NPR Music

Bobby Carter | July 11, 2025
After a 16-year hiatus and with no go-to band in place, Clipse’s Tiny Desk took lots of time to piece together. At first, I didn’t know exactly what they were looking for, in terms of sonics, but it clicked when I was told what they didn’t want: no jazzy renditions of their music. They meant no disrespect to jazz at all, and if you follow the duo’s music, it boils down to hard drums and even harder synths. Hybrid drummer Daru Jones, who played on last year’s Tiny Desk for the LOX, was the first choice because of his unique ability to mix traditional and electronic drum sounds. He provided the authenticity needed for this set, and everything else fell into place.

The excitement for the Thornton brothers’ return reached its apex instantly as someone in the crowd yelled “Oh my god!” at the opening note of “Virginia.” There was no lull as the band coasted through “Keys Open Doors” and “Momma I’m So Sorry,” from Clipse’s most celebrated album, Hell Hath No Fury. I found so much to analyze witnessing the dichotomy between Pusha T and Malice up close. Malice is more collected in his movements, intensely scouring the room with his eyes while his brother is much more animated, even letting out a sinister laugh mid-set.

Recorded weeks ago, the two performed songs from their new album, Let God Sort Em Out, for the first time, including a chilling dedication to their deceased parents, “Birds Don’t Sing.” Before the tears from the crowd could dry, we got the moment we’d been waiting for in “Grindin’.”

The first half of the year in hip-hop hasn’t been the most exciting, so the timing of this reunion couldn’t be better. Here’s Clipse delivering its best live performance ever recorded and one of the hardest Tiny Desks of all time.

SET LIST
“Virginia”
“Keys Open Doors”
“Momma I’m So Sorry”
“Chains & Whips”
“Birds Don’t Sing”
“Grindin'”

MUSICIANS
Pusha T: vocals
Malice: vocals
Briley Harris: keys
Darryl Woodson: keys
Yoo Q!: DJ, background vocals
Daru Jones: drums
Brittney Mills: background vocals
Tariq Ali: background vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Mitra I. Arthur, Alanté Serene
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistant: Dhanika Pineda
Photographer: Michael Zamora
Copy Editor: Hazel Cills
Tiny Desk Team: Maia Stern, Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

#nprmusic #tinydesk #clipse

Support for NPR Music comes from Capital One. Presenting sponsor of the 2025 Tiny Desk Contest. What’s in your wallet? Learn more at CapitalOne.com.

Tiny Desk Giveaway. No purchase or donation required for entry. Void where restricted or prohibited by law. 18yrs or older. Deadline September 12, 2025, 11:59PM PT. ARV: $3,800. Links to the entry page and official rules can be found at NPR.org/TinyDeskGiveaway
Sponsors: NPR, Moises

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture.

Bobby Carter | June 10, 2025
Wiz Khalifa’s Kush & Orange Juice came out 15 years ago. To honor the anniversary, the Pittsburgh emcee assembled a group of Tiny Desk veterans, Pennsylvania natives and his DJ to reimagine highlights from the classic mixtape, plus tracks from Kush & Orange Juice 2, its similar, yet more mature follow-up.

Something was happening during the entire show and lots of us in the room could feel it. We were waiting for him to engage with us, but he didn’t. I stepped in after a few songs to remind him that it was OK to do so — still, nothing. But then, after “Crime Bud and Women,” Wiz spoke to the audience for the first and only time, wiping away tears: “You made me cry. F*** y’all!”

I can muster up a few guesses as to why the emotion overflowed. Wiz had a host of family and friends present in this very intimate setting, including his father. And he did tell me how much he loves performing. But honestly, this sonic masterpiece was good enough to hit the tear ducts.

SET LIST
“Red Eye”
“Mezmorized”
“The Kid Frankie”
“Never Been”
“Up”
“Crime Bud and Women”

MUSICIANS
Wiz Khalifa: vocals
Kenneth Wright: music director, bass
DJ Bonics: turntables
Uncle Bubz: keys
Russell Gelman-Sheehan: guitar
Kendall Lewis: drums

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Video Editor: Kara Frame
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistants: Ashley Pointer, Dora Levite
Photographer: Catie Dull
Tiny Desk Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#tinydesk #nprmusic #wizkhalifa

Support for NPR Music comes from Capital One. Presenting sponsor of the 2025 Tiny Desk Contest. What’s in your wallet? Learn more at CapitalOne.com.

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture.

Bobby Carter | June 2, 2025
Bay Area ambassador E-40 moves with the energy of an up-and-coming emcee, but he’s been around a minute. To put it 40 Water’s way: “I’ve been doing this since Kermit the Frog was a pollywog!” Our biggest hurdle to clear was packing in three decades of music at the Tiny Desk, but 40 Fonzarelli and his band clocked weeks of rehearsal to make sure this office was rockin’.

