This year, NPR Music is celebrating Black Music Month with an array of brand new Tiny Desk concerts — both from home and from behind our beloved Desk. Together, these artists represent the past, present and future of Black music. This month of carefully curated shows is a celebration of Black artists expressing themselves in ways we've never seen before, and of the Tiny Desk's unique way of showcasing that talent.
Larry June is the indie-rap hustle personified. His graduation from the streets has made way for his true purpose in rhyme: healthy living. The organic fruits and juices on the table in this performance indicate the lifestyle fervently pushed in his music. The two cell phones sitting beside him remind us that business is booming. He starts with a few signature adlibs before imploring, "Don't check me / Check the air quality." This lavish living room setting, with the Los Angeles night sky as a backdrop, sets the proper mood for Larry June's Tiny Desk (home) concert.
The Bay Area emcee has been at this for a while, adopting the independent approach like many before him: saturating the market with product and profiting from shows and merch. While much of the music industry stumbled and stalled during the uncertainty of 2020, Larry put up numbers, releasing half a dozen projects from his home studio. Here, he's able to comfortably sit back in the laid-back tone we're used to hearing on his records and not the dialed-up mood of his stage show. His band, The NME, replays and beefs up the sample on 2020's "Just me & you," plus songs from 2019's Out The Trunk and Early Bird.
In theory, a motivational rapper rapping about bike rides, hikes and investments would be deemed shtick in 2022 — yet he's here, authentic and refreshing. Good job, Larry.
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