Chuck Brown : NPR

To Bad Boy And Beyond: The Borderless Sound Of Chucky Thompson

Chucky Thompson speaks at a Recording Academy event in January 2009. The late producer created some of the most celebrated hits of the '90s "hip-hop soul" era. Joe Kohen/WireImage for NARAS/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Joe Kohen/WireImage for NARAS/Getty Images

Editors' Picks

To Bad Boy And Beyond: The Borderless Sound Of Chucky Thompson

August 19, 2021 • The producer, who died this month at 53, crafted career-defining records by Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans and The Notorious B.I.G., armed with a desire to understand his artists as people first.

Tell 'Em Where You're From: The Regional Anthems That Move Us

Start spreading the news. Boston Public Library/Flickr hide caption

toggle caption

Boston Public Library/Flickr

American Anthem

Tell 'Em Where You're From: The Regional Anthems That Move Us

July 26, 2018 • Some sprout from the cities and states they rep for; others are imports, held up in pride by a sister community. NPR's American Anthem series continues with a list of place-based bangers.

Review

Music Reviews

Chuck Brown: Go-Go Godfather's Gumbo

May 10, 2007 • Go-Go is dance music with beats meant to get bodies moving, and a texture built on the call and response with the crowd. The Go-Go creator, Chuck Brown, has a new CD called We're About the Business.

Chuck Brown: Go-Go Godfather's Gumbo

Listen

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/10110010/10112075" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Concerts

James Brown in Concert

December 26, 2006 • The Godfather of Soul digs into his vast catalog of hit songs for a night of music, recorded live in concert from the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. This program was originally webcast on NPR.org Dec. 28, 2005, as part of NPR Music's live online concert series with All Songs Considered.

Music Interviews

Go-Go Godfather

June 29, 2001 • For more than 20 years, Washington, D.C., has been home to a unique musical genre known as Go-Go. Defined by its Latin-tinged drums and audience participation, Go-Go has yet to find much airplay outside of the nation's capital. Host Madeleine Brand talks with the man known as the Godfather of Go-Go, Chuck Brown, about the genre and his new CD, Your Game...Live at the 9:30 Club. (7:01-7:46) {Chuck Brown: Your Game...Live at the 9:30 Club, Liaisons Records: 2001}

Go-Go Godfather

Listen · 6:51 6:51

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1125134/125134" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Chuck Brown, known as the "Godfather of Go-Go," shown in 1987. David Corio/Redferns hide caption

toggle caption

David Corio/Redferns

The Record

Remembering Go-Go Legend Chuck Brown

May 16, 2012 • James Brown's biographer calls D.C. legend Chuck Brown "the square root of funk."

Remembering Go-Go Legend Chuck Brown

Listen · 2:16 2:16

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/152854093/152890078" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Abby Verbosky/NPR

Tiny Desk

Chuck Brown: Tiny Desk Concert

May 16, 2012 • In Washington D.C., Brown is revered as the Godfather of Go-Go. So to have Brown play in a corner of the NPR Music offices with an 11-member group was dream come true for a lot of NPR staffers.

Audio Only: Chuck Brown's Tiny Desk Concert

Listen · 27:27 27:27

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/130083430/130143118" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Chuck Brown: The 'Godfather Of Go-Go' At 75

Chuck Brown performs at NPR. Amy Ta/NPR hide caption

toggle caption

Amy Ta/NPR

Music Interviews

Chuck Brown: The 'Godfather Of Go-Go' At 75

August 26, 2011 • Brown will receive a tribute from the National Symphony Orchestra during a concert next month. Here, he and the NSO's principal pops conductor, Steven Reineke, discuss music with host Michel Martin.

Chuck Brown: The 'Godfather Of Go-Go' At 75

Listen · 9:13 9:13

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/139969322/139969313" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros perform a Tiny Desk Concert in 2009. Coburn Dukehart/NPR hide caption

toggle caption

Coburn Dukehart/NPR

All Songs Considered

Memorable Moments From The Tiny Desk

August 10, 2011 • This week, All Songs Considered looks back at three and a half years of live music at the NPR offices.

Memorable Moments From The Tiny Desk

Listen · 1:10:11 1:10:11

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/139238192/139337625" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

In 2011, Chuck Brown appeared on World Cafe to discuss his recent live album, We Got This. John Shore hide caption

toggle caption

John Shore

World Cafe

Chuck Brown On World Cafe

XPN

February 3, 2011 • The Godfather of Go-Go died in 2012. In 2011, Brown stopped by World Cafe to talk about what was to be his final album, We Got This. Hear Brown discuss his music and career with host David Dye.

Chuck Brown On World Cafe

21:38

Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/133464661/133460053" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">