The Nostalgia Mixtape

Grandpa & John Dec 30, 2022

In the early days of the pandemic, I found a record poking out of a bookshelf. I must've walked past that shelf a million times, how had I never noticed it? Turns out: the record was written for my grandfather by future Broadway titan: John Kander. The story doesn't stop there and only gets better. I invite you to listen and enjoy and share. This story began as a twitter thread that went super viral, amassing tens of millions of views.

Houston Astros Manager Dusty Baker Oct 19, 2022

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker is probably one of the coolest people to ever set foot on Planet Earth. The man literally invented the high five in 1977 (seriously, look it up, I'm not lying) and yet somehow that isn't the coolest thing about him. His love and passion for music runs very deep, you'll hear that in the stories he tells. PS shoutout to Sydney Colson.

When Jay-Z Turned Noel Gallagher Into A Sham Pain Supernova Oct 10, 2022

Once upon a time, Jay-Z was announced to be the first rapper to headline Glastonbury. Noel Gallager from Oasis didn't like that very much, he told the press, "I'm not havin' hip-hop at Glastonbury. Fookin no way." The way Jay-Z responded was equal parts class and ether.

Jamel Johnson Sep 13, 2022

Comedian and sports enthusiast Jamel Johnson stops by the campfire to tell a few funny and affecting coming-of-age stories; tales of romance, fisticuffs, and maybe a little bit of the ganja. His stories are soundtracked by Ludacris and Lil' Wyte, and boy are they worth hearing. Follow: https://twitter.com/nonprofitcomic https://instagram.com/broccolihouse We are @nostalgiatapes on IG and Twitter.

Lenora Aug 22, 2022

Lenora, a singer from Houston, Texas, (the Hiram Clarke area to be specific) stops by the campfire to get a little vulnerable, tell some stories, cry a little, and laugh a lot. 3:20 - Growing up in Hiram Clarke 14:15 - Almost got a Ginuwine Whoopin' 22:04 - The album 'Girls', the 'Cool' music video 27:05 - A happy memory 35:26 - "Goin Up Yonder" is *the* song that shaped Lenora 41:30 - Songs Lenora sang as a kid 49:00 - Long Live Mama Lenora 1:02:00 - Water (hug) break 1:02:45 - Grieving 1:06:46 - Outro Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sincerelylenora/ https://www.instagram.com/sam3an/ https://www.instagram.com/nostalgiatapes/

When I Interviewed Bill Withers Aug 11, 2022

One fateful day, I found myself holding a camera and staring into Bill Withers' eyes. Or, I should say, he was staring into mine. No, he was gazing into my soul. He could see all the highlights of my life, he could see every mistake I ever made. And he was smiling. Here's that story + at the end a chance for you to reflect on pieces of people you care about that you carry with you. This story was first published on the Elis Audio app in two parts, find the story here: https://spaces.elis.io/spaces/nostalgiatapes/posts/5fe9ed09-5f30-4e23-87ec-70b7b63ebd98 And part two here: https://spaces.elis.io/spaces/nostalgiatapes/posts/6469d199-dfce-43ee-82f3-6242192f4e1f

The Bun B Episode Jul 09, 2020

Legendary rapper, college professor, one half of the mighty UGK, and Sama'an's personal mentor, Bun B joins the campfire to tell the story of his career (and his marriage) through five of his songs. [00:01:50] Chapter 0: Trill Foreword by Jon Caramanica [00:11:20] Chapter 1: Findin' Love While Ridin' Dirty [00:23:10] Chapter 2: It's Dark and DMX Knows My Lyrics [00:35:56] Chapter 3: Tupac and UGK, The Collab That Almost Was [00:40:25] Chapter 4: Sometimes A Knowles Checks on *You* [00:51:02] Chapter 5: Losing My Shit Wiv Da Mandem At Glastonbury Read along with the annotated transcript at: http://thenostalgiamixtape.com/creative/the-bun-b-episode/ Donate to The Nostalgia Mixtape if you're feelin lucky: http://thenostalgiamixtape.com/donate/

Aaron Stephens plays "Do Something" & "Small Axe" (Bob Marley cover) Jun 30, 2020

