Get a glimpse into Stephen Colbert's brilliant brain as he connects Chance the Rapper and Childish Gambino's "Favorite Song" to Lord of the Rings' "Song of Eärendil" via Gilbert and Sullivan's distinct rhythm. What a big ol' Tolkien nerd, he is!
Stephen Colbert connects hip hop song verses to Tolkien via Gilbert and Sullivan
Twenty years after Jam Master Jay's murder, two men charged in the case
In 2002, Jam Master Jay (aka Jason Mizell), the DJ in legendary hip hop group Run DMC, was murdered at his Queens, New York recording studio. Almost twenty years later, city and federal authorities charged Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr., longtime suspects in the case, with killing the musician. From the New York Times:… READ THE REST
Hip hop & AOL: Lin-Manuel Miranda shares his influences for Hamilton's 'My Shot'
The entire Rotten Tomatoes interview (above) with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda is terrific and insightful. But I was especially struck by the part where he shares the songwriting process for "My Shot." His influences were hip hop and the AOL dialup chime: Lin-Manuel Miranda breaks down his process of writing the song, 'My Shot' for… READ THE REST
Kraftwerk's connection to R&B and black DJs in America
Pioneering hip hop musician Afrika Bambaataa's love for Kraftwerk is evidenced by his groundbreaking 1982 electro track "Planet Rock" (above). Indeed, Bambataaa's underground DJ sets in black nightclubs were a key point-of-entry into the United States for many international electronic musicians in the early 1980s, from Yellow Magic Orchestra to Gary Numan. I hadn't realized… READ THE REST
There's a new school of car insurance companies, and Clearcover leads the pack
"Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door." That century-old quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson (sort of) is just as true today. If you build a better product, offer a better service or create a better infrastructure for customers, then with a bit of time and attention, the world… READ THE REST
This bedside upside will make you say goodbye alarm clock, hello charging music station
Remember back in the way, way, way back 1990s? Remember when you and everyone you knew had a radio alarm clock positioned right on your bedside table? You know, the one with that super irritating squawk of an alarm? You can still hear that ugly beast in your nightmares, can't you? Time hasn't been kind… READ THE REST
Transform your home into 16 million different colors with these smart light bulbs
For those who are slow-playing our societal shift toward fully-integrated automated smart homes — don't be scared. Sure, we know there are whole movies about computer-controlled houses turning on their owners, but seriously… we're way past that now. Maybe it's time to take that first tentative step into gearing up your home with some basic… READ THE REST
