The Battle Over Portland
Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has been the public face of establishment science during the AIDS crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, discusses his career as a lightning rod for criticism. Plus, we explore how...
View ArticleRadha Blank’s “Forty-Year-Old Version”
Radha Blank, a playwright who started rapping in middle age, wrote and directed a loosely autobiographical film about her journey, which is now premiering on Netflix. When “The Forty-Year-Old Version”...
View ArticleAnthony Fauci Then and Now, and the Writer-Director Radha Blank
At the moment that Donald Trump was leaving Walter Reed Hospital, not yet recovered from a case of COVID-19, Dr. Anthony Fauci sat down with Michael Specter to discuss the coronavirus and its impact on...
View Article'The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America'
With 13 Grammy wins across four studio albums, and a catalogue of iconic imagery from videos and live performances, rapper Kendrick Lamar defined music and culture in the 2010s like no other artist....
View ArticleLawrence Wright on How the Pandemic Response Went So Wrong
By the end of next month, it’s estimated that half a million Americans—approximately the population of Atlanta—may have died from COVID-19, a number that surpasses that of every other wealthy nation....
View ArticleSheldon Pearce on Posthumous Rap
Sheldon Pearce, the new music editor and writer for The New Yorker’s Goings On About Town, fills David Remnick in on a very specific genre he’s been listening to: posthumous rap. A number of recent...
View ArticleQuestions about the Variant Virus, and Posthumous Albums by Pop Smoke and...
A new variant of SARS-CoV-2 is making its way around the world; in the U.S., it has been found in at least three states: California, Colorado, and New York. Joe Osmundson, an assistant professor of...
View ArticleJinho's Journey
A hip hop artist from Oakland leaves his mic behind to join the police force and fight for justice from the inside.This story includes scenes of police violence and strong language, sensitive listeners...
View Article'The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life & Times of Nipsey Hussle'
Just as he was gaining critical and commercial success as a rap artist, Ermias Asghedom, widely known as Nipsey Hussle, was murdered in broad daylight in a parking lot on March 31, 2019. A new book by...
View ArticleSearching for Jermain Charlo, Nipsey Hussle's Legacy, Actor Demián Bichir,...
Journalist Connie Walker joins us to discuss her new podcast from Gimlet Media titled, Stolen: The Search for Jermain, about the search for Jermain Charlo, a 23-year-old woman from the Flathead...
View Article“Fire in Little Africa,” A Rap Album about a Historical Tragedy
The Tulsa massacre of 1921 was a coördinated assault on and destruction of the thriving Black community known as Greenwood, Black Wall Street, or Little Africa. Even today, the death toll remains...
View Article“Fire in Little Africa,” A Rap Album about a Historical Tragedy
The Tulsa massacre of 1921 was a coördinated assault on and destruction of the thriving Black community known as Greenwood, Black Wall Street, or Little Africa. Even today, the death toll remains...
View ArticleHow the Evangelical World Turned on Itself
Lecrae Moore came up in a Christian culture deeply entwined with politics: Evangelicals were Republicans, and Republicans were evangelicals. As a Black college student, he found a sense of belonging in...
View ArticleMahershala Ali and Rafael Casal: Envy Is A Hell Of A Drug
Today, Mahershala Ali is an Oscar-winning actor who lands leading roles in TV shows like True Detective and Hollywood blockbusters like Green Book and the upcoming Blade Marvel series. But he got his...
View ArticleThe Hired G.U.N.
Sir Dyno is the Chicano Eazy-E, the king of lowrider car shows, an up-and-coming gangsta rapper straight outta Northern California. But when he gets the money to finance his next CD, he has no idea...
View ArticleRiz Ahmed on “Mogul Mowgli”
The actor and rapper Riz Ahmed talks with David Remnick about his new film, which he also co-wrote. Like his previous film, “Sound of Metal,” it’s about an artist facing a career-threatening health...
View ArticleRiz Ahmed on “Mogul Mowgli”
As a rapper, Riz Ahmed has released critically acclaimed albums, and he was featured on the chart-topping “Hamilton Mixtape.” At the same time, he was becoming a leading man in the movies, with roles...
