Louder Than A Riot
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Watch the queen conquer: MC Lyte, Quay Dash, the cast of 'Rap Sh!t'
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the first nine episodes of our season, Louder has tackled the unwritten rules of rap. For the finale, we dig into the root of all those rules: the ...
Like poppa, like son: Rodney Carmichael
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For Louder host Rodney Carmichael, interrogating misogynoir in hip-hop means confronting some hard questions — as a man, and especially as a father....
What doesn't kill you makes you a strong Black woman: Rico Nasty
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rico Nasty's music creates a haven for heavy emotions. And in a world that paints Black girls showing any emotion as too much, having a place to relea...
Stay in your lane, shawty: Saucy Santana
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Saucy Santana is part of a new wave of queer artists pushing back against stale standards in hip-hop. Bolstered by the reach of short sound bites on T...
Real n****s go hard (pause, no homo): iLoveMakonnen
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How has hip-hop affected perceptions of Black masculinity? We unpack that question through the story of iLoveMakonnen, a rapper who has navigated diff...
If you see something, say nothing: Kim Osorio v. 'The Source'
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2006, Kim Osorio, the editor-in-chief of The Source, sued the magazine and its owners for workplace sexual harassment. Nearly two decades later, hi...
A Note on Episode 5
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Louder was planning to drop a new episode this morning about a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and workplace discrimination at The Source magazine ...
It ain't trickin' if you got it: Trina, Trick Daddy and Latto
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How did the "bad bitch" replace the "ride or die chick" in hip-hop? In this episode we talk to the original baddest herself, Trina, about how her care...
Beauty is in the eye of the male gaze: DreamDoll, Doechii and Baby Tate
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The male gaze looms over everything, but hip-hop is its favorite entertainment. Those under its watchful eye feel objectified or shamed if they don't ...
Baby girl, you're only funky as your last cut: MC Sha-Rock
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Decades before hip-hop's current renaissance of women rappers, there was MC Sha-Rock. Despite her influence on future generations, her contribution to...
Megan's Rule: Being exceptional doesn't make you the exception
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It felt like the December 2022 trial of Tory Lanez sparked a divide in hip-hop, but it just stoked the flames of a 50-year-long battle for Black women...
Louder Than A Riot Returns Thursday, March 16
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Inside all corners of hip-hop, Black women and queer folk have dealt with the same oppression the music was built to escape. Season 2 of Louder Than A...
Lyrics Still On Trial: Young Thug and Gunna
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, two of Atlanta's biggest rappers Young Thug and Gunna were arrested under the RICO Act. The DA charged their crew YSL as a gang and the ind...
Presenting: On Our Watch
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What happens to police officers who use excessive force, tamper with evidence or sexually harass someone? In California, internal affairs investigatio...
21 Years and 1 Day: Mac Phipps (Exclusive)
12 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After 21 years in prison, Mac Phipps has been recommended for clemency, which could mean early release. As we reported in our first season, Mac was co...
Making Revolution Irresistible
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Yo Gotti grew up in Memphis just across the state line from Mississippi State Penitentiary (aka Parchman) — so this year, when he learned about the ...
Captured By The Game: Nipsey Hussle
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After LA rapper Nipsey Hussle was murdered in 2019, city officials praised him for his community advocacy. But NPR has learned that behind the scenes,...
'Prison To Prison Pipeline': Isis Tha Saviour
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hip-hop loves a hero's come-up, but the culture often has a hard time seeing women as heroes. Two years ago, when Louder Than A Riot editor Chiquita P...
My Brother's Keeper: Bobby Shmurda (Pt 3)
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Six years after his arrest, Bobby Shmurda's fans are still anxiously awaiting his return. The rapper ultimately stayed loyal to his crew in court, but...
'Stay In The House': Bobby Shmurda (Pt 2)
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Two young men grow up just blocks apart, each with aspirations to make it big. But while Bobby Shmurda sees his dreams come true, Bryan Antoine is kil...
The Badder, The Better: Bobby Shmurda (Pt 1)
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Just like his legendary disappearing hat, Brooklyn rapper Bobby Shmurda's career was on the rise in 2014. But so was the evidence in a murder case aga...
The Day The Mixtape Died: DJ Drama
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the early 2000s, mixtapes transformed Tyree Simmons into DJ Drama and molded T.I., Lil Wayne and Jeezy into rap superstars. But in 2007, those same...
Outsmarting The Devil: Mac Phipps (Pt 3)
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Exploitation of prisoners. Sexual assault allegations. A Supreme Court ruling that could hold the keys to freedom. In the third and final installment ...
Lyrics On Trial: Mac Phipps (Pt 2)
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"A bullet in your brain." What right does the justice system have to decide whether a rapper's words are imagination or intent to kill? In this contin...
The Camouflage Assassin: Mac Phipps (Pt 1)
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When New Orleans rap phenom Mac Phipps signed with Master P's No Limit Records, he knew his dream of hip-hop stardom was within reach. But in February...
The Conspiracy Against Hip-Hop
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this first episode, a mysterious conspiracy letter sends us on a journey to find out just how entangled hip-hop and mass incarceration have become ...
Louder Than A Riot: Coming Thursday, October 8
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bobby Shmurda. Nipsey Hussle. Mac Phipps. DJ Drama. What happens when hip-hop stars come into contact with the criminal justice system? In Louder Than...
Introducing: Louder Than A Riot
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From NPR Music, Louder Than A Riot traces the interconnected rise of hip-hop and mass incarceration. Hosts Rodney Carmichael and Sidney Madden investi...