Rap
Chuck D: "We are in the war of art not the art of war"
Pioneering rapper Chuck D inspired a wave of Hip hop through his social and political commentary in Public Enemy. Maggie Tweedie speaks to Chuck D about his surprising passion for pilates, his many… Audio
Rap School with David Atai and Lui Tagaloa
We're talking hip hop and rap - what it is and how to write it - with Dave Atai and Lui Tagaloa. Audio
How rap music is helping to reduce mental health stigma
Rappers are at the forefront of opening up the mental health conversation, with a new study showing that over the past 20 years, the lyrics of the most popular rap songs have been increasingly hitting… Video, Audio
Pop music has as much lyrical aggression as rap
A study from the University of Missouri has shown that bubbly pop music now has just as much lyrical aggression as its rock and hip hop counterparts. Dr Cynthia Frisby joins the show to look at the… Audio
Sad songs say so much
Researchers at the University of Exeter analysed the lyrics of more than 15,000 songs published between 1965 and 2015 and found that popular songs are getting sadder. Dr. Charlotte Brand was one of… Audio
Kate Tempest: 'I witness the world by paying attention'
Critically acclaimed UK playwright, novelist, lyricist, and rapper Kate Tempest spoke with Kathryn Ryan while in New Zealand for the Festival of the Arts. Video, Audio
'We're all looking for a greater purpose'
West Auckland rapper and hip hop artist Tom Scott won Album of the Year and Best Hip Hop Artist at last month's New Zealand Music Awards. His album, Avantdale Bowling Club is a fusion of jazz and hip… Video, Audio
Queen and Coldplay are the new Beethoven and Mozart
The likes of ABBA, Queen and Coldplay should now be put on the same pedestal of the world's greatest classical composers according to a new study published in the Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and… Audio
Female musicians and rappers dominate Grammys in LA
Female acts won album of the year and best new artist at the Grammys, while Childish Gambino's This Is America became the first rap song to win record and song of the year.
Meet Lord$eez, the 16-year-old rapper who made his first album in 'juvie'
Lord$eez is 16-year-old Kiwi-born South African, Sizwe Singhsesi. He's a trap rapper building a name online, and drawing young audiences to his energetic live performances. RNZ Music contributor… Video
Irish rapper Rejjie Snow sells out NZ shows before he lands
Rejjie Snow's debut album is receiving rave reviews and his New Zealand shows sold out before he landed so who is the softly spoken Irish rapper? Audio
Big Boi: cooler than a polar bear's toenails
Big Boi AKA Sir Luscious Leftfoot AKA Daddy Fat Sax AKA one half of Outkast AKA the man who invented being cooler than a polar bear's toenails is visiting New Zealand to play two shows in mid-March. Audio
Aotearoa Hip-Hop
University of Auckland ethnomusicologist and Nights' cultural ambassador Dr Kirsten Zemke picks some homegrown hip-hop tracks. Audio
Drake the video game
Rapper and video game developer ya boy sprightly has been getting a lot of attention recently for his RPG video game The Legend Of Drake.
Video, Audio
Modern dating in musical form
What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on? Just imagine that, but a lot worse, and on stage in front of hundreds of people. Dating, in particular through the app Tinder, is the inspiration behind the… Audio
Taking hip hop to the classroom
A Wellington rapper is bringing 20 years of experience into the classrooms of low decile schools. Fiso Siloata, also known as Flowz, has been up and down the country helping foster emerging talent… Audio
Damn by Kendrick Lamar
Is Kendrick Lamar the greatest living rapper? Nick Bollinger weighs up the evidence. Audio
