Recent posts: hiphop

As a casual daily music listener, it’s easy to take for granted why your favorite songs sound so good. All you know is that when you turn the volume up and hear the rattling bass that gets you hyped or the crisp blend of choruses, to which you sing along in the shower, they transport you elsewhere on an album’s journey. Developing a new curiosity about how critical mixing and engineering impact music’s final product, I recently discovered a fascinating world that’s as much artistic as it is technical which deserves utmost respect. Delving into my favorite albums and songs throughout the years with this lens, one name popped up over and over again- Neal Pogue.

Viewing the 2025 NAMM Show performance schedule, I devoted time each day to peep live amazing live acts from a myriad of music genres. Arriving on Wednesday, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to catch hip-hop and R&B/soul string quartet wholesoul at the cozy Westin Hotel which served as the perfect venue to showcase the group’s skills as their music floated in the air from afar. Featuring Julliard classically trained violist Drew Forde aka “ThatViolaKid” among the foursome, their short set flew by.

Descending yet again on Anaheim Convention Center for its 102nd year, NAMM Show returned to Southern California with its flurry of interactive talks, lectures, award shows and musical instrument demos at the end of January. Initially not sure how I would maximize my days in the musical melody mecca, NAMM Show+ emerged conveniently providing an organized guide including an up to the minute schedule of events, a detailed map and link to livestreamed sessions broadcast internationally. Drawing aspiring students to seasoned professionals, NAMM Show proved once more why it remains THE premier place to connect with a unique group of world class musicians, instrument brands and business execs from across the globe.

Walking through the Grammy Museum’s latest “Hip-Hop America- The Mixtape Exhibit”, flashes of fiery media clips, interactive pods and historic rare artifacts greet the visitor from the jump. Inspecting every display case during its preview a few weeks ago, it’s clear the expertise, care and thought that went into the exhibit’s creation. Wandering through the halls, I luckily connected with one of the exhibit’s co-curators, Felicia Angeja Viator, who brought her vast cultural knowledge and background to the table, ensuring West Coast hip-hop repped throughout.

Weeks after the Grammy Museum’s lauded “Hip Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit” opening, the celebratory mood continued with one of its exhibit’s contributors Chuck D being featured on a panel highlighting the latest Amazon Audible docuseries ‘Can You Dig It?’. On a busy downtown LA Tuesday night with The Lakers playing down the block, casual fan and hip-hop purist museum members alike gathered to hear more about the 1970’s Burning Bronx’s Ghetto Brothers’ Black Benjie’s gang murder backstory, leading to a peaceful culmination of Kool Herc’s historic 1520 Sedgwick Ave’s house party hip-hop birth.

Previewing Grammy Museum’s new “Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit” before its public opening a few weeks ago, my eyes immediately met priceless, meaningful cultural artifacts at every turn. Among the friendly faces greeting the small crowd of photographers and journalists viewing these rarities, stood UCLA’s English and African-American Studies “Professor of Hip-Hop” and Rap Lab founding director Adam Bradley. As a life-long lover of poetry and song lyrics, I was hyped to connect with him about his passion for the art form and his influence on the prominent “Lyrical Adventures” pod within the exhibit.

Entering The Grammy Museum’s latest ” Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit”, in the center of the room, an eye-catching case with studded jeweled nails worn by Bay Area rapper Saweetie, rests. Contributing this trendsetting piece of hip-hop art is celebrity artist and nail salon owner Temeka Jackson. Beginning her nail art journey as the first Black nail technician in New Haven, Connecticut, she’s appeared in reality shows like “Next Top Nail Artist” and “Nailed It”. Today, staying booked and busy, her custom creations reign on red carpets, music video sets and magazine covers on the reg.

Getting the unique opportunity to preview Los Angeles’ Grammy Museum’s latest exhibit before doors opened on Friday, Dilla’s personal cassette tapes, Andre 3000’s flamboyant feathery suede jumpsuit, Saweetie’s elaborate nail art, and a B-Boy posed in mid-head spin all awaited me inside.