From our episode In Support Of Black Liberation, Aaron Stephens shares two songs in his live performance: his original tune, "Do Something," and a cover of Bob Marley's "Small Axe." Buy Aaron's music here: https://aaronstephens.bandcamp.com/ Listen to the full episode here: http://thenostalgiamixtape.com/creative/in-support-of-black-liberation/ "Do Something" Lyrics: Some people want Some people need Some people give expecting to receive We’re earning wage they’re waging war We made them rich, but they want more But we won’t sit around and do nothing about it Let’s do something Do something about it March on those lawns and shot it We want change They sway our media and news Force feed us whatever they choose We’re booking hearses and they’re booking flights I don’t know how they go to sleep at night But we won’t sit around And do nothing about it Let’s do something Do something about it March on those lawns and shot it We want change Things won’t change if we just sit around asking why There are people in pain and we’re watching them die No justice, no peace "Small Axe" lyrics: Why boasteth thyself Oh, he-vil man Playing smart And not being clever, oh no I said you’re working iniquity To achieve vanity yeah, if a-so a-so But the goodness of Jah-Jah I-dureth for-i-ver [Chorus] If you are the big tree We are the small axe Sharpened to cut you down (Well sharp) Ready to cut you down, oh, yeah [Verse 2] These are the words Of my master, keep on telling me, oh No weak heart shall prosper, oh no they can’t, eh, eh [Bridge] Whosoever diggeth a pit, lord Shall fall in it, shall fall in it Whosoever diggeth a pit Shall bury in it, shall bury in it [Chorus] If you are the big tree We are the small axe Sharpened to cut you down Ready to cut you down [Bridge] Eh, whosoever diggeth a pit Shall fall in it, fall in it, eh Whosoever diggeth a pit Shall bury in it, shall bury in it [Chorus] If you have a big tree We have a small axe Ready to cut you down (Well sharp) Sharpened to cut you down, oh [Outro] If you are the big tree, let me tell you this We are the small axe Ready to cut you down (Well sharp) Sharpened to cut you down, oh, yeah

Christelle Bofale covers Solange's "Borderline (An Ode To Self Care)" Jun 30, 2020

From our episode In Support Of Black Liberation, Christelle Bofale shares her cover of Solange's "Borderline (An Ode To Self Care)," accompanied by Jake Smith on guitar. Buy Christelle's music here: https://christellebofale.bandcamp.com/ Listen to the full episode here: http://thenostalgiamixtape.com/creative/in-support-of-black-liberation/ Christelle's Statement + Lyrics: Christelle: I just wanted to give a quick message to anybody Black, and, that message is: just an acknowledgement of how tired you might be right now. I know a lot of us are just, plain and simple, exhausted. And that’s okay. It’s totally okay to need a break. I want to remind you and to encourage you to take care of yourself. To prioritize taking care of yourself. Work it into your routine as best as possible. That, I think, is imperative to maintaining your sanity. I just want you to remember that you are someone who is worthy of softness, and gentleness, and tenderness, and I want you to provide that for yourself. I’ve had to remind myself of the same thing. It’s so easy to get caught up in all the news, every single day, it’s just so painful and traumatic. So, I love you, and I hope that hearing this song will inspire you to invest in your needs. Whatever it is that you think you’re hungry for… Find it. Feed it to yourself. Nourish yourself. Replenish yourself. Take care, and stay safe. Lyrics: We been lovers on a mission We been lovers on a mission But whats love without a mission We been lovers on a mission So let’s take an intermission You know I have a lot to think And you know I gotta go ahead and take some time Because the last thing that I want Is thinkin that it’s time that I leave the borderline So let’s take it off tonight Break it off tonight Baby let’s know when to let go Know when to let go Take off tonight Break it up tonight Baby I know you’re tired Know I’m tired Let’s take it off tonight Break it off tonight Baby it’s war outside these walls Baby it’s war outside these doors, yeah Safe place tonight Let’s play safe tonight Baby I know what you’re fighting for Baby you know what I’m fighting for You know I have the world to think And you know I gotta go ahead and take some time Because the last thing that I want Is thinkin that it’s time that I leave the borderline So let’s take it off tonight Break it off tonight Baby let’s know when to let go Know when to let go, oh Take off tonight Break it off tonight Baby I know you’re tired You know I’m tired Take it off tonight Break it off tonight Baby I’ve been more than a woman We’ve been lovers on a mission Safe place tonight Let’s play it safe tonight Baby we’ve been lovers on a mission So let’s take an intermission

