David Ma
@davidmadavidma.bsky.social
Music journalist/editor: NPR, Wax Poetics, Dust & Grooves, Complex, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, The Paris Review, Billboard, SF Weekly, Pitchfork, Passion of the Weiss, The Ringer, etc. Needle To The Groove Records + Dad Bod Rap Pod + SJSU
Reposted by David Ma
Fire And Ice : Blood Of The New Gestapo
January 25, 2026 at 12:43 AM
Fire And Ice : Blood Of The New Gestapo
Reposted by David Ma
Reposted by David Ma
Rap fans recall Fab 5 Freddy from YO! MTV Rap, but his resume includes painting, directing videos (Gang Starr’s “Just to Get a Rep”) and producing films (Wild Style). This year his autobiography Everybody’s Fly will be released.
crimereads.com/big-pimpin-p... @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
crimereads.com/big-pimpin-p... @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
January 19, 2026 at 6:36 AM
Rap fans recall Fab 5 Freddy from YO! MTV Rap, but his resume includes painting, directing videos (Gang Starr’s “Just to Get a Rep”) and producing films (Wild Style). This year his autobiography Everybody’s Fly will be released.
crimereads.com/big-pimpin-p... @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
crimereads.com/big-pimpin-p... @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
Reposted by David Ma
Reposted by David Ma
this is like the golden age of bozos
January 10, 2026 at 5:54 AM
this is like the golden age of bozos
Reposted by David Ma
#5debutalbums9094 #NowPlaying
Freestyle Fellowship - Too Whom it May Concern.
Top 5 not even in question.
Freestyle Fellowship - Too Whom it May Concern.
Top 5 not even in question.
January 6, 2026 at 10:33 AM
#5debutalbums9094 #NowPlaying
Freestyle Fellowship - Too Whom it May Concern.
Top 5 not even in question.
Freestyle Fellowship - Too Whom it May Concern.
Top 5 not even in question.
Reposted by David Ma
OK then, here's a WAV file download of the entire LP.
▶️ www.swisstransfer.com/d/28423248-d...
bsky.app/profile/obso...
▶️ www.swisstransfer.com/d/28423248-d...
bsky.app/profile/obso...
December 21, 2025 at 9:36 PM
OK then, here's a WAV file download of the entire LP.
▶️ www.swisstransfer.com/d/28423248-d...
bsky.app/profile/obso...
▶️ www.swisstransfer.com/d/28423248-d...
bsky.app/profile/obso...
Reposted by David Ma
I wrote about Prince's "Another Lonely Christmas" for Spin's Deep Cut Friday column:
www.spin.com/2025/12/deep...
www.spin.com/2025/12/deep...
Deep Cut Friday: ‘Another Lonely Christmas’ by Prince
Each week, SPIN digs into the catalogs of great artists and highlights songs you might not know for our Deep Cut Friday series.
Prince released an album almo
www.spin.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:10 PM
I wrote about Prince's "Another Lonely Christmas" for Spin's Deep Cut Friday column:
www.spin.com/2025/12/deep...
www.spin.com/2025/12/deep...
Reposted by David Ma
Coming up in the 70s my cuz DeeNee taught me about funk, mom's friend Bubba introduced me to disco and Uncle Carl schooled me on the magic of Miles Davis. My essay on imformal music lessons "Fly Away: On Jazz," appears in the new Kevin Powell edited website The Game. thegame.visibility.art
December 19, 2025 at 4:08 AM
Coming up in the 70s my cuz DeeNee taught me about funk, mom's friend Bubba introduced me to disco and Uncle Carl schooled me on the magic of Miles Davis. My essay on imformal music lessons "Fly Away: On Jazz," appears in the new Kevin Powell edited website The Game. thegame.visibility.art
Reposted by David Ma
This entire weekend
December 15, 2025 at 3:58 AM
This entire weekend
Reposted by David Ma
Today marks 4 years since my friend, mentor and brillant writer Greg Tate died at the age of 64. He'd been in my city the month before, but I'd blown off the oppertunity to hang-out, figurin' there would be a next time...
