WKNC 88.1 FM - North Carolina State University Student RadioWKNC DJs share their musical interests, personal anecdotes, etc.
Young M.A.
Brooklyn, NY
Album: Herstory
Leikeli47
Brooklyn, NY
Album: Wash & Set
Rico Nasty
Washington D.C.
Album: Nasty
Princess Nokia
Harlem, NY
Album: 1995
Tierra Whack
Philadelphia, PA
Album: Whack World
cupcakKe
Chicago, IL
Album: Ephorize
Kari Faux
Little Rock, AR
Album: Primary
-cellar door xxxx
When I listen to rap, I use a three part system that takes the lyrics, beat and flow into great consideration.
Flow: an artists flow is important. It is another personal touch that they can use in their music. A rapper’s flow can be fast, choppy, consistent or create a noticeable sonic pattern. This is the least important element, but it can elevate a song to a certain status that makes it a good addition to any rap song. Rappers like Kendrick Lamar and MF DOOM have distinct flows and patterns that they create within their lyrics. If you don’t keep up with the beat or your flow doesn’t work well with it then you can definitely start working against yourself in a song; making it sound horrible.
Lyrics: Rap’s foundation is allll about lyrics. Obviously. However, when I listen to any rap song, this isn’t exactly what can make the song a 10 out of 10 for me. We all know that lyrics can be dumb and senseless, yet the song isn’t yet thrown in the trash. Take for example most trap songs. To make good rap lyrics they have to be clever, funny and be able to tell a story however long or short that story is. If the song was a cake, the lyrics are more the icing on top and make for the second layer of my three part system.
Beat: To me, the beat is the most important part. It is detrimental that the track is well produced or your song will fall flat. This is not always the case though. I’ve heard many rap songs with lower quality production, but stellar lyrics which gives those kinds of songs a certain amateur charisma. I want a beat with bass, a beat that makes me bob my head the entire song, a beat with layers and different sound colors. These kinds of elements make for a sonically engaging piece. The beat is the meat of a rap song, it allows a foundation for the rapper to spit on.
-cellar door xxx
Unpopular Opinion 1:
Kanye West’s production is unmatched and influential; the hate he receives eclipses his artistry. I get it, Kanye is sometimes an egotistical, spotlight-stealing, hot-take-making, Trump-supporting ass. I’m asking you to simply separate the music from the artist here. He’s a phenomenal beat maker, sampler and rapper. He wrote songs that defined a lot of the 2000s and he can bring a lot of emotion to his music (see 808’s and Heartbreak or ye). I’m not saying the hate he gets is completely undeserved, but I think he is lacking the respect he has earned with his art.
Unpopular Opinion 2:
Trap music is today’s pop. Trap is everywhere, this one doesn’t need much explaining. Trap went from putting a lot of white America off, to putting a lot of white America on. Trap’s close association and origin in black culture is of course conducive to its major success in popular culture in America. Pop and rock just aren’t dominating like they used to, even though trap music holds a lot of similar qualities like catchy hooks, memorable, creative beats and ease of replication.
Unpopular Opinion 3:
Bhad Bhabie is GOOD ok?! This is one I don’t like to admit, I’ll be honest. “Gucci Flip Flops” and “Hi Bich” will be played at my wedding reception. Do I like Danielle Bregoli? No. Is Bhad Bhabie all bhad? Also no.
Unpopular Opinion 4:
Solange is Beyonce but for edgy girls. In terms of their voices, Solange’s and Beyonce’s are very similar. Of course, being their own persons, they make very different music. To me, Solange makes music for people who don’t like Beyonce’s songs, but still love her voice. Solange is good at targeting the younger crowd of people who relate more to experimental music. Beyonce is too cookie cutter for the average (I HATE this word) “hipster.” Both women have incredible stage presences, sex appeal and extreme talent, but Solange seems to be leaning toward the “edgier” side of things.
Unpopular Opinion 5:
Tyler, the Creator’s past homophobia should not go unnoticed. If you’re a Tyler fan like me, your middle school days consisted of scream shouting Tyler, the Creator and Odd Future lyrics to get rid of pent up angst. For me, there was nothing like being a 14 year old walking around the hallways with your headphones in listening to Tyler repeat “kill people, burn shit, f*** school.” I also lacked any knowledge on how damaging slurs being used inappropriately could be. I barely batted an eyelash when Tyler used the word “f*g,” but it only took a few short years to understand why it was horrible. I soon stopped listening to Tyler’s old stuff with such enthusiasm. Now, knowing that Tyler is a member of the LGBT community, doesn’t mean what he said in the past was entirely the right thing to do. I believe that members of an oppressed group are allowed to use the slurs used against them without consequence, but Tyler’s fans who are majority straight males may have seen this as an invitation to spread hate and vitriol. He was young like I was, and using the word in all the wrong ways, but I think people like to brush off his past behaviors because he is such a lovable character and most of all because he’s a man, someone society allows to get away with a lot.
