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Music & Culture

Cecil Taylor, Jazz Icon Of The Avant-Garde, Dies At 89

6:11pm April 06, 2018

by Tom Vitale

Taylor stretched the beats in a measure and played notes outside the chords of a song. A pioneer of free jazz, the pianist and composer remained true to his vision even through financial struggle.

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Dave East serves as contemporary counterpoint to his mentor Nas in an episode of Rapture.

Netflix Banks On Hip-Hop's Mass Appeal With 'Rapture'

2:18pm April 06, 2018

by Rodney Carmichael

The streaming giant hooks up with another veteran hip-hop journalist in Sacha Jenkins to add to its expanding roster of rap-related explorations.

Music & Culture

Jazz, Freed: On Cecil Taylor's Expansive Brilliance

1:53pm April 06, 2018

by Nate Chinen

Over a career that sprawled across six full decades, Taylor maintained an unwavering standard of expedition. And what he discovered — in an endless, boundless process — was a world unto himself.

A sign installed at an interactive exhibition dedicated to Dr. Seuss at the Children's Museum of Manhattan on July 6, 2004.

Fizza-Ma-Wizza-Ma-Dill: The Elegance Of Trap And Dr. Seuss

11:04am April 06, 2018

by Sidney Madden

Pop culture and music critic Stephen Thompson ponders the connection between Migos' signature flow and hallowed children's' literature.

Cady (Erika Henningsen, left) wears pink along with fellow Plastics Gretchen (Ashley Park), Regina (Taylor Louderman) and Karen (Kate Rockwell) in the musical Mean Girls.

On Broadway, They Wear Pink: 'Mean Girls' Is Now A Musical

8:04am April 06, 2018

by Elizabeth Blair

A lot has changed since Mean Girls came out in 2004, but Tina Fey points to one reason the story still holds up: Older women and teens can both see themselves playing out their worst behavior.

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Slingshot artist Jade Bird performs her song "Lottery" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Music & Culture

Watch Rising Country Star Jade Bird Play 'The Tonight Show'

4:23pm April 05, 2018

by Cyrena Touros

The 2018 Slingshot artist wowed at SXSW for her super-charged vocal performances, and she matches that intensity with a rendition of "Lottery" for Jimmy Fallon.

Cardi B attends the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards in New York City on January 28, 2018.

Music & Culture

The Business Of Being Cardi B

2:11pm April 05, 2018

by Sidney Madden

With a major label debut looming, the Bronx rapper's unchecked charm remains her biggest asset — her Swarovski-encrusted skeleton key to the halls of fame.

Fleetwood Mac's classic single "Dreams" entered the Billboard charts again this week based off a meme's popularity.

Music & Culture

Thanks To A Tweet, Fleetwood Mac's 'Dreams' Is On The Charts

7:41pm April 04, 2018

by Cyrena Touros

Fleetwood Mac's 1977 song "Dreams" is sitting at No. 14 on a top rock chart because of its newfound popularity in Twitter memes.

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April 4, 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The week he died, American soul and R&B were at a high-water mark.

Music & Culture

Memphis Blues

4:41pm April 04, 2018

by Lauren Onkey

Topped by Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay," the R&B Top 20 from the week of March 30, 1968 shows American soul flourishing in all directions.

"It's a very natural process for me to write a song where there's absolutely no filter and really get down and peel all the different layers of the onion until I get to the heart of the matter," says Everett.

Music & Culture

Eels' Four-Year Break Led To Songs About Falling Apart, Bouncing Back And Being A Dad

2:19pm April 04, 2018

by Terry Gross

During a recent hiatus from music, Eels founder Mark Oliver Everett got married, got divorced and, at the age of 54, had a son. His latest album, The Deconstruction, is a reflection of it all.