Category Archives: News

Rap’s new generation

When I posted my article on the so-called “Blog Rap’s Second Wave” yesterday, I realized I haven’t posted other entries from my Rap Is Not Pop column for Rhapsody. Actually, I didn’t re-post this one because I wasn’t happy with … Continue reading

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Blog rap’s second wave

This essay on the latest crop of street rappers was posted August 10 on Rhapsody.com’s Music Stuff Place blog. I wrote it for my Rap Is Not Pop column. I freely admit that I don’t specialize in breaking new artists. … Continue reading

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Dipped in blackness: Shabazz Palaces

This essay on Shabazz Palaces was published in the July 14 issue of the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Dipped in blackness What lives in the mysterious Shabazz Palaces “I’m a bright light on the dark side of town,” raps “Palaceer … Continue reading

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Are iTunes sales an elaborate hoax?

Tommy Boy Entertainment CEO Tom Silverman made an interesting claim during an interview Wired.com posted on July 9: Silverman: People are telling me that the majors have teams of people who actually buy singles on iTunes to try to drive … Continue reading

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Dungeon Family’s Future: Big Boi

This essay on new-era Dungeon Fam was posted on Rhapsody.com’s Music Stuff Place on July 7. I wrote it for my Rap Is Not Pop column. Prince once sang, “All The Critics Love You In New York,” mock-celebrating the rock-crit … Continue reading

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A Brief History of Rap and Bullshit: Drake

This essay on Drake was posted on Rhapsody.com’s Music Stuff Place blog on June 15. It analyzes Thank Me Later‘s mix of hip-hop and R&B. Obviously there’s a lot more to be said about Drake’s rap and vocal performance, the … Continue reading

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Photo(s) from Free Kutmah benefit in Los Angeles

Last week I got a request from a publicist to post a few photos of the June 3 Free Kutmah benefit at the Echoplex in Los Angeles. I was assured that they hadn’t been posted on the Internet yet. Alas, … Continue reading

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What’s the write word?

Last month, veteran journalist and Internet pioneer Jason Gross (he co-founded the e-zine Perfect Sound Forever in 1993) invited me to contribute to a collection of advice on music writing. The series, “What’s The Write Word?” was published in four … Continue reading

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Lies, Relatives and Revolutions: Nas, Talib Kweli and Sage Francis

This essay was posted on Rhapsody.com’s Music Stuff Place blog on May 25. I wrote it for my Rap Is Not Pop column. ————————————- Rap Is Not Pop: Lies, Relatives And Revolutions Do rappers even rap anymore? When B.o.B’s The … Continue reading

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Kon & Amir’s greatest breaks

On May 13, Complex magazine published a list of the top 50 hip-hop samples from certified DJs and crate-diggers Kon & Amir. If you’ve ever been casually interested in breaks, or been curious about that culture, then this is a … Continue reading

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