That’s just my take,
-cellar door xxx
Ahh, listening to metal… it’s the best. Metal has always been able to put me in a good mood no matter what is going on in my life. If you see me walking around campus or even in my car, there is a 99.9% chance that I am listening to some slam beatdown band.
When listening to metal, I always think that I look cooler than I actually do. I think other people are always looking at me and wondering, “what in the hell is she doing?” Here are the three main instances that happen to me when listening to metal that don’t exactly go as planned:
Listening to music with earbuds
So, I am mainly listening to music with earbuds because I am constantly walking to different classes and events. When I’m walking, you will see me play air drums, air guitar, pound the sky, and have a particular look on my face while I shake my head.
See, when I do this, I am jamming out to the music and just having a good time. I will see people watch me jamming out on my daily walk to class and some laugh, some just give me a weird look.
And here is what I have to say about this… mind ya business! lol.
Going to a show
We all know that the best way to listen to music is to listen live. When going to live shows, some things are bound to happen. You go to the show, and sing and headbang your little heart out to your favorite songs. You mosh, and go hard in the pit. What a great night!!!
Do you want to know how the night usually goes for me? I jam out and dance and sing to all my favorite songs, and occasionally go into the pit. Do you want to know what happens when I go into the pit? DO YOU?! I get hit in the face. Which sucks but hey, if you’re near the pit, you will get hit. Don’t get mad, you did it to yourself.
Editing Music
So, for my shift at WKNC, I have to edit the songs to make sure that they are FCC clean. That means no cussing at all, which can be an issue because bands cuss in songs sometimes and SOMETIMES it is during a nasty breakdown so it makes me sad to edit them out.
Usually, editing songs goes so well and the songs are still seamless. And I love when I go to edit a song and after listening to it, they don’t cuss at all.
But SOMETIMES these bands like to play jokes on me, drop a freaking F bomb at the end of the song. Why do y’all do this to me? WHY? Was it really that necessary?
The struggle is real!!
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
Streaming: I know a lot of people love to hate streaming services, but they’d be lying if they didn’t agree that platforms like Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal are convenient, accessible and technologically up to date. These platforms allow for instant sharing of music and with smartphone capabilities, you can really take music everywhere you go.
Festivals for everything: Like streaming, people love to hate music festivals, but I think that’s just because they haven’t been to one. I was definitely a jealous 14 year old, Tumblr surfing girl who dreamt about going to something like Coachella. Nowadays, a lot of music festivals are popping up in a large, grassy field near you and with big artists too. Just this year, the first annual Dreamville Fest was put on in Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park.
Rap groups, artist collectives: Rap groups and general collectives of artists are such a spectacle in themselves showcasing different talents, styles and sometimes genres under one umbrella. The perfect example is Odd Future of course, a group of wild teens from California who represented the confusion, chaos and fun of being in the spotlight of the music industry. Artist collectives are fun to watch, to listen to and they always make the coolest merch. The hysteria that falls over everyone when a new group bursts on the scene is always an interesting thing to experience—the most recent being Brockhampton or Earthgang.
Diverse and inclusive artists: I love seeing more and more color and diverse backgrounds of the artists that I discover and personally listen to. Their differences, struggles and personal tastes really shine through in their music. The first example that comes to mind is Jai Paul, an electronic artist whose Indian descent shows well in his work. Lil Nas X has recently come out as gay, Sam Smith has come out as non-binary and these instances show how much more comfortable artists feel about revealing their true selves to the world. However, the music industry still has a long, long way to go in terms of gender and race diversity, but I think it’s headed in the right direction.
Hip-Hop is taking over: Move over Bruce Springsteen, hello Kendrick Lamar. I’m a hip-hop fan, so it’s pleasing to see rap achieve such a big step up in the music world, though it had great influence for decades now. According to Nielsen Music’s 2017 report, R&B/Hip-Hop are the most consumed genres of music in the US. With trap beats and rapped lyrics infiltrating genres like country, rock and pop, this statistic comes as no surprise.
