood, contributing to "Species," ''Poltergeist II," ''Dune," and most famously "Alien," for which he received a 1979 Academy Award for special effects. Frequently frustrated by the Hollywood production process, Giger eventually disowned much of the work that was attributed to him on screen.

The image of a brooding, mysterious artist was nurtured by Giger working only at night, keeping his curtains permanently drawn and dressing mainly in black — a habit he acquired while working as a draftsman because it made Indian ink stains stand out less on his clothes.

While his work was commercially successful, critics derided it as morbid kitsch. His designs were exhibited more frequently in "Alien" theme bars, short-lived Giger museums and at tattoo conventions than in established art galleries.

In 1998, Giger acquired the Chateau St. Germain in Gruyeres and established the H.R. Giger Museum.

Giger was pleased that his idea of machines with human skin became a popular motif in body art.

"The greatest compliment is when people get tattooed with my work, whether it's done well or not," he told Seconds magazine in 1994. "To wear something like that your whole life is the largest compliment someone can pay to you as an artist."

Details on survivors and funeral plans were not immediately available.

Solange Knowles kicks, punches, claws Jay Z in elevator video at Met Gala after-party

On May 12 a video hit the internet that shows Jay-Z and Beyonce’s sister Solange Knowles getting into a huge confrontation in the elevator after the Met Ball Gala after-party on May 5. Fans of both artist have taken to Twitter to weight in on this violent and strange series of events.

A security camera captured video of Solange Knowles, 27, and Jay-Z, 44, getting into a violent confrontation, while Beyonce looks on, in an elevator after the Met Ball Gala after-party on May 5. Fans are blown away by the images on the video, and have taken to Twitter to voice just how shocked they are at seeing Hov battling Solange.

Solange Knowles: Fans Shocked To See Violent Jay-Z Attack

The Twitter community is going crazy over the recent images caught on video of Jay -Z being punched, slapped, and kicked by Solange after she enters an elevator behind Hov and Beyonce.

Solange had to be restrained throughout most of the footage and Beyonce looks like she wants no part of anything that’s going on right in front of her. Here are just a few of the comments people have posted regarding this epic fight.

Happy Mother's Day! See How Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Jessica Biel, and More Celebrated the Holiday

Sunday, May 11 was a big day for mothers all over the world, celebrities included! Many A-Listers celebrated their moms on social media from Twitter to Instagram. 

PHOTOS: Celeb moms brag about their kids on social media

See what they had to say:

Kourtney Kardashian: Happy Mother's Day everyone! ?@KrisJenner? you are my inspiration and I am so proud to call you my mom!

Christina Aguilera: Happy Mother’s Day! Remember to make each moment with your children unforgettable

Madonna: One Lucky Mother! #livingforlove

PHOTOS: Stars and their moms

Hilary Duff: Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful hard working,loving, giving, strong, fabulous, kind, mommies out there!be proud if yourself today

Justin Bieber: I love her with all my heart. Happy Mother's Day ?@pattiemallette?! Love you.

Kendall Jenner: happy Mother's Day momma! wish I was home to spend the day with you!

Miley Cyrus: Happy Mother's Day mama tishcyrus

Bill 

Clinton: #HappyMothersDay to the mom and mom-to-be in my life, and to all mothers everywhere.

PHOTOS: Celebrity early bloomers

Jenna Ushkowitz: Happy Mothers Day to the woman who taught me how to love, be kind and a strong independent woman, love you Mom. And a Happy Birthday to my Dad, who always treated me like a Princess and believed in me no matter what. Love you guys. You're the best. Happy day:) @bradush#judiush

Jessica Biel: Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there... especially mine whose laughter is like sunshine. I  U mom!

                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                

Ashley Tisdale: Happy Mothers Day to the most supportive and loving mom, I am so thankful for you. You do so much for our family and it doesn't go unnoticed. Love you mommy

Christian Siriano: Happy Mother's Day to all the fabulous moms who support their children no matter what they choose to do in life.

