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Best Music Journalism: May 2014

We’re music nerds at Red Bull Music Academy, but we’re also music journalism nerds. Continuing on from Jason Gross’ collection of his favorite music journalism of 2013, we’ve decided to put together a monthly round-up of some of the best pieces we come across. This month: Bun B’s transformation, country rap and DJing in Communist Romania.

Man About Town (Katy Vine, Texas Monthly)
\nYou would have been hard-pressed to dream up the second (third? fourth?) chapter of Texas rapper Bun B’s career. He’s now reinventing himself as someone that performs with the Houston Symphony, can credibly call themselves a friend of the Mayor and – of course – the man behind the trillest coloring book of all-time. This lengthy profile of Bun is now closed off to non-subscribers of Texas Monthly, but considering the magazine’s almost monthly-place in the Best Music Journalism round-up, I’d suggest it’s worth the price of admission.

50 Cent Is My Life Coach (Zach Baron, GQ)
\nI’m always a little leery when authors insert themselves heavily into celebrity profiles, but Zach Baron’s appearance in this 50 Cent profile is absolutely essential. (Hence the title.) He makes it count: vision boards, sartorial upgrades and important life lessons are all achieved. But – most of all – we learn about where 50 Cent’s head is at. On the eve of a comeback record, he’s understandably nervous as to whether his fanbase has moved on: “I even saw when keeping it real – like, that concept or that phrase ‘keeping it real’ – went out of style. Now it’s like, it doesn't matter what it is, it just matters that it sounds good.”

Country Music Opens Its Ears (Jon Caramanica, The New York Times)
\nSomething fascinating has been happening (en masse) in country music lately: It’s been featuring hip hop more and more. Jon Caramanica tracks this phenomenon, and points out some antecedents like Bubba Sparxxx and Big & Rich that may have simply been a few years ahead of their time. Even if you don’t have an interest in country music, it’s an interesting read, showcasing how and why a “purist” genre like country is currently embracing a sound built on hybridity. (It’s also worth listening to Jon talk about the article in the recent New York Times Popcast.)

What Was It Like Being a DJ in Communist Romania? (Ioana Moldoveanu, Vice)
\nI love stories about DJs stealing electricity to keep the party going, so the recent Vice article about DJing in Communist Romania was always going to be an easy sell. This one features a DJ, Sorin Lupaşcu, who told the police that he needed to have the electricity going all night because, “we’ve got girls here – what if one of them gets sick?” Throwing a party today seems simple in comparison.

Singing Karaoke with Mac DeMarco (Jayson Greene, Wondering Sound)
\nHats off to Jayson Greene for the premise: Take a reliably good interviewee on a karaoke date and drink beers. The results are just as fantastic as you’d imagine. Surprisingly, indie rock jokester Mac Demarco comes off as more serious than usual. Unsurprisingly, we learn that Demarco does a killer Michael McDonald.

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Honorable Mention

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Soul II Soul discuss 1989’s Club Classics Vol. One (Chris Williams, Wax Poetics)
\nSolid interview with Jazzie B and Caron Wheeler breaking down their classic album.

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Who Cares What Steve Albini Thinks? You Probably Do. (Maureen Herman, Boing Boing)
\nAlbini never disappoints in interview form. This is no exception.

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Images: Bun B - Marco Torres; 50 Cent - Chris Buck; Country Music - Samantha Sais; Mac Demarco - Andrew Parks

By Todd L. Burns on June 3, 2014

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