Ken Tucker reviews rock, country, hip-hop and pop music for Fresh Air. He is a cultural critic who has been the editor-at-large at Entertainment Weekly, and a film critic for New York Magazine. His work has won two National Magazine Awards and two ASCAP-Deems Taylor Awards. He has written book reviews for The New York Times Book Review and other publications.
The federal trial against Sean Combs, the Bad Boy Records founder turned businessman, is underway. He faces charges for racketeering conspiracy and prostitution. Catch updates from the trial here.
Host Juana Summers talks with Ruby Ibarra, the Bay Area rapper who won this year's Tiny Desk Contest. Her winning entry, "Bakunawa," is inspired by Filipino mythology and the birth of her first child.
NPR Music's Robin Hilton announces the name of this year's Tiny Desk Contest winner. Every year since 2015, a different unsigned musician or band has benefited from the exposure that NPR Music provides.
In a surprisingly strong debut, the Mexican American band Fuerza Regida just hit #2 on the U.S. Billboard album chart with their ninth album. {STATIONS NOTE: The Spanish word "puta" was bleeped at the :15 mark after the intro}