E-40’s sophomore solo album In a Major Way dropped in 1995, one of the most competitive years in hip-hop history, with certified classics dropping weekly by the likes of 2Pac, Mobb Deep, Goodie Mob, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Raekwon and GZA. Straightforward and plain has never been E-40’s nature, and that left-of-center spit has been the thing that has sustained his illustrious entertainment career.

At the Desk, Charlie Hustle sets things off with “Da Bumble” from In a Major Way and continues to bounce through a catalog of big hits sprinkled with nods to his day ones. Producer Lil Jon brought him back to the mainstream in the early 2000s with “Tell Me When to Go,” “U and Dat” and “Snap Yo Fingers,” while TikTok injected new life in “Choices (Yup)” and introduced him to Gen Z. “I’m on my fourth wind!” 40 tells us. No lies told.

SET LIST
“Da Bumble”
“Yay Area”
“Sprinkle Me”
“Captain Save a Hoe”
“Snap Yo Fingers”
“U and Dat”
“Choices (Yup)”
“Hope I Don’t Go Back”
“1-Luv”
“Function”
“Tell Me When to Go”

MUSICIANS
E-40: vocals
Kev Choice: music director, keys
Bosko Kante: music director, background vocals
Martin Luther: guitar, background vocals
Howard Wiley: saxophone, EWI
Marcus Phillips: bass, keys
Dame Drummer: drums, background vocals
Silk-E The People’s Champ aka Sherri Stack-A-Grip: background vocals
DJ KMP: DJ, background vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Mitra I. Arthur
Audio Engineer: Andie Huether
Production Assistants: Dora Levite, Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
Tiny Desk Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#nprmusic #tinydesk #e40typebeat

Support for NPR Music comes from Capital One. Presenting sponsor of the 2025 Tiny Desk Contest. What’s in your wallet? Learn more at CapitalOne.com.

Felix Contreras | May 16, 2025
Carín León is an old soul. There is no other way to account for the power of the emotion in his voice. His 16-piece band tests the limited space behind the Tiny Desk, but when the brass takes over to punctuate a performance, Leon’s commanding presence shows why he’s one of the best at what he does.

Regional Mexican music is based upon song forms from another era, but León’s lyrics add a new spin on heartbreak and love lost. This set opens with “Ese Vato No Te Queda,” followed by two songs from the 2024 album Palabra De To’s. Previously, León premiered “Primera Cita” for his Tiny Desk (home) concert, which became a major hit. That song “left a mark on our lives and completely shaped our careers,” he shares. For good luck, León here premieres “Por la Suave,” which was also written by Alejandro Lozano. “A poem that I love,” León says.

SET LIST
“Ese Vato No Te Queda”
“Lado Frágil”
“El Amor de Mi Herida”
“Por la Suave”

MUSICIANS
Carín León: vocals
Arturo Garcia: guitar
Luis Diaz de Leon Huez: guitar
Miguel Abraham Nayares Moreno: 12-string guitar
Alan Ortega: dobro
Javier Humberto Sesma Rivera: tololoche
Daniel Fuentevilla: keys
Servando Quijada: alto horn
Marcos Barbosa: alto horn
Sebastián Quintero: saxophone, harmonica, clarinet
Jhonatan Velázquez Villegas: clarinet
José Angel Avila Llunez: trumpet
Ismael Mendoza: trumpet
Carlos Leon: trombone
Abel Anguiano: trombone
Antonio Zepeda: tuba
Luis Carlos Pérez: drums

TINY DESK TEAM
Producers: Felix Contreras, Anamaria Sayre
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Alanté Serene
Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
Production Assistants: Dora Levite, Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Grace Raver
Tiny Desk Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#nprmusic #tinydesk #carinleon

Support for NPR Music comes from Capital One. Presenting sponsor of the 2025 Tiny Desk Contest. What’s in your wallet? Learn more at CapitalOne.com.

Anamaria Sayre | April 24, 2025
Grupo Frontera, which was headlining backyard bailes well before stadium shows, feels perfectly made for Tiny Desk. Beneath the glow of fluorescent office lights and backed against trinket-stuffed shelves, the match feels divinely ordained.

Normally, jazzy vocal trills and norteño cumbia rhythms are star-crossed lovers, but not at the Tiny Desk. At the center of a pop-infused reinvigoration of traditional Mexican sounds, the members of Grupo Frontera are masters of unlikely pairings. Mega-producer and songwriter Edgar Barrera discovered Grupo Frontera at a quinceanera in his hometown, enthralled by the band’s authenticity. He encouraged the band’s Texas-bred beats, killer melodies and contemporary lyrics.

