Monthly Digest #2: May-June 2021

New 2Pac Book, Death Row Records, RIP Chi Modu, RIP Gift Of Gab, ALLBLACK, Mac Dre, Master P, Larry June, Young M.A., Dru Down, Morray, CunninLynguists, Maxwell, Lil Kim, Marvin Gaye, DJ Screw, etc.

Welcome to the latest edition of my monthly digest where I share cool and interesting stuff I’ve been reading, watching or listening to lately.

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✍️ WRITINGS ✍️

TIDAL @TIDAL

“Death Row to me is like a machine... The biggest, strongest superpower in the Hip-Hop world. In order to do the things that I got to do, we gotta have that superpower,” 2Pac told VIBE in 1996. “Now we gotta expand and show exactly what a superpower is.” TIDAL.link/DeathRow30

Death Row Records @deathrowmusic

Welcome to the Death Row Virtual Experience. deathrowexperience.com @FluxEightyEight @tillavision

Donald Morrison @DonnyMorrison26

I've spent the past 10 months trying to solve one of hip-hop's biggest mysteries: the 2004 murder of Mac Dre. Now, using more that 1,300 pages of never-before-seen documents and dozens of interviews, that mystery is solved.

passionweiss.comWho Killed Mac Dre?Over 1,200 documents from the Kansas City Police Department help shed light on one of hip-hop’s biggest mysteries.

New York Times Music @nytimesmusic

When hip-hop was still gaining its footing in pop culture and the mainstream media hadn’t caught up, The Source stepped into that void. So did Chi Modu, who was frequently the first professional photojournalist his subjects encountered.

nyti.msChi Modu, Photographer Who Defined 1990s Hip-Hop, Dies at 54His images of the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre and many more helped shape rap music’s visual identity.

Julien Tribet aka Kicket @Kicket187Prod

#thread In loving memory of the late great @chimodu, gotta share these few pages (including the intro and a full interview) taken from his #Uncategorized 2Pac photobook. You can buy it at uncategorized.com One of the best to ever 📸 it. #RIPChiModu 1/5

Anurag Shukla @atal_pundit

Life and works of Chi Modu: the photographer behind your favorite Hip-hop pictures [A Thread]

The Ringer @ringer

How Master P laid the groundwork for the No Limit dynasty with his 1996 album, ‘Ice Cream Man.’ @paulxt:

theringer.comThe Improbable Empire: Master P’s ‘Ice Cream Man’ and the Birth of a Southern Rap DynastyThe No Limit CEO’s first major work turns 25

Pendarvis H. @OGpenn

Aye, San Francisco's Rap scene is lightweight on fire. ... Someone should write about it. Happy #415Day. Here's my latest:

kqed.orgA Salute to San Francisco Rap | KQEDThe City got somethin’ to say, that’s all I got to say.

The Ringer @ringer

Too Short, Digital Underground, En Vogue, and Tony! Toni! Toné! all dropped classic albums in 1990, while MC Hammer became one of the best-selling rappers in history. What do they have in common? Oakland. @rmbodenheimer:

therin.grBay Rising: Oakland Music’s Moment in the Sun, 30 Years LaterRevisiting the watershed year of 1990, when Digital Underground, Too Short, En Vogue, and others helped make the city the center of black music

andrejgee @andrejgee

Published a report on Chicago drill. The history of the scene, as well as a chronicle of how Chicago tried to stifle it. @ComplexMusic Spoke w/ @gherbo, Keef&Durks management, DJ L, @AZaeProduction, @Lileazzyy, @fakeshoredrive, @somanyshrimp, & @MarkBuol

complex.comHow Drill Music Took Over Chicago—and Was Almost Forced OutChicago drill was one of the most thriving (and influential) rap scenes in the country, until local officials and police tried to force it out of the city.

The Guardian Long Read @gdnlongread

Moving to Paris in 1992 as a black American kid was totally disorienting. Its underground rap scene became my map to the city, and the soundtrack to my formative years, by @jessedmccart

theguardian.com‘This was our music, and our conscience’: how I fell in love with French hip-hopThe long read: Moving to Paris in 1992 as a black American kid was totally disorienting. Its underground rap scene became my map to the city, and the soundtrack to my formative years

billboard hip-hop @billboardhiphop

Big Boi Offers Guest Stays at the ‘Birthplace of Southern Hip-Hop’ — ‘The Dungeon’ House

blbrd.cmBig Boi Offers Guest Stays at the ‘Birthplace of Southern Hip-Hop’ -- ‘The Dungeon’ HouseAvailable for bookings at $25 per night in celebration of the 25th anniversary of ATLiens, Big Boi says “The Dungeon” is the birthplace of southern hip-hop.

