A 30-year-old man has been arrested after an email was sent threatening to "sever the heads" of two Detroit-area judges.

Today, the AMC is proud to announce the names of the artists who will deliver the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address in 2020, as well as declaring open expressions of interest for 10 opportunities, also under the banner of the prestigious Address.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau says Connecticut ranks first in the country in insurance claims filed for metal theft.

The leader of an MS-13 clique on Long Island pleaded guilty to murder and conspiracy charges this week. The gang member was charged with ordering the murder of a 15-year old, which was then carried out. He was also charged with planning the murder of an alleged fellow MS-13 gang member for being disloyal to the group. The defendant admitted that he reported to gang leadership in El Salvador and the United States. He is expected to be sentenced to 24 years to life in prison in 2020.

A former Stony Brook University professor has pleaded guilty to stealing over $200,000 of government cancer research money to pay personal bills.

Connecticut State Police will work with the city of Bridgeport to “de-escalate and prevent retaliation” after a shooting outside a local courthouse Monday. Police have made several arrests in the case.

Sir Howard Elston, our sports editor, sits down with the beleaguered chief FIFA honcho as he faces a 90 day suspension over lurid totally false allegations that he is a cheating lying self-deluding thief.

Perilous state of city landmark recognised.

Public invited to attend event at threatened building.

Finance boost to threatened landmark.

Celebrations planned for local landmark.

International sports legacy experts will convene at the University of Birmingham this week to discuss the rationale behind hosting global mega-events and their lasting impact.

Swimming sensation Ellie Simmonds OBE was guest of honour when she went back to her old school in Aldridge to meet marathon readers.

M3 announces record year as it looks to push the West Midlands’ creative talent.

Security roadshow heads to Snow Hill.

A Good Hope consultant has won international recognition for leading a new treatment study

England wicket keeper Sarah Taylor is arguably one of the best female cricketers in the history of the ladies game and she could make history this summer by becoming the first woman to play men's second XI county cricket.

A Birmingham-based donkey riding charity is calling on the fun loving public to adopt a donkey this Valentine's Day to help raise vital funds

Ticket offers released for the 2020 tennis season.

Ark at that! Homer’s Trojan war poem gets the Brummie treatment.

In this week’s episode there’s new music from The Black Keys & Paul Cauthen, some classic blues & soul from Freddie King, Otis Redding, Dusty Springfield & some more recent (ish) cuts from Little Barrie and JD McPherson. 

The guys also host a session with Canadian Folk & Bluegrass superstars - The Dead South, performing a track from their new record entitled ‘Black Lung’.

To see The Dead South performances in full, head over to The Blues Kitchen YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BluesKitchenLondon

When you've caught up with the podcast, head over to The Blues Kitchen YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/BluesKitchenTV

Email the show: radio@theblueskitchen.com

Listen on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, Mixcloud, Acast & many more…

In the final episode of 2019, Gaz & Liam celebrate 10 years of The Blues Kitchen Podcast with a look back at the finest blues, soul, folk, roots and indie music from the last decade. 

Expect music from Charles Bradley, Leon Bridges, Mavis Staples, Gary Clark Jnr, Blind Boy Paxton, JD McPherson, The Arcs, Margo Price, Alabama Shakes, Dr John, David Bowie & much much more... 

Be sure to check out:

The Blues Chronicles
Bush Hall - London
Thurs 27th 2020
Fri 28th Feb 2020
https://theblueschronicles.com/events/

When you've caught up with the podcast, head over to The Blues Kitchen YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/BluesKitchenTV

Email the show: radio@theblueskitchen.com

Listen on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, Mixcloud, Acast & many more…

Richard Lutz takes his pew at the Royal Shakespeare Theatrefor that most famous of revenge plays.

This week, we talk to pioneering emcee Grand Daddy I.U. The Long Island-based rapper was discovered by Biz Markie and signed to Cold Chillin’ Records in 1989. His 1990 debut album Smooth Assassin is rightfully regarded as a classic of hip-hop’s Golden Age. He also wrote songs during that era for some of his label’s top artists, including Roxanne Shante and the Biz himself. Since that stunning debut, I.U. has released four albums, with a fifth due in just a few weeks. He has also produced for artists such as KRS-One and Ice-T.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/12/ for full show notes and comments.

We talk to the amazing Sadat X, known for both his seminal work with Brand Nubian and his plethora of high-quality solo work. His unique, off-kilter voice and style have kept the hip-hop nation entertained since his group’s seminal 1990 debut One for All. His latest album, out this past December, is called Love, Hell or Right.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/31/ for full show notes and comments.

This week, we talk to a man who needs no introduction, Big Daddy Kane. Kane tells us about his legacy, dissing Erick Sermon, who really produced his first album, and tons more.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/32/ for full show notes and comments.

This week, we talk to author Adam Mansbach. While Mansbach is best-known for the satirical childrens book Go the Fuck to Sleep, his novels like Angry Black White Boy and The End of the Jews examine some of the thorniest issues in American life — race, culture, family, and the paradoxes and conflicts in all of them. His latest novel is the “graffiti revenge” story Rage Is Back.