In Support Of Black Liberation Jun 21, 2020

A statement from us + exclusive live performances by Christelle Bofale and Aaron Stephens, in support of Black Liberation. Buy their music at: https://christellebofale.bandcamp.com/ https://aaronstephens.bandcamp.com/ Read an annotated transcript of this episode at: thenostalgiamixtape.com Abridged Transcript: [00:00] Jamel Johnson clip. [00:47] Nina Simone “Mississippi Goddamn” excerpt. [02:34] Our statement: We at the Nostalgia Mixtape, and yours truly, Sama’an Ashrawi, stand firmly in support of Black Liberation, and any demands that come along with it. We hope that, more than anything else, listening to our podcast will give you an appreciation for just how much of a beautiful spectrum the Black experience is. If you’re not Black, we hope that appreciation will make you a more confident fighter for Black liberation. And if you are Black, we hope that all the different stories you hear on episode of the Nostalgia Mixtape will make you feel more comfortable in your own skin. [04:25] Solange - “Almeda” (Sango Bounce remix) Sama’an: Big love to our favorite ethnomusicologist, Sango, for letting us use his flip of Solange’s “Almeda.” [07:22] Josh White - “Jim Crow” (1941) [11:40] Coldplay & Femi Kuti - “Arabesque” (2019) Fela Kuti: Music is the weapon, music is the weapon of the future. [12:23] Statement from Christelle Bofale: I just wanted to give a quick message to anybody Black, and, that message is: just an acknowledgement of how tired you might be right now. I know a lot of us are just, plain and simple, exhausted. And that’s okay. It’s totally okay to need a break. I want to remind you and to encourage you to take care of yourself. To prioritize taking care of yourself. Work it into your routine as best as possible. That, I think, is imperative to maintaining your sanity. I just want you to remember that you are someone who is worthy of softness, and gentleness, and tenderness, and I want you to provide that for yourself. I’ve had to remind myself of the same thing. It’s so easy to get caught up in all the news, every single day, it’s just so painful and traumatic. So, I love you, and I hope that hearing this song will inspire you to invest in your needs. Whatever it is that you think you’re hungry for... Find it. Feed it to yourself. Nourish yourself. Replenish yourself. Take care, and stay safe. [14:36] Christelle Bofale - "Borderline (An Ode To Self Care)" [20:45] Aaron Stephens - "Do Something" Aaron Stephens - "Small Axe" [28:05] Janet Jackson - "Free Xone" Archie Bell & The Drells - "Tighten Up"

Nostalgia LIVE Tape: Hamish Anderson May 22, 2020

Bonus content! Taped live at Soundworc Studios in Burbank, California, Hamish Anderson performs a short acoustic set for his appearance on The Nostalgia Mixtape. Set List: - "Don't Think Twice It's Alright" (Bob Dylan cover) - "Winter" (original) More episodes at thenostalgiamixtape.com

The Hamish Anderson Episode 🎸 May 15, 2020

Melbourne, Australia-based guitarist Hamish Anderson on how a Bob Dylan classic inspired "Winter," the first song he ever wrote, and how The Beatles' "Back in the USSR" made him want to pick up a guitar in the first place. This episode features two live performances from Hamish. Donate to The Nostalgia Mixtape on Venmo @SamaanAshrawi or CashApp - $SamaanAshrawi. Bonus content at: thenostalgiamixtape.com

The Rinny Perkins Episode May 01, 2020

Houston-raised, Los Angeles-based writer, artist, and comedian Rinny Perkins sits down with us to tell the story of how Toro y Moi soundtracked her attempt to apprehend shoplifters at American Apparel in 2009. Perkins first gained a following on Instagram through her collage art that combines vintage 1970s Black magazine aesthetic with 21st century slogans. Find her there @rinnyriot. Foreword by New York-based writer and editor, Sydney Gore. Artwork by Nataly Menjivar. Hosted by Sama'an Ashrawi. Produced by Jason Crow. Read more here: http://thenostalgiamixtape.com/creative/the-rinny-perkins-episode/

The Thundercat Episode Apr 17, 2020

One late night, a teenaged Thundercat and his father walked into a laundromat, around the corner from the house where Marvin Gaye was shot and killed by Marvin Gaye Sr, and changed the channel on the TV to Adult Swim. His life would never be the same. He sits down with host Sama'an Ashrawi to tell the story. *TW - from 46:00 - 60:00 the conversation discusses depression and suicide.* If you think you don’t know Thundercat, you there's a good chance you actually do — he’s a Grammy-Winning bass player, singer, and songwriter who, in addition to releasing his own critically-acclaimed albums, has played on songs by Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu, Childish Gambino, Janelle Monae, Jhene Aiko, Schoolboy Q, Mac Miller, and N*E*R*D* among many many more. Read along with the transcript at: http://thenostalgiamixtape.com/creative/the-thundercat-episode/ Artwork by Nataly Menjivar: http://www.natalymenjivar.com/ Digital Tip Jar - Venmo: https://venmo.com/SamaanAshrawi - CashApp: http://cash.app/$SamaanAshrawi [00:05:55] - Chapter 1: The Ghost of Marvin Gaye [00:19:34] - Chapter 2: The Laundromat Situation [00:24:53] - Chapter 3: Stephen meets Steven [00:37:13] - Chapter 4: The Aristocats go to Compton [00:46:07] - Chapter 5: How to be Depressed [00:59:15] - Chapter 6: Fashion is Life, Bitch! [01:01:26] - Chapter 7: Them Changes @Thundercat-official

