Music Features : NPR

How Isis Tha Saviour Transforms The Trauma Of Incarceration Into Freedom

Mary Baxter, aka Isis Tha Saviour, is a Philadelphia-based rapper and artist who draws on her personal experience of incarceration in her art. Destiny Moore for NPR hide caption

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How Isis Tha Saviour Transforms The Trauma Of Incarceration Into Freedom

December 3, 2020 • A former ward of the state who gave birth while imprisoned, Philly rapper Isis Tha Saviour uses hip-hop to transform her trauma into freedom.

Illustration: Rae Pozdro for NPR

The 100 Best Songs Of 2020

December 3, 2020 • The great songs of 2020 were as abundant as the rest of the year was a drag. Think of these 100 jams as a silver linings playlist for the worst year of our collective lives.

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The 100 Best Songs Of 2020 (Nos. 80-61)

December 3, 2020 • Think of these 100 songs (Nos. 80-61 here) as a silver linings playlist for the worst year of our collective lives.

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The 100 Best Songs Of 2020 (Nos. 60-41)

December 3, 2020 • Think of these 100 songs (Nos. 60-41 here) as a silver linings playlist for the worst year of our collective lives.

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The 100 Best Songs Of 2020 (Nos. 40-21)

December 3, 2020 • Think of these 100 songs (Nos. 40-21 here) as a silver linings playlist for the worst year of our collective lives.

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The 100 Best Songs Of 2020 (Nos. 20-1)

December 3, 2020 • The great songs of 2020 were as abundant as the rest of the year was a drag. Think of these 100 jams as a silver linings playlist for the worst year of our collective lives.

'Prison To Prison Pipeline': Isis Tha Saviour

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'Prison To Prison Pipeline': Isis Tha Saviour

December 3, 2020 • Hip-hop loves a hero's come-up, but the culture often has a hard time seeing women as heroes. Two years ago, when Louder Than A Riot editor Chiquita Paschal discovered she had a sister — who rapped — she quickly saw how that double standard can take shape. Chiquita's sister is Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter, aka Philly rapper Isis Tha Saviour. In this episode, Chiquita takes us on Mary's hero's journey — from her time as a ward of the state to finding her voice in rap. And together, they delve into incarceration's ripple effects on families like theirs, and how hip-hop can help transform trauma into freedom.

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The 50 Best Albums Of 2020

December 2, 2020 • 2020 was so stuffed with urgent voices it could be hard to discern the melody from the noise. Here's our guide to the greatest albums that emerged from a year of cacophony.

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The 50 Best Albums Of 2020 (Nos. 40-31)

December 2, 2020 • Our guide to the greatest albums (Nos. 40-31) that emerged from a year's worth of cacophony.

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The 50 Best Albums Of 2020 (Nos. 30-21)

December 2, 2020 • Our guide to the greatest albums (Nos. 30-21) that emerged from a year's worth of cacophony.

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The 50 Best Albums Of 2020 (Nos. 20-11)

December 2, 2020 • Our guide to the greatest albums (Nos. 20-11) that emerged from a year's worth of cacophony.

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The 50 Best Albums Of 2020 (Nos. 10-1)

December 2, 2020 • The 10 greatest albums that emerged from a year's worth of cacophony.

Drakeo The Ruler, Less Than A Month Out Of Prison, Releases 'We Know The Truth'

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Drakeo The Ruler, Less Than A Month Out Of Prison, Releases 'We Know The Truth'

December 1, 2020 • NPR Music speaks with the LA rapper, who struck a plea deal earlier this month resulting in his release from prison after a four-year legal battle.

The True Cost Of Bobby Shmurda's Rise, Fall And Coming Return

Bobby Shmurda at BET's year-end special 106 & Party on Dec. 12, 2014 in New York City. Just days later, the rapper and his entourage would be arrested in an NYPD raid. Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET hide caption

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Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET

Louder Than A Riot

The True Cost Of Bobby Shmurda's Rise, Fall And Coming Return

November 28, 2020 • In 2014, Bobby Shmurda aimed for a rap career and landed in prison. As the end of his sentence approaches, so do new questions about what happened, and who else paid a price.

