Tobe Nwigwe

August 19, 2019

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NPR Tiny Desk Concerts - S12 - E67

The Houston-based rapper's mindful words are like a life hack for anyone seeking guidance, with pleas to look past inherent hardships and evil and to stay focused on life's ultimate prizes.

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NPR Tiny Desk Concerts: Season 12 - 95 Episode s

12x17 - Meg Myers
March 6, 2019
Myers replaces her album's roaring electric guitars and electronics with a pulsing string quartet, piano and brushed drums — and uncorks a cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill."
12x18 - Leikeli47
March 11, 2019
The artist came to the Tiny Desk masked up, as always, the better to catch a glimpse of her soul.
12x19 - Kaia Kater
March 13, 2019
Multi-hyphenate artist Kaia Kater uses the architecture of roots music, which she studied in West Virginia, to establish a simultaneous dialogue with both the present moment and her own past.
12x20 - Nao
March 18, 2019
The U.K.-based singer-songwriter takes the Tiny Desk on a cosmic journey through her Saturn return.
12x21 - Alejandro Escovedo
March 20, 2019
The veteran rocker and a backup band from Italy play songs from their album The Crossing, chronicling an American Dream of rock and roll and Beat poetry.
12x22 - &More (Chill Moody & Donn T)
March 25, 2019
Philadelphia Rapper Chill Moody and singer Donn T, along with their crew known as &More, were one of the standout entrants in last year's Tiny Desk Contest. They bring a message of hope and love.
12x23 - Andrea Cruz
March 27, 2019
The singer from Puerto Rico is part of a movement on the island that emphasizes largely acoustic instruments and a folk-based approach to interpreting life before and after the hurricane of 2017.
12x24 - Weezer
April 1, 2019
Performing unplugged, the band forgoes its usual meticulousness in favor of a shaggy, entirely acoustic mix of new songs and '90s-era deep cuts.
12x25 - Courtney Marie Andrews
April 3, 2019
It was a day when sunlight drenched the office and the songs of heart from Courtney Marie Andrews felt right at home.
12x26 - Georgia Anne Muldrow
April 8, 2019
The R&B singer from Los Angeles is all about showing and spreading love.
12x27 - Karine Polwart Trio
April 10, 2019
Scottish singer, songwriter and essayist Karine Polwart seldom comes stateside, eschewing air travel to reduce her carbon footprint. But on a rare, recent visit, she stopped in D.C. for a Tiny Desk.
12x28 - Gary Clark Jr.
April 16, 2019
These three songs, from Clark's incendiary new album This Land, roar with the assurance and force of a showman at the top of his game.
12x29 - Theodore
April 17, 2019
The music of Theodore is dark and transformative, with the kind of spare elegance you can hear in Sigur Rós or Pink Floyd.
12x30 - The Calidore String Quartet
April 22, 2019
The Calidore String Quartet confirms that the centuries-old formula — two violins, a viola and a cello — is still very much alive and evolving.
12x31 - Better Oblivion Community Center
April 24, 2019
Tiny Desk alums Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers surprised us all with their stunning collaboration this year as Better Oblivion Community Center. Together they radiate joy at the desk.
12x32 - Toro Y Moi
April 29, 2019
Toro y Moi loses the voice processing, synths and other heavy effects for a stripped-down acoustic set at the Tiny Desk.
12x33 - Laraaji
May 2, 2019
Laraaji is best known to some for his ambient work with Brian Eno in the late '70s. He brings his meditative calm to the Tiny Desk in this hypnotic performance.
12x34 - Thou
May 6, 2019
This is probably the quietest you'll ever hear the first metal band to play the Tiny Desk.
12x35 - Ohmme
May 9, 2019
These classically trained artists fill the NPR Music offices with shrieking, rhythmic noise that redefines what an electric guitar can do.
12x36 - Magos Herrera and Brooklyn Rider
May 15, 2019
Watch what happens when the smoky-voiced jazz singer from Mexico conspires with an adventuresome string quartet for songs steeped in Latin American traditions.
12x37 - Ensemble Signal Plays Jonny Greenwood
May 20, 2019
Watch members of the New York-based group give the world premiere video performances of two recent pieces by Radiohead guitarist and composer Jonny Greenwood.
12x38 - Jeremy Dutcher
May 22, 2019
There is no one making music like this 27-year-old, classically trained opera tenor and pianist. Watch and see why.
12x39 - Lucky Daye
May 28, 2019
