Best Of: Rhiannon Giddens / Investigating Diddy’s Rise & Fall
Fresh Air

Best Of: Rhiannon Giddens / Investigating Diddy’s Rise & Fall

B2Upper-intermediateSeptember 26, 202647 min
  • Interview
  • Arts & culture

Rhiannon Giddens doesn’t usually make pop music, but she wrote and played the banjo riff on Beyoncé’s country single, “Texas Hold ‘Em.” She comes from the Black string band tradition, is the artistic director of the Silk Road Ensemble, and studied opera in college. Giddens spoke with Terry Gross about channeling her ancestors through her instrument. Also, Rolling Stone investigative reporter Cheyenne Roundtree talks with Tonya Mosley about her new book, Bad Boy for Life. It tells the story of Sean Combs across the names he gave himself: Puffy, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Love, and the systems tha...

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B2 · Upper-intermediate

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0:25

From WHYY in Philadelphia, this is Fresh Air Weekend. I'm Tanya Mosley in Los Angeles. That's today's guest, Rhiannon Giddens, playing the opening banjo riff

0:38

on Beyonce's hit, Texas Hold'em. Giddens doesn't usually play pop music. She comes from the Black String Band tradition, is the artistic director of the Silk Road Ensemble

0:49

and studied opera in college. It's not a usual path from opera to the banjos. There's nothing about you that is usual. That's true.

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