Joel Q is a Special Education teacher at Cook Elementary in Chicago, and a rapper hailing from Auburn Gresham on the South Side. Bekoe spoke with Joel about working with kids and his new album "Crazy Road To Glory."

Vocalo Radio

Teacher and Rapper Joel Q Talks New Album "Crazy Road To Glory"

Bekoe spoke with singer, rapper, drummer and North Lawndale native Bianca Shaw to talk about her recent EP "Exhale," new Single "Seat Back," and what she would like to do for her community.

Bianca Shaw Talks Lawndale, Bow Wow, and new EP "Exhale"

Leor Galil is a music staff writer at The Chicago Reader. He joined Jill Hopkins on Vocalo Radio to look back at some of this year's notable releases from Chicago and worldwide.

2019 in Music with Chicago Reader's Leor Galil

Chicago rapper Jarad Higgins better known as Juice WRLD died this weekend at the age of 21 following a seizure at the Midway Airport. Vocalo's Jill Hopkins and Bekoe pay tribute to the life and music of a rising star.

Vocalo Pays Tribute to Juice WRLD

"Escape from Babylon Vol. 4" is a satirical action adventure comic series and 4th studio album from Chicago's dynamic Hip Hop crew The Microphone Misfitz.

Microphone Misfitz Travel to Outer Space on New Album and Comic Book

Theycallmericky is a 23 year old rapper from the southwest side of Chicago. From lyrical and mellow to loud and energetic, Ricky's raps span a range of sounds and emotions within the Hip Hop genre.

Theycallmericky Shows His Musical Range

Eryn Allen Kane has made her mark as an emerging talent in the R&B and soul scenes. After cutting her teeth in the Midwest, Eryn now calls L.A. home. Her newest EP entitled “A Tree Planted by Water.”

Eryn Allen Kane Makes Music to Heal To

Shredders is the newest offshoot of Minneapolis-based label and Hip Hop collective Doomtree. Their new album is packed with hard hitting beats, traces of Punk, Drum 'n' Bass, and relentlessly catchy and edgy bars.

P.O.S and Sims of Doomtree Make Bangers as Shredders

North Carolina bred and raised Rapsody is every MC's MC. Hip Hop to the core, Rapsody is an acclaimed lyricist and a powerful outspoken voice for women and black culture. On her new album "Eve," she takes that ethos to the next level.

Rapsody is Hip-Hop to the Core

The record is inspired by the horror genre. Images of ghosts, werewolves and other ominous entities haunt the record through and through in concert with the band's usual penchant for experimental hip hop, distortion and glitch noise.

Clipping's New Horror Record Perfect for October

After working behind the scenes with artists like Diplo, Skrillex, and Usher, Montreal-based band Chiiild is stepping into the spotlight with their first project gearing up for release by the end of this year.

Chiiild's "Synthetic Soul" Sound Takes Inspiration from Many Genres

Following his 2018 acclaimed release "Blackie: A Story by Roy Kinsey," the Chicago rapper returns with the next installment: "KINSEY, House of Marcell Vol. 1." The new album continues the exploration of his multi-faceted identities as a queer Black man, a son, a librarian, an educator and an entrepreneur, among others. On this album, Roy honors a long lineage of strong and resilient women in his family and delves into his feminine side, allowing the "divine feminine to step up to the mic from the shadows." Jill Hopkins sat down with the thoughtful MC to talk about the project. For more info about Roy Kinsey, visit: http://www.roykinsey.com Album release show is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 1st at the MCA's "In Progress" event: https://mcachicago.org/Calendar/2019/10/In-Progress-Roy-Kinsey

Roy Kinsey Examines His Feminine Side and Honors Women in His Family on "KINSEY, House of Marcell"

Saul Williams is a poet, musician and actor who worked with the likes of Rick Rubin and Trent Reznor, creating some of the most progressive, genre-bending and conceptual Hip Hop with albums like "The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust" and 2016's "MartyrLoserKing." The latter was based around the story of a hacker and coltan miner from Burundi who, under the screen name MartyrLoserKing, is waging cyber resistance against authoritarian imperialist governments and oppressive global capitalist forces. His new album "Encrypted & Vulnerable" expands the socio-political narrative into a long-form multimedia project, serving as an album and a soundtrack to an upcoming film "Neptune Frost." This second part of the saga tells the story of an intersex Ugandan runaway who has a love relationship with MartyrLoserKing and joins the hacking collective. We spoke with the multi-media artist, and soon to be film director, about the afrofuturist cyber punk journey he's taking us on through the interconnected projects that tie the MartyrLoserKing narrative.

Saul Williams Expands MartyrLoserKing Narrative On New Album "Encrypted & Vulnerable"

SuperKnova is a Chicago-based transgender musician Ellie Kim. She creates Queer Pop, a unique sound that incorporates hip-hop inspired drums, driving synths, and virtuosic guitar solos. She writes about identity, queerness and the struggle of being your authentic self. Her latest album is called “American Queers,” and she spoke with Jill Hopkins about the meaning behind the album, and how she finds inspiration as an artist. For more info on SuperKnova, visit: https://superknova.bandcamp.com Photo: Lili Fang

SuperKnova Sings Queer Transgender Jubilee On New Album "American Queers"

Grammy Award winning musician and international recording artist, Isaiah Sharkey, joined Jill Hopkins on The Morning AMp to talk about his solo career and roots in Chicago. Isaiah has worked, recorded, and toured with several world-renown and Grammy award winning artists including John Mayer, D'Angelo, Lupe Fiasco, and more. With the release of his solo work, including the 2019 album "Love is the Key: The Cancerian Theme," Isaiah Sharkey takes center stage as he fuses together his background in rock, gospel, jazz, R&B, blues, and funk to create an original sound with an unmistakable dose of soul. Isaiah is performing at Joe's on Weed Street on Friday, September 27th in Chicago. This event will be an official album release party & more info can be found here: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/isaiah-sharkey-joes-on-weed-street-tickets/9837765

Isaiah Sharkey Takes Center Stage & Wants to Spread Love through his Music

Interviews with local + national music artists featured on Chicago's Urban Alternative.

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