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"Wild Style" 1982B-Boys Gone Wild
When hip hop was still in the ghetto in 1982, the film "Wild Style" put the music and graffiti art on the map. Today on Soundcheck, the story behind a classic hip-hop movie that still matters. Plus, Broadway veteran Audra McDonald talks about her Tony-nominated role in the musical "110 in the Shade." And: The story of imaginary soul superstar Mingering Mike.
Wild Style
Twenty-five years ago, the feature film "Wild Style" showcased rapping, breakdancing and graffiti art just as hip-hop began to leak into the mainstream. Now, the movie is set to be feted at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival and examined in a forthcoming book. We talk with director Charlie Ahearn and longtime hip-hop vee jay "Uncle" Ralph McDaniels.
Audra McDonald
Four-time Tony winner Audra McDonald is getting lots of credit (and another Tony nomination) for bringing new life to the 1963 musical "110 in the Shade." The successful TV actress and opera star visits Soundcheck to talk about the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of "110" and her unlikely lead role as an old-maid schoolteacher.
Mingering Mike
When criminal investigator and part-time DJ Dori Hadar stumbled across hand-painted LP sleeves containing cardboard "records," he knew he had to find out more about the artist. The result is his book, "Mingering Mike: The Amazing Career of an Imaginary Soul Superstar." (This story first aired on WNYC's Studio 360.)
Studio 360's story on Mingering Mike (full version)
"Mingering Mike: The Amazing Career of an Imaginary Soul Superstar" on Amazon.com
Slideshow of Mingering Mike albums
The Home of All Things Mingering
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Sound Off
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Throughout May, Soundcheck presents “Sound Off” a Friday series on the many aspects of noise in music and our lives. The series -- which coincides with “Better Hearing and Speech Month” -- looks at issues like New York’s noisiest neighborhoods, the latest research on iPods and hearing loss, and what happens when noise becomes a musical ingredient.
