Bobby Carter : NPR

Bobby Carter Bobby Carter is the host and series producer for NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts.

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Bobby Carter

Monday November 6, 2017

Wyclef Jean performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Oct. 11, 2017. (Christina Ascani/NPR) Christina Ascani/NPR hide caption

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Christina Ascani/NPR

Tiny Desk

Wyclef Jean: Tiny Desk Concert

November 6, 2017 • The hip-hop statesman walked through our doors greeting and charming anyone within arm's reach. Once in front of an audience, he was in attack mode, including a unique rendition of his signature hit.

Wednesday October 18, 2017

Thundercat performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Sept. 29, 2017. (Jennifer Kerrigan/NPR) Jennifer Kerrigan/NPR hide caption

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Jennifer Kerrigan/NPR

Tiny Desk

Thundercat: Tiny Desk Concert

October 18, 2017 • Thundercat is willing and able to shape-shift to fit into just about any box you show him, but he won't stay in there for long.

Tuesday September 5, 2017

Jidenna performs a Tiny Desk Concert on July 6, 2017. (Photo: Liam James Doyle/NPR) Liam James Doyle/NPR hide caption

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Liam James Doyle/NPR

Tiny Desk

Jidenna: Tiny Desk Concert

September 5, 2017 • The Nigerian-American MC and his band perform three reworked selections from Jidenna's impeccable debut album, The Chief.

Monday July 17, 2017

Tuxedo performs a Tiny Desk Concert on May 20th, 2017. (Claire Harbage/NPR) Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Claire Harbage/NPR

Tiny Desk

Tuxedo: Tiny Desk Concert

July 17, 2017 • Tuxedo, the unlikely-on-paper funk-soul duo of Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One, brought a left-of-center sonic approach and a sharp sense of style to their Tiny Desk Concert.

Tuesday May 30, 2017

New Zealand's Ladi6 Turns A Dancehall Groove Psychedelic On 'Royal Blue'

Ladi6's Royal Blue 3000 EP comes out June 2. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

Review

Songs We Love

New Zealand's Ladi6 Turns A Dancehall Groove Psychedelic On 'Royal Blue'

May 30, 2017 • Ladi6 takes everything that was great about '90s soul music and updates it, sprinkling cosmic effects and big synths throughout.

Friday May 26, 2017

Gabriel Garzón-Montano: Tiny Desk Concert

Gabriel Garzon-Montano performs a Tiny Desk Concert on May 3, 2017. (Claire Harbage/NPR) Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Tiny Desk

Gabriel Garzón-Montano: Tiny Desk Concert

May 26, 2017 • Gabriel Garzón-Montano spent three years writing and recording his beautiful, dense album Jardin -- but for his Tiny Desk visit, he stripped it all down to two elements, the piano and his voice.

Monday April 3, 2017

Noname performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Feb. 28, 2017. (Claire Harbage/NPR) Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Tiny Desk

Noname: Tiny Desk Concert

April 3, 2017 • The power of language to penetrate a difficult subject, and the power of performance to share that language, are the gifts Noname brought to the Tiny Desk.

Tuesday March 21, 2017

Sampha performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Feb. 7, 2017. (Claire Harbage/NPR) Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Tiny Desk

Sampha: Tiny Desk Concert

March 21, 2017 • A Tiny Desk Concert as intimate as it gets (that's saying something). Just Sampha, a piano and three heart-wrenching songs that seem to double as coping mechanisms.

Wednesday February 1, 2017

D.R.A.M. performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Jan. 4, 2017. (Claire Harbage/NPR) Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Claire Harbage/NPR

Tiny Desk

D.R.A.M.: Tiny Desk Concert

February 1, 2017 • The rapper/singer storms the NPR Music offices, activating his signature smile and bouncing through five highlights from his catalog — including the smash single "Broccoli."

Monday January 23, 2017

BADBADNOTGOOD performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Jan. 4, 2017. (Claire Harbage/NPR) Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Tiny Desk

BADBADNOTGOOD: Tiny Desk Concert

January 23, 2017 • The jazz band, known for its soulful interpretations of songs by Nas and Ol' Dirty Bastard, plays its own new material live in the NPR Music offices.

Saturday December 17, 2016

5 Essential R&B Albums You Slept On In 2016

SiR's album Seven Sundays deserved more love in 2016. Dana Washington/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Dana Washington/Courtesy of the artist

Best Music Of 2016

5 Essential R&B Albums You Slept On In 2016

December 17, 2016 • While you were watching Frank Ocean build a staircase, NPR Music contributors Bobby Carter and Kiana Fitzgerald were listening to these records.

5 Essential Hip-Hop Albums You Slept On In 2016

Saba's Bucket List Project should have been on more lists. Bryan Allen Lamb/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Bryan Allen Lamb/Courtesy of the artist

Best Music Of 2016

5 Essential Hip-Hop Albums You Slept On In 2016

December 17, 2016 • Chance the Rapper and A Tribe Called Quest received deserved accolades, but there were many more rap records worthy of celebration this year.

Monday December 5, 2016

Ro James performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Oct. 11, 2016. (Raquel Zaldivar/NPR) Raquel Zaldivar/NPR hide caption

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Raquel Zaldivar/NPR

Tiny Desk

Ro James: Tiny Desk Concert

December 5, 2016 • Bringing the heat to the NPR Music offices, the R&B singer performs three funky, sexy, stripped-down songs from his debut album, Eldorado.

Monday August 15, 2016

Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals: Tiny Desk Concert

Tiny Desk Concert with Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals. Cameron Robert/NPR hide caption

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Tiny Desk

Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals: Tiny Desk Concert

August 15, 2016 • Watch the invigorating, genre-busting bandleader, drummer, singer and rapper perform four songs — three from this year's Malibu, plus one surprising audience request.

Monday March 28, 2016

Tiny Desk Concert with Anthony Hamilton. Brandon Chew/NPR hide caption

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Tiny Desk

Anthony Hamilton: Tiny Desk Concert

March 28, 2016 • The soul star, his backup singers in The Hamiltones, and his band visit the NPR Music offices to perform "Amen," followed by three songs that have defined his career.