This generation’s Ax Wizard, Gary Clark Jr., has announced Live North America, his new live album due out March 17th, and teased us with a sample in the form a music video for his live rendition of “The […]
Author: Sama'an Ashrawi
My Village Voice Pazz & Jop Best of 2016 Ballot
One really cool thing I have the honor and privilege of doing is voting in the historic, annual Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics Poll, and 2016’s ballot was easily the toughest to-date. So much good music […]
Nardwuar vs. Sama’an Ashrawi: Annotated
While I was in Vancouver, Nardwuar the Human Serviette invited me onto his radio show at CiTR in the amazing new Student Nest at the University of British Columbia for a guest DJ mix and interview. It was […]
Oslec Gives Us ‘Shakti’
Oslec’s new album ‘Shakti’ is another fine product of Santiago’s enclave of J. Dilla disciples. The Dilla connection is real– Oslec even collaborated with Dilla’s brother, Illa J, in 2012. The music coming out Santiago’s […]
DJ Khaled Was An Orlando Magic Ball Boy
Did you know that DJ Khaled used to be a ball boy for the Orlando Magic? Did you also know that he used to hustle his mixtapes to the team’s players– like Shaquille O’Neal? Probably […]
Ladybug Mecca’s Brookzill Mix – Featuring Me!
Q: What’s something Erykah Badu and I have in common? A: We’re both featured on Ladybug Mecca (of Digable Planets) new mixtape, released ahead of her new group Brookzill’s upcoming album, Throwback to the Future. Earlier […]
Drake’s ‘Codeine Views’ Arrives via The Chopstars
Some Most music just sounds better slowed down, and that includes Codeine Views, which Drake just premiered via the OVO website. Being from Houston, I love the way Drake educates folks about our culture– like always […]
Brookzill!’s New Song “Saudade Songbook” Is So Good
We love to see worlds collide, and that’s exactly what’s happening on “Saudade Songbook,” the new single from Brookzill!— a collaboration between Ladybug Mecca (of Digable Planets), Prince Paul (of De La Soul), Don Newkirk […]
The Suffers Take Us To “Midtown”
In the music video for (SMNTCS favorites) The Suffers‘ “Midtown,” which premiered on Solange’s Saint Heron, lead singer Kam Franklin finds herself face-to-face with a lover from her past. The video deals with the mush of […]
Parquet Courts and Bun B: A Likely Pairing
On July 14th, 2016, Bun B joined Parquet Courts on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to debut their remix of the Courts’ “Captive of the Sun.” Sifting through tweets on Twitter, folks just couldn’t believe these two […]