Writer
Will B. Payne
Latest Content
Hip Hop Lessons for Reggaeton
I first noticed reggaeton’s infectious “BOOM-ch-boom-ch” beat in the summer of 2005, while walking through New York City during the
William James, Unstuck In Time
William James is the archetypal masked villain of American academia. Seldom seen on curricula, mentioned in hushed tones, his finger
PAYNEFUL TRUTHS: Occupational Hazard: Wii Will Kill Us All
With all the shrill press coverage of the alleged moral damage caused by violent video games, it’s rather surprising how
HFA Features Rising German Star
Not a fan of German film? Does spending two hours watching a group of conquistadors drift down a river, dying
PAYNEFUL TRUTHS: A Furor Erupts as Game Trailers Get Musical
Has a one-minute television ad for Microsoft’s latest video game, “Gears of War,” started a revolution in gamer culture? Touted
This Land Ain’t Flowers’ Land
Man, the Mormons in Las Vegas must have it bad. On their latest album, “Sam’s Town,” lead singer Brandon Flowers
Movie Review: Borat
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Directed by Larry Charles Twentieth-Century Fox 4 Stars
A Farewell to ‘Hardcore’ Scene
CORRECTION APPENDED Pop Quiz: How do you know you’re no longer a punk rock venue? A) You make $2 million
Slaves Fought For England, Liberty
Those Americans who seek refuge from the moral compromises of contemporary politics in the idyllic past of the Founding Fathers—the
Payneful Truths: Rage Against the Screen: Hip-Hop Takes Aim at Hollywood, Again
“Hollywood Divorce”—the most star-studded track on Outkast’s latest album “Idlewild”—is equal parts love song and stinging indictment of the film
Kaavya Viswanathan—Master Sampler?
The amount of regional and national press over what insiders are calling “Opalgate” is bordering on the absurd. Kaavya Viswanathan
You Can't Always Sing What You Want
It’s about time the Rolling Stones played in China; according to the Associated Press, the biggest musical event in that
Inside the Hip-Hop Museum—Look, But Don't Touch
Dust off those Air Forces. Unpack the SL-1200s. Before long, freestyle neophytes curious about hip-hop history will be able to
Doctorow Pushes for ‘Free Culture’
[Editor's note—presented here is a longer version of the Cory Doctorow interview than that which appeared in the print edition
Rock Rivalries Beef Up Music Business
It’s a common enough story in the music world: an aging artist loudly insults the current style, sending waves through
