Daily Schedule

Your morning companion from NPR and the WNYC Newsroom, with world news, local features, and weather updates.

The writer James Baldwin would have turned 90 years old this year. The novelist Jamaica Kincaid and others talk about a year-long celebration of his life and ideas. Plus: Rep. Steve Israel talks midterm elections; development shadows Central Park; and the city’s new Human Resources Administration commish on his new gig. 

The Peabody Award-winning program features Terry Gross’ fearless and insightful interviews with big names in pop culture, politics and the arts.

A wrap-up of the day’s news, with features and interviews about the latest developments in New York City and around the world, from NPR and the WNYC newsroom.

A wrap-up of the day’s news, with features and interviews about the latest developments in New York City and around the world, from NPR and the WNYC newsroom.

In this episode: You can call him an entrepreneur, a mogul and an actor. But Nasir Jones -- the hugely successful and influential rap emcee Nas -- is best known as one of the greatest musical voices to emerge from New York City. In a conversation with Soundcheck host John Schaefer, Nas reflects on his 1994 debut album Illmatic -- which now being reissued to commemorate its 20th anniversary -- and a documentary film.

Then: Soundcheck presents a new Radiolab podcast segment called “Straight Outta Chevy Chase,” about Peter Rosenberg of the New York hip hop station Hot 97. Raised in suburban Maryland, Rosenberg hustled his way into an on-air position at the country’s most powerful tastemaker in rap, R&B and more. Now, he’s something of an arbiter of authenticity in the genre, so-called “real hip hop.”

This New Sounds explores the equation of medieval + electronic = ?  Hear ecstatic melodies from the 12^th century German composer abbess mystic Hildegard of Bingen in a contemporary context.  There are many versions of her “O Viridissima Virga,” incorporating modern electronics and sound design from the likes of Jocelyn Montgomery and David Lynch to arranger and producer Richard Souther. There’s also a version from the Korean-Amercian Bora Yoon as well, from her latest, “Sunken Cathedral.” Yoon's settings are ominous and disorienting when she transports these Hildegard songs into her electronic sound-world.