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On 'Fire In Little Africa,' Oklahoma Artists Embody The Black Wall Street Mentality

Steph Simon (pictured) and fellow rapper Dialtone were among the first artists contacted by Fire In Little Africa executive producer Stevie Johnson when he arrived in Tulsa in 2019. Ryan Cash/Fivvish/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Ryan Cash/Fivvish/Courtesy of the artist

Slingshot

On 'Fire In Little Africa,' Oklahoma Artists Embody The Black Wall Street Mentality

Live From Cain’s

The music project is not only a marking of the Tulsa Race Massacre's centennial, but also a catalyst for change.

Kraftwerk And Our Computer World

Kraftwerk, photographed in 1977. From left: Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos, Ralf Hütter and Wolfgang Flür. Gilbert Uzan/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images hide caption

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Gilbert Uzan/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Music Interviews

Kraftwerk And Our Computer World

In a new book, writer Uwe Schütte takes up a close examination of the unique context that gave rise to one of the century's most influential art projects.

Kraftwerk And Our Computer World

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In The Wake Of The Tulsa Race Massacre's Centennial, A Communal Hip-Hop Album Emerges

They sought talent that fit the mindset of Black Wall Street — musicians who could set aside ego to commemorate their ancestors. Ryan Cash/Fivvish/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Ryan Cash/Fivvish/Courtesy of the artist

The Tulsa Race Massacre

In The Wake Of The Tulsa Race Massacre's Centennial, A Communal Hip-Hop Album Emerges

Live From Cain’s

Stevie Johnson is the executive producer of Fire in Little Africa, a hip-hop album commemorating the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre's centennial that honors the city's past, while bridging new communities.

For Twin Cities Rapper Nur-D, Another Step Forward

Matt Allen, who records under the name Nur-D. Marrie Weigel /Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Marrie Weigel /Courtesy of the artist

Morning Edition Song Project

For Twin Cities Rapper Nur-D, Another Step Forward

All of a sudden, Matt Allen found himself caring for injured and teargassed protesters in Minneapolis last year. The enduring experience found its way into his sunny music.

For Twin Cities Rapper Nur-D, Another Step Forward

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Shock G, Leader Of Hip-Hop's Digital Underground, Dies At 57

Digital Underground, led by Shock G, shown here in 1990, was one of the early rap groups to follow the example — in sound and energy — set by George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. Raymond Boyd/Getty Images hide caption

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Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

Obituaries

Shock G, Leader Of Hip-Hop's Digital Underground, Dies At 57

The rapper and producer who animated the Bay Area crew had a huge hit in 1990 with "The Humpty Dance," introduced the world to Tupac Shakur and was a foundational figure in West Coast hip-hop.

'Music Is Music': A Rapper And A Conductor Cross Centuries In Louisville

Arthur and Abrams have collaborated on similar projects in the past, including a rap opera about Muhammad Ali in 2017. O'Neil Arnold/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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O'Neil Arnold/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

'Music Is Music': A Rapper And A Conductor Cross Centuries In Louisville

Rapper-turned-politician Jecorey Arthur is teaming up with Teddy Abrams, the head of the Louisville's orchestra, for a musical collaboration tackling racial injustice.

'Music Is Music': A Rapper And A Conductor Cross Centuries In Louisville

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Armand Hammer Raps From Another Dimension. It's On Us To Catch Up

Across Haram, an Islamic term meaning "forbidden," the rappers billy woods and ELUCID dissect all things taboo, and how, ultimately, those commodities are still ubiquitous across cultures. Alexander Richter/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Alexander Richter/Courtesy of the artist

Review

Editors' Picks

Armand Hammer Raps From Another Dimension. It's On Us To Catch Up

For nearly two decades, billy woods and ELUCID have established themselves as cult figures in hip-hop. The duo's new album, Haram, is their most approachable, even if the rhymes are still intricate.

Genesis Owusu's Debut Album, 'Smiling With No Teeth,' Embodies Its Title

Genesis Owusu Bailey Howard/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Bailey Howard/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

Genesis Owusu's Debut Album, 'Smiling With No Teeth,' Embodies Its Title

XPN

Owusu's Smiling With No Teeth is a big musical blender, showcasing his abilities in rock, hip-hop, soul, R&B and more, while meditating on depression and covert racism.

Genesis Owusu On World Cafe

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