Kiana Fitzgerald : NPR

Everyone should attend 'Abbott Elementary'

Quinta Brunson in Abbott Elementary. Gilles Mingasson/Disney hide caption

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Gilles Mingasson/Disney

Review

Everyone should attend 'Abbott Elementary'

February 13, 2024 • The fantastic ABC series Abbott Elementary is a workplace sitcom set at a severely underfunded Philadelphia public school. It's a giant hit, and it's become an Emmys darling, including two wins for its creator and star Quinta Brunson. Abbott Elementary just returned for its long-awaited third season, so in this encore episode, we are revisiting our conversation about the show's first season.

Everyone should attend 'Abbott Elementary'

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Hip-Hop's game changers: Three 6 Mafia

August 18, 2023 • Hip-hop is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and we're looking back at albums that changed the game. Today, it's the group that took a shoestring DIY approach to creating horrorcore: Three 6 Mafia.

Hip-Hop's game changers: Three 6 Mafia

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Eric B. & Rakim change the flow of rap with 'Paid in Full'

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Eric B. & Rakim change the flow of rap with 'Paid in Full'

August 4, 2023 • With their 1987 debut album Paid in Full, Eric B. & Rakim introduced internal rhyme schemes to rap, and changed the flow of hip-hop forever.

Eric B. & Rakim change the flow of rap with 'Paid in Full'

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How Houston became the self-sustaining heart of Texas rap

Travis Scott, UGK, Megan Thee Stallion and Geto Boys. Collage by Jackie Lay / NPR. Suzanne Cordeiro / Pam Francis / Rich Fury / Richard Shotwell/Getty Images / AP hide caption

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Suzanne Cordeiro / Pam Francis / Rich Fury / Richard Shotwell/Getty Images / AP

How Houston became the self-sustaining heart of Texas rap

August 1, 2023 • Isolated at the bottom of the map, the Bayou City had to build its scene from scratch, and its influence inched ever outward. Today you can hear its pulse everywhere, beating slow and low.

Kurtis Blow breaks hip-hop nationally with his 1980 debut

American rapper, singer and songwriter Kurtis Blow, circa 1980. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption

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Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Kurtis Blow breaks hip-hop nationally with his 1980 debut

July 25, 2023 • Hip-hop is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Commentator Kiana Fitzgerald is looking back at the albums that changed the game.

Kurtis Blow breaks hip-hop nationally with his 1980 debut

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The intense sting of 'Swarm' might be worth the pain

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Review

The intense sting of 'Swarm' might be worth the pain

March 22, 2023 • In the new Amazon Prime series Swarm, Dominique Fishback plays Dre, a socially awkward young woman who is obsessed with the mega pop star Ni'Jah, a thinly veiled analog for Beyoncé. When a life-changing event occurs, Dre's obsession with Ni'Jah takes on a more sinister tone. Donald Glover co-created the show with Janine Nabers, and it definitely shares an off-kilter vibe with his previous hit Atlanta.

The intense sting of 'Swarm' might be worth the pain

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'The Forty-Year-Old Version' is about getting older and finding yourself

Radha Blank stars in her directorial debut film, The Forty-Year-Old Version. Jeong Park/Netflix hide caption

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Jeong Park/Netflix

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'The Forty-Year-Old Version' is about getting older and finding yourself

February 28, 2023 • In the wonderful film The Forty-Year-Old Version, playwright Radha Blank plays a variation on herself. Frustrated by a stall in her theater career, Radha finds a new passion: she becomes a rapper. The film is so good that we recently added it to the New Black Film Canon – a list of the best films by Black directors that we updated in partnership with Slate. And you can watch it on Netflix.

'The Forty-Year-Old Version' is about getting older and finding yourself

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Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

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We recap the 2023 Super Bowl

February 13, 2023 • We recap this year's Super Bowl, including Rihanna's halftime show, the Kansas City Chiefs' win against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the most memorable commercials.

We recap the 2023 Super Bowl

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Beyoncé accepts the award for best dance/electronic music album during the Grammys. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy hide caption

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Our 2023 Grammys recap

February 6, 2023 • Beyoncé broke a major record at this year's Grammys and has now won more awards than any other artist. But she was shut out of the major categories and lost to Harry Styles, Lizzo and Bonnie Raitt. We break down the awards and telecast, including our favorite performances.