Hailing from New Orleans with a love of sticky, bass-bumping funk, Lucky brought along a 10-person band, including a quartet of horns, to capture the full flavor of his debut album Painted.
12x40 - LADAMA
May 30, 2019
The group unites sounds from Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela, with a dash of New York City thrown in.
12x41 - Quinn Christopherson
June 3, 2019
Quinn and his musical partner, guitarist and singer Nick Carpenter, arrived from the cool of Anchorage to the swelter of D.C. and performed with remarkable confidence and grace.
12x42 - Tomberlin
June 6, 2019
Tomberlin is the daughter of a Baptist pastor, grew up singing in the church and, since her teens, has questioned her own beliefs in God and faith. Her songs are delicate and vulnerable.
12x43 - Sesame Street
June 10, 2019
Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Elmo, Grover, Rosita, Count von Count, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster and other surprise guests gather at NPR's headquarters to celebrate 50 years of love, learning and joy.
12x44 - Foxing
June 12, 2019
Foxing is at the forefront of an emo revival, heavily influenced by late-'90s and early 2000s groups like Sunny Day Real Estate and American Football.
12x45 - IDLES
June 18, 2019
The British madmen brought fury, cathartic rage and deep thoughts to the Tiny Desk for one of the loudest, most raucous performances in memory.
12x46 - Imogen Heap
June 20, 2019
Imogen Heap takes us through her many musical talents, from her Frou Frou musical partner, Guy Sigsworth — and their first new song in 17 years — to an extraordinary performance with musical gloves.
12x47 - Tasha Cobbs Leonard
June 24, 2019
Tasha Cobbs Leonard is widely regarded as one of the best gospel singers performing today. Her set at the Tiny Desk moved many at the NPR offices to tears.
12x48 - Betty Who
June 26, 2019
Betty Who brings Roséwave, sun's-out pop to the Tiny Desk with all the usual studio production stripped away.
12x49 - Be More Chill
July 1, 2019
On Broadway, Be More Chill is a playful burst of frenetic energy and silly, stealthy sweetness. At the Tiny Desk, it holds onto that rowdy, generous spirit while stripping down the arrangements.
12x50 - Saint Sister
July 3, 2019
The group from Ireland makes music that mixes the organic with the electronic, starting with a large, 34-string lever harp.
12x51 - Miya Folick
July 5, 2019
Miya Folick was raised a Buddhist in Santa Ana, Calif., and is of Ukrainian and Japanese descent. She sings of conviction, not fiction.
12x52 - American Football
July 8, 2019
Who would've thought that American Football's fruitful reunion would not only include some of the emo band's best songs, but also a children's choir at the Tiny Desk?
12x53 - Sting And Shaggy
July 10, 2019
The two musical legends brought plenty of joy to the Tiny Desk, with an unexpected collaboration that works surprisingly well.
12x54 - Erin Rae
July 12, 2019
Every time she performs live, Erin Rae transforms her quiet storms into different hues of squalling introspection.
12x55 - Priests
July 19, 2019
The punk-infused art band from Washington, D.C. brings a kinder, gentler and sparer version of the group's music to the Tiny Desk.
12x56 - Jacob Collier
July 22, 2019
As the NPR staff gathered to watch his performance, Jacob Collier sprinted full bore down the hallway for his set, hardly able to contain his creative energy or enthusiasm.
12x57 - Masego
July 24, 2019
The spirit of Cab Calloway lives on in Masego, the singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist who surprised NPR's Tiny Desk audience with a zany sense of showmanship.
12x58 - Tamino
July 26, 2019
Tamino possesses one of the most remarkable and memorable voices to ever grace the Tiny Desk.
12x59 - Lizzo
July 29, 2019
Backed by a band assembled just for this occasion, the breakthrough pop icon performs three joyfully showy songs from Cuz I Love You.
12x60 - Calexico And Iron & Wine
August 1, 2019
The two bands just released Years to Burn, their first album together since 2005. Now, they've performed three songs — two new, one old — for Calexico's Tiny Desk debut.
12x61 - iLe
August 3, 2019
The Calle 13 veteran, fresh off her appearance at demonstrations in Puerto Rico, performs three songs that rage with revolutionary intensity.
12x62 - Bas
August 5, 2019
Bas came to the Tiny Desk to get it, and — in a breathless four-song set — he did exactly that.
12x63 - David Crosby & The Lighthouse Band
August 7, 2019
