Dan Charnas

Uncleared samples barred De La Soul from streaming services for decades.

Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, The Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm

"Mise-en-place" is a French cooking phrase that means to gather and arrange the needed ingredients and tools. (This piece initially aired on Aug. 11, 2014 on Morning Edition).

It begins, "Do you remember?" — and we supply the memories. Dan Charnas tells the origin story of the Earth, Wind & Fire hit that still unites generations on the dance floor.

The French phrase mise-en-place means to gather and arrange the ingredients and tools needed for cooking. But for many culinary professionals, its organizing principles are also a way of life.

According to reports, Apple is in talks to buy Beats Electronics LLC, the headphone and streaming music company owned by music legend Dr. Dre. The deal could make Dr. Dre the first billionaire in hip-hop.

The significance of Don Cornelius to American culture — and to the American culture business — is told nowhere more eloquently than in one brief exchange between Cornelius and singer James Brown, a story that Cornelius himself recalls in VH-1's excellent 2010 documentary Soul Train: The Hippest Trip ...

Coming up, Today sees the launch of a much anticipated collaboration between two musical giants. Jay Z and Kanye West have joined forces to produce ‘Watch the Throne’. What can we exp...

As Soundcheck gears up for tonight’s Mic Check showcase with rapper Blitz the Ambassador, Queens MC Homeboy Sandman and others, hip hop historian Dan Charnas joins us to discuss hip hop’s golden year: 1988.

Long Island-based rap trio De La Soul’s 1989 debut, 3 Feet High and Rising, was recently added to the Library of Congress’ national recording registry. We talk about a landmark in hip hop music – and copyright litigation – with Dan Charnas, author of rap-business history The Big Payback, and rapper and producer Von Pea of the Brooklyn-based rap group Tanya Morgan.

The story of hip hop has been told from many angles – but a new book, “The Big Payback,” takes on the history of the multibillion dollar business. Hip hop journalist and industry veteran Dan Charnas chronicles the genre’s four decade history from street to studio to boardroom through many of its key players.

It may seem like just yesterday that you first heard The Sugar Hill Gang or Run DMC, but the hip hop business is pushing forty. For many of the years that hip hop has been around, Dan Charnas has been working in the business - as a scout, a promoter, and a journalist. Dan is the author of a new book called “The Big Payback: the History of the Business of Hip Hop.” Charnas walks us through some pivotal moments in the hip hop business, and how those moments have informed our culture and the entertainment industry.