There can be a lot of disconnect between rappers and the critics that review their work.  Frequently these (nebbishy, academic) critics, at least the ones I relate to, are content to let rappers define their own worlds—the critics understanding that they may lack perspective on the black experience with which rap is frequently concerned.  To […]

I was first introduced to Homeboy Sandman through a quote he gave to Format Magazine about three years ago, which made it obvious that I would have to check out the guy’s music. The quote is self-explanatory: “My pop is the man. Came over from the Dominican Republic at the age of 15. He didn’t […]

Nardwuar the Human Serviette is a squawky voiced, tartan-wearing Canadian who knows more about his interviewees than they do. The man previously called John Ruskin uses his encyclopedic knowledge of music to shock, impress and enlighten. His unorthodox approach includes asking his targets who they are, giving them presents and freezing in a wide mouthed […]

Born in Nova Scotia, raised in small-town Ontario, and about to jet off to London to work with Paul Epworth, Jeremy Rose aka Zodiac has come a long way in a short time. With a just-released solo EP and a ton of work in progress, he’s quickly moving out from under the shadow of his […]