David Crosby, Becca Stevens, Michelle Willis and Michael League are The Lighthouse Band, and together they harmonized the heck out of the Tiny Desk.
12x64 - Among Authors
August 9, 2019
Among Authors' music isn't casual; there are songs within these songs, and they're not always catchy. They'll take you on a journey worth following.
12x65 - half•alive
August 12, 2019
How does half•alive, known for funky earworms and synchronized dancing, translate to such a cozy space? Have the dancers sit.
12x66 - Kian Soltani
August 16, 2019
Watch a young cellist on the rise, offering music of virtuosity, sweet lyricism and a little fire from his Persian roots.
12x67 - Tobe Nwigwe
August 19, 2019
The Houston-based rapper's mindful words are like a life hack for anyone seeking guidance, with pleas to look past inherent hardships and evil and to stay focused on life's ultimate prizes.
12x68 - Nicole Bus
August 21, 2019
Nicole Bus' sound is reminiscent of vintage R&B, yet still feels current and capable of transcending age and demographics.
12x69 - Mandolin Orange
August 23, 2019
Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz made everything seem so easy, with just a few acoustic instruments and a single microphone behind the Tiny Desk, performing songs full of joy and thoughtfulness.
12x70 - 47SOUL
August 26, 2019
47SOUL's message of equality is meant for the world. It's music without borders, mixing old and new, acoustic and electronic from a band formed in Amman Jordan, singing in Arabic and English.
12x71 - Dan Tepfer
August 29, 2019
The pianist and programmer has transformed the acoustic piano into his duet partner.
12x72 - The-Dream
August 30, 2019
The singer and mega-hit songwriter showcases three of his own tracks, including "I Luv Your Girl" and two songs from Ménage à Trois: Sextape Vol. 1, 2, 3.
12x73 - A-WA
September 3, 2019
The three Israeli sisters in A-WA mix Yemenite and Arabic traditions with splashes of reggae and hip-hop.
12x74 - The Tallest Man On Earth (2019)
September 6, 2019
The Tallest Man On Earth's second appearance at the Tiny Desk comes almost 10 years to the day after his first. He returns with a touch of grey and a beard, but no less intense or moving.
12x75 - Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley
September 9, 2019
With eyes shut, Marley dug deep into the healing power of music with songs from his 2017 album Stony Hill.
12x76 - Come From Away
September 11, 2019
Sixteen performers from the Broadway cast crammed behind the Tiny Desk to sing songs and share stories about thousands of airline passengers who were stranded in Newfoundland after 9/11.
12x77 - Rhiannon Giddens
September 16, 2019
Giddens shares songs from her latest album, There is No Other, in an emotional and transfixing performance at the Tiny Desk.
12x78 - Nilüfer Yanya
September 18, 2019
There's a hush to the music of Nilüfer Yanya that made the Tiny Desk the perfect stage for her sound.
12x79 - Y La Bamba
September 20, 2019
Y La Bamba returns for its second Tiny Desk performance with a revised musical vision.
12x80 - Rosanne Cash
September 23, 2019
Roseanne Cash has been making great records for forty years, but she's never played or written better music than she's doing right now.
12x81 - Ari Lennox
September 25, 2019
The R&B singer performed songs from her debut full-length, Shea Butter Baby.
12x82 - Josh Ritter With Amanda Shires And Jason Isbell
September 27, 2019
In his second visit to the Tiny Desk, Josh Ritter had America on his mind. "We all have to fight against this notion that we're not all human beings."
12x83 - Jonas Brothers
September 30, 2019
The brothers and their backing band gave a playful performance of three tracks from their latest album, Happiness Begins.
12x84 - Molly Sarlé
October 4, 2019
After performing at the Tiny Desk as one third of the group Mountain Man, Molly Sarlé returns for a soul-stirring solo performance.
12x85 - Sharon Van Etten
October 7, 2019
Nearly a decade after her first appearance at the Tiny Desk, Sharon Van Etten returns with a full band and a bigger, bolder sound.
12x86 - Charly Bliss
October 9, 2019
The vibrancy of the band can feel childlike and candy-coated. But the group's songs are more about the pain of entering adulthood and leaving some of that sweetness behind.
12x87 - Brittany Howard
October 15, 2019
The Alabama Shakes singer and guitarist brought an eight-piece backing band to the Tiny Desk for a set of deeply personal and affecting songs.
12x88 - Taylor Swift
October 16, 2019
