UK MC Figure of Speech on His Anti-Racist Hip-Hop Album
UK MC Figure of Speech talks about his debut album, a judicious bridging between current affairs and the socially-conscious erudition of hip-hop’s early days.
music interview
KPM Music Opens the Vault for the Crate Diggers Series and DJs and Producers Dig In
Damu the Fudgemunk, Deca, DJ Credit One, Jared Boxx, and EMI’s Peter Clarke take PopMatters along in their deep dig into KPM Music’s Crate Diggers series.
Marks X the Spot: Rapper Giovanni Marks Challenges the Hip-Hop Paradigm
Giovanni Marks, the William S. Burroughs of hip-hop, offers up his thoughts on the trials and tribulations of an indie hip-hop artist.
UnZipped: Vanessa Daou and Erica Jong on the Making of the Electronica Classic ‘Zipless’
Celebrating Zipless's nearly 25 years of existence with a new vinyl reissue, Vanessa Daou and Erica Jong continue to take listeners on a personal and intimate journey through the passionate exploits of this landmark work.
All Eyes Heavenward: The Enigma of Willis Earl Beal
A sensual, gossamer presence among the hovering musical chords, Willis Earl Beal gently presses the wealth of his soul’s burdens into the wide, open skies.
By Style and Error: M. Sayyid Takes Hip-hop to the Exosphere
Few rappers have been brave enough to try what Sayyid has been doing for years; his hip-hop suffers brutal and fantastic experiments of Asimov-proportions.
Marc His Words: Brian “Sene” Marc on ‘Hoodrat: Stuff With My Friends’
Hoodrat offers the warmer and gentler side to rapper Brian Marc's overall art, where the rhythms are bouncier and the grooves edge closer to electropop.
Auto-Mattic Transmission: Rapper Mattic Dispatches from the Left Field
The US-born rapper's at once expert and offhanded rhymes exude the kind of charm that has made Mattic a notable artist in his adopted home of France.
All Play and ‘No Paperwork’: An Interview with L.A.Z of Clear Soul Forces
"Natural born liberal consumer of music", Jarrel Lowman (aka L.A.Z), talks about his EP, No Paperwork, a mixture of hip-hop, smoking jazz, and calloused-fingered blues.
Bonded Harmony: An Interview with Chris Wood of the Wood Brothers
The Wood Brothers found their musical potential together after years of separation, joining their subtly distinct experiences and passions to make the kind of fusion they dreamed of.
The Beauty in the Diaspora: An Interview with Australia’s N’fa Jones
From murky '70s soul and Afro-Brazilian jazz to the rhythms of Africa, Australian rapper N'fa Jones explores all reaches of sound to expand his eclectic hip-hop.
Chaos Is a Tool: An Interview with Latin Grammy Winner Jorge Drexler
On his latest, Salvavidas del Hielo, Drexler only uses voices and guitars to create thoughtful pop. He discusses the new sounds he's found with PopMatters.