Scholar Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo on Joys of Nerd Rap
Helga
English - May 07, 2024 08:00 - 57 minutes - 53 MB - ★★★★★ - 164 ratingsPhilosophy Society & Culture Music Music Commentary wnyc wqxr composers artists music interviews sound design classical Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo is a scholar and professor of music at Brown University who also performs as the dynamic rapper and producer Sammus. Sammus explores themes of anxiety, awkwardness, Afro-futurism, and activism in three full-length albums, three EPs, a beat tape, and several collaborations with notable artists.
As a Brown Practitioner Fellow, Lumumba-Kasongo’s research expands the bounds of Black feminist sound and hip-hop studies. In this episode, Lumumba-Kasongo talks about how she crafted “elsewhere spaces” in her childhood, where she dreamt up cartoons, video games, and music — which in turn helped her to navigate nervousness. She also shares how she learned to reconcile her love of being an unapologetic nerd with her drive to be an M.C., and what it means to show up as a socially conscious artist, both individually and as a member of her generation.