Kiana Fitzgerald
Kiana Fitzgerald is a freelance music journalist, cultural critic, and DJ. She writes for the world from deep in the heart of Texas.
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This year's AfroPunk Festival in Brooklyn features artists who are expanding the universe of punk and ideas about who belongs there.
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The Chicago rapper's new mixtape, Coloring Book, walks a line between the secular and the religious, bringing gospel sounds to listeners who may not have darkened the doors of a church in a while.
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The Brooklyn rapper-producer's latest instrumental album is evenly weighted from front to back. There's never an off moment — or even a precarious one.
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The R&B stalwart has long vibrated on a different wavelength than do his contemporaries; in a turbulent, bruising world, he's stayed rock-steady.
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The rapper, whose songs are shaped by his experiences as a youth in Long Beach, Calif., brought charisma, comedy and a touch of cynicism to the stage at NPR Music's SXSW 2016 showcase.
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Out of nowhere, Kendrick Lamar dropped a new record this week, called untitled unmastered. Reviewer Kiana Fitzgerald says that listening to these demos "feels like we're playing catch-up."
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The rising R&B star came out with guns blazing and performed fleshed out versions of her new songs.
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For a couple years now BJ The Chicago Kid has been the answer when rappers need a little help baring their souls. Watch him step into the spotlight at NPR Music's show during CMJ.
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Surrounded by unfinished and leftover Mardi Gras floats, Boykins pulls back the layers of his song "4 U 2 B Free," matching his performance to the exposed, vulnerable characters surrounding him.
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The singer-songwriter and musician performs with unabashed positivity and the sort of uplifting spirit that can faithfully be found ringing through choirs down South.