history
Iconic moments in music history.
How Jim Jones Helped Kid Cudi Day N Nite Take Off by NWO Sparrow
Kid Cudi Day N Nite Was Good but Not Hot Yet by NWO Sparrow Why Kid Cudi Day N Nite Needed Jim Jones I have seen this debate pop up again and again, and every time it does, it tells me how short our collective memory can be. The question keeps coming back the same way. Would Kid Cudi Day N Nite have been successful without Jim Jones hopping on the remix. My answer has always been yes and no at the same time.
By NWO SPARROW6 days ago in Beat
10 Post-hardcore Songs for Your Early Emo Playlist
Post-hardcore is a broad genre that includes harsh instrumentals, catchy melodies and everything in between, allowing everything from Fugazi to Hawthorne Heights to fall under this umbrella. The bands on this list never saw mainstream success, but they're a little more accessible than pure hardcore or screamo groups. If your rock playlists need a revamp, here's what you've been missing out on.
By Kaitlin Shanks8 days ago in Beat
Hold On to the Vision: El Pablo 1x Leads with Purpose, Music, and Community
Memphis has always been a city of sound, soul, and fearless originality—and standing firmly in that tradition is El Pablo 1x, the award-winning, nationally touring artist and visionary leader of the Black Sheep Kid movement. More than just a performer, El Pablo 1x is a curator of culture, a builder of platforms, and a relentless advocate for independent artists who dare to move differently.
By Independent Indie Artist Radar18 days ago in Beat
10 Vibrant Indie Hits From the 2010s
As an adult in the 2010s, I never thought I'd feel nostalgic for this decade. And yet, when I listen to indie hits from that era, I feel wistful as I think about this cheerful, optimistic time when I'd recently started college, Marvel was about to make movie history with The Avengers, and bright, peppy tunes dominated the radio.
By Kaitlin Shanks21 days ago in Beat
A Win Before the Win: Why This iHeartRadio Nomination Matters for Zeddy Will and Hip Hop Culture by NWO Sparrow
Validation Over Virality Zeddy Will Performing Live December 2024 I've covered hip hop culture long enough to know that the word new rarely means what it used to. In 2026, being labeled a newcomer often means surviving multiple cycles in public before anyone in power takes you seriously. That is why this year’s iHeartRadio nomination for Best New Artist Hip Hop Zeddy Will feels bigger than a single awards moment. It feels like confirmation. When the announcement landed, I did not read it as a breakthrough. I read it as validation for Zeddy. In an era where viral success can burn fast and disappear just as quickly, recognition from a mainstream institution is rarely guaranteed. Plenty of artists dominate feeds, charts, and timelines only to be shut out when award season arrives. That history is what makes his nomination matter.
By NWO SPARROW25 days ago in Beat
The Quiet That Follows the Applause
I didn’t cry at the end of Better Call Saul. I cried three days later, while washing dishes. The water was hot, the sponge worn thin, and suddenly—without warning—I saw Kim Wexler’s hands again. Not in the courtroom. Not in the finale. But in that tiny Albuquerque office, adjusting the blinds just so, trying to control one small thing in a world spinning out of her grasp.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
The Song That Brought Him Back
After my mother passed, grief settled into our home like winter fog—thick, gray, and impossible to ignore. He stopped whistling while fixing the sink. Stopped tapping his boot to the oldies station. Even his laugh, once so loud it startled the dogs, vanished into a silence so heavy it filled every room. For two years, he moved through life like a man walking in someone else’s shoes. So when he said, voice barely above a whisper, “Let’s go south for New Year’s,” I didn’t ask why. I just booked the tickets.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a month ago in Beat
