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El DeBarge: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

2022-02-23T23:13:03.485Z

Around this time last year, singer-songwriter and R&B royalty El DeBarge took to Instagram to take some requests and play a few hits. "I'd never done anything like that before, and the nerves were showing," he told me. That 23-minute live performance ignited a comeback of sorts, and the greats of today, many of whom he's influenced, wanted to be near him. That video reminded us of his greatness, and stars like Alicia Keys, Fat Joe, and Questlove helped make 2021 a busy year for the torchbearer of the DeBarge moniker. For his Tiny Desk (home) concert, he didn't want to veer far away from what he did on IG, and I quickly concurred. He got together with guitarist, Bennett Walker to play this intimate set of DeBarge classics.

In terms of sheer talent alone, the DeBarge family was arguably on par with the Jacksons at one point. That talent propelled them to the stars in the 1970s and '80s, cranking out hit records and cookout classics. Switch, featuring siblings Bobby and Tommy DeBarge, came first. A couple of years later, the group DeBarge arrived, consisting of siblings James, Bunny, Mark, Randy, and El. Their five albums and El's solo work were a massive part of Motown's success and helped sustain the label in the '80s.

Despite the well-documented odds he's faced over the years, this set feels like a triumph. His voice has aged with grace, and that signature falsetto we've all attempted while singing these songs is perfection here. From his cozy home studio, the Michigan native breezes through a few of his R&B standards, including "All This Love," "Time Will Reveal," "Love Me In A Special Way," and in honor of Black History Month, he reworks "A Dream" as a dedication to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Too $hort: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

2022-02-23T23:08:08.065Z

In his Tiny Desk (home) concert, Too $hort asks: "How many artists you know that got relevant records in five decades?" The Oakland rapper answers by performing seven songs from his own discography, showcasing his extensive (yet still underrated) contributions to the growth of hip-hop on the West Coast. The expedition opens on a quiet, reflective note with a performance of $hort's influential 1990 single "The Ghetto" before roaring to life with 1988's "Life Is... Too $hort." From his spot in downtown LA, BoomBox Studios, $hort delivers a dynamic, funk-laden performance, seamlessly cycling through scenes of women-chasing debauchery and politically-minded meditation. Of course, Too $hort's set list shows off the development of his sound, but it also underscores hip-hop's evolution from a socially polarizing genre to a touchstone of cultural capital. Combined with an enthralling presence of persona, $hort's jaw-dropping lyrics and minimal delivery influenced West Coast peers, like Snoop Dogg and Lil B, and beyond, like Lil Jon and UGK; his career, one of moving cassettes with local independent success to moving multiple platinum albums with national acclaim, established the Bay Area as a credible rapping hotspot, pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. Too $hort honors this history by shouting out his many collaborators over the years and sharing his legacy as a hip-hop titan with a spirited group of musicians – notably Curtis Crump Jr. and Techdizzle who steal the show with, respectively, their sax and drum work on "Gettin' It" and "Blow The Whistle." It's a monumental moment for the Tiny Desk, and for those wondering, there's more than enough of Too $hort's favorite word to celebrate with.

Royce 5'9": Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

2021-10-14T00:19:40.561Z

Flanked by an ensemble picked by music director, producer and longtime friend Denaun Porter, formidable lyricist Royce 5'9" welcomes us to Heaven, his private studio near Detroit, for an impassioned Tiny Desk (home) concert. Donned in a white jumpsuit, an amped-up Royce points with enthusiasm toward vocalist Ashley Sorrell (his mentee and an emerging talent out of The D), who launches the set with "God Speed” from Royce’s 2018 album, Book Of Ryan.

Since his early years entrenched in emcee bootcamp alongside Detroit comrade Eminem, Royce -- a one-man army strapped with a battalion of bars -- has battled emcees ferociously (and playfully). Lately, Royce's personal growth -- as a man, a father and a husband -- has been palpable in his music, all while sharpening that proverbial verbal steel. The Grammy-nominated rapper aligned this Tiny Desk with National Recovery Month to celebrate his eighth year of sobriety. And in one touching moment between live renditions of "Dead President Heads" and the DJ Premier-produced classic "Boom," Royce expresses his support for comedian Tony Baker, whose son was killed in August near Los Angeles. Royce’s lyrics and his band’s live instrumentation during this Tiny Desk combine for a reinvigorating adrenaline rush that pushes the artform forward.

The Isley Brothers: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

2021-08-19T18:35:31.155Z

The Isley Brothers reclaimed the source material for some of hip-hop’s most beloved cuts in their long-overdue Tiny Desk performance.

Led by founding member, Ron Isley, and late-addition-turned-anchoring-guitarist-and-songwriter, Ernie Isley, the group ran through four classics, each with its own afterlife as the backbone of a rap anthem. The set commences with the 1983 r&b gem, “Between The Sheets,” which was notably repurposed by the late Chucky Thompson for The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa.” For their follow-up, The Isleys slipped into “Footsteps in The Dark,” a song with multiple elements in a number of grailed rap and r&b cuts, including Ice Cube‘s “Today Was a Good Day,” J Dilla‘s “Won’t Do,” and Thundercat‘s “Them Changes.”

The Isley’s settle into the back-half of the performance with “For The Love of You,” a sweetly sung backdrop for Tupac and Thug Life’s “Bury Me a G.” And to close out the sequence, the group salutes Kendrick Lamar (not without showing their age, though,) with a performance of “That Lady,” which found its way into the TDE rapper’s 2014 single, “I.”

PJ Morton: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

2020-12-03T00:53:21.477Z

The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music's Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It's the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.