9th Wonder On Sampling For Kendrick Lamar | The Formula, S1E2

9th Wonder On Sampling For Kendrick Lamar | The Formula, S1E2 Even though he produced three beats for “Duckworth,” 9th Wonder had a realization during our interview. Three samples, three genres, three generations– Kendrick Lamar intentionally wove “threes all the way across.” Watch the second season early at npr.org/theformula READ THE COMPANION ESSAY “Kendrick Lamar […]

Ab-Soul: Tiny Desk Concert

Ab-Soul: Tiny Desk Concert This year’s Black History Month celebration at the Tiny Desk features a carefully crafted lineup spanning many genres, generations and walks of life. Each artist represents the best in their class and will be performing at the Tiny Desk for the first time. Bobby Carter | February 23, 2023 Hip-hop artists […]

Black Thought of The Roots: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

Black Thought of The Roots: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It’s the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space. _______________________________________________________________ April 8, […]

Common At The White House: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Common At The White House: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert October 4, 2016 by BOB BOILEN • We’ve never done a Tiny Desk Concert that wasn’t behind my desk at NPR. But when the White House called and said they were putting on an event called South by South Lawn, a day-long festival filled with […]

Cypress Hill: Tiny Desk Concert

Cypress Hill: Tiny Desk Concert Bobby Carter | July 20, 2023 The first thing I noticed as Cypress Hill strolled into NPR headquarters was Sen Dog cradling his signature bucket hat. I asked him if my assumptions were correct; it was indeed the original hat seen in all the videos from the early ’90s. Before […]

Koffee: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Koffee: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert Watch Koffee play “Raggamuffin”, “Rapture”, “Toast” and “W” at the Tiny Desk. Watch Tiny Desk Concerts ONE WEEK before they go on YouTube at https://www.npr.org/tinydesk Follow NPR Music: Twitter: https://twitter.com/nprmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nprmusic Jan. 27, 2020 | Sidney Madden — “It’s been a fairly short musical journey and we have […]

Mac Miller: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Watch Mac Miller play “Small Worlds”, “What’s the Use? (Feat. Thundercat)” and “2009” at the Tiny Desk. Did you know you can watch new Tiny Desk Concerts on npr.org ONE WEEK before they go up on YouTube? Click here: https://www.npr.org/tinydesk Follow NPR Music: Twitter: https://twitter.com/nprmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nprmusic Aug. 6, 2018 | Bobby Carter — There […]

Noname: Tiny Desk Concert

Noname: Tiny Desk Concert Ashley Pointer | November 10, 2023 Out of the thousand and some Tiny Desk concerts to date, it’s seldom an artist returns to the Desk. But when they do, there are a couple requirements: come in a new iteration or present something completely different. In this case, the Chicago-bred, emcee-activist Noname […]

Oddisee: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

For new music, the latest Tiny Desk (home) concerts and more, sign up for the NPR Music newsletter, sent weekly: npr.org/nprmusicnewsletter Sept. 22, 2020 | Suraya Mohamed – In 2015, Oddisee visited the Tiny Desk with a drummer and a keyboardist. For his Tiny Desk (home) concert, he assembled his full band, Good Company, for […]

Salaam Remi Reworks Classic Samples for Nas and Amy Winehouse | The Formula, S1E5

Salaam Remi Reworks Classic Samples for Nas and Amy Winehouse | The Formula, S1E5 Unlike most super producers, Salaam Remi doesn’t have an identifiable sound he loans out to various acts. He’s better known for mining a sound from each act he works with that, in turn, becomes their signature sound. He pushes artists through […]

Scarface: Tiny Desk Concert

Scarface: Tiny Desk Concert Bobby Carter | December 18, 2023 Scarface’s Tiny Desk concert radiates with his decadeslong passion as an emcee and producer. There’s calculated intent behind every word and note of this 30-minute set and I learned that his love for golf also runs deep during our initial meeting. He was playing a […]

The Free Nationals Feat. Anderson .Paak, Chronixx & India Shawn: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

[ The Free Nationals Feat. Anderson .Paak, Chronixx & India Shawn: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert This performance was recorded on March 4, 2020. We will continue releasing Tiny Desk videos of shows that had already been taped. In light of current events, NPR is postponing new live tapings of Tiny Desk Concerts. In the […]