Noel Paul Stookey features new generation of activist musicians
BLUE HILL Noel Paul Stookey has the kind of protest roots that today’s young activists can only dream of, born out of the youth-inspired movement of the 1960s. Stookey, of course, is part of the iconic folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, a name synonymous with American folk music. In recent years, Stookey has connected with young and activist musicians across the country, continuing his si
Austin, Texas-based hip-hop artist Steven Hernandez works with youth grappling with diverse issues through music, humor and crowd participation.
x-plus decades of social commentary through music.
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The sweet-singing pop artist and the fire-spitting rapper: for decades, that’s been a winning combination. It’s the musical equivalent of a buddy movie, a marriage of styles, a perfect balance between the gritty and the glamorous. When the singer has an affinity for hip-hop, and the rapper understands pop presentation, that makes hybrid tracks particularly rewarding. Michael Lanza is a singer with the precision, unerring sense of rhythm, and easygoing swagger of an emcee. Even though he’s best known for his future bass and house music collaboration with KEPIK, his opening slot for Major Lazer, and recognition by The Chainsmokers, his artistic adjacency to hip-hop is immediately apparent. “Lion,” the #23 Billboard Dance chart hit he cut with GhostDragon and Ron Reeser, was pitched for the clubs, but it had the soul of a rap-influenced R&B banger.