Bullseye with Jesse Thorn Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture. Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney's, which called it "the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world."

new bullseye NPR hide caption

toggle caption
NPR

new bullseye

NPR

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

From NPR

Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture. Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney's, which called it "the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world."

Most Recent Episodes

Master P performs onstage at the 2017 ESSENCE Festival on July 2, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Bennett Raglin/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Bennett Raglin/Getty Images

Master P

In the story of Master P, there's plenty of success. He's launched careers and sold millions of dollars in records. His label, No Limit Records, was home to a phalanx of stars like Silkk the Shocker and even Snoop Dogg. Master P gets candid about the many triumphs and challenges in his life: millions of records sold, careers launched, a failed professional basketball career, multiple close family deaths. Plus: his newfound passion for breakfast cereal.

Master P

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197954123/1201657144" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Bun B performs at the Grammy Block Park during SXSW Music at Four Seasons Hotel on March 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Sasha Haagensen/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Sasha Haagensen/Getty Images

Bun B

Bun B and his partner Pimp C put Port Arthur, Texas on the map when they founded one of the most influential Southern rap groups of all time. UGK crafted a genre on their own terms. Whether you call it country rap or chopped and screwed music, their influence is undeniable. Bun B talks about his friendship and collaboration with Pimp C. He shares the story behind his verse on UGK's iconic track "Murder." Plus, he gets real about what he wants his grandchildren to remember about him.

Bun B

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197954098/1200912196" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Angie Stone Nora Bonds/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Nora Bonds/Courtesy of the artist

Angie Stone

Many of you may know Angie Stone as a soul-singer. But before her singing career took off, Angie was an MC in a rap group called The Sequence, one of the first ever all-women rap groups. Angie Stone joins us for Rap Month to talk about her early years as a rapper. She also gets into how The Sequence was discovered backstage at a Sugar Hill Gang concert. Plus, she talks about having her first hit solo records later on in her career.

Angie Stone

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197954058/1200236048" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Leeor Wild/Warner Records

CHIKA

Next up on Rap Month is viral rap star CHIKA. CHIKA's never been afraid to keep it real, especially online. The Alabama-born rapper went viral for the first time at 19 years old. Since then, she's been steadily building her career as a rapper. Earlier this summer, she dropped her debut LP: Samson: The Album. On Bullseye, CHIKA stops by to chat about her latest project and her journey to making music.

CHIKA

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197953088/1199591818" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 25: Jeezy performs onstage during the BET Awards 2023 at Microsoft Theater on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET) Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET hide caption

toggle caption
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET

Jeezy

Rap month continues here at Bullseye. Next up, the trap pioneer Jeezy. On his major label debut in the mid-aughts, he called himself Young Jeezy. And, also "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper." Jeezy, alongside T.I. and Gucci Mane helped bring trap music into the mainstream. Jeezy recently published a book: Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe.

Listen to this Episode

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197953023/1198833187" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Chicago rapper Saba Laiken Joy hide caption

toggle caption
Laiken Joy

Saba

In 2018, the Chicago rapper Saba released the critically acclaimed Care for Me. A frenetic, beautiful album recorded after the loss of his cousin Walter. It brought Saba a lot of attention, and changed his life in ways he couldn't process. Saba joins Bullseye to talk about living up to those expectations, collaborating with No I.D. and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and finding peace in self reflection. Plus, he shares some music gear recommendations!

Saba

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1198272066/1200397631" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Michael Wong Photography

Rakim

This September is Rap Month at Bullseye - we're celebrating 50 years of hip-hop with a full month rappers. First up: Rakim! He changed the rap game forever. He's one half of the groundbreaking hip-hop duo, Eric B. and Rakim. And a legendary solo rapper in his own right. On Bullseye, Rakim kicks off Rap Month by looking back at his almost 40 years in hip-hop. He gets into how he met Eric B. and his mentorship with Marley Marl. Plus, how his career has changed now that he's in his 50s.

Rakim

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197380839/1200397623" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

John Wilson of How To with John Wilson HBO hide caption

toggle caption
HBO

John Wilson of 'How To' on the movie he wishes he'd made

John Wilson is the host and creator of the HBO series How To with John Wilson. Each episode of the show makes a simple, straightforward promise to the viewer: to teach them how to do something. Then, each episode inevitably veers off course when interviews and found footage take him in different directions. When we asked John about the thing he wishes he'd made, he picked a classic documentary: 2003's Los Angeles Plays Itself.

John Wilson of 'How To' on the movie he wishes he'd made

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1196928263/1200397619" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Brenton Wood's classic album Oogum Boogum Brenton Wood hide caption

toggle caption
Brenton Wood

Soul singer Brenton Wood

It's almost impossible to be in a bad mood after hearing a song by Brenton Wood. His music has a sweetness and lightness with a bounce that conveys coolness. His music has helped define, what these days are called, Lowrider Oldies. Brenton Wood is now in his 80s, and he's absolutely still got it. If you can, you should go see him live. He is currently wrapping up his farewell tour. It's called the Catch You On The Rebound Tour. Brenton Wood joins Bullseye to talk about his career in music and what keeps him performing. Plus, we'll listen to some of his classic tracks from over the years.

Soul singer Brenton Wood

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1196477857/1200397607" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

David Byrne performs onstage during the 2018 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Field on April 21, 2018 in Indio, California. Rich Fury/Getty Images for Coachella hide caption

toggle caption
Rich Fury/Getty Images for Coachella

David Byrne

Along with fronting the Talking Heads, David Byrne has collaborated with Brian Eno, St. Vincent, Philip Glass, Selena and so many more. He's written books and scored soundtracks. He even wrote and directed his own movie. In this interview from 2021, he talks about his Broadway debut: American Utopia an immersive live show based on his album of the same name. Plus: Stop Making Sense, the legendary concert film just turned 40!

David Byrne

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1195117783/1200387424" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
or search npr.org