-cellar door xx
This year I was given the amazing opportunity to be one of the DJ’s at the Pack Disco (alongside DJ Casey and DJ Charlie M.A.C). I was pretty nervous about it since this would be the longest and largest live DJing event I’ve ever done, but I was also really excited because of that. I decided to do throwback pop since it’s a genre that really gets people dancing and singing their hearts out, it puts most people into a state of nostalgia. I learned from the last time I DJ’d a silent disco (for the honors village) that you really have to read the crowd because they’ll definitely show you what they want. So I played some more classic throwback songs like R.Kelly’s Ignition, but since I noticed this crowd was so open and excited I also got away with playing stuff like Call Me Maybe and What Makes You Beautiful (it was amazing to watch people’s face when they realized what song was playing).
There were definitely more highlights from that night too. After the show some of the other people who were involved in running the event told me that they thought it was funny that I played Mr. Telephone Man because they hadn’t heard it in ages, I hadn’t either, weirdly enough halfway through the event it just came into my head and I decided to throw it in and I’m glad I did. But of course there were some highlights that I had hoped would go well and they did, but they kind of exceeded my expectations, this crowd was amazing. I knew Bohemian Rhapsody would do well, that song is a classic, but I did not expect people to pull out their phones and start a huge hugging-swaying circle. It was beautiful. I also noticed a dance circle form at some point, though I can’t remember the track’s playing at the time, it was really fun watching people get really into the community spirit and start to interact more. My absolute favorite things were the moments when I would look into the crowd and make eye contact with someone on my channel and we would either nod and smile or point and each other and shout ayeeee. It was amazing interacting with so many people solely on the basis of music.
The whole event itself was an amazing and unforgettable time and I’m so glad to have DJ’d with the people I did. We talked before and after the event and it was all positive vibes going around. We wished each other good luck before, and had more of a team spirit going during the disco then a competition. After the event ended you could see the excitement on all of our faces, it was a successful event and we couldn’t have been more happy have been a part of it. The whole time we felt the community vibe. People kept trying to give requests (though we couldn’t take them for safety purposes) and we had several people come up trying to give high fives and fist bumps. I don’t know about my fellow DJs, but with all that excitement built up I didn’t sleep til after 4am. It was totally worth it. Thank you to the IRC for choosing us!
– DJ Psyched
I’m feeling nostalgic this week. I’m remembering the days of Limewire and burning CDs and if we lived in a world where CD players weren’t almost obsolete and streaming platforms weren’t the most convenient way to access music then we would have to bring back burning playlists onto CDs. Here’s why:
Cheap and easy to make: It takes like 30 minutes to burn if you have all of the CDs in your computer library already, if not YouTube to mp3 was your best friend. You could buy a stack of like 100 blank CDs for $5.
Customizable: Just like a normal Spotify playlist, you can put whatever you want on a CD. You can also doodle all over the front of them and make them super unique looking.
Good gifts: You can make anyone a burned CD: your mom, your crush, your archenemy and tell them how you really feel. This goes back to the customizable aspect and it beats sending someone a playlist link in my opinion.
Accessible: back in the days of abundant CD players, it was easy to pass around a really good CD playlist with faded Sharpie on the front. Passing around a tangible thing is something that can’t really be matched. I think it brings people together.
While I love a good ol’ digital playlist, it’d be nice to be able to physically hold onto something sentimental in this digital day in age because when I’m 30, I probably won’t have my playlist that I made on Spotify about my ex boyfriend on Spotify in 2017, but I’ll definitely have that CD (scratched with years of wear) my best friend burned for my birthday when we were 14.
-cellar door xx
During my formative years, I’ve definitely skimmed through albums or never listened to them altogether. Back then I only chose to listen to singles I heard in the mall that cost $1.29 on iTunes or I just listened to the same rotation of songs on my iPod. Fourth grade was a long time ago and it definitely took a lot of growing up and an increased appreciation for music to figure out that albums are full on works of art and they gift you with many more, lesser known songs. Here’s some of my tips on how to better appreciate albums for what they truly are:
Eliminate distractions: sit in bed, go to the park, push your worries to the side, put your headphones on and just listen.
Focus on and consider different elements: some things you can focus on while listening is the track order, album cover, lyrics, the length of the songs, the tempo of the songs, influences you hear, etc. This helps in appreciate the smaller aspects that make albums unique and cohesive.
Research the album and artist: After I’ve formed a pretty loose opinion on the album, I like to just google it and read other reviews to form a more well-rounded view of the work. And while you’re at it, research the artist if you don’t already know enough about them to give the album perspective.
