What’s your favorite song to listen to during the festive season? Ben Apatoff, the author behind Body Count’s Body Count, tells us about his favorite and why Run-DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis” continues to be a festive classic. So settle in folks, It’s Christmastime in Hollis, Queens…
Tag: Hip-hop
Read posts related to hip-hop music and the best-loved artists in the genre.
Glastonbury: Our 5 Recommended Reads
Glastonbury has finally returned to Worthy Farm! To get you in the mood for the one of the most iconic music festivals in the world, we’ve put together a list of books inspired by legendary Glasto performances.
Got a favorite Glastonbury performances? Let us know in the comments!
D’Angelo’s Age of “Soulquarius” – Part Two
Faith Pennick, author of D’Angelo’s Voodoo, on how astrology shaped D’Angelo’s music. [Click here to read part one] A deeper thread is unraveled when an Aquarius is a Black man. “The key definition, I believe, of being African American…is tied into anti-Blackness,” astrologer Samuel Reynolds explained. “So, an Aquarian Black man is going to be immensely sensitive to how he both functions on that perimeter and also be attentive to others who function in that throwaway space, in those spaces where they’re not visible or heard.” On Voodoo, D’Angelo touched…
Catching the Spirit
Faith Pennick, author of D’Angelo’s Voodoo, on how gospel music inspired D’Angelo’s critical acclaim. Like many African American singers who hail from the South, D’Angelo’s foundation is laid in gospel music. Much has been said and written about his R&B influences: artists like Marvin Gaye, Sly and the Family Stone, and his North Star: Prince. But without gospel music, D’Angelo simply would not be D’Angelo. As a child, Michael Archer sang and played keyboards in his father’s and grandfather’s churches in and near his hometown of Richmond, Virginia. He contemplated staying…