20 Years Ago Biz Markie Got The Last Laugh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OebqNsNRBtU In the late 1980s, no clique in New York seemed more dominant than the Juice Crew. Assembled by producer Marley Marl, the group's core included the...
View ArticleLaura Mvula's Velvet 'Moon' Is A Revelation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5akYnlwubDo The very first notes on Laura Mvula's new album feel like a powerful invocation. You're not sure for what, but the moment is awesome — with an emphasis on...
View ArticleKanye's 'Yeezus' Packs A Bite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuhl6Ji5zHM Rapper Kanye West experienced two births of a sort over the weekend. Most important would be the birth of his child with Kim Kardashian. Then there was the...
View Article20 Years Ago, De La Soul Refused To Go Pop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJEzEDMqXQQ This year marks the 20th anniversary of a remarkable year in music. Over the 12 months of 1993, Queen Latifah, Salt 'n' Pepa, Snoop Dogg, A Tribe Called...
View ArticleGimme The Beat (Box): The Journey Of The Drum Machine
About 10 years ago, a disgruntled pianist in Los Angeles named John Wood began a popular bumper sticker campaign with the slogan, "Drum Machines Have No Soul." Not everyone was convinced, including...
View ArticleDionne Warwick, Reduced To An Essence
In title and concept, the new tribute album Dionne Dionne is a great gimmick. But if you've followed the career of Dionne Farris, having her record an entire album of Dionne Warwick covers isn't an...
View ArticleMusic Review: 'You're Dead!' By Flying Lotus
Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: Finally this hour, music that explores death not as end but as a beginning. It comes from Steven Ellison, better known as Flying Lotus. He...
View ArticleKanye West Plays Puppet Master With 'Life Of Pablo' Premiere
I'm not sure there's ever been a record release as confounding as the one for Kanye West 's The Life Of Pablo . He's changed its title and track listing several times in as many weeks, and even up...
View Article'James Brown: Live At The Apollo Vol. 4' Is A Marvelous And Mysterious Time...
The names James Brown and Apollo Theater have practically become synonymous; it's hard to think of one without the other. Beginning in 1963, Brown released three albums recorded there. But there was a...
View ArticleA Queen Among Kings
The first time I ever saw Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings perform was circa 2002 at the Elbo Room, a tiny venue in San Francisco's Mission District. If you've ever been there, you know the Elbo Room...
View ArticleKool Keith And Dan The Automator Make Rap Weird Again As Dr. Octagon
When rapper Kool Keith and producer Dan the Automator recorded the original Dr. Octagon album in 1996, it felt like they invented a sub-genre of "weird rap." Keith already had a ( poppa ) large...
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