Cops say masked teens with a thirst for violence and joyrides are terrorizing the city. An examination of arrests reveals a narrative built on shoddy data and anecdotal evidence.
Tag: Kendrick Lamar
Posted inMusic
Rapsody shows why she belongs in hip-hop’s pantheon with Eve
Hip-hop has welcomed a platoon of talented emerging artists over the past five years or so, but few exhibit their love for the art of rapping quite like North Carolina’s Marlanna Evans, better known as Rapsody. In the late 2000s, she formed a crucial bond with star producer 9th Wonder, who signed her to his […]
Posted inMusic
Curator Adia Sykes on a voice that takes you back to the golden age of soul
Current musical obsessions of ESS codirector Olivia Junell, curator Adia Sykes, and Reader music editor Philip Montoro
Posted inArts & Culture
‘In Their Own Form’ takes a long look at Afrofuturism beyond Black Panther
The movement—really more a wide-ranging cultural and aesthetic philosophy—has roots deep in the 19th century.
Posted inBlogs
Chicago R&B singer Ravyn Lenae brings her heavenly voice closer to earth on the new Crush EP
Ravyn Lenae reaches outside her Zero Fatigue crew to work with Odd Future-affiliated R&B guitarist and producer Steve Lacy.
Posted inBlogs
Groundbreaking Chicago drill rapper Fredo Santana died this weekend
Six years ago Fredo Santana helped make Chicago the epicenter of the rap world, and on Friday he passed away at age 27.
Posted inBlogs
Peter Margasak’s 40 favorite albums of 2017, numbers 20 through 11
Veteran Reader critic Peter Margasak counts down his 40 favorite records of the year—this installment includes music by Oumou Sangaré, Kendrick Lamar, and Saicobab.
Posted inBlogs
Emanuel won’t allow the Cubs to play more night games at Wrigley, and other Chicago news
Also, Kendrick Lamar popped up at his own West Loop pop-up shop.
Posted inMusic
In rap right now, there’s Kendrick Lamar and there’s everyone else
The reason you’ll want to see Kendrick Lamar in concert is that he’s indisputably the best rapper alive right now. Lamar had the daunting task of releasing a follow-up to 2015’s To Pimp a Butterfly, which landed atop multiple year-end lists, including Pitchfork’s and Rolling Stone’s—a sharp-eyed examination of black American identity, Butterfly contained a […]
Posted inMusic
In praise of Pitchfork’s Blue Stage
Pitchfork’s Blue Stage lets you see the likes of Arca, Dawn Richard, Mitski, Survive, and Pinegrove before they’re too big to get close to.
Posted inBlogs
Chicago rapper Valee ends his catchy songs so early you’ll want to imagine where they might’ve led
Local rapper Valee may be too idiosyncratic to sound specifically Chicagoan, but he couldn’t have made the concise, open-ended songs on his new 1988 mixtape anywhere else.
Posted inBlogs
Moonlight, Major Lazer, and midwestern Devo heads: music stories making the rounds on the Web
The Reader‘s weekly look at music stories we didn’t publish ourselves
Posted inMusic
Ben Burden blends hip-hop, R&B, and pushback against toxic masculinity
After an injury ended Ben Burden’s soccer career, he came to Chicago and found his true self in a distinctive, open-hearted fusion of hip-hop and R&B.
Posted inMusic
The U. of C.’s Seth Brodsky on Kendrick Lamar’s instructions for resistance
Current musical obsessions of Reader critic Peter Margasak, SAIC assistant professor Seth Kim-Cohen, and U. of C. assistant professor Seth Brodsky
Posted inBlogs
Rapper Kembe X returns to town behind the ferocious single ‘Squad Day’
In June rumors spread that Kembe X had signed with TDE—and even though he didn’t, you should still listen to his new album, Talk Back.