Amoeba Music opened on November 17, 1990, in Berkeley, California, offering an eclectic palette of music...
Written by John Kruth
What’s the future of dance music? Godfathers of the new EDM movement Daft Punk have proposed an answer in the form of a question.
Written by Andre Torres
Premier is passionate and deadly serious about what he does, and on this evening he was relentless in articulating his philosophy of hip-hop.
Written by Andrew Mason
Living in post-9/11 Manhattan, I’ve had to learn to be more flexible than Gumby. I need more arms than Durga to field all the curve balls life’s throwing at me.
Written by John Kruth
Isaac Hayes, William Bell, Al Bell, Bettye Berger, Deanie Parker and Calvin Newborn share stories of Memphis during Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.
Written by Andria Lisle
The Meters have a convoluted history. While there’s no disputing their monumental influence on four decades of music, even original members....
Written by Ronnie Reese
Yusef Lateef discusses his colorful musical experiences that influenced his sonic persona and the influential producer Joel Dorn adds his unique perspective.
Written by John Kruth
Jazzy Jay has been digging since day one. Peeking into his basement studio in the heart of Brooklyn conjures up the dusty ghosts of crates past.
Written by Robbie Busch
The Hot 8 Brass Band is a juggernaut of sweat, breath, metal, and drums, a powerhouse that lets nothing get in its way.
Written by Andrew Mason
Remembering the life of J Dilla, featuring conversations with those closest to him, including Q-Tip, Common, Busta Rhymes, Questlove and more.
Written by Ronnie Reese
Back in the good old days of 1977 when gas lines were long and unemployment was high, there were two schools of DJs competing for Black and Latino audiences in New York City....
Written by Mark McCord
Ask music lovers what Detroit means to them, and you’ll probably hear mention of Berry Gordy or Norman Whitfield, perhaps George Clinton. That said, techno's roots can't be ignored.
Written by Dan Bean
Back in the early ’60s, my sister’s hipster boyfriend used to bring his Herbie Mann albums over to our house, along with a couple Modern Jazz Quartet and Mose Allison records....
Written by John Kruth
Barrington Levy, the most important and best-admired vocalist to emerge from the early dancehall movement, discusses his past, present and future.
Written by David Katz
9th Wonder chats with Wax Poetics about the records that influenced him and discusses his mission to teach hip-hop history to the next generation.
Written by David Ma
When did you first hear the Skull Snaps? Was it in the summer of 1993 when the Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By” rode the pneumatic drums of the...
Written by Andrew Mason
The true story of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Written by Mark McCord
Welcome to the world of Daniel Dumile, whose youthful nickname of “Doom,” a phonetic abbreviation of his last name, has come to describe one of the most masterful rap artists.
Written by Andrew Mason
I’d finally done it. Somehow I managed to scrape together the loot, eighty-some bucks to buy the Ornette Coleman box set Beauty Is a Rare Thing and was on my way home...
Written by John Kruth
After I interviewed DJ Rhettmatic for the Record Rundown in Wax Poetics Issue 22, he mentioned being clowned by fellow World Famous Beat Junkie J.Rocc for exceeding the normal...
Written by Ronnie Reese
Written by Andria Lisle
An Extract from People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee “Scratch” Perry
Written by David Katz
It was an overlooked song by one of the more underrated rappers of his generation, and it was a masterpiece.
Written by Mark McCord
Pete Rock keeps active nowadays by doing what he perfected as a teenager: putting sounds into his sampler and banging out beats.
Written by David Ma
Meet Kool DJ Red Alert, part of the trinity of DJs that fostered the Zulu Nation during the early days of hip-hop, along with Afrika Bambaataa and Jazzy Jay.
Written by Robbie Busch
The Fishtail Bar in the Bay Watch Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is right out back overlooking the beach. Dozens of families are crowded in several swimming pools....
Written by Mark McCord
Slick Rick set the standard in rap’s glory years
Written by David Ma
Shuggie Otis sits down for a conversation to discuss his early life, main guitar inspirations, turning down a gig with the Rolling Stones and much more.
Written by Ronnie Reese
DJ Shadow discusses transformations in record-buying culture, how his interest in 45s began, his first digging experience, and pinpoints the record that “changed his life.”
Written by David Ma
Sure, tropicália is more than one band, but Os Mutantes encapsulated the movement’s reckless cultural cannibalism, absurdist humor, and innovative music like no one else.
Written by Allen Thayer
Jimmy Cliff is one of reggae’s true pioneers. Helping to inaugurate the Beverley’s Records label in the early 1960s....
Written by David Katz
David Holmes grew up as the youngest of ten in Belfast, Northern Ireland. With so many older siblings, he was surrounded by music from a very early age.
Written by Robbie Busch
It starts with a check for $3.19. Without that check, there is no Motown. Without Motown, there is no Smokey Robinson. Without them, say good-bye to Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin....
Written by Travis Atria
The streets of New York City weren’t very pretty in the 1970s. Littered throughout once welcoming communities, an influx of heroin junkies, many broken young brothers home....
Written by Michael A. Gonzales
After a rather combative interview with Teddy Pendergrass for Wax Poetics 33, I was often asked, “What was up with Teddy that day?”
Written by Ronnie Reese
“The wildness is exquisitely wholesome. Furious dancing. Gentle laughter. Crepe paper and tinsel. Body energy shakes the room…”
Written by Andy Thomas
Tim Maia was never satisfied. Brazil’s number one soul brother had a voracious appetite for both carnal and philosophical indulgences.
