Music & Culture

RTJ4 seems tailor-made for the present moment, but Run the Jewels has always made music about inequality and corruption in America. "In my mind, things are never not happening," Killer Mike says.

Music & Culture

On 'RTJ4,' Run The Jewels Is A Speaker Box For Society

6:57am June 08, 2020

by Frannie Kelley

El-P and Killer Mike have always had their fingers on the pulse, and their fourth album once again captures the mood of a country on edge after George Floyd's death sparked national protests.

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Music & Culture

The 2020 Latin Alternative Music Conference Moves Online

6:14pm June 07, 2020

by Felix Contreras

The 21st Latin Alternative Music Conference runs from June 9 through June 13. With help from live TV producer José Tillán, all of its panels, workshops and performances will be held entirely online.

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Zeshan B sings like a classic soul artist, but also incorporates South Asian influences into his music. On his new album, Melismatic, he tackles social and political issues in both English and Urdu.

Music & Culture

Zeshan B On 'Melismatic' And Creating Music That Champions Brown Power

8:01am June 07, 2020

NPR's Lulu Garcia Navarro speaks with singer Zeshan Bagewadi about his new album Melismatic, solidarity between communities of color and the link between the sounds of soul and Indo-Pakistani music.

Protesters in Washington, D.C., hold up their phones during a demonstration outside the White House over the death of George Floyd.

Music & Culture

At The D.C. Protests, A 'Lean On Me' Singalong Offered A Moment Of Solace

9:09am June 06, 2020

by Melissa Block

This week at the protests in Washington, D.C., thousands of voices joined spontaneously in singing the Bill Withers classic "Lean on Me," led by local musician Kenny Sway.

Music & Culture

How Nashville's HBCU-Owned Jazz Station Holds A Community Together

8:01am June 06, 2020

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Sharon Kay, general manager of Fisk University's WFSK about serving its audience as protests continue in Nashville over police brutality.

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Music & Culture

Country Star Mickey Guyton: Why Being 'Black Like Me' Shouldn't Be Twice As Hard

6:00am June 06, 2020

by Jewly Hight

"I did Nashville the Nashville way for so long ... with very little results," Guyton tells NPR. "So why am I holding out just in case?"

The title track from La Mera Candelaria's album Si Reina, is among Byron Gonzalez's picks for this World Cafe guest DJ session.

Music & Culture

KCSN's Byron Gonzalez Defines Latin Alternative

4:31pm June 05, 2020

The Latin Alt program director Byron Gonzalez shares songs from a few of his favorite artists making music outside the Latin mainstream.

A protester photographed in Trafalgar Square in central London on June 5, 2020.

Music & Culture

The New Sounds Of Protest And Hope

10:44am June 05, 2020

by Ann Powers

As demonstrations for racial equality continue across the U.S. and the world, artists have been shaping and sharing their grief, fury, resolve and vision for the future.

Terri Lyne Carrington Social Science plays a Tiny Desk Concert (Laura Beltran Villamizar/NPR).

Music & Culture

'Hope, Rage And Cries For Help': 5 Essential Tiny Desk Concerts

10:37am June 05, 2020

by Bobby Carter

From Terri Lyne Carrington to Jorja Smith, many artists have used their Tiny Desk concerts to express themselves, including songs of protest, cries for help, and messages of hope and rage.

From right to left: Candelas Guitars owner Tomás Delgado, musician and customer Stephanie Amaro and her husband, guitarist Andy Abad.

Music & Culture

How A Historic LA Guitar Shop Is Fighting To Stay Afloat During The Pandemic

5:51am June 05, 2020

by Betto Arcos

Candelas Guitars has been open in East LA for nearly 75 years. It's run by a third-generation Mexican American luthier who is struggling to keep the business going during the shutdown.

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