Music

R. Kelly arrives in court in Chicago in June 2019. On Monday, Hennepin County, Minn. announced two criminal charges against the singer.

Music & Culture

R. Kelly Charged With Two Criminal Counts In Minnesota

4:57pm August 05, 2019

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The attorney for Hennepin County, Minn. announced Monday afternoon that the singer is being charged with hiring a minor for prostitution in an alleged incident that dates back to 2001.

Music & Culture

Tim Baker's Big-Hearted Solo Debut

11:58am August 05, 2019

For more than a decade, he led the beloved Canadian band Hey Rosetta! Then they decided to take an indefinite hiatus.

Blues singer Bessie Smith poses for a portrait circa 1925 in New York City.

Music & Culture

The World Of Bessie Smith: A Turning The Tables Playlist

10:12am August 05, 2019

by Rita Houston

There's a world of music you enter when you open the Bessie Smith door. Our playlist showcases some of of Smith's best songs, as well as music from her influences and inheritors.

Music & Culture

Heat Check

6:18am August 05, 2019

by Sidney Madden

The R&B playlist for slow-burners, oddly satisfying cross-genre concoctions and the discoveries you almost want to keep for yourself.

Bas plays a Tiny Desk Concert on Jan. 15, 2019 .

Music & Culture

Bas: Tiny Desk Concert

5:00am August 05, 2019

by Sidney Madden

Bas came to the Tiny Desk to get it, and — in a breathless four-song set — he did exactly that.

Music & Culture

My Signature Song: 'No Scrubs'

7:58am August 03, 2019

Karan Nevatia of California shares his Signature Song, "No Scrubs," by TLC.

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Music & Culture

Rapper A$AP Rocky Released From Jail In Sweden

7:58am August 03, 2019

by Andrew Limbong

American rapper A$AP Rocky has been released from jail in Sweden after being held in custody for a month on assault charges. Unusually, President Trump sent a hostage negotiator to intervene.

iLe plays a Tiny Desk Concert on July 23, 2019 (Olivia Falcigno/NPR).

Music & Culture

iLe: Tiny Desk Concert

7:00am August 03, 2019

by Felix Contreras

The Calle 13 veteran, fresh off her appearance at demonstrations in Puerto Rico, performs three songs that rage with revolutionary intensity.

CATCH THE WAVE: Rapsody returns with her third full-length, Eve, on August 24.

Music & Culture

Rapsody Brings GZA, Mary J. And Roxanne Shante Out To Play. Seriously.

4:32pm August 02, 2019

by Rodney Carmichael

The first single from the North Carolina emcee's Eve also features a vocal cameo from D'Angelo.

R. Kelly, photographed at a court hearing in Illinois on June 26, 2019.

Music & Culture

R. Kelly Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Charges In New York

4:26pm August 02, 2019

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The R&B singer — who currently faces 18 federal charges related to the sexual abuse of girls and women — once again asserted his innocence, as he has for almost two decades.