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
Lim Tse Wei, "Little Perfections: Eating in Singapore" (Kitchen Arts and Letters, 2026)
Despite the implications of its subtitle, this is not a travel guide to Singapore, although readers run the risk of becoming tempted to venture there. Author Lim Tse Wei begins this collection of essays with the candid admission, “I am a somewhat unusual cook. My main qualificati ... Show More
42m 27s
Today
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, "The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us" (Liveright Publishing, 2026)
MacArthur Fellow and National Humanities Medalist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of Plato at the Googleplex and The Mind-Body Problem, returns with a revelatory book about the primal drive that in our species alone has been transformed into one of our most persistent and uni ... Show More
43m 46s
May 7
Mary Lucia, " What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Weirder and Harder to Relate To" (U Minnesota Press, 2025)
In What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Weirder and Harder to Relate To (U Minnesota Press, 2025) an iconic rock DJ of the Twin Cities tells her harrowing story of being stalked while living her very public life What's it like to be in the public spotlight when it just might get you kil ... Show More
46m 38s
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
Mar 2025
JIM CARREY ARIANA GRANDE Academy Awards, Hollywood & Music Exposed by Professor Hamamoto Part 6 | AU350
Hamamoto on YouTube: / @professorhamamoto Watch part 5 here: https://youtube.com/live/TaF8EMyS4V4Watch Prof Hamamoto Part 4 https://youtube.com/live/TkUr4CanA_kWatch Prof Hamamoto Part 3 https://youtube.com/live/qUHdKtabgNoProf. Darrell Hamamoto, who is an American writer, academ ... Show More
1h 35m
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
