Begging songs and basketball's musicality (with Hanif Abdurraqib)

Switched on Pop

Vox Media Podcast Network

Music Interviews, Music History, Music, Music Commentary

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 4 June 2024

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

There's no music writer like the essayist and poet Hanif Abdurraqib: whether he's narrating the beautiful awkwardness of a Carly Rae Jepsen concert or talking jazz and eastern spirituality with Andre 3000, he manages to coax stories and insights out of songs in a way that never fails to surprise. His latest book, There's Always This Year, is a free flowing meditation on basketball, childhood, his home state of Ohio, and of course, music – so on the precipice of the NBA finals, Hanif returns to Switched On Pop to discuss classic soul, sports, and sound with musicologist Nate Sloan. You can buy Hanif's work through his website here. Songs discussed: Boyz II Men, "On Bended Knee" Otis Redding, "My Girl" The Temptations, "My Girl" Joy Oladokun, "My Girl" Stevie Wonder, "My Girl" Stevie Wonder, "Knocks Me Off My Feet" Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, "Challengers: Match Point" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	There's no distance too far for the perfect trip.
0:04.6	Hi, checking in for.
0:06.0	Or the perfect table.
0:08.4	Hey, where are you?
0:09.9	Coming!
0:11.1	And when you get access to Resi Priority Notify with your Amex Platinum card,
0:15.0	Hey, this looks amazing.
0:17.0	I'm so glad you made it.
0:19.0	And travel benefits at fine hotels and resorts book through Amex Travel?
0:22.0	It's worth the trip. That's the powerful benefit. at fine hotels and resorts book through Amex travel?
0:22.7	It's worth the trip.
0:23.9	That's the powerful backing of American Express.
0:26.7	Terms apply.
0:27.3	Learn more at American Express.
0:28.5	Com slash with Amex. Welcome to Switch Don Pop, I'm musicologist Nate Sloane. I read a lot of music writing every day.
0:50.0	Profiles, academic research, trade journals, but there's maybe no music writer who makes me sit up and pay attention more than the essayist and poet Hanif Abdurikib.
1:03.1	Whether he's narrating the beautiful awkwardness of a Carly Ray Jefferson concert, assessing
1:08.6	the legacy of a tribe called Quest, or talking jazz and Spirituality with Andre 3,000.
1:15.4	Hanif coaxes stories and insights out of songs in a way that never fails to surprise.
1:22.3	So when Hanif comes out with new writing, we drop everything and try
1:25.8	and get him on the show. His latest book, There's Always This Year, is a free-flowing
1:30.6	meditation on basketball, childhood race, his home state of Ohio, and of course, music.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Vox Media Podcast Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Vox Media Podcast Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.