Nelson George on the start, and the state, of hip-hop journalism
The journalist and filmmaker sits down in studio to talk about hip-hop's 50th anniversary
Music journalist Nelson George was one of the first writers to document the rise of DJ Kool Herc's new hip-hop movement coming out of New York City . His writing helped lay the groundwork for what we now call hip-hop journalism.
50 years later, George is still exploring the power of hip-hop and Black American culture as an author and filmmaker. Host Elamin Abdelmahmoud sits down with George to talk about how he got his start covering this new sound as a 20-year-old rookie journalist, and the premiere of the new CBC show he executive produced, called Black Life: Untold Stories.
LISTEN | Today's episode on YouTube:
You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.
For more stories about the 50th anniversary of hip-hop — including Tom Power's conversations with some of the artists who witnessed and shaped the genre — check out Hip-Hop at 50 here.
Interview with Nelson George produced by Ty Callender.