NPR

The result of the improvised sessions that led to New Blue Sun is subtle but daring. Mainly because it flies in the face of everything we've come to expect, and selfishly demand, as André 3000 fans. Kai Regan/Courtesy of the artist At a certain point in the winding lifespan of André 3000's musical journey, there came a time when we as fans began to worry less about his lack of […]

Tracy Chapman became the first Black person to win Song of the Year at the 57th annual Country Music Awards in Nashville on Wednesday. Above, Chapman performs on NBC's "Today" show in 2005. Bebeto Matthews/Associated Press Tracy Chapman was honored with Song of the Year for her 1988 folk anthem "Fast Car" at the Country Music Awards on Wednesday, becoming the first Black songwriter to ever win the award. "Fast […]

Noname performs a Tiny Desk concert Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. Out of the thousand and some Tiny Desk concerts to date, it's seldom an artist returns to the Desk. But when they do, there are a couple requirements: come in a new iteration or present something completely different. In this case, the Chicago-bred, emcee-activist Noname does both when she performs some revolutionary raps from […]

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. In the landscape of hip-hop, few tales are as compelling as the saga of the Wu-Tang Clan, whose legacy reverberates 30 years since the release of their groundbreaking album, "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)." This isn't just an album; it's a cultural milestone that encapsulates the raw and unfiltered experiences of nine young men from Staten Island, who channeled their struggles with […]

Dia Dipasupil/FilmMagic/Photography by Dia Dipasupil / FilmMagic / Collage by Jackie Lay / NPR On a September night in Brooklyn, the English artist PinkPantheress took the stage to sing a handful of her bite-sized songs about love and heartbreak. In the neon-lit interior of The Weylin, a converted bank building at the foot of the Williamsburg bridge, the crowd that had assembled for a Bose launch party was dotted with […]

Duane Davis first appeared in court at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas on Oct. 4 on charges of murdering Tupac Shakur. Bizuayehu Tesfay/Getty Images Twenty-seven years ago, rapper Tupac Shakur died after being shot while sitting in a car at a red light near the Las Vegas strip. In all that time, no suspect had appeared before a judge. But Thursday morning, Duane "Keffe D" Davis, the man […]