Welcome to Season 2 of The Nostalgia Mixtape! Apr 13, 2020

Hello, World! Welcome to season 2 of The Nostalgia Mixtape. We know you could all use some good news right about now. Hell, we could too. In the middle of all this madness, a good story is a great escape, and that’s what we hope we can bring you with season two of The Nostalgia Mixtape. My name is Sama’an Ashrawi and I’ll be your guide. If you’re new to this, it’s pretty simple: every episode we have a cool guest tell the story of a memory that’s tied to a song. What’s beautiful is that many more memories are unlocked in the process, so you get a glimpse of our guest that you’ve probably never seen before. To begin every episode, we ask our guests to share some good news. So, truly, if you’re looking for some good news, you’re in the right place. Our guests are Grammy winners, New York Times best-sellers, WNBA champions, world-famous comedians, and above all: talented and effortlessly cool. So if you came here to nerd out, you’ll get a little bit of that, but we’d like to give that part of your brain a rest, so mostly you’ll get the chance to sit back and hear a great story. Catch up at thenostalgiamixtape.com

The Hannibal Buress Episode Mar 19, 2019

Esteemed thespian, underrated martial artist, motocross rider, and part-time EMT, Hannibal Buress recalls his first-ever walk-up music at his second-ever stand-up gig. (We love hyphens!) Hannibal and host Sama'an Ashrawi ponder whether or not they should take credit for the Hiatus Kaiyote sample on Drake's "Free Smoke" and how reminisce about the time Hannibal dunked on Kevin Durant (figuratively).

The Gary Clark Jr Episode Mar 07, 2019

Genre-bender Gary Clark Jr. gets philosophical about the psychedelia of chopped and screwed music and how winning a Grammy finally helped him earn some validation in the eyes of his parents.

The Sam Bailey & Fatimah Asghar Episode Feb 21, 2019

Sam Bailey & Fatimah Asghar look back on how Frank Ocean's 'Blonde' got them through the filming of their acclaimed web series 'Brown Girls' .... and how it continues to get them through this thing we call life. Read along with the annotated transcript here: http://bit.ly/TNMBGEp More episodes at: thenostalgiamixtape.com

The Lupe Fiasco Episode Feb 07, 2019

Grammy-winning rap superstar Lupe Fiasco sits down to reminisce about how a cult classic film, 'The Last Dragon', is connected with the karate (and life) lessons his father gave him as a kid. Read along with the annotations here: http://bit.ly/LupeFiascoTNM

