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'The South Got Something To Say' Is A Celebratory Canon Of Southern Rap
Joelle Avelino for NPR

The South Got Something To Say: A Celebration Of Southern Rap

'The South Got Something To Say' Is A Celebratory Canon Of Southern Rap

NPR Music has launched The South Got Something To Say, a canon of Southern hip-hop. Its creator, critic Briana Younger, and NPR's Rodney Carmichael explained the project on All Things Considered.

'The South Got Something To Say' Is A Celebratory Canon Of Southern Rap

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Opinion: We Are Africans. Here's Our View Of Beyoncé's 'Black Is King'

Beyoncé puts a conversation about Africa on the front line with her visual album Black Is King, which premiered on Disney+. Parkwood Entertainment/Disney + via AP hide caption

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Parkwood Entertainment/Disney + via AP

Opinion

Goats and Soda

Opinion: We Are Africans. Here's Our View Of Beyoncé's 'Black Is King'

Esther Ngumbi, a professor from Kenya, and Ifeanyi Nsofor, a doctor in Nigeria, react to the megastar's movie-length music video — and to criticism from other Africans.

Before The South Had Something To Say: How A Region Discovered Its Voice

Much like the culture it originates from, Southern hip-hop is going to continue to grow and redefine itself as artists live, people move and neighborhoods change. Jahdai Kilkenny for NPR hide caption

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Jahdai Kilkenny for NPR

The South Got Something To Say: A Celebration Of Southern Rap

Before The South Had Something To Say: How A Region Discovered Its Voice

In the early 1990s, you might not think rappers from Atlanta had much in common with rappers from New Orleans or Miami. So when and how did "Southern hip-hop" get to be recognized as an entity?

Phil Elverum Returns To A Refuge As The Microphones

"The stuff that used to ring true still does in a way and also doesn't anymore," says Phil Elverum. "The big, huge question I tried to think about with this giant song was mainly how to encompass these contradictions." Katy Hancock/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Katy Hancock/Courtesy of the artist

Editors' Picks

Phil Elverum Returns To A Refuge As The Microphones

Microphones in 2020 is a single 45-minute track written to "unburden myself from the weight of all this memory," says Phil Elverum, "even though I also think it has so much value."

A New Documentary Shines A Spotlight On The Lyricist Behind The Disney Renaissance

A young Howard Ashman, photographed on the set of his musical Little Shop of Horrors. Disney hide caption

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Disney

A New Documentary Shines A Spotlight On The Lyricist Behind The Disney Renaissance

The Disney+ documentary Howard features the life and work of Howard Ashman, a lyricist known for Little Shop of Horrors and one half of the duo that brought the music for three classic films to life.

A New Documentary Shines A Spotlight On The Lyricist Behind The Disney Renaissance

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Body Capital: How Twerking Shapes The Sound Of Southern Rap

Twerking, and the music born in its image, creates a liberating space for those gathered on this side and the other. Jahdai Kilkenny for NPR hide caption

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Jahdai Kilkenny for NPR

The South Got Something To Say: A Celebration Of Southern Rap

Body Capital: How Twerking Shapes The Sound Of Southern Rap

Everyone wants to make the sound that makes the girls dance. Twerking reminds us that women's contributions to Southern rap and culture, while often devalued, can create space for liberation.

How The Go-Go's Perfected Pop-Punk

Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Go's. She says at live shows, the band was "a runaway train that could crash at any minute, and I think that's what people respond to." Theresa Kereakes/NPR hide caption

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Theresa Kereakes/NPR

Turning The Tables

How The Go-Go's Perfected Pop-Punk

The Go-Go's proved that pop and punk could mingle to land at the top of the charts. "You can take the girl out of punk, but you can't take punk out of the girl," says Charlotte Caffey, lead guitarist.

Meet Linda Diaz, The Winner Of The 2020 Tiny Desk Contest

Linda Diaz is the winner of the 2020 Tiny Desk Contest. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Meet Linda Diaz, The Winner Of The 2020 Tiny Desk Contest

Host Ari Shapiro talks with Linda Diaz, the winner of this year's NPR Music Tiny Desk Contest. Her entry, "Green Tea Ice Cream" is a dreamy R&B song anchored by her skilled and soulful voice.

Meet Linda Diaz, The Winner Of The 2020 Tiny Desk Contest

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The South Is Rap's Past, Present And Future
Joelle Avelino for NPR

The South Is Rap's Past, Present And Future

Southern rappers' contributions to the genre have long been underestimated in favor of coastal hegemony – but the region has long steered the sound of hip-hop and deserves its story told in full.

Briana Younger And Rodney Carmichael On All Things Considered

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The Most Popular High School Plays And Musicals
LA Johnson/NPR

NPR Ed

The Most Popular High School Plays And Musicals

Mary Poppins is out and Matilda is in, according to the new high school theater rankings from the Educational Theatre Association. The organization has been publishing its list since 1938.

The Most Popular High School Plays And Musicals

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Let's Talk About Taylor Swift's 'Folklore'

Taylor Swift's eighth album, Folklore, was surprise-released Friday. The record features production by The National's Aaron Dessner and a new set of songwriting tools. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Editors' Picks

Let's Talk About Taylor Swift's 'Folklore'

Three critics dive into a new album full of surprises — released on a day's notice, co-produced by The National's Aaron Dessner — and ask how it fits into an arguably unprecedented career.

Breaking Down The Legacy Of Race In Traditional Music In America

Jake Blount, a 24-year-old banjoist and fiddler, is one of the people in the traditional music community working to educate others on the genre's Black roots. Michelle Lotker/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Michelle Lotker/Courtesy of the artist

America Reckons With Racial Injustice

Breaking Down The Legacy Of Race In Traditional Music In America

The symbols of America's racist past have been under intense scrutiny since the protests against police brutality erupted nationwide. Now, the traditional music community is having its own reckoning.

Breaking Down The Legacy Of Race In Traditional Music In America

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