Consider concept: take a step inside the artist’s head; what do you think they were trying to convey with the album and all of its components? Is there an overarching theme, mood or message? Take those thoughts into perspective as you listen.
Re-listen: there has been a TON of albums that I didn’t care for upon first listen. Before you write it off, give it another listen, another chance. And if you loved it the first time, listen again anyway.
Remember that albums are a lot like people, they aren’t perfect, but instead a deliberate culmination of different ideas and influences chosen by the artist. The final product is a holistic work that can be experienced by a listener like yourself, but only if you allow yourself to receive it properly.
-cellar door Xx
I never knew just how many ways there were to experience music until I came to college. It honestly blew my mind to see just how many different ways one could listen to music and how much that changes the experience, so I wanted to share some of my favorites
DJing – Of course the best way to experience music differently is by listening to WKNC 88.1 (the best in college radio) 🙂 but actually, it really does change the experience when you’re in charge of the music selection on the radio. Hearing your favorite tracks over the monitor and knowing that you’re able to force however many people are tuned in to enjoy it too is a feeling like no other. DJing also definitely changed how I experienced music on a first listen and how I think of playlists (I’m kind of addicted to making playlists now and have far more than necessary)
Live – Anyone who’s ever been to a concert for a band they love will testify to this, seeing the music performed live is such an intimate and mesmerizing experience and you feel the music in a way that only comes from a live show. Like most people I keep a list of all the shows I go to, but I know that even if I didn’t have it I would still remember. You never forget a good show and for a good while after you’ll feel different about that music/ artists.
Knowing/meeting the Artist – This is one of my favorite ways to experience music. Much like a live concert it just feels way more intimate but it also brings in this ‘aw i’m so proud of you’ feeling, almost makes you feel like a proud parent at your kids talent show. You get excited to show off your friends work and how talented they are, and when you listen you think ‘yeah definitely feels like them’. I listen to my friends music all the time because it’s the most inspiring and exciting thing to experience.
Making the music – This one is fun as long as you’re not too critical of yourself. Sitting back and listening to something YOU created, thought of, put into existence, etc. is an exciting and inspiring experience. You might stop and think ‘hmm I should’ve done this differently’, but it’s a learning experience and it just makes you want to do it again. Sharing your music with other people who make music can also be a scary thing, but hearing good feedback and being able to enjoy each other’s work is by far my favorite way to experience music.
Focus on Different Elements – Now this is something that studying music as a minor has added to my musical life. Structure, instruments, tempo, lyrics, etc. there’s just so much to hear when listening to a song and if you focus on a different part each time you almost feel like your experiencing it for the first time every time. This can also apply to where you are in your life and what your experiencing too. Like how a love song feels different depending on relationship status and how you feel about someone.
Car, Biking, Skateboarding, Flying etc. – Last but not least, I do think listening to music during any kind of travel changes the experience. Freshman year my absolute favorite thing to do when I was stressed was get on my skateboard and jam out while riding around campus. Now that I live off campus I find listening to music while biking has its own spark too. There’s something about that breeze and flow of travel that really puts people in a mellow and bop mood. And I can’t forget to mention that ‘movie-like’ (and EXTREMELY satisfying) feeling when you pull up to your destination right as the song is ending.
If you have any other favorite ways to experience music please let me know
– DJ Psyched
Back in the day there used to be these memes called, “Just Girly Things,” and they would just state things that are considered “girly.”
For example:
^^^^^^^ Cringey, I know.
There are various memes out there that make fun of “Just Girly Things” that are very amusing to look at. One of my favorite themes are the ones regarding metal. Here are some ~~Just Metal Things~~ that all of us metalheads can relate to.
When the breakdown gets slower and heavier
Isn’t this the best feeling? When a song does this I automatically throw my hands up and punch the air. Kinda like this:
When the start a mosh is called
“ALRIGHT LEFT TO RIGHT, FRONT TO BACK. NO ONE STANDS STILL,” or “MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE,” or just a casual “2 STEP.”
When you want to get ready and look metal af but you don’t want to put makeup on
I go through this every single day.
When the two shades of black you’re wearing match
This is a miracle when this happens.
When the song has a good “blegh” or guttural
Okay, I know I said that when the breakdown gets slower and heavier is the best feeling, but a good “blegh” or guttural during a breakdown is nasty as hell.
Here are some of my favorite “Just Metal Meme”
Yep, that’s simply poetic! Love it!!
Stay Metal,
THE SAW