PHOTOS: Pregnant bikini bodies

Justin Timberlake: #HappyMothersDay to Janet Lynn... You're the greatest leader and I'm so proud to be your son. I love you so much, Momma!! J

Gwen Stefani: happy mother's day to all the mamas #igotitfrommymama gx

An Apple deal may make Dr. Dre the ‘first billionaire in hip-hop.’ It’s a bittersweet victory.

A rap icon who hasn’t dropped an album in nearly 15 years is now calling himself “the first billionaire in hip-hop” — and he might be exaggerating by only $200 million.

Beats Electronics, a company co-founded by Dr. Dre that specializes in high-end headphones and a recently launched music streaming service, is in talks with Apple and on the verge of being sold for a cool $3.2 billion, according to media reports.

The transaction would make the 49-year-old, born Andre Young, the highest-paid figure in rap. It also proves that a once-marginalized form of black pop music that has always valued artistry and entrepreneurship in equal measure is now influential enough to move oceans of cash.

And while the pursuit of wealth has always been a central theme in hip-hop — see also: “the American Dream” — Dre’s big payday shouldn’t be mistaken as a triumph for the genre. It’s merely an example of an artist getting much richer by abandoning art.

First, the Beats creation myth. It’s 2006, and a famous rapper-producer has been toiling over his comeback album for seven long years. He’s thinking of launching an athletic-shoe line when a pal, Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine, cooks up an idea to sell headphones to replace the lousy earbuds that come with everyone’s iPod. They give them a memorable design and speakers that ooze bass. They christen them “Beats By Dr. Dre.”

Today, Beats dominates the market, having sold roughly a billion dollars’ worth of headphones last year. With Apple stepping in, Forbes estimates that Dr. Dre’s net worth is about to spike to roughly $800 million, besting that of Sean “Diddy” Combs and Shawn “Jay Z” Carter, two artists who redefined the trajectory of rap music with zeroes and commas and mergers and acquisitions.

Jay Z is still hip-hop’s leading man, but it was Diddy who most drastically changed hip-hop’s priorities after the shooting deaths of Tupac Shakur in 1996 and the Notorious B.I.G. in 1997. With Diddy’s rise, the value of street credibility ceded ground to the value of “colossal-size Picassos.” It was no longer about just owning your own record label, it was about owning your own clothing line. It was no longer about just getting paid, it was about getting rich beyond imagination.

Being the vastly superior rapper, Jay Z managed to sell this most effectively, narrating his journey from the block to the boardroom with unequaled craftsmanship and charisma. Last year, when he released his 12th solo album in conjunction with Samsung, that journey felt complete.

Dr. Dre, meanwhile, hasn’t done much to bend the arc with his story, because he hasn’t been releasing music. And while the faithful continue to wait on his now-mythical “Detox” album, his résumé remains impeccable.

As a founding member of the Compton-born group N.W.A., Dre helped deliver gangsta rap to Middle America’s doorstep. His 1992 solo debut, “The Chronic,” stands as one of the greatest rap albums of all time and played a leading role in turning hip-hop into a dominant global style. He repeatedly transformed his acolytes – Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent — into superstars. Because of all this, and Dre’s reputation as a producer with golden ears, Beats has a priceless gravitas.

So when Apple decides to give it a price tag of $3.2 billion (a number first reported by the Financial Times), rap fans are going to celebrate. They don’t see the sale as a one-percenter heaping onto his fortune. They might not even see it as the crowning of “the first billionaire in hip-hop, right here from the [expletive] West Coast,” as Dre triumphantly described himself in a piece of home video that appeared online Friday. Instead, they see their culture gaining leverage in a capitalist system that’s been historically inhospitable to young black entrepreneurs. As hip-hop enters its middle age, it’s finally being recognized for what it is: highly valuable.

But dollars shouldn’t be the only way for us to measure hip-hop’s worth. When a counterculture assimilates completely into a consumer culture, it trades one kind of power for another.

Although Dr. Dre is obviously entitled to every penny he’s earned, celebrating his windfall only perpetuates our unfortunate fetishization of unattainable wealth — and that’s not just within the hip-hop landscape. That’s American culture writ large.

And have the two ever felt more in sync? If today’s rap music articulates our dreams for the things we’ll never have, today’s rap music might be more American than ever.