As she settled in for this stripped-down set, Taylor Swift looked out over the office. "I just decided to take this as an opportunity to show you guys how the songs sounded when I first wrote them."
12x89 - Summer Walker
October 18, 2019
One week after releasing a record-shattering studio debut, the Atlanta native brings a glowing R&B set to the Tiny Desk.
12x90 - Jovino Santos Neto Trio
October 21, 2019
Along with his trio, the pianist, multi-instrumentalist and composer cast a spell over the NPR Music offices in this joyful turn behind the Tiny Desk.
12x91 - CHAI
October 23, 2019
The group from Japan is on a mission to expand the conventional meaning of "cute." Their performance included synchronized dancing, pom-poms and matching pink uniforms, with a heavy, angular sound.
12x92 - Rio Mira
October 25, 2019
Rio Mira's music celebrates life along the river that separates Ecuador and Colombia: soft breezes, loving friends, the embrace of Africa and lots of festejando!
12x93 - BJ The Chicago Kid
November 6, 2019
The 34-year old R&B mainstay used his moment at the desk to fit in as many of his most cherished songs as possible — Nine songs in 17 minutes to be exact.
12x94 - Dave
November 8, 2019
The British rapper made a trip all the way from the UK just for this Tiny Desk performance and powered through a set that made the personal political.
12x95 - Leslie Odom Jr.
November 12, 2019
The Tony- and Grammy-winning singer, actor, author and Hamilton star performs three songs from Mr, his genre-bending new solo album.
12x96 - Sunny War
November 13, 2019
Sunny War has been homeless, busked on city streets and Venice Beach, left home feeling she was a burden to her mother, battled addiction and still found a way to bring joy to others thru her music.
12x97 - KOKOKO!
November 15, 2019
KOKOKO! are sonic warriors. They seized control of the Tiny Desk, shouting their arrival through a megaphone, while electronic sirens begin to blare.
12x98 - Burna Boy
November 18, 2019
The Nigerian singer and songwriter is one of the biggest African artists in the world and a pioneer of Afro-fusion, an inescapable sound this year.
12x99 - Snarky Puppy
November 20, 2019
The jazz, funk and gospel improv group brought jams and joy to the Tiny Desk.
12x100 - Igor Levit
November 22, 2019
The insightful pianist offers a Beethoven bonanza, ranging from the mesmerizing pulse of the popular "Moonlight" Sonata to flashes of wry humor and tender beauty.
12x101 - Carly Rae Jepsen
November 25, 2019
The singer brought a sparkling pop-disco vibe and a lot of swagger to the sun-filled Tiny Desk.
12x102 - Mereba
November 27, 2019
A nomadic storyteller with a cross-genre style ranging from folk to rap, Mereba slays the devil in her solo set behind the Desk.
12x103 - Black Uhuru
November 29, 2019
The influential reggae group, whose name means "black freedom," brought songs of solidarity and love to the Tiny Desk.
12x104 - Freddie Gibbs And Madlib
December 6, 2019
The enigmatic and reclusive producer Madlib joins hard-hitting emcee Freddie Gibbs for one of the most memorable Tiny Desks of the year.
12x105 - Raveena
December 9, 2019
"I just want you to know," Raveena told the NPR office, "that in this space that we're in, you're extremely, extremely loved."
12x106 - Weyes Blood
December 11, 2019
Watch the band perform a blissed-out, gently sweeping set featuring three songs from its latest album, Titanic Rising.
12x107 - The Comet Is Coming
December 13, 2019
The Comet is Coming is a force of nature. The British trio makes the kind of instrumental jazz that takes music lovers out of their comfort zone and into a musical realm they may never have explored.
12x108 - Moonchild
December 16, 2019
The LA-based trio makes an intricate blend of jazz, R&B and hip-hop. For their Tiny Desk set, they pulled out all the stops: flutes, flugelhorns, saxophones, keyboards, ukuleles and more.
12x109 - Los Lobos
December 18, 2019
When Los Lobos gathered behind the Tiny Desk, it felt like they were cramped in the back room of a family Christmas party, calling up tunes from the Latin holiday song book.
12x110 - Balún
December 20, 2019
It's impossible to not be drawn in by the visual specter of Balún as the band mixes traditional instruments and electronics, set against a rich tapestry of voices.
12x111 - Spanglish Fly
December 31, 2019
Spanglish Fly is one of the pioneers of the boogaloo revival scene happening on the East Coast. For about sixteen minutes, they turned the NPR Music offices into the hottest Latin dance club in D.C.