Killer Mike Dale Edwin Murray for NPR hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Introducing: 'Louder Than A Riot'

November 27, 2020 • A special bonus feed drop from the new NPR podcast Louder Than A Riot. Hosts Rodney Carmichael and Sidney Madden have been working on a deep-diving exploration of the relationship between hip-hop and mass incarceration. Episodes cover the likes of Nipsey Hussle, Bobby Shmurda, Killer Mike and many more. We're dropping the first episode here.

Introducing: 'Louder Than A Riot'

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My Brother's Keeper: Bobby Shmurda (Pt 3)

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Louder Than A Riot

My Brother's Keeper: Bobby Shmurda (Pt 3)

November 19, 2020 • Six years after his arrest, Bobby Shmurda's fans are still anxiously awaiting his return. The rapper ultimately stayed loyal to his crew in court, but the chokehold of conspiracy law also left him with few other options. In our final chapter of Bobby's story, we follow his legal drama: cycling through defense lawyers, being strong-armed by prosecutors and making last-ditch outbursts in court. Finally, we sit down with Bobby in prison as he looks to his future on the other side of his cell.

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Chairman and CEO Bang Si-hyuk, center, photographed Oct. 15, 2020, the day his company, Big Hit Entertainment, debuted on the Korea Exchange in Seoul. To his left, Jiwon Park, Big Hit CEO of HQ & Management; right, Lenzo Yoon Big CEO of Global & Business. Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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'Hitman' Bang Si-hyuk, The Brand-New Billionaire Behind BTS

November 18, 2020 • Formerly a producer and songwriter for K-pop's nascent idols, Si-hyuk's own label, Big Hit Entertainment, recently became larger than the other top labels in Seoul combined.

OutKast's 'Stankonia' Threw Us To The Wilderness

OutKast's Stankonia was released Oct. 31, 2000, and we're still feeling the stank two decades later. Michael Lavine/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Michael Lavine/Courtesy of the artist

Editors' Picks

OutKast's 'Stankonia' Threw Us To The Wilderness

November 18, 2020 • Experience the mayhem of what it means to create something new. Three Southern rap experts revisit the 20-year-old classic.

Musicians From Mali Offer Advice On Getting Through Hard Times

The band Songhoy Blues from Bamako, Mali. Kiss Diouara/Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Kiss Diouara/Courtesy of the artists

Music Interviews

Musicians From Mali Offer Advice On Getting Through Hard Times

November 12, 2020 • Facing a pandemic lockdown, huge political upheavals and ongoing uncertainty about the future, musicians including Oumou Sangare and Songhoy Blues offer lessons in creativity and optimism.

Musicians From Mali Offer Advice On Getting Through Hard Times

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'Stay In The House': Bobby Shmurda (Pt 2)

The corner of East 96th Street and Church Avenue in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, N.Y. Dale Edwin Murray for NPR hide caption

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Louder Than A Riot

'Stay In The House': Bobby Shmurda (Pt 2)

November 12, 2020 • Two young men grow up just blocks apart, each with aspirations to make it big. But while Bobby Shmurda sees his dreams come true, Bryan Antoine is killed by members of Bobby's crew. This is the story that lingers between the lyrics of Bobby's viral hit, "Hot N****." We talk to the family grieving Bryan's loss and review hours of incriminating GS9 phone calls. How does the true story behind the song complicate stereotypes about gang affiliation? And what does the pursuit of justice mean in a neighborhood where labels like "victim" and "perpetrator" can be interchangeable?

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My Life Isn't A Sade Album — It's All Of Them

Sade performs live at New Jersey's PNC Bank Arts Center in 2001. The artist released her fifth album, Lovers Rock, in November 2000. Debra L. Rothenberg/FilmMagic / Getty hide caption

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NPR Music's 20|20

My Life Isn't A Sade Album — It's All Of Them

November 11, 2020 • Rest assured, says writer Danyel Smith: There's always a Sade song for how you feel. Whether you live as a "King of Sorrow" or a "Soldier of Love" is up to you.

The Ballad Of Billy Joe Shaver And Jerry Jeff Walker, Country Outlaws

Billy Joe Shaver, photographed onstage during Willie Nelson's 4th of July Concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on July 4, 2008 in San Antonio, Texas. Gary Miller/FilmMagic hide caption

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Review

Editors' Picks

The Ballad Of Billy Joe Shaver And Jerry Jeff Walker, Country Outlaws

November 8, 2020 • The deaths of Walker and Shaver this month prompted critic Charles Aaron to consider the impact of their work on the wider sound of American music.