How Cam’ron Built a Sports-Media Mini Empire With It Is What It Is
The pugnacious Harlem rap legend now hosts the most unfiltered hour of commentary in sports with his onetime arch-rival, Mase. But even as he trolls harder than ever - yes, that’s football correspondent O.J. Simpson - Killa Cam is slowly embracing a surprising new philosophy: Love and friendship conquers all. (GQ)
For nearly a decade, grime’s vast musical tapestry has been reimagined by a host of beatmakers determined to test the capabilities of the genre. From the soulful to the hard-hitting, this growing subsection of the sound - known as mellow grime - incorporates everything from R&B to drill in its makeup, and has seemingly ramped up in the last couple of years, serving to give those old enough to remember grime’s classics another way of appreciating them, while introducing it to new ears. (TRENCH)
Jawnino Is Embracing the Chaos
South London MC Jawnino's low-slung rhymes and heady, experimental productions are pushing grime to thrilling new places. (Crack)
In Conversation: Mike Bingham of Spiritual Cramp
After six years, Spiritual Cramp made a deceptively complex debut album worthy of the wait. Mike Bingham has been working on himself for at least as long. It turns out he's deceptively complex, too. (Anti-Matter)
Live Forever: Oasis’s Definitely Maybe, 30 Years On
The Manchester band released their debut album in 1994 and changed the course of music history forever. Writer Jon Savage, who saw them perform four times that year, remembers a pivotal moment in British pop, culture and politics. (Esquire)
How Cassettes and Tape-Trading Shaped Hip-Hop’s Early Years
What Was The Village Voice?
These tapes and the underground, tape-trading economy played a vital role in documenting and spreading the music nationwide. (Spin)
The Freaks Came Out to Write is an oral history of America’s most important alternative weekly. (NYT)
Room Service by Michael McGregor
A study of elegance, decadence, and travel, the snapshot drawings featured in Michael McGregor’s new book Room Service capture and preserve the small, fleeting moments cherished during travel. (Juxtapoz)
Herb Sundays 103 & 104: IDEA
Angela Hill and David Owen of London's book and curio empire, IDEA, come forth with a serious haul. (Herb Sundays)
Jenkem Mix 137: Citi Bike Boyz
Complete with a curated tracklist denoting what time of the week listening should occur. (Jenkem)