There’s no better space to highlight the impressive musicality of the group and stunning vocals of Payo Solis than in a stripped down setting. “Yo nací pa’ querer a la que no me quiere (I was born to love the one who doesn’t love me),” Payo coos. But it’s hard to feel heartbroken when desamor sounds so smooth.

SET LIST
“un x100to”
“Hecha Pa’ Mi”
“Ángel”
“Por Qué Será”
“EL AMOR DE SU VIDA”

MUSICIANS
Payo Solis: vocals
Juan Cantú: accordion
Julian Peña: congas, bongos
Beto Acosta: bajo quinto
Carlos Guerrero: drums
Daniel Uribe: pedal steel, guitar
Patricia Ligia: bass
Monty Rivera: keys, background vocals
Catherine “Cathia” Ochoa: background vocals
MJ Songstress: background vocals
Ella Bric: trumpet

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Anamaria Sayre
Director: Joshua Bryant
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Video Editor: Maia Stern
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Grace Raver
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistants: Ashley Pointer, Dora Levite
Photographer: Michael Zamora
Tiny Desk Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#nprmusic #tinydesk #grupofrontera

Anamaria Sayre | April 7, 2025
For a moment, Bad Bunny forgot that he wasn’t in Puerto Rico. Despite its residence in a news building in the capital of the United States, the Tiny Desk can — when colored by the careful vision of a true artist — take you anywhere else, especially the true origins of the music.

But for the superstar, Puerto Rico is so beloved and so sacred that he could never truly forget it… and he’s making sure the world sees that, too. The island is his source of inspiration and the mandate for which he wages war. Flanked by cuatros and congas, Bad Bunny wields the power of Puerto Ricans who have strummed chords and hummed lelolai for generations in efforts to keep the culture alive.

After performing “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii,” San Benito tells a parable about a man drawn to his band rehearsing outside the White House. “It’s incredible,” the man in the story says, “that after a hundred years of colonization you keep your culture, your language, your tongue, your slang.”

The Puerto Rican flag laid out before him shines; its brilliant blue is defiant and captivating. “They killed people for waving the flag,” Bad Bunny sings in “LA MuDANZA.” But there’s such joy in the expression and such vibrance in the dance. Even with his global platform, Benito’s true magic is intimacy: He wants you to fall in love with Puerto Rico. We scream with him: “Yo soy de P f****** R!” Whether you are you aren’t, your heart won’t know the difference.

SET LIST
“PIToRRO DE COCO”
“VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR”
“KLOuFRENS”
“LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii”
“LA MuDANZA”

MUSICIANS
Bad Bunny: vocals
Luis Sanz: cuatro puertorriqueño, tiple, bordonúa, background vocals
Fabiola Méndez: cuatro puertorriqueño, tiple, bordonúa, background vocals
Emanuel Santana: güicharo, Pandero de plena, maracas, background vocals
Julito Gastón: congas
Krystal Santana: bass, background vocals
Luis Amed Irizarry: piano
Jay Anthony: bongos, percussion

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Anamaria Sayre
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Keren Carrión, Zayrha Rodriguez
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistants: Ashley Pointer, Dora Levite
Photographer: Virginia Lozano
Tiny Desk Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#tinydesk #nprmusic #badbunny

Alanté Serene | April 1, 2025
Chocolate Droppa walked into the office with a laser focus and a clear mission. He didn’t ask for much during soundcheck, just a preview of beats from The Band of Brothas and a shot of espresso. He was about to do something that had never been done at Tiny Desk before — freestyle an entire set “off the dome.”

It’s been over nine years since Droppa dropped his debut mixtape, which featured heavy hitters like Migos, Big Sean, Nick Jonas and more. “Every time I see people,” the rapper shares during his set, “the first thing they say is ‘Droppa where you been? When you gonna give us more?’ ” Well, the answer is now. Those who aren’t hip may recognize the emcee as his alter-ego, Kevin Hart, who’s become a household name in comedy and acting. But this unscripted set proves that Chocolate Droppa’s rap game is equally entertaining. There’s really no need to compare him to any other performer you’ve seen, because as Droppa puts it himself, he’s “not them.”

SET LIST
“ATL RAP”
“West Coast”
“Love Song”
“Don’t F*** with Dem”

MUSICIANS
Chocolate Droppa: vocals
Slim Wav: keys
Sharod Virtuoso: guitar
EJ MoBetta: bass
Jordan Hemby: drums

TINY DESK TEAM
Producers: Alanté Serene, Bobby Carter
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant
Audio Engineers: Neil Tevault, Andie Huether
Production Assistants: Ashley Pointer, Dora Levite
Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
Tiny Desk Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#tinydesk #chocolatedroppa #kevinhart

Ashley Pointer | February 28, 2025
The morning that Bishop Marvin Sapp came to NPR, he told me that it was his kids who really emphasized how important it was for him to accept our invitation to perform: “They told me, ‘Dad, Tiny Desk is for the culture.’ ”

Backed by a four-piece band and a six-piece choir, Sapp transforms our office into a sanctuary, performing an 11-song medley of praise and worship hits that span more than three decades in music and ministry. From the moment his set begins, the spirit moves through the room, filling every corner with raw emotion, joy and reverence.

