Selected Work
Saba's ComfortZone: An Oral History on its 10th Anniversary (These Days, 2024)
Best amapiano party (Chicago Reader, 2024; print)
A “creative coalition” of BIPOC talent (Chicago Reader, 2022; print)
Best career breakout by a DJ (Chicago Reader, 2022; print)
Can hyperpop star Rico Nasty outshine underground rap legend Danny Brown? (Red Bull, 2021)
Wiki and Navy Blue conjure their hometown New York through hypnotic hip-hop (Chicago Reader, 2021; print)
R&B newcomer Jaas finds strength in solitude on her debut EP (Chicago Reader, 2021)
Wine Night with Los Naturales (Notre, 2021)
Long live Squeak (Chicago Reader, 2021)
Alex Banin mixes pop with R&B—and memory with fantasy (Chicago Reader, 2021; print)
The Life of an Independent Contractor (Women Unite!, 2021)
Roddy Ricch Takes the Stage at RS x Vivid Seats Official Lollapalooza After Party at Tao Chicago (Rolling Stone, 2021)
Rapper Femdot Collects Moments (Notre, 2021)
10 Hip-Hop Albums That Sound Great on Vinyl (Yamaha Music, 2021)
Ron Louis Dips In and Glows Up (Notre, 2021)
Last year would’ve been a great one for bangers in Chicago clubs (Chicago Reader, 2021)
Celebrate everyday Black heroes with 28 Days of Greatness (Chicago Reader, 2021)
Rapper SG Ali carries a torch for Cabrini-Green (Chicago Reader, 2021)
S3an Alexander’s brllantmnds Clothing Brand Is Taking Off in St. Louis (Riverfront Times, 2020)
Through Song and Cycling, Shawnee Dez Finds Communal Release (Notre, 2020)
TheMIND reclaims his mental real estate (Chicago Reader, 2020)
Grocery Run Club and the Power of Community Action (Notre, 2020)
Album of the Day: Sen Morimoto, Sen Morimoto (Bandcamp, 2020)
Chicago’s Sooper Records is Home to Punk, Hip-Hop, Jazz, and More (Bandcamp, 2020)
Album of the Day: Angela Munoz, Adrian Younge presents Angela Munoz Introspection (Bandcamp, 2020)
Adidas taps Chicago streetwear brand Fat Tiger Workshop to design sneakers for NBA All-Star Weekend (Chicago Tribune, 2020)
An Alchemical Flex: Secret of Manna on Sculpting Grills and More (Notre, 2020)
The Best Chicago albums of the 2010s (Chicago Reader, 2020; print)
Chris ‘Classick’ looking to give back by looking back, and offering up some killer tunes (Chicago Tribune, 2020; print)
The Best Albums of 2019 (Bandcamp, 2019)
Chicago designer Letesha Renee’s Eugene Taylor Brand celebrates unisex, genderless clothes (Chicago Tribune, 2019; print)
Album of the Day: Teebs, Anicca (Bandcamp, 2019)
Red Bull Pivot Gang Zine (2019, print)
Red Bull Zero Fatigue Zine (2019, print)
Red Bull Music Festival Chicago Quiz (2019)
Slowthai isn’t anything like his name, coming at the rap game like a half-clothed, accusatory sonic boom (Chicago Tribune, 2019)
On “Next to the Sun,” Kaina Breaks Down Walls (Bandcamp Daily, 2019)
Kari Faux has found freedom at the end of a long road back from a very dark place (Chicago Tribune, 2019)
The Biggest Phenomenon: Little Simz (Clash Magazine, 2019; print)
Nico Segal, Nate Fox getting 'Intellexual' done with, as usual, a little help from their friends (Chicago Tribune, 2019)
Tiffany Calver (Push Magazine, 2019; print)
How Qari & Green Sllime’s 'Operation Hennessy' Became a Testament to Friendship (DJ Booth, 2019)
4 Must-Hear Artists Under 1,000 Followers (DJ Booth column)
Saba: Triumph Through Tragedy (Clash Music, 2018; print)
Omar Apollo is easy to spot, but the Hobart, Ind. native's music is hard to pin down (Chicago Tribune, 2018)
Noname: A Balancing Act (Clash Music, 2018; print)
Chicago rap star Queen Key succeeding on her terms, with a feminist mindset (Chicago Tribune, 2018)
Phoelix, the man helping shape the sound of rap talents like Saba, Smino and Noname, steps out on his own (Chicago Tribune, 2018)
Footwork pioneer DJ Spinn makes his first mark of the year with a pop culture blast, and a Red Bull showcase set (Chicago Tribune, 2018)