View ArticleRiz Ahmed on “Mogul Mowgli”
As a rapper, Riz Ahmed has released critically acclaimed albums, and he was featured on the chart-topping “Hamilton Mixtape.” At the same time, he was becoming a leading man in the movies, with roles...
View ArticleShad, 'TAO'
Shad is a Juno Award-winning rapper who has made the Polaris shortlist multiple times and hosts the Netflix docuseries, “Hip-Hop Evolution.” His new album, "TAO," takes on a variety of themes including...
View ArticleTalib Kweli at Brooklyn Bowl
Talib Kweli at Brooklyn BowlOct. 14 & Oct. 15. 8PM. $20.Both on his own and as half of the duo Black Star in the 90s, Brooklyn rapper Talib Kweli has been a leading figure in the world of socially...
View ArticleBrittany Davis – "I Choose To Live" (Weekly Music Roundup)
Brittany Davis – "I Choose To Live" (Weekly Music Roundup)As a blind, non-binary person of color, Brittany Davis doesn’t sing about hardship – they sing through it. This song, “I Choose To Live,” is an...
View ArticleBlack Thought Takes the Stage
The legendary rapper of the Roots, Black Thought, turns to musical theatre with “Black No More,” based on the eponymous novel, written during the Harlem Renaissance. He tells Jelani Cobb why he wanted...
View ArticleBlack Thought Takes the Stage
Tariq Trotter, best known in music as Black Thought, the emcee of the Roots, is regarded by many hip-hop fans as one of the best freestyle rappers ever. His work changed shape when the Roots became the...
View ArticleBlack Thought Takes the Stage
Tariq Trotter, best known in music as Black Thought, the emcee of the Roots, is regarded by many hip-hop fans as one of the best freestyle rappers ever. His work changed shape when the Roots became the...
View ArticleSheldon Pearce on Posthumous Rap
Sheldon Pearce, the music editor and writer for The New Yorker’s Goings On About Town, fills David Remnick in on a very specific genre he’s been listening to: posthumous rap. A number of recent...
View ArticleAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the Path Forward for the Left
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s political ascent was rapid and dramatic; she went from political anonymity, early in 2018, to questioning Nancy Pelosi’s leadership as Speaker soon after taking office. Now,...
View ArticleM.I.A. – "The One" (Weekly Music Roundup)
M.I.A. – The One (Weekly Music Roundup)British singer, rapper, and activist M.I.A. made her reputation in the aughts with songs like “Galang” that reflected her Tamil identity; and occasional song...
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Big Freedia Bounces Back
Even before becoming Big Freedia, Freddie Ross was known around New Orleans. Her "signature call"—an operatic bellow that she lets out when I ask to hear it—was legendary in the city. "They'd be like,...
View ArticleListening Party: Santigold, 'Spirituals'
Fresh off being namedropped in Beyonce's "Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)," pioneering musician Santigold is out with her fourth studio album, "Spirituals." She joins us for a Listening Party.
View ArticleTrumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf Envisions One Unique Culture Through Music
Lebanese-born Paris-based trumpet superstar Ibrahim Maalouf plays a custom four-valve trumpet that can not only play western music, but also accesses the quarter tones in Arab classical music. He’s...
View ArticleWeekly Music Roundup: LIttle Simz, Nick Hakim, Robyn Hitchcock
This week, Little Simz wins the Mercury Prize; plus Nick Hakim’s psychedelic soul and Robyn Hitchcock’s eccentric British rock. Plus, Brooklyn producer Sly5thAve and rapper JSWISS; Seattle singer SYML;...
View ArticleSouthern Rap and the Loss of an Icon
On Tuesday, rapper Takeoff was tragically shot in Houston, Texas. Briana Younger, freelance music writer and editor, joins to discuss his legacy and traces the evolution of Southern rap from the 1990s...
View ArticleNY Gov's Race; 30 Issues: Health Care Costs; The 'New Climate Reality';...
Coming up on today's show:Harry Siegel, FAQ NYC creator and co-host, Daily News columnist, editor at The City, Christina Greer, political science professor at Fordham University, host of the podcast...
View ArticleBrian Lehrer Weekend: David Wallace-Wells on the 'New Climate Reality'; Yuval...
Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.David Wallace-Wells on the 'New Climate Reality' (First) | Yuval Noah Harari on his new book for children, Unstoppable Us (Starts...
View ArticleTalib Kweli at Brooklyn Bowl
Talib Kweli at Brooklyn BowlDec. 9. 8PM. $33.42Both on his own and as half of the duo Black Star in the 90s, Brooklyn rapper Talib Kweli has been a leading figure in the world of socially conscious rap...
View ArticleChuck D on How Hip-Hop Changed the World
Forty years ago, Chuck D showed listeners how exciting, radical, and unpredictable hip-hop could be. His song “Fight the Power” became a protest anthem for a generation, and a Greek chorus in Spike...
View ArticleA Conversation with Bonnie Raitt, Plus Public Enemy’s Chuck D
After more than fifty years in music, Bonnie Raitt is far from resting on her laurels; her latest album, “Just Like That . . . ,” is nominated for four Grammy Awards this year, including Song of the...
View ArticleChuck D on How Hip-Hop Changed the World
Forty years ago, Chuck D showed listeners how exciting, radical, and unpredictable hip-hop could be. His song “Fight the Power” became a protest anthem for a generation, and a Greek chorus in Spike...
View ArticleLittle Brother at Brooklyn Bowl
Little Brother at Brooklyn BowlFri., March 17. 8PM. $30.In 2003, the alternative rap duo known as Little Brother released their album The Listening. It wasn’t a huge commercial hit, but the hip hop...
View ArticleBrooklyn drill rappers struggle to find support from the city
As New York City marks the 50th anniversary of hip hop, some current rap artists say the city is failing to support newer music.Artists involved with the style known as Brooklyn drill say even the most...
View ArticleEXTRA: A Rap Battle To Close Out Poetry Month
To conclude National Poetry Month, WNYC Morning Edition host Michael Hill and Brian Lehrer engage in a friendly rhyming competition.
View ArticleBeatmaker Kassa Overall Obliterates Boundaries Between Jazz and Rap
The drummer, producer, and emcee Kassa Overall studied with jazz legends like Elvin Jones and Billy Hart; but he also grew up with hip hop, and his records are a bracing combination of improvisation,...
View ArticleCelebrity hair stylist Dionne Alexander looks back on the evolution of glam...
Hip hop turns 50 this summer and WNYC is focusing in on some of the women who have had an impact on the genre. Hair stylist Dionne Alexander is one of a handful of women responsible for the iconic...
View Article220 - Archiving the Underground — Hip Hop at Harvard & Cornell
We delve into the story of the founding of the Hiphop Archive and Research Institute at Harvard by Dr. Marcyliena Morgan, Professor of African and African American Studies and Professor Henry Louis...
View ArticleWhen Hip Hop Tried to Fight the Power, and Lost
As hip hop turns 50, Kai and reporter Christopher Johnson look back on an era of “conscious rap” that championed a sound that was political, community-minded and deeply pro-Black. But about six years...
View ArticleDessa at Le Poisson Rouge
Dessa, Arthur Moon at Le Poisson RougeOct. 20. $26.78. 6:30PMSinger, rapper, and writer Dessa is a member of the long-running hip hop collective known as Doomtree, though hip hop is just one part of...
View ArticleWriter, Rapper, Singer Dessa Defies Expectations and Offers Deeply Human...
Singer, rapper, and writer Dessa is a member of the long-running hip hop collective known as Doomtree, though hip hop is just one part of what she does. She has also performed concerts of her songs...
View ArticleBonus episode: Musician Kilo Kish learns a new trick
Today, we’re featuring an episode from the podcast Sing For Science, where musicians talk to scientists about science as it connects to their most famous songs. In this episode, recorded live at the...
View ArticleKassa Overall at Blue Note
Kassa Overall at Blue NoteJan. 15, $29.33. 8PM and 10:30PMThe drummer, producer, and emcee Kassa Overall studied with jazz legends like Elvin Jones and Billy Hart; but he also grew up with hip hop, and...
View ArticleThe Slim Shady LP at 25 (Silver Liner Notes)
On February 23, 1999, Eminem released his second full-length album, The Slim Shady LP. It landed him his first song on Billboard's Hot 100 (the hit "My Name Is"), a Grammy for Best Rap Album, and...
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