Queen of Coins @MinaAnnLee

.@CunninLynguists have always found a captive audience in unexpected places—from East Coast transplants new to Atlanta, to the internet before it became music’s de facto marketplace. Spoke to @Kno about how that unusual reach came to their advantage:

daily.bandcamp.comA Guide to CunninLynguists’ High-Minded, Concept-Driven DiscographyAs the group prepares its next album, and ahead of the 10-year anniversary reissue of 2011’s beloved “Oneireology,” Kno reflects on the group’s ambitious catalog.

ANTWANE ✨ @iam_antwane

For @RatedRnB, I profiled Maxwell and wrote about the confident and inviting coolness he possed on his supreme debut.

ratedrnb.comHow Maxwell Captured the Sounds of Timeless Soul on ‘Urban Hang Suite’: 25 Years LaterA look back on the makings of Maxwell’s understated classic debut album, with commentary from Maxwell and Stuart Matthewman.

Emily Lordi @ejlordi

I wrote about What's Going On, and how the discourse of its enduring relevance can obscure those aspects of it that remain stunning, vital, and strange.

theguardian.comWhat’s Going On at 50: Marvin Gaye’s masterpiece is still so true to lifeThe unresolved, discordant elements make this album truly timeless – that, and the fact that too few of its concerns have been addressed since 1971

Jesse Taylor @JesseTaylor74

I interviewed Town legend Dru Down, so if you would, please, “Give it up, give it up, give it to me” and read the article over @Passionweiss

passionweiss.com“The Music Is Embedded in Me:” An Interview With Dru DownThe Oakland legend talks about his long career, 2Pac, “I Got 5 On It” and the other music icon in his family, father Bootsy Collins.

david ma @_davidma

Spoke with MC EIHT, the OG of OGs, about the time in his life where he had the #1 movie and #1 song in the country. “Streiht Up Menace” is one of the coldest recordings ever and we dive deep into its making. My latest for @Passionweiss **GYEAH**

passionweiss.comThe Making of MC Eiht’s “Streiht Up Menace”David Ma speaks to the legendary Compton rapper about the connective fabric between music and film, his role in ‘Menace II Society’ and the making of a Billboard hit.

Yung Adult @StevenLouis93

i spoke & smoked with one of my favorite new artists, NHale. we talked about, uhhh, a lot: his new music, his father's legacy, a changing city, weed, football, DJ vlad, Nipsey, mental health & the militant LAPD passionweiss.com/2021/04/21/thi… @nhaleeverything @nhaleTNE @Passionweiss

passionweiss.com“This Is What This West Coast Shit Look Like:” An Interview with NHaleSteven Louis talks to the L.A.-based musician about his father’s legacy and the spirit of G-funk, a changing Los Angeles, playing football for Snoop Dogg and respecting the late Nipsey Hussle.

Logan Murdock @loganmmurdock

my latest for the @ringer: spent some organic time with @LarryJuneTFM in SF and talked about his new album, financial freedom, Whole Foods, and his reluctance to be famous.

theringer.comThe Organic Rise of Larry June, the Rap Game Jack LaLanneThe San Francisco MC, who returns with ‘The Orange Print’ on Friday, is becoming Bay Area royalty, the healthy way

EUPHORIA. Magazine @euphoriazine

We talk to @AppleMusic #UpNext artist @morrayda1 about his album 'Street Sermons,' family values & what it was like growing up in Fayetteville.

buff.lyApple Up Next Presents: MorrayWe talk to Apple Music Up Next artist, Morray, about his album ‘Street Sermons,’ his family values & what it was like growing up in Fayetteville.

Jayson Buford @jaysonbuford

I interviewed Young M.A. for Rolling Stone on her new album, Off the Yak, her memories of the summer of “OOOOUH”, staying relevant, New York, and much more.

rollingstone.comFive Years After Her Breakout Hit, Young M.A. Is the Real Mayor of New York CityThe “OOOUUU” rapper talks about her new album and becoming a New York icon

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📚 BOOKS 📚

Simon & Schuster @SimonBooks

"Changes: An Oral History of Tupac Shakur" by @jiggyraps, out 6/8. Coinciding with that would have been #2Pac's 50th birthday & the 25th anniversay of his murder, "Changes" is the definitive portrait of the cultural icon. More: spr.ly/6015Hhr2N #TupacShakur #Tupac

Pitchfork @pitchfork

Tupac would have been 50 years old today In the new oral history Changes, the late rapper’s friends, colleagues, and admirers imagine what could have been

p4k.inWhat Would Tupac Be Doing Today?An excerpt from the new oral history Changes in which the late rapper’s friends, colleagues, and admirers imagine what could have been.

