The Sheck Wes story
Harlem rapper Sheck Wes's star rises in the shadow of Dapper Dan and Cheikh Amadou Bamba.
Music
Time traveling with Manu Dibango
Manu Dibango has been here for centuries, and he ain't goin' away any time soon.
In Langa with Louis Moholo-Moholo
Free jazz drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo comes home to his childhood home in Cape Town, carrying the spirit of his generation.
This is Nigeria
A group of Nigerian thinkers debate rapper Falz's take on Childish Gambino's viral "This Is America."
This is democracy, political hysteria
Why has Childish Gambino's "This is America" video resonated with so many people around the world?
Young, Latin & Black
Chief Boima and Francesca Harding on race and cultural difference in Latin America through the lens of trap music.
Wanlov The Kubolor and the spirit of forward thinking
More than a decade after his first hit, Wanlov the Kubolor remains a fiercely creative, independent and critical deconstructor of all things commercial.
Two places called Kongo
Francesca Harding joins Chief Boima for the fourth episode recorded in Los Angeles, California. Our guest is Angolan activist Mel Gamboa.
Sounds of wisdom
The Sauti za Busara festival in Zanzibar aims to show that music is much more than a collection of tunes.
Nipsey’s immigrant hustle
Eritrean-American rapper Nipsey Hussle mix of immigrant and street hustle.
Drake’s Plan
The plot of Drake's music video for "God's Plan" is him giving him out money to the poor. What was he trying to say?
The boy called Hugh because he loved the trumpet
Lesedi Tshane's grandfather played with Hugh Masekela. He would later study with Masekela and replace Masekela on a bill with Abdullah Ibrahim.
Africando in Colombia
A deep dive into the African-influenced music scene of the Colombian Caribbean coast.
Cuba and the Black Pacific
A deeper look at the contemporary Cuban Hip Hop scene with Luna Olavarria Gallegos, one of the producers of the Afro Razones project.
The wanderers from Niger
Nigerien band Anewal eschews explicit politics and sings mostly of harmony and brotherhood.
Zimbabwe Coup Music Edition
Ten post-independence, pre-coup struggle songs that critiqued ZANU-PF under Mugabe and imagined a leadership change and different political culture.
Defend Puerto Rico
This weekend's music break is dedicated to the isla del encancto.
Despacito Will Not Save Us
The hit song and its production reflect everything that is wrong with the music industry and how it exploits the cultural production of communities of color.