From Sapp’s early days with the trailblazing ’90s gospel group Commissioned to penning anthems like “Never Would Have Made It” — a song that transcends church walls — his impact is woven into the fabric of Black culture. “What’s funny is, I saw some of y’all singing these songs, and y’all weren’t even born when I recorded them,” Sapp jokes, underscoring his intergenerational influence. Yet, despite his legendary status, Sapp took time after the performance to speak and pray with members of our audience, choosing ministry first, above all else.

SET LIST
“I Believe”
“Not the Time, Not the Place”
“Grace and Mercy”
“Perfect Peace”
“Shout Unto God”
“Here I Am”
“Praise Him in Advance”
“You Are God Alone”
“He Has His Hands on You”
“My Testimony”
“The Best in Me”
“Never Would Have Made It”

MUSICIANS
Bishop Marvin Sapp: vocals
Curtis Lindsey: keys, music director
Thaddeus Johnson: bass
Tavarius “Varo” Johnson: drums
Sam Mitchem: guitar
Christina Michelle: background vocals
Gus Lacy: background vocals
Shaki Wilson: background vocals
Jarmone: background vocals
A. D. Gillispie: background vocals
Melissa Lee: background vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producers: Bobby Carter, Ashley Pointer
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Mitra I. Arthur
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistant: Dora Levite
Photographer: Michael Zamora
Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#nprmusic #tinydesk #marvinsapp

Bobby Carter | February 20, 2025
On the morning of Leon Thomas’ Tiny Desk concert, many NPR staffers assumed the show was postponed due to a snowstorm in the D.C. area. Not only did he proactively schedule his coast-to-coast flight but he was also 30 minutes early to the office. With his sophomore album, MUTT, Thomas has planted his flag as the most exciting artist in R&B music today. The Tiny Desk had to happen now; nothing would get in the way of divine timing.

Thomas was destined to be an entertainer — he’s been doing it for most of his life. His parents were both musicians and introduced him to their world early on. As an actor, he appeared in multiple Broadway plays before becoming a staple on the Nickelodeon network. Under the tutelage of Babyface, he earned his chops as a writer and producer, eventually penning and producing big hits in R&B and hip-hop.

He opens this set with three songs from MUTT and closes with two from 2023’s Electric Dusk, including “Breaking Point,” which he dedicates to his recently deceased grandfather, the opera singer John Anthony: “This is one of his favorite songs.”

SET LIST
“VIBES DON’T LIE”
“YES IT IS”
“MUTT”
“Breaking Point”
“Treasure In The Hills”

MUSICIANS
Leon Thomas: vocals, guitar
Chris Payton: guitar
Ali Roots: keys, piano
Joe “Jough” Cleveland: bass
Quintin “Q” Gulledge: drums
TK: background vocals
Ayana Layli: background vocals
Sha’Leah Nikole: background vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Grace Raver
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Alanté Serene
Tiny Desk Team: Maia Stern, Lars Gotrich
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#nprmusic #tinydesk #leonthomas

Elle Mannion | January 31, 2025
If you want it, Faye Webster’s Tiny Desk can offer an escape. Featuring her longtime band and a string quartet, Webster guides us through a swooning and sweeping set culled from her quickly growing catalog.

Webster’s Underdressed at the Symphony was inspired by just that: Buying last-minute tickets to the symphony orchestra in her hometown of Atlanta and finding the experience otherworldly. She performs “But Not Kiss” and the title track from that album. Webster is a gentle but captivating performer in this space, at times grooving with her locked-in band. But she also appears to be in a trance of her own, like on the Atlanta Millionaires Club cuts “Jonny” and its spoken-word reprise. The horns heard on those original recordings gave everything a brassy warmth, but here Trey Pollard’s string arrangements enhance this Tiny Desk’s dream-like quality.

SET LIST
“In A Good Way”
“But Not Kiss”
“Underdressed at the Symphony”
“Jonny”
“Jonny (Reprise)”

MUSICIANS
Faye Webster: vocals, guitar
Noor Khan: bass, backing vocals
Matthew Stoessel: guitar, pedal steel
Nick Rosen: piano
Charles Garner: drums, percussion
Ellen Riccio: violin
Danielle Wiebe Burke: viola
Stephanie Barrett: cello
Annie Leeth: violin

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Elle Mannion
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Sofia Seidel
Audio Engineer: Andie Huether
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Estefania Mitre
Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#tinydesk #nprmusic #fayewebster