Hip-Hop/Rap

Joining us today to talk about the life and legacy of the Notorious B.I.G. is journalist Justin Tinsley. He's the author of the book "It Was All A Dream: Biggie And The World That Made Him." In the book, Tinsley explores Biggie's life in the context of not only rap, but the wider cultural and political forces that shaped him, including immigration, Reagan-era politics, the war on drugs and mass incarceration.

The first season of Louder Than A Riot investigated the connection between hip-hop and mass incarceration. In its second and final season, the podcast examines the misogynoir that has long plagued the genre — and highlights artists that are pushing back.

Monáe has been releasing albums that mix R&B, pop and rap since 2007 — this is her first since 2018. Ken Tucker reviews the new album, then we listen back to our 2020 interview with the artist.

The late rapper — who was killed at 25 in 1996 — would have turned 52 this year. Santi Elijah Holley's new book follows the Shakur family tree and their work in the Black Liberation Movement.

Jolicoeur, who died Feb. 12, co-founded the hip-hop group De La Soul in the 1980s, while still in high school. The group brought a sense of fun and wit to the genre. Originally broadcast in 2000.

Yannick Nezet-Seguin (yah-NEEK nay-ZAY say-GHEN), conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera, shares the music he listens to when he is not on the podium that inspires him. The playlist he made for us includes pop, hip hop, and classical music.

White noise streams are a kind of sonic wallpaper. For many, they help keep some parts of the brain distracted so that other parts may better focus on things, like writing, studying or sleeping.

In 2010, Jay-Z reflected on growing up in Brooklyn surrounded by drugs and violence. "One day, your best friend could be killed. The day before, you could be celebrating him getting a brand-new bike."

This year, Radha Blank became the second Black woman to earn that prize for her first feature, The Forty-Year-Old Version. It was a worthy winner, not just because it's a terrific movie, but also because it's specifically about the challenges of making meaningful, personal art from an underrepresented perspective.

Lizzo is rapper and singer and her new album is her star-making break-thru. She also plays flute, is a self-proclaimed big girl, a feminist, and a lot of fun to talk to.

Henry plays Alfred, aka the rapper "Paper Boi," on the FX series Atlanta. As his character becomes more successful, Henry says, he's getting "a little further away from the essence of who [he] is."

Rock Critic Ken Tucker reviews “Get Rich or Die Tryin’”(Interscope Records), the new CD from rapper 50 Cent.

Glover created, co-writes and stars in the FX series Atlanta, a hybrid of comedy and drama set on the fringes of the city's hip-hop scene. He has also recorded music under the name Childish Gambino.

A new drama series on Netflix chronicles the rise of early hip-hop music in the late '70s. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the show's soundtrack is dense, complex and delightful.

Rock critic Ken Tucker offers up his top 10 lists of the best albums and singles of 2008.music. Here's his look at some of his own favorites.

The vivacious alt-rapper Lizzo mixes rap, gospel and neo-soul on her new album. Critic Milo Miles says Big Grrrl Small World will win listeners over with its energy and hooks.

Fresh Air music critic Ken Tucker says the rapper's second album has an excitingly adventurous sound.

Jason Isbell's Southeastern, Kanye West's Yeeezus and an assortment of remarkable women dominated the Fresh Air critic's year in listening.

The rapper's new album is his first collection since becoming a father with singer Beyonce. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the album is an uneven but intriguing collection of songs that tries to navigate a path between parenthood and an obsession with commercial success.

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, the co-founder of and drummer for the hip-hop band The Roots, has been a musician since he was a teen. In Mo' Meta Blues, he explains how his musician father groomed him for a life in show business from an early age.