Written by Allen Thayer
Although enlightened music fans the world over were saddened by the passing of organist Lyman Woodard, the relationship that Wax Poetics had formed with the gifted musician and composer....
Written by Jon Kirby
I had no expectations going into this interview with Teddy Pendergrass at the Conrad Chicago hotel.
Written by Ronnie Reese
Gamble and Huff cooked up the perfect recipe for Philadelphia soul
Written by Ronnie Reese
When greats like Pete Rock and DJ Premier acknowledge people of influence, they often mention Large Professor.
Written by David Ma
Lamont Dozier was a natural-born hitmaker. His famed songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland gained unparalleled success in the R&B world...
Written by Travis Atria
It’s hard to imagine an era when an industry giant like Capitol Records would have to choose between signing Brief Encounter or Maze.
Written by Jon Kirby
Written by Travis Atria
Keyboardist George Duke had his ecclectic beginnings playing with Frank Zappa’s band. Then he conquered the funky jazz scene on Germany’s MPS label.
Written by Jon Kirby
Meeting Tom Moulton is a bit like meeting Henry Ford. Whether you know it or not, if you’ve driven a car, you owe something to Ford. And if you’ve danced in a club....
Written by Andrew Mason
It could be argued that the real architect of Chicago house music was in fact a wild and pioneering DJ by the name of Ron Hardy.
Written by Andy Thomas
That Teena Marie has authored several of the most enduring classics of modern funk is undeniable.
Written by Andrew Mason
"As some folks say, I helped create the disco music, the house music, and a lot of other different things," says Bohannon. Now he's left many people wondering what he’s been up to.
Written by Ronnie Reese
There are a few things to know about Erykah Badu. First, she lives on a different plane. One that only true-blue, dyed-in-the-wool artists inhabit.
Written by Travis Atria
Singer, songwriter, and musician Michael Eugene Archer, who later adopted the jiggy stage name D’Angelo, released his groundbreaking album, Brown Sugar, in 1995.
Written by Michael A. Gonzales
It was winter of 1994, and I had just scored a sweet assignment to interview the king of “champagne soul,” Barry White, in Europe.
Written by Michael A. Gonzales
Let it be known: this time around, Bilal is not about love songs.
Written by Marisa Aveling
L.A. bass cat moves fluidly from Suicidal Tendencies gigs to slinky George Duke covers
Written by Marisa Aveling
Ishmael Butler effortlessly made his mark on hip-hop in 1993 with his unique voice and delivery, and the overall musical aesthetic of his group, Digable Planets.
Written by Jon Kirby
Pianist Robert Glasper for years made straightahead jazz records and experimented with fusion on the side. Now he embraces the totality of Black music to bring jazz up to speed.
Written by Marisa Aveling
Nasir Jones dropped his 1994 debut Illmatic as a living legend. And his use of several superstar producers on the same album set a hip-hop precendent that forever changed the game.
Written by Travis Atria
It was Aug. 11, 1973, and a teen from the Bronx, NY, named Coke was helping his homeboy Clive “Kool Herc” Campbell set up stereo equipment for a party scheduled for that night.
Written by Michael A. Gonzales
DJ Shadow would push the boundaries of sampling with his early Mo' Wax releases.
Written by David Ma
The funky ballad of David Bowie’s time in Philly, the making of Young Americans, and his transition into Station to Station.
Written by A. D. Amorosi
On a sunny October morning in 2015, a historic marker was placed in front of Sigma Sound Studios, the Philadelphia landmark recording hot spot.
Written by A. D. Amorosi
Kamasi Washington received worldwide recognition for arranging and playing saxophone on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly.
Written by Allen Thayer
In an arena where MCs seldom have extended careers, Wu-Tang’s Ghostface Killah has increasingly improved through two decades after his 1996 solo debut, Ironman.
Written by David Ma
Producer, songwriter, and organist Edwin Birdsong is the anonymous genius behind some of jazz-funk’s most cosmic moments.
Written by Andy Thomas
Composer, arranger, and producer Thom Bell has quietly made his mark on the sound of popular music for the last half century.
Written by A. D. Amorosi
Growing up with a roller-disco mom and drummer dad, Kon has been chasing the perfect beat his entire life.
Written by Allen Thayer
Willed into being by one man, Earth, Wind & Fire became one of the biggest acts of the 1970s.
Written by Ericka Blount Danois
I’ve been fortunate enough to know “Poppa” Willie Mitchell for a handful of years. When we first met, in August 2000, I was working for Ike Turner, who decided to...
Written by Andria Lisle
Brazilian singer Ed Motta channeled his lifelong love for well-produced AOR groups like Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers and delivers a slick and melodic ode to yacht rock.
Written by Allen Thayer
Getting his first shot with Marley Marl’s Juice Crew—and the posse cut “The Symphony”—Kool G Rap was a real hip-hop OG.
Written by David Ma
On the heels of her best-selling debut, Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number, fifteen-year-old Aaliyah was rocked by a sex scandal that would have crushed a lesser talent.
Written by Michael A. Gonzales
The Roots first hit the national spotlight as a live hip-hop act with their 1993 indie debut, Organix...
Written by Ericka Blount Danois
“My style is combined from a lot of different things I got growing up,” veteran producer and DJ Louie Vega states.
Written by Andrew Mason
You couldn't ask for a better guide to New York club culture than Danny Krivit. He sits with Wax Poetics to share twelve influential records.
Written by Andrew Mason
It was 1987, and I was making my regular pilgrimage to Music Factory in Times Square, searching for goodies of the audible kind.
Written by Andrew Mason
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