The real story behind the origin of gangsta rap is difficult to discern. Between the bombastic rhetoric and imagery, the larger-than-life characters, and the subsequent success of many of the individuals, it is hard to know exactly what to believe.
Ben Westhoff’s new book, Original Gangstas: The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur and th ... Show More
Today
Ryan Angulo and Doug Crowell, "Kindness & Salt: Recipes for the Care & Feeding of Your Friends & Neighbors" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018)
When Brooklyn restaurateurs Doug Crowell and Ryan Angulo opened Buttermilk Channel in Carroll Gardens in 2008, they created more than a restaurant—they built a neighborhood institution. Known for dishes like Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Cheddar Waffles and towering Popovers, the ... Show More
41m 55s
Today
Ijeoma Uchegbu, "Chain Reaction: How Chemistry Shapes Us and Our World" (HarperCollins, 2026)
By one of the world's leading chemists, an entertaining and revealing tour of the chemical bonds that shape our everyday lives and provide the infrastructure for our chaotic world. We all have a relationship with chemistry. Bonds between molecules, forged and broken in the blink ... Show More
49m 32s
Yesterday
Andrew Wilson, "I Wanna Be Loved By You: Marilyn Monroe: A Life in 100 Takes" (Grand Central Publishing, 2026)
Publishing one hundred years after her birth, Andrew Wilson’s biography of Marilyn Monroe, I Wanna Be Loved By You: Marilyn Monroe: A Life in 100 Takes (Grand Central Publishing, 2026), is a kaleidoscopic tour of her life told through 100 captivating snapshots.Dreamer. Bombshell. ... Show More
44m 23s
Oct 2020
Felicia Angeja Viator, "To Live and Defy in LA: How Gangsta Rap Changed America" (Harvard UP, 2020)
In 1985, Greg Mack, a DJ working for Los Angeles radio station KDAY, played a song that sounded like nothing else on West Coast airwaves: Toddy Tee’s “The Batteram,” a hip hop track that reflected the experiences of a young man growing up in 1980s Compton. The song tells about th ... Show More
1h 17m
Mar 2023
DJ QUIK | Ep 173 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball
On the latest episode of ALL THE SMOKE, one of the most revered figures in rap since his early-'90s debut, DJ Quik, sits down with Matt and Stak to reflect on his career. The legendary producer and rapper discusses how he broke onto the musical scene, and shares epic stories from ... Show More
1h 44m
May 2024
Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and the Benefits of Beef
<p>The rap superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been on a collision course for a decade, trading periodic diss tracks to assert their superiority—but earlier this month the long-simmering beef erupted into a showdown that said as much about the artists as it did about the art ... Show More
46m 16s
<p>In September 2024, Eminem released a new song - the lyrics read:</p><p>“I’m like a R-A-P-E-R </p><p>Got so many SAs </p><p>Wait </p><p>He didn’t just spell the word rapper and leave out a P-Didhe?</p><p>RIP, rest in peace Biggie and Pac </p><p>Both of y’all should be living </ ... Show More
