hip hop Archive
09 Feb 2019
Soul Street Dance: Hip-hop, Storytelling and Music
Soul Street Dance combines hip-hop, storytelling and music, creating a dazzling, high energy show in the process. The two founders of the Houston-based company, Rock Williams and director Javier Garcia […]
08 Feb 2019
Ice-T’s ‘Power’ at 30
When considering the work of a high-profile, successful recording artist, it’s often instructive to look at the work they did prior to their breakthrough. Important clues in regard to their […]
28 Nov 2018
EP Review: Spaceman Jones and The Motherships — Space and Time
The creative collaboration between Asheville rapper Spaceman Jones and genre-defying outfit RBTS WIN continues to bear fruit. Their first recorded project together was 2017’s RBTS WIN Presents Spaceman Jones and […]
02 Nov 2018
Todd Rundgren’s ‘No World Order” at 25
Todd Rundgren has long made a career out of alternatively (and sometimes simultaneously) confounding and delighting his most ardent fans. Resolutely following his muse wherever it takes him, Rundgren is […]
12 Sep 2018
Album Review: Iceberg Slim — Reflections
If I told you that a key inspiration for the slice-of-street hip-hop of Ice-T was an earlier recording artist going by the name of Iceberg Slim, you’d likely develop some […]
23 Jul 2018
Album Review: The Last Poets – Understand What Black Is
One lens through which one can view hip-hop/rap is as spoken word with musical accompaniment. Though there are myriad exceptions to the rule-as-such, lyrics are often the primary focus of […]
10 Jun 2018
Matisyahu on LSD (and Jazz and Reggae)
Musician, rapper and beatboxer Matisyahu arrived at his singular style of music via an unusual route. Growing up a Jewish kid in New York City, he says that the first […]
07 Jun 2018
Tank and the Bangas: Big Bang
One of the most intriguing and compelling musical acts to gain recent national attention is Tank and the Bangas. The New Orleans-based group combines spoken word, hip-hop, gospel and other […]
31 May 2018
Natural Born Leaders: Their ‘Time’ Has Come
One of 2018’s most eagerly-anticipated Asheville, NC-related releases is the debut album from Natural Born Leaders. Even in an era of countless cross-genre mashups and hybrids, the music of Natural […]
18 May 2018
Ozomatli: Building Bridges to Younger Fans
Genre-blurring band Ozomatli has long been recognized for its socially and politically conscious music. Combining rock, Latin music and hip-hop with positive messages, the Los Angeles-based collective has earned both […]