NPR Tiny Desk Concerts: All seasons

S0: Specials
19 Episode s
S1: Season 2008
10 Episode s
S2: Season 2009
30 Episode s
S3: Season 2010
60 Episode s
S4: Season 2011
83 Episode s
S5: Season 2012
77 Episode s
S6: Season 2013
68 Episode s
S7: Season 2014
85 Episode s
S8: Season 2015
84 Episode s
S9: Season 2016
91 Episode s
S10: Season 2017
98 Episode s
S11: Season 2018
128 Episode s
S12: Season 2019
111 Episode s
S13: Season 2020
179 Episode s
S14: Season 2021
137 Episode s
S15: Season 2022
124 Episode s
S16: Season 2023
128 Episode s
S17: Season 2024
62 Episode s

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12x17 - Meg Myers

12x18 - Leikeli47

12x19 - Kaia Kater

12x20 - Nao

12x21 - Alejandro Escovedo

12x22 - &More (Chill Moody & Donn T)

12x23 - Andrea Cruz

12x24 - Weezer

12x25 - Courtney Marie Andrews

12x26 - Georgia Anne Muldrow

12x27 - Karine Polwart Trio

12x28 - Gary Clark Jr.

12x29 - Theodore

12x30 - The Calidore String Quartet

12x31 - Better Oblivion Community Center

12x32 - Toro Y Moi

12x33 - Laraaji

12x34 - Thou

12x35 - Ohmme

12x36 - Magos Herrera and Brooklyn Rider

12x37 - Ensemble Signal Plays Jonny Greenwood

12x38 - Jeremy Dutcher

12x39 - Lucky Daye

12x40 - LADAMA

12x41 - Quinn Christopherson

12x42 - Tomberlin

12x43 - Sesame Street

12x44 - Foxing

12x45 - IDLES

12x46 - Imogen Heap

12x47 - Tasha Cobbs Leonard

12x48 - Betty Who

12x49 - Be More Chill

12x50 - Saint Sister

12x51 - Miya Folick

12x52 - American Football

12x53 - Sting And Shaggy

12x54 - Erin Rae

12x55 - Priests

12x56 - Jacob Collier

12x57 - Masego

12x58 - Tamino

12x59 - Lizzo

12x60 - Calexico And Iron & Wine

12x61 - iLe

12x62 - Bas

12x63 - David Crosby & The Lighthouse Band

12x64 - Among Authors

12x65 - half•alive

12x66 - Kian Soltani

12x67 - Tobe Nwigwe

12x68 - Nicole Bus

12x69 - Mandolin Orange

12x70 - 47SOUL

12x71 - Dan Tepfer

12x72 - The-Dream

12x73 - A-WA

12x74 - The Tallest Man On Earth (2019)

12x75 - Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley

12x76 - Come From Away

12x77 - Rhiannon Giddens

12x78 - Nilüfer Yanya

12x79 - Y La Bamba

12x80 - Rosanne Cash

12x81 - Ari Lennox

12x82 - Josh Ritter With Amanda Shires And Jason Isbell

12x83 - Jonas Brothers

12x84 - Molly Sarlé

12x85 - Sharon Van Etten

12x86 - Charly Bliss

12x87 - Brittany Howard

12x88 - Taylor Swift

12x89 - Summer Walker

12x90 - Jovino Santos Neto Trio

12x91 - CHAI

12x92 - Rio Mira

12x93 - BJ The Chicago Kid

12x94 - Dave

12x95 - Leslie Odom Jr.