logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2020
58m 26s

The Long, Complicated History of ‘Urban’...

The New York Times
About this episode

As the music industry reckons with racial inequality, one of the first old structures to fall has been a term that dates back to the 1970s. Guest: Nelson George.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Up next
Nov 10
5 Takeaways From the Grammy Nominations
Breaking down the story lines to watch from the new slate of nominees going into February’s big show. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio? ... Show More
44m 24s
Nov 6
Yung Lean Interview! On Defeating His Demons, Swedish Modesty & Charli XCX's Wedding
More than a decade after achieving viral fame as a teenage rapper outside of Stockholm, Yung Lean is back with new music, a new film and some hard-won clarity. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podca ... Show More
1h 34m
Oct 30
Rosalía Interview! On ‘Lux,’ Singing in 13 Languages, ‘Euphoria’ & Björk
The experimental Spanish pop star on why (and how) she pushed herself to use 13 languages on her new album “Lux,” a labor of love exploring the feminine divine and the brutalities of romance. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also s ... Show More
1h 30m
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2024
Rock Firsts By Black Artists
We would not be sitting here talking about rock music if it weren’t for people of African descent…if you start in the present and begin to trace things backward to important innovations and accomplishments, nine times out of ten, you’ll end up exploring something from black cultu ... Show More
36m 12s
May 2024
Country Music 1952
Musician include: Hank Thompson, Kitty Wells, Slim Whitman, Hank Williams, Red Foley and Ernest Tubb. Songs include: The Wild side of Life, Salty Dog Rag, Jambalya, It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels and Too Old to Cut the Mustard. 
38m 12s
Apr 2021
The Post-Punk Explosion Part 6: Ska
Every once in a while, music enters a state of flux where the direction of everything is, shall we say, undefined…we see and hear change but we’re not quite sure what it all means just yet…something is coming—but what?... All bets are off, the rulebook has been declared invalid ... Show More
34m 14s
Aug 2023
Jiahu Bone Flutes: the early sounds of human civilization
In this episode, we unravel the enchanting story of the Jiahu Bone Flutes, or Gudi, an ancient instrument that emerged over 8,000 years ago. Rediscovered in the 1980s, these flutes illuminate a rich musical heritage that has long been forgotten... 
14 m
Dec 2018
THE BEATLES / BACK IN THE USSR /REAR CHANNELS / FAB WHITE ALBUM 5.1MIXES VOL. ONE
Making innovative use of technology while expanding the possibilities of recorded music, the Beatles urged experimentation by Martin and his recording engineers. Seeking ways to put chance occurrences to creative use, accidental guitar feedback, a resonating glass bottle, a tape ... Show More
2m 42s
Feb 2018
The 90s Part 3: Grunge
Up until the 1990s, the section of the rock universe known as “alternative” was all over the place…there wasn’t what anyone could call a defining sound…if it was left of centre, weird to mainstream music fans and ignored by the media, then it was “alternative”... If you were ar ... Show More
26m 6s
Dec 2020
White Heat: Lou Reed vs. John Cale
Two burgeoning musical geniuses came together in the mid-60s to form the Velvet Underground, a group that expanded the definition of what a rock band could be. Lou Reed’s literary ambitions led him to craft lyrics steeped in the gritty language of the streets, while John Cale cal ... Show More
58m 46s