Kiana Fitzgerald
Kiana Fitzgerald is a freelance music journalist, cultural critic, and DJ. She writes for the world from deep in the heart of Texas.
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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.
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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? -
On her debut album, Amber Mark turns to the cosmos for answers.
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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.
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"Black Parade," a call to action and a salve for a wounded nation, is the latest example of Beyoncé using her pop domination to put Black pride front and center.
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Andre Harrell, a record executive who shepherded the careers of Mary J. Blige and Sean "Diddy" Combs and combined the sounds of R&B and hip-hop with his label, Uptown Records, has died.
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Through her career, Bey has shown that there are more levels to her artistry than we could have imagined. And she's using those levels to delve further into her personalized elevation of black women.
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While you were watching Frank Ocean build a staircase, NPR Music contributors Bobby Carter and Kiana Fitzgerald were listening to these records.
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Chance the Rapper and A Tribe Called Quest received deserved accolades, but there were many more rap records worthy of celebration this year.
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Depression and addiction stymied the rapper after a promising debut on the same label that launched Kendrick Lamar. On The Sun's Tirade, he sounds like a new man, refreshed and self-aware.