Adrienne Westenfeld @adriennemwest

From @esquire's June issue, on stands today: I was thrilled to edit this phenomenal story by @jiggyraps, which upends everything we thought we knew about Tupac's sexual abuse trial.

esquire.comAn Oral History of Tupac’s Sexual Abuse TrialIn 1993, Tupac Shakur had the world in his hands—until he became the center of a trial that would change hip-hop forever. For the first time, a juror is speaking out about what happened inside the jury room.

The Ringer @ringer

An excerpt from @jiggyraps’s new Tupac Shakur book on what would’ve been the rapper’s 50th birthday: How he landed his role as Bishop in ‘Juice’ with no real film credits

theringer.comThe Oral History of ‘Juice,’ Tupac’s Breakout RoleIn an excerpt from his new book, ‘Changes: An Oral History of Tupac,’ Sheldon Pearce dives into how the rapper transformed himself into Bishop for the big screen

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🎙️ PODCASTS 🎙️

Danyel Smith @danamo

Tupac would have been 50 today. In his pre Death Row era, he and I were in the same friend group. We broke our #blackgirlsongbook summer hiatus to gather my girlfriends and talk Pac memories. We’re the black girls in this episode of Songbook spoti.fi/2S7562I via @ringer

Crate 808 @Crate808

🚨 New episode @Passionweiss talks Suga Free’s ‘Street Gospel’ 🔥 Such a deep chat covering @djquik's genius, problematic lyrics, how art gets lost through restricted journalism, Burial, Kendrick and so much more. 💯 👉 linktr.ee/Crate808 💻 crate808.com

Gimlet @Gimletmedia

SLOW, LOUD, AND BANGIN' 💥 In an all-new season of @mogul, @brandonjinx takes us down to Houston to dive into the origin story of one of hip hop's greatest enigmas, the reclusive genius, DJ Screw. Follow and listen for free right now on @spotifypodcasts. promocards.byspotify.com/share/df61187f…

promocards.byspotify.comS3 Part 1: Screw Up the WorldCheck this out! Listen now on @Spotify.

Hot Girl of Hip-Hop ✨ @shelbylnstewart

Spotify's 'Mogul' podcast is taking an in-depth look at DJ Screw. I spoke to the show's host, @brandonjinx about the development of this season, who he talked to, and what to expect in season three. @chron

chron.comSpotify’s ‘Mogul’ focuses on Houston legend DJ Screw in new seasonWe’re getting more DJ Screw content.

TrueAnon Pod @TrueAnonPod

🚨🚨🚨THIZZ ALERT🚨🚨🚨 “WHO KILLED MAC DRE” 🕵️‍♂️🕵️‍♂️🕵️‍♂️ EPISODE 165 🕵️‍♂️🕵️‍♂️🕵️‍♂️ feat @DonnyMorrison26 and his investigation into the murder of Mac Dre 👁 soundcloud.com/trueanonpod/wh…

soundcloud.comEpisode 165: Who Killed Mac Dre?Investigative journalist Donald Morrison (twitter.com/DonnyMorrison26) joins us to talk about the life and death of Bay Area legend Mac Dre. He walks us through his explosive new piece investigating t

Sam Backer @volumecontrol10

On the latest #money4nothing we talk gangster rap with @mama_neta, working through the complex LA history that gave us Dre, Ice Cube, and NWA—and transformed hip hop forever.

podcasts.apple.com‎Money 4 Nothing: Gangsta Rap and LA History with Felicia Angeja Viator on Apple PodcastsWhen talking about West Coast gangster rap, the focus is usually on the era-defining stars who reigned during 1990s—Dr. Dre, Tupac, and Snoop Dog foremost among them. In her new book, “To Live and Defy in LA: How Gangster Rap Changed America,” Professor Felicia Angeja Viator argues that starting wit…

david ma @_davidma

With enormously heavy hearts, we honored Gift of Gab today, touching on his presence not only in rap, but to us personally as Bay Areans. RIP Gab, an introspective soul we’re so eternally grateful for. Included is our chat with him before before Covid hit. linktr.ee/DBRP

Heat Rocks Podcast @heatrockspod

This week, @oliverswang and @morganrhodes are discussing Lil' Kim's debut studio record, "Hard Core" which is turning 25 years old (!!!) Listen here and please RT! maximumfun.org/episodes/heat-…

Shea Serrano @SheaSerrano

tomorrow's episode of NO SKIPS WITH JINX AND SHEA is on Lil' Kim's Hard Core and it's the best episode we've recorded so far open.spotify.com/show/1QAPcnWTs… come join @brandonjinx and me i'm very excited for this one

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👀 VIDEOS 👀

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Ok, it’s a wrap, see you next month!

RIP Chi Modu