Our 2023 Grammys recap

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Beyoncé's Grammy-nominated 'Renaissance' is a thotty and ethereal work of art

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Beyoncé's Grammy-nominated 'Renaissance' is a thotty and ethereal work of art

January 30, 2023 • Beyoncé's Renaissance is a joyful, sonic immersion made for dance floors of all kinds. The album earned nine Grammy nominations, and during this Sunday's telecast, Beyoncé could win her first-ever, much overdue award for album of the year.

Beyoncé's Grammy-nominated 'Renaissance' is a thotty and ethereal work of art

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Remembering pioneering rapper Gangsta Boo, dead at 43

January 5, 2023 • The rapper known as Gangsta Boo died this week at age 43. Born Lola Mitchell, she was known as one of the South's premier crunk emcees and she got her start in the group Three 6 Mafia.

Remembering pioneering rapper Gangsta Boo, dead at 43

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You should absolutely be watching 'South Side'

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Review

You should absolutely be watching 'South Side'

January 3, 2023 • On the HBO Max sitcom South Side, the everyday absurdities of living in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood make for hilarious fodder. The show follows an eclectic bunch that includes employees at a rent-to-own shop and a pair of bickering cops as they embark on adventures around the city. Diallo Riddle, Bashir Salahuddin, and Sultan Salahuddin created and co-star in the series.

You should absolutely be watching 'South Side'

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Our music critics' most memorable lyrics of the year

Bad Bunny, performing in Miami on Aug. 12, 2022. The Puerto Rican superstar's wordplay was front-of-mind for Alt.Latino co-host Anamaria Sayre this year. Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images hide caption

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Best Music of 2022

Our music critics' most memorable lyrics of the year

December 26, 2022 • When the words in a song hit you in just the right way, they can stay with you. We're asking the folks at NPR Music: What lyrics did you hear in 2022 that you just couldn't shake?

If you need a new watch, get in the 'Mood'

In Mood, Nicôle Lecky plays Sasha Clayton, a young woman who gets pulled into the worlds of social media and sex work. Natalie Seery/BBC Studios/Bonafi hide caption

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Natalie Seery/BBC Studios/Bonafi

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

If you need a new watch, get in the 'Mood'

November 14, 2022 • The excellent BBC America/AMC+ drama series Mood considers how one young woman, at one of her most difficult moments, finds herself making choices she assumed she never would. Its writer and star is Nicôle Lecky, and the show is about sex work, social media and the way economic reality can make following your true passions very challenging.

If you need a new watch, get in the 'Mood'

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What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend viewing

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Gregory Oke/A24

What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend viewing

October 28, 2022 • Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Andor, Aftersun, Southern Baptist Sissies and more.

Wendell and Wild features (dead) bodies in (stop-)motion

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Wendell and Wild features (dead) bodies in (stop-)motion

October 28, 2022 • Director and animator Henry Selick, best-known for films like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline, has teamed up with co-writer Jordan Peele for Wendell & Wild, a new stop-motion animated movie from Netflix. Peele also stars in the film, reuniting with Keegan-Michael Key as a pair of demon brothers who escape the underworld with the help of Kat, a teenager with a tragic past.

Wendell and Wild features (dead) bodies in (stop-)motion

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What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend reading, listening and viewing

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Courtesy of Disney Enterprises

What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend reading, listening and viewing

October 7, 2022 • Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the novel Thistlefoot, "Blessed" by GloRilla, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers and more.

'Hocus Pocus 2' conjures nostalgia, but does it recapture the magic?

Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker in Hocus Pocus 2. Matt Kennedy/Disney hide caption

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Matt Kennedy/Disney

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Hocus Pocus 2' conjures nostalgia, but does it recapture the magic?

October 7, 2022 • The witchy Disney comedy Hocus Pocus wasn't a huge hit when it came out in 1993. But it found a devoted following and became a Halloween staple over time, so much so that it's finally got a sequel 29 years later. Hocus Pocus 2 brings back the Sanderson sisters, played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker, as they sing songs, get into mischief and contend with a new world of confusing technology. But does it live up the original?

'Hocus Pocus 2' conjures nostalgia, but does it recapture the magic?

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Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' is a thotty, naughty and ethereal work of art

Beyoncé returns with Renaissance, her first solo studio album since 2016's Lemonade. Carlijn Jacobs/Parkwood Entertainment hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' is a thotty, naughty and ethereal work of art

August 4, 2022 • On Beyoncé's new album Renaissance, the superstar channels a rich history of Black and queer music. There's disco, dancehall, bounce, house, gospel, freestyle and funk — all served up in a confident, sexy and thotty gumbo. Now that we've had some time to sit with (and get down to) the album, how are we feeling? Was it worth the wait?

Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' is a thotty, naughty and ethereal work of art

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Jack Harlow and Brandy perform onstage during the 2022 BET Awards. Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET hide caption

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Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We recap the 2022 BET Awards

June 27, 2022 • Sunday's BET Awards were a four-hour celebration of Black culture, with a heavy emphasis on music. The night was packed with live performances from Latto and Jack Harlow, and surprise guests Mariah Carey and Brandy, and featured a lavish tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award winner Sean "Diddy" Combs.

We recap the 2022 BET Awards

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Amber Mark's 'Three Dimensions Deep' turns grief into undeniable beauty

Singer-songwriter and producer Amber Mark questions the nature of her existence on debut album Three Dimensions Deep. Nelson Huang hide caption

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Nelson Huang

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Music Reviews

Amber Mark's 'Three Dimensions Deep' turns grief into undeniable beauty

January 28, 2022 • On her debut album, Amber Mark turns to the cosmos for answers.

What's making us happy: A guide for your weekend reading and viewing

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Netflix

What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's making us happy: A guide for your weekend reading and viewing

January 21, 2022 • Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the Netflix show Twentysomethings: Austin, a look back at 20 years of The Onion and more.

Everyone should be attending 'Abbott Elementary'

ABC's Abbott Elementary stars Sheryl Lee Ralph, Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams and Lisa Ann Walter. Gilles Mingasson/ABC hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Everyone should be attending 'Abbott Elementary'

January 21, 2022 • The fantastic new ABC series Abbott Elementary is a sitcom set at a severely underfunded Philadelphia public school. Quinta Brunson is the creator and very funny star of the mockumentary-style comedy, which follows a cast of teachers who are dedicated, but burnt out as they make do with limited resources and a hilariously incompetent principal.

Everyone should be attending 'Abbott Elementary'

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On 'Dawn FM,' The Weeknd crafts a synth-pop epic

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Courtesy of Republic Records

Pop Culture Happy Hour

On 'Dawn FM,' The Weeknd crafts a synth-pop epic

January 13, 2022 • The Weeknd's album After Hours was one of the biggest hits of 2020, and now the elusive artist is back. He's had a decade of massive highlights from "Blinding Lights" to last year's Super Bowl Halftime Show. His new album is Dawn FM, and it's a set of sleek synth-pop songs with assists from Oneohtrix Point Never and comedian Jim Carrey.

On 'Dawn FM,' The Weeknd crafts a synth-pop epic

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Kiana Fitzgerald

Tuesday February 13, 2024

Review

Everyone should attend 'Abbott Elementary'

Friday August 18, 2023

Hip-Hop's game changers: Three 6 Mafia

Friday August 4, 2023

Eric B. & Rakim change the flow of rap with 'Paid in Full'

Tuesday August 1, 2023

Tuesday July 25, 2023

Kurtis Blow breaks hip-hop nationally with his 1980 debut

Wednesday March 22, 2023

Review

The intense sting of 'Swarm' might be worth the pain

Tuesday February 28, 2023

Review

'The Forty-Year-Old Version' is about getting older and finding yourself

Monday February 13, 2023

Review

We recap the 2023 Super Bowl

Monday February 6, 2023

Our 2023 Grammys recap

Monday January 30, 2023

Review

Beyoncé's Grammy-nominated 'Renaissance' is a thotty and ethereal work of art

Thursday January 5, 2023

Remembering pioneering rapper Gangsta Boo, dead at 43

Tuesday January 3, 2023

Review

You should absolutely be watching 'South Side'

Monday December 26, 2022

Monday November 14, 2022

Review

If you need a new watch, get in the 'Mood'

Friday October 28, 2022

Review

Wendell and Wild features (dead) bodies in (stop-)motion

Friday October 7, 2022

Review

'Hocus Pocus 2' conjures nostalgia, but does it recapture the magic?

Thursday August 4, 2022

Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' is a thotty, naughty and ethereal work of art

Monday June 27, 2022

Review

We recap the 2022 BET Awards

Friday January 28, 2022

Review

Friday January 21, 2022

Review

Everyone should be attending 'Abbott Elementary'

Thursday January 13, 2022

On 'Dawn FM,' The Weeknd crafts a synth-pop epic