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Home » Andrew Barber

Tag: Andrew Barber

A diptych of portraits of composer Michael Vincent Waller and rapper Valee
Posted inMusic

‘It hits different’: Michael Vincent Waller meshes postminimalism and trap

by John Cotter November 15, 2021November 15, 2021

Sampling is a staple technique for music producers, and creates stepping-stones for the next artists in line. It also allows for genre-morphing mixes that look baffling on paper but can give a song an iconic appeal or breathe new life into it. And it can open doors for audiences, leading them to new sounds and […]

Posted inMusic

Naledge brings his rapper’s brain back to academia

by Leor Galil May 12, 2020August 18, 2021

Jabari “Naledge” Evans of Kidz in the Hall talks about his doctoral dissertation, incorporating hip-hop into education, the drill scene hacking the industry, and more.

Posted inMusic

PJ Gordon, hip-hop promoter, curator, and writer

by Leor Galil April 14, 2020August 18, 2021

“I have a pinned tweet on my page that says, ‘“I fucked someone to that playlist you made” is the highest compliment you can give me.’”

Posted inMusic

How did the ‘industry plant’ take root?

by Leor Galil March 15, 2019August 18, 2021

The ‘industry plant’ is hip-hop’s favorite conspiracy theory, used to discredit breakout successes—and it’s spreading to other genres, where it’s no more plausible.

Posted inMusic

Chicago rapper Queen Key is gonna need a bigger crown

by Leor Galil August 8, 2018August 18, 2021

With this summer’s Eat My Pussy, Chicago rapper Queen Key proves herself a star in the making, ready to carve out a larger role for women in the city’s hip-hop scene.

Posted inMusic

Chicago rapper Supa Bwe laps the pack

by Leor Galil April 3, 2018August 18, 2021

Supa Bwe brought pop-punk melodies to hip-hop years before the current crop of Soundcloud rappers, and he’s still evolving on the new Finally Dead.

Posted inBlogs

Fake Shore Drive founder Andrew Barber on ten years of blogging and the evolution of the Chicago hip-hop scene

by Leor Galil November 2, 2017August 18, 2021

Fake Shore Drive has grown alongside Chicago rap, becoming an institution in its own right—and it celebrates its tenth anniversary by reuniting Big Tymers for a show at the Portage.

Posted inBlogs

Chicago producer Mulatto Beats does the best work on his new album with his old friend Qari

by Leor Galil July 31, 2017August 18, 2021

Mulatto Beats and Qari began collaborating six years and two hip-hop groups ago, and they show how well they get each other on “Good to Lose.”

Posted inBlogs

Vic Mensa narrows his focus on crossover pop with The Manuscript

by Leor Galil June 8, 2017August 18, 2021

After foregrounding his radical politics with last year’s “16 Shots,” Vic Mensa emphasizes the pop aspects of his rap songs on a new EP.

Posted inMusic

The year Chicago hip-hop beat the haters

by Leor Galil December 22, 2016August 18, 2021

For ages, Chicago rappers tore each other down, as though the city could produce only one star at a time—but in 2016 the whole scene seemed to grasp the value of community.

Posted inMusic

A fond farewell to Empty Bottle floor manager Bob Johnson

by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil June 28, 2016August 18, 2021

A fond farewell to Empty Bottle floor manager Bob Johnson, a Manny Muscles benefit for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and more

Posted inMusic

Kweku Collins celebrates a great freshman year at Closed Sessions

by Leor Galil April 13, 2016August 18, 2021

Thoughtful young Evanston rapper and producer Kweku Collins celebrates a great freshman year at Closed Sessions with the release of his first album.

Posted inBlogs

Remembering DJ Timbuck2, a guiding force in Chicago hip-hop

by Leor Galil December 22, 2015August 18, 2021

A nightclub party starter, WGCI radio personality, and scene linchpin, DJ Timbuck2 died Saturday at age 34.

Posted inMusic

Let the Lollapalooza lineup predictions begin!

by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil March 11, 2015August 18, 2021

Gossip Wolf makes its first Lollapalooza predictions of 2015, a shakeup for Lord Mantis births another nasty metal band, and more.

Caleb James (right) and his father, Steve “Stone” Huff, at Safe House Church in Evanston, where Huff is a pastor
Posted inMusic

Chicago MC Caleb James does right by his dad

by Leor Galil March 4, 2014August 18, 2021

Caleb James grew up in his father’s studio, and now he’s ready to join his friends Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa in the spotlight.

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