For hip-hop's not-official-but-kind-of-official 50th birthday, we dig into its many contradictions. From the legend of the South Bronx block party where hip-hop was born to the multi-billion-dollar global industry and tool for U.S. diplomacy it has become, America's relationship with hip-hop — and the people who make it — is complicated.
Yesterday
Voting rights are at risk. Here's why.
Next Wednesday, the Supreme Court hears a case that could further weaken the Voting Rights Act, which was passed to ensure fair districting and voting practices across different racial groups. Meanwhile, lawmakers across states are taking other paths to limit who can vote, from r ... Show More
34m 4s
Sep 24
Is the American dream a scam?
This week on the pod: author Edgar Gomez talks about what it was like growing up poor, queer, and Nicaraguan Puerto Rican in Florida. His new memoir, Alligator Tears, chronicles his dreams of making it big, the various mini-scams he got into along the way, and his realization tha ... Show More
33m 10s
Aug 2023
Beats, rhymes and life: Hip-hop at 50
DJ and writer Lynnée Denise marks hip-hop’s 50th year by speaking to leading names about the music, the art and the creativity of this global cultural movement. Legendary hip-hop producer Pete Rock reminisces over the last five decades, celebrating the artform, exploring its soci ... Show More
26m 25s
Jul 2020
De Sugarhill Gang au mouvement hip-hop
À la fin des années 70, à l’heure où le disco et la funk résonnent à travers le monde, un nouveau mouvement apparaît, tout d’abord dans les ghettos noirs new-yorkais : c’est le mouvement hip-hop. En 1979, un hit mondial va à lui seul définir les bases du rap. Rapper’s Delight, de ... Show More
48m 30s
Feb 2023
Special preview: Trymaine Lee on 50 years of hip-hop
This Black History Month, MSNBC’s “Into America” podcast celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with a special mini-series, “Street Disciples: Politics, Power and the Rise of Hip-Hop.” Hosted by Trymaine Lee, the series explores how our country’s political and economic forces ... Show More
5m 34s