Jorja Smith, an Emerging Revelation in R&B, Brings a Unique Gift: Honesty (Red Bull, 2018)
Jamila Woods: Ego Tripping (Clash Music, 2018; print)
7 Things You Need to Know About Valee, G.O.O.D. Music's Newest Signee (Complex, 2018)
DJ Taye is Spreading the Gospel of Footwork (The Fader, 2018)
Ravyn Lenae Makes Vital Songs to Fall In and Out of Love to (The Fader, 2018)
Ty Dolla $ign: Unapologetic (Push Magazine, 2018; print)
Secret Weapon: L10MixedIt is the Common Denominator Behind Chicago's Rising Rappers (Genius, 2017)
Vintage Lee's 'PiMP' Signals the Next Wave of Boston Rap (Vice, 2017)
Secret Weapon: Papi Beatz is Bringing the Spirit of Rock to Chicago's Hip-Hop Scene (Genius, 2017)
Anik Khan On Kites And The Trip To Bangladesh That Changed His Rap Career (The Fader, 2017)
Xavier Omär Is Putting His Faith in Love (Vice, 2017)
Matt Martians is the Funk Whisperer of Right Now (Vice, 2017)
How Joe Freshgoods And His Friends Claimed Chicago’s DIY Fashion Crown (The Fader, 2017)
Chicago Rapper Noname Is Bringing Her A-Game (Riverfront Times, 2017)
Saba's 'Bucket List Project' Shows Another Side of Chicago (Pigeons & Planes, 2016)
Meet Jay Prince & “Smile Good” While Listening to the UK Rapper’s New Project (DJ Booth, 2016)
Rapper Larry June's New EP Reflects His San Francisco Origins (SF Weekly, 2016)
Heavn Help Us: The Joyful Music of Jamila Woods (Vice, 2016)
Joey Bada$$ and Pro Era Turn Tragedy Into Celebration With Their Annual Steez Day Festival (LA Weekly, 2016)
You Can't Buy These Amazing Hip-Hop Cross Stitchings, But Maybe You Can Trade (The Fader, 2016)
Becoming Joey Purp (The Hundreds, 2016)
Anik Khan Fights for the Multicultural Rap People 'Want and Crave' (Village Voice, 2016)
An Homage to the City :: Chicago’s Streetwear & Footwear Mainstay, Saint Alfred (The Hundreds, 2015)
MeLo-X'S Musical and Artistic Talents Have More Sides Than an Octahedron (Village Voice, 2015)
Kirk Knight: 'I Wanted to Live Life' Before Breakout Project 'Late Knight Special' (Village Voice, 2015)
Choreographer Tanisha Scott Explains How She Helped Drake Find His Groove (The Fader, 2015)
Chicago's Zero Fatigue Collective Comes to St. Louis for the Biggest Vibes Showcase Yet (Riverfront Times, 2015)
Masego's Cooking in the Jazz Bando: Get Familiar with Trap House Jazz (Vice, 2015)
Mick Jenkins Changes Tides with 'Wave[s]': 'You Can't Get a Person's Sound in One Project' (Village Voice, 2015)
Cousin Stizz is the Hypnotic Rapper Giving Boston a Shout Out (Vice, 2015)
Long Way From Home :: Chicago Rapper Saba’s Road Trip To Debut In NYC (The Hundreds, 2015)
Rapper Freddie Gibbs Isn't Interested In "Fake Shit" (Riverfront Times, 2015)
Smino is Making a Midwest Musical Moment (Vice, 2015)
From YouTube to High School Graduation, This is How Alessia Cara Left the Party and Got Here (Vice, 2015)
“The Hobby Grew Wings” :: Oakland Cloud Rap Duo Main Attrakionz Makes A Comeback (The Hundreds, 2015)
Meet Queens Rapper Anik Khan: "I Want to be the Kid Who Represents the Immigrant Story" (Vice, 2015)
Junglepussy on 'You Don't Know': 'My Flame is Just Getting Hotter' (Village Voice, 2015)
GoldLink, Unmasked, Comes Down to Earth Before He Takes It Over (Vice, 2015)
Interview: Chicago MC Saba Talks Battling Nerves, Starting Pivot Gang, and Finding Inspiration in a 'Friends' Episode (Complex, 2015)
For Us: Pennsylvania Rapper Tunji Ige is Building His Own World of Music (Vice, 2015)
A New Hope: Black EL Embraces Change with His Space Wave Hip-Hop (Vice, 2015)
We Skyped with Ibeyi, the French-Cuban Twin Sisters Turning their Heritage into the Sound of the Future (Vice, 2014)
Chance the Rapper Conducts Social Experiments After Dropping Acid Rap (Riverfront Times, 2014)
Dreezy Is the Crown Princess of Chicago Rap (Vice, 2014)