--Afrodisiac: A Textual Meditation on Greg Tate lithub.com/afrodisiac-a...
--Afrodisiac: A Textual Meditation on Greg Tate lithub.com/afrodisiac-a...
December 7, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Today marks 4 years since my friend, mentor and brillant writer Greg Tate died at the age of 64. He'd been in my city the month before, but I'd blown off the oppertunity to hang-out, figurin' there would be a next time...
--Afrodisiac: A Textual Meditation on Greg Tate lithub.com/afrodisiac-a...
--Afrodisiac: A Textual Meditation on Greg Tate lithub.com/afrodisiac-a...
Reposted by David Ma
Steve Cropper's death is as good a reminder as any that if you haven't seen HBO's wonderful docuseries on Stax Records—in which Cropper himself is featured—you gotta get on it www.npr.org/2024/05/24/1...
A look back at Stax Records with Steve Cropper, Booker T. and Isaac Hayes
The Memphis soul label is the subject of the HBO Max documentary series, Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. We listen back to archival interviews with Stax musicians Steve Cropper, Booker T. and Isaac Hayes.
www.npr.org
December 4, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Steve Cropper's death is as good a reminder as any that if you haven't seen HBO's wonderful docuseries on Stax Records—in which Cropper himself is featured—you gotta get on it www.npr.org/2024/05/24/1...
Reposted by David Ma
go watch “School Colors” (as mentioned in this article) about race relations at Berkeley High School in the early 90s) and have your mind blown at the echoes out to today
very cool look at the scene that birthed me by @humthrush.bsky.social
(I’m quoted a bunch)
www.kqed.org/arts/1398432...
(I’m quoted a bunch)
www.kqed.org/arts/1398432...
Unsigned and Hella Broke: The East Bay’s Dirt-Hustling 1990s Hip-Hop Subculture | KQED
How a movement made of homemade cassette tapes and independent hustle changed Bay Area hip-hop history.
www.kqed.org
December 4, 2025 at 1:44 AM
go watch “School Colors” (as mentioned in this article) about race relations at Berkeley High School in the early 90s) and have your mind blown at the echoes out to today
Reposted by David Ma
Ok, with this year being what it has, we all deserved and needed this today. Do yourself a favor and watch it. You deserve it.
David Byrne: Tiny Desk Concert
YouTube video by NPR Music
youtu.be
December 3, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Ok, with this year being what it has, we all deserved and needed this today. Do yourself a favor and watch it. You deserve it.
Reposted by David Ma
We spoke to Ras Kass about coming up in Watts & Carson, his early encounters w/ 'Pac & Rick Rubin, the making of "Soul on Ice," collaborating w/ Dre, the "Home Sweet Home" controversy, major label nightmares & more
One of my favorite Truth Hurts eps.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKlM...
One of my favorite Truth Hurts eps.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKlM...
Ras Kass Interview
YouTube video by The Truth Hurts
www.youtube.com
December 2, 2025 at 8:35 PM
We spoke to Ras Kass about coming up in Watts & Carson, his early encounters w/ 'Pac & Rick Rubin, the making of "Soul on Ice," collaborating w/ Dre, the "Home Sweet Home" controversy, major label nightmares & more
One of my favorite Truth Hurts eps.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKlM...
One of my favorite Truth Hurts eps.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKlM...
Reposted by David Ma
Happy 61st birthday to Sanchez.
Throughout the 90s Sanchez was in the premier league of Jamaican singers. Best known for his sweet lovers tunes, he also recorded one of the greatest roots anthems of the decade...
youtu.be/GVti33SqS6I?...
#reggae #reggaesky #vinylsky #vinyl #musicsky
Throughout the 90s Sanchez was in the premier league of Jamaican singers. Best known for his sweet lovers tunes, he also recorded one of the greatest roots anthems of the decade...
youtu.be/GVti33SqS6I?...
#reggae #reggaesky #vinylsky #vinyl #musicsky
November 30, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Happy 61st birthday to Sanchez.
