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 March 28, 2016

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

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Brandon Chew/NPR

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.

Wednesday January 27, 2016

KING's first full-length album, We Are KING, comes out Feb. 5. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

Review: KING, 'We Are KING'

January 27, 2016 • The R&B trio, whose 2011 debut EP broke the Internet, finally follows it with an album of dreamy, idiosyncratic, self-produced soul music.

Friday January 15, 2016

Tiny Desk Concert with Benny Sings. Morgan Walker/NPR hide caption

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Morgan Walker/NPR

Tiny Desk

Benny Sings: Tiny Desk Concert

January 15, 2016 • The Dutch singer layers R&B, jazz and pop over hip-hop beats in his first-ever U.S. appearance.

Tuesday January 5, 2016

Tiny Desk Concert with Rapsody Jun Tsuboike/NPR hide caption

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Jun Tsuboike/NPR

Tiny Desk

Rapsody: Tiny Desk Concert

January 5, 2016 • In 2015, the young rapper had her big moment. This year, she's seizing it. Watch Rapsody perform three songs from Beauty And The Beast, recorded live at the NPR Music offices.

Wednesday December 23, 2015

Dornik quietly made one of the year's best R&B albums. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Best Music Of 2015

Top 10 Slept-On R&B Albums Of 2015

December 23, 2015 • There was plenty of R&B in 2015, from artists like The Weeknd in the mainstream to lauded up-and-comers like Kelela. Here are 10 worthwhile albums and EPs that may have slipped through the cracks.

Thursday September 24, 2015

First Watch: The Bird And The Bee, 'Recreational Love'

Inara George of The Bird and the Bee appears in the video for "Recreational Love." Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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All Songs TV

First Watch: The Bird And The Bee, 'Recreational Love'

September 24, 2015 • The new Joe Stakun-directed clip from Inara George and Greg Kurstin is "the ultimate karaoke video" with a surprise ending.

Thursday August 27, 2015

Songs We Love: Teedra Moses, 'Skin Diver'

Teedra Moses' new album, Cognac and Conversation, is out now. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Songs We Love

Songs We Love: Teedra Moses, 'Skin Diver'

August 27, 2015 • The New Orleans-born R&B singer's long-awaited return features a seductive, Afro-house downtempo highlight.

Skin Diver

3:47

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Wednesday August 19, 2015

Songs We Love: Gavin Turek & TOKiMONSTA, 'Surrender'

Gavin Turek and TOKiMONSTA's new EP, You're Invited, is out Aug. 28. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Songs We Love

Songs We Love: Gavin Turek & TOKiMONSTA, 'Surrender'

August 19, 2015 • A pair of Los Angelenos collaborate on a soulful, electronic gem for the dance-floor.

Surrender

3:40

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Wednesday July 1, 2015

Stacy Barthe's new album, BEcoming, comes out July 10. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Review

First Listen

Review: Stacy Barthe, 'BEcoming'

July 1, 2015 • On her debut album, the hit-making R&B and pop songwriter is all about brutal, fearless honesty. Taken as a whole, BEcoming feels like a powerful and necessary purge.

Thursday March 12, 2015

Courtesy of the Artist

All Songs TV

First Watch: Phony Ppl, 'helGa.'

March 12, 2015 • Watch Brooklyn band Phony Ppl's new video, an playful ode to to mean girl character Helga Pataki from Nickelodeon's classic '90s cartoon, Hey Arnold!

Sunday February 22, 2015

Tuxedo's self-titled debut album comes out March 3. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Review

First Listen

Review: Tuxedo, 'Tuxedo'

February 22, 2015 • Detroit DJ, producer and singer-songwriter Mayer Hawthorne links up with Seattle boom-bap specialist Jake One to form the group Tuxedo, on a mission to push the funk back to the forefront.

Sunday December 21, 2014

MNEK performing with Gorgon City in London this April. Joseph Okpako/Redferns via Getty Images hide caption

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Joseph Okpako/Redferns via Getty Images

The Best Music Of 2014

The Best Unheralded R&B Of 2014

December 21, 2014 • If we're being honest, there was no consensus in R&B this year. Too many things happened, and we missed some ground-hugging gems, even a couple made by legends. These are ten of those.

Sunday November 2, 2014

First Listen: Big K.R.I.T., 'Cadillactica'

Big K.R.I.T.'s new album, Cadillactica, comes out Nov. 11. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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First Listen

First Listen: Big K.R.I.T., 'Cadillactica'

November 2, 2014 • K.R.I.T. raps about what many rappers probably want to discuss (spirituality, discrimination, insecurity) but are afraid to. This strain of authenticity has cemented his place in the hearts of fans.

Cadillactica

Audio for First Listens is no longer available after the album is released.

Saturday July 5, 2014

The Foreign Exchange performs at the Tiny Desk in May 2014. Meredith Rizzo/Meredith Rizzo/NPR hide caption

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Meredith Rizzo/Meredith Rizzo/NPR

Tiny Desk

The Foreign Exchange: Tiny Desk Concert

July 5, 2014 • Watch the Tiny Desk turn into a church, comedy club and neo-soul spot as the band performs songs from its latest album, Love in Flying Colors.

The Foreign Exchange: Tiny Desk Concert

Listen · 19:17 19:17

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Friday December 20, 2013

King Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Courtesy of the artists

Best Music Of 2013

Top 10 Slept-On R&B Songs Of The Year

December 20, 2013 • Finding new and excellent R&B is a scavenger hunt, one that winds through blogs, Tumblr and Twitter. Here are the 10 songs that didn't make the pop charts, but should have got more love.