BONUS Khruangbin Nostalgia Mix (by Sama'an Ashrawi) Feb 03, 2019

Host Sama'an Ashrawi shares a bonus mix based on songs from the Khruangbin episode of The Nostalgia Mixtape. Music from Sudan, Morocco, Algeria, Niger, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran, India, plus a few dub tracks as well as some American rockabilly, blues, Jamaican soul, and Canadian disco. Listen to the Khruangbin interview on the Nostalgia Mixtape here: https://soundcloud.com/nostalgiatapes/the-khruangbin-episode Check the footnotes here: http://bit.ly/TNMKhruangbin Tracklist: 00:00 -- "Nar" by Alsarah & The Nubatones 02:50 -- "Besaha" by Kareem Isaaq (of The Devil's Anvil) 04:04 -- "Son Moi" by Chaz Bundick (Toro y Moi) Meets The Mattson 2 05:22 -- "Agadez" (live) by Bombino 06:46 -- "Thanks A Lot" by The Sea-ders 08:16 -- "People Everywhere (Still Alive)" by Khruangbin 10:27 -- "Ayetheri A L'afjare" by El-Abranis 11:24 -- "Helelyos" by Zia Atabi 15:21 -- "Zifaf Filfada" by Nama Samith 16:49 -- "Bin Bin" (live on GMTX) by Khruangbin 17:58 -- "Khuda Bhi Aasman Se" by Mohammed Rafi (movie: Dharti) 19:02 -- "Jab Jab Teri Surat Dekhun" - Sapna Mukherjee, Mahesh Gadhvi (movie: Janbaaz) 20:41 -- "Laila O Laila" by Amit Kumar, Kanchan (movie: Qurbani) 21:51 -- "Laila O Laila" - Shah Rukh Khan, Sunny Leone, Pawni Pandey, Ram Sampath (movie: Raees) 22:29 -- "Jimmy" by M.I.A. 23:58 -- "Jimmy Jimmy Ajaa Ajaa" by Parvati Khan (movie: Disco Dancer) 24:54 -- "Gud Naal Ishq Mitha" by Malaika Arora Khan, Jas Arora, Bally Sagoo & Malkit Singh 25:58 -- "Gonna Get Over You" by France Joli 29:01 -- "Let Love Flow On" by Sonya Spence 31:27 -- "Khalas" by Ziad Rahbani, Monica Asly 33:41 -- "Ayonha" by Hamid El Shaeri 35:50 -- "U.F.O." by Jim Sullivan 37:21 -- "From The Moon" by The News (written by Elias Rahbani) 38:33 -- "Shakin' All Over" by The Guess Who 39:27 -- "Baby Please Don't Go" by Them 40:29 -- "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets 41:50 -- "Baby Please Don't Go" (reprise) by Them 42:36 -- "Jailhouse Rock" by Queen (live at the Summit, Houston, TX. 1977.) 46:38 -- "No Particular Place To Go" by Chuck Berry 47:38 -- "Hi Heel Sneakers" by Tommy Tucker 49:04 -- "Little Bitty Pretty One" by Thurston Harris 50:33 -- "Rip It Up" by Little Richard 51:38 -- "Whatchya Say (I Don't Know)" by Albert Collins 52:39 -- "There's Been Some Lonely, Lonely Nights" by Johnny "Guitar" Watson 53:54 -- "At The Hop" by Danny & The Juniors 55:12 -- "Touch Me" by Tia Carrere (from Wayne's World) 56:46 -- "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen 58:49 -- "Sid Redad" by Fadoul 1:00:30 -- "I Got You" by Simon C. Edwards & His Soul Set 1:03:06 -- "Undecidedly" by The Sea-Ders 1:04:31 -- "Dance Maria" by Khruangbin (Elias Rahbani cover) 1:05:41 -- "Ramallah" by Anatolia 1:06:37 -- "Ya Kullo Ya Balash" by Stormtrap 1:08:08 -- "Gole Yakh" by Kourosh Yaghmaei 1:10:29 -- "Moon" by Deradoorian 1:11:46 -- "Ma Be Ham Nemiresim" by Khruangbin (Googoosh cover) 1:13:17 -- "Mosem-e Gol" by Parva 1:16:28 -- "Mandela Dub" by Peter Youthman 1:19:47 -- "People Everywhere (Still Alive)" by Khruangbin (Vuelo Dub)

The Khruangbin Episode Jan 24, 2019

Tag along as @Khruangbin regale us with stories of songs that have chased them around the world, from Texas to Copenhagen to India, and how they've grown along the way.

The Ladybug Mecca Episode Jan 10, 2019

Ladybug Mecca aka Santos Vieira, one-third of legendary rap group Digable Planets, one-whole of herself, joins The Nostalgia Mixtape to talk about the smoothest band of all-time: The Doobie Brothers. Ladybug will never forget when, in her childhood, The Doobies appeared on an episode of the 1970s sitcom What's Happening!! to teach Rerun, Raj, Dee, and Dwayne a lesson about bootlegging.

The Amber Coffman Episode Dec 27, 2018

Amber Coffman, a singer, guitarist, and human person, tells an incredibly relatable teenage tale of rebellion inspired by TLC's "Creep."

The Zack Fox Episode Dec 13, 2018

The internet's most irreverent instigator, Zack Fox (aka @corduroycondom on Soundcloud), stops by to tell the tale of a heist that could only happen in Edgewood, Atlanta, Georgia. In Zack's own words, "It's a hood version of a Guy Ritchie flick."

The Sango Episode Nov 29, 2018

Sango (@sangobeats), one of the internet's most revered beat-makers, tells the story of how Daft Punk inspired his first ever remixes -- remixes you can only hear on The Nostalgia Mixtape.

The Nneka Ogwumike Episode Nov 15, 2018

The 2016 WNBA season ended with a championship and an MVP trophy for Nneka Ogwumike of the Los Angeles Sparks. There were a few constants during that summer: Nneka's lights-out shooting and Chance the Rapper's 'Coloring Book' album which soundtracked her best statistical season.

The Shea Serrano Episode Nov 01, 2018

New York Times best-selling author Shea Serrano stops by to tell a coming-of-age story about Master P's "Ice Cream Man," a drug dealer named Aurelio, and three-point-shooting his way into a girl's heart (...or not.)

Introduction: Welcome to The Nostalgia Mixtape Oct 24, 2018

Welcome to The Nostalgia Mixtape. A story-telling series rooted in the music that soundtracks our memories.

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