Throughout the 90s Sanchez was in the premier league of Jamaican singers. Best known for his sweet lovers tunes, he also recorded one of the greatest roots anthems of the decade...
youtu.be/GVti33SqS6I?...
#reggae #reggaesky #vinylsky #vinyl #musicsky
Throughout the 90s Sanchez was in the premier league of Jamaican singers. Best known for his sweet lovers tunes, he also recorded one of the greatest roots anthems of the decade...
youtu.be/GVti33SqS6I?...
#reggae #reggaesky #vinylsky #vinyl #musicsky
Reposted by David Ma
cutty hayes/porter
Mable John - I'm A Big Girl Now - 1967 Soul on Stax label
YouTube video by Wrigley Records
www.youtube.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:29 AM
cutty hayes/porter
Reposted by David Ma
"Drums are an essential part to hip-hop. It’s an essential part to all music. The first instrument. It’s the communicator."
—Q-Tip, interviewed by Touré
www.thebeliever.net/an-interview...
—Q-Tip, interviewed by Touré
www.thebeliever.net/an-interview...
An Interview with Q-Tip - Believer Magazine
Q-Tip was born Jonathan Davis and even though he’ll let you call him Q-Tip, most of his closest friends now use his Muslim name, Kamaal Fareed. He began his musical career in the late eighties as a te...
www.thebeliever.net
November 24, 2025 at 5:07 PM
"Drums are an essential part to hip-hop. It’s an essential part to all music. The first instrument. It’s the communicator."
—Q-Tip, interviewed by Touré
www.thebeliever.net/an-interview...
—Q-Tip, interviewed by Touré
www.thebeliever.net/an-interview...
Reposted by David Ma
Happy birthday to 2 living legends of reggae music, Marcia Griffiths and Cornell Campbell.
They made their first recordings over 60 years ago and are still going strong today...
Marcia - youtu.be/x2SVi1sBBYw?...
Cornell - youtu.be/8pNvV8tTE5o?...
#reggae #reggaesky #vinylsky #vinyl #musicsky
They made their first recordings over 60 years ago and are still going strong today...
Marcia - youtu.be/x2SVi1sBBYw?...
Cornell - youtu.be/8pNvV8tTE5o?...
#reggae #reggaesky #vinylsky #vinyl #musicsky
November 23, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Happy birthday to 2 living legends of reggae music, Marcia Griffiths and Cornell Campbell.
They made their first recordings over 60 years ago and are still going strong today...
Marcia - youtu.be/x2SVi1sBBYw?...
Cornell - youtu.be/8pNvV8tTE5o?...
#reggae #reggaesky #vinylsky #vinyl #musicsky
They made their first recordings over 60 years ago and are still going strong today...
Marcia - youtu.be/x2SVi1sBBYw?...
Cornell - youtu.be/8pNvV8tTE5o?...
#reggae #reggaesky #vinylsky #vinyl #musicsky
Reposted by David Ma
Reposted by David Ma
Alice Wong, writer and disability activist, has died. She was an educator and a communicator and a warrior who lit the way. I’m grateful to have crossed paths with her. Rest in peace.
November 15, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Alice Wong, writer and disability activist, has died. She was an educator and a communicator and a warrior who lit the way. I’m grateful to have crossed paths with her. Rest in peace.
Reposted by David Ma
oh shit forgot i had this flic from backstage at msg this summer. pretty much the only politician i wouldn’t be embarrassed to know. “we’ll see if he can run the city tho” yeah yeah same with any mayor that’s the gig. having a genuinely good dude try is a big step up from these previous fucks.
November 14, 2025 at 11:27 AM
oh shit forgot i had this flic from backstage at msg this summer. pretty much the only politician i wouldn’t be embarrassed to know. “we’ll see if he can run the city tho” yeah yeah same with any mayor that’s the gig. having a genuinely good dude try is a big step up from these previous fucks.
Reposted by David Ma
well at least I’m not yet out of bourbon
November 10, 2025 at 3:07 AM
well at least I’m not yet out of bourbon