We have two special guests for this show. DJ J. Period accompanied Mansbach to our studio. J is a well-respected mixtape DJ, and he created an excellent companion tape to Rage Is Back that features songs from artists like Black Thought and Talib Kweli. We were also joined by Dresden Dolls drummer Brian Viglione, who entered our conversation when it turned to his favorite drummer, jazz legend Elvin Jones, for whom Mansbach worked for almost six years as a drum tech.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/35/ for full show notes and comments.

This episode, we talk to Bill Adler. Bill is best-known for his time as director of publicity for Def Jam and Rush Management from 1984-1990. During that period, he helped to guide the careers of some of hip-hop’s most legendary artists, including LL Cool J, Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and more. He shares stories about many of those groups with us today.

In addition to his work at Def Jam, Bill has written several books, worked on TV documentaries, ran an art gallery, and, in his early years, worked closely with the famous hippie leader John Sinclair. We talk about all of that and more in this epic conversation.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/43/ for full show notes and comments.

This episode, author Adam Mansbach (Go the Fuck to Sleep, Rage Is Back) returns to the show to talk about his new book, a thriller called The Dead Run. He’s joined by Chicago poet Kevin Coval who, in addition to his awesome poetry, also runs the largest youth poetry festival in the nation, Louder Than A Bomb. Join us as we talk rap, race, Judaism, Chief Keef, which KRS album is the greatest, and what “hackles” really are.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/52/ for full show notes and comments.

Returning guest Bill Adler is many things — music archivist, gallerist, head of PR for Def Jam at its creative apex — but he’s also a well-known Christmas music nut. After marrying into a Christian family, he started finding the best, most under-appreciated Christmas music he could, and putting it together into a compilation. He’s been sending his Christmas Jollies mixes to family and friends every year since the early 80s.

His mixes, despite having a relatively small circulation, have gotten tons of attention over the years. So we decided to talk to him about seasonal tunes, including his very important role in creating a certain holiday standard. He gave us insight into some key Christmas samples (Run DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis”, to name one), his own Christmas favorites, and more.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/58/ for full show notes and comments.

Hailing from Harlem, Loaded Lux is considered a true pioneer and legend in battle rap. Lux grew up surrounded by battle rap culture, where cyphers were popping off around every corner in Harlem. He began his professional battle rap career featured on the early SMACK DVD’s in the mid 2000’s, and went on to go undefeated 7 weeks straight on 106 & Park’s Freestyle Friday to be inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2007. He released his mixtape “You Gon’ Get This Work” in 2013 after his famous slogan, and is prepping his sophomore album set to release in 2014.

Loaded Lux is no ordinary battle rapper, counting Jay Z, Diddy, and Busta Rhymes as fans. His powerful delivery, nasty wordplay, and deep bars that cut into his opponents have racked him up countless wins — most notably in a recent high stakes battle against Hollow.

We talked why successful people love competition, the magic of history, the Black Panthers, Harlem’s battle rap scene, Illmind, and more with Lux.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/63/ for full show notes and comments.

Most people know author Adam Mansbach from his 2011 “children’s book for adults,” Go the Fuck to Sleep. It became a sensation and led to readings by Werner Herzog and Samuel L. Jackson, a movie deal, a popular GTFTS-themed Obama ad, and countless morning show appearances. Now he returns with a sequel, You Have to Fucking Eat — a funny and realistic take on a whole new parenting challenge.

Regular listeners know that Adam does much more than write books with curses in the title. We discussed his literary novels and life in jazz in our first talk. This time, we talk screenwriting, thrillers, middle grade books, and the best child rappers of all time.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/85/ for full show notes and comments.

Our 2nd annual Christmas episode features former Def Jam exec and noted Christmas music obsessive Bill Adler. We discuss the 30th anniversary edition of his yearly Christmas mix (available EXCLUSIVELY from us — visit here) and his part in the new holiday music documentary Jingle Bell Rocks.

We also find time to talk about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, protest movements past and present, and plenty more. Happy holidays from The Cipher! Again, you can listen to Bill Adler’s 30th anniversary Xmas Jollies mix ONLY on our Soundcloud page.

P.S. We’re honored to have been chosen as one of Slate’s “Best Podcasts About Music” this year. You can see the complete list here. And, as mentioned in the show’s introduction, you can find Cornell University’s online exhibit of Bill’s Def Jam materials on the university’s website.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/86/ for full show notes and comments.

This week, we talk to Cey Adams – artist, graphic designer, “fourth Beastie,” and founding Creative Director at Def Jam.

Adams got his start as a graffiti writer in his native New York City, and moved from the vibrant graf world into the same East Village art scene as people like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. In 1982, he met Russell Simmons, and quickly started designing anything and everything visual for Simmons’ management company and, shortly afterwards, his new record label Def Jam. At around the same time, Adams met and befriended the Beastie Boys. He has designed countless tour t-shirts, logos, stage backdrops, and album covers for the group.

Adams designed and oversaw historic album covers and logos not only for Def Jam artists like Public Enemy and Slick Rick, but also Bad Boy, Universal, MCA, and others – including the album cover to Big’s Ready to Die and the now-iconic signature-style logo for Mary J. Blige. In addition, he has designed logos and products for The Chapelle Show, NYC’s Hot 97 radio station, Nike, Coca-Cola, and more.

As if that wasn’t enough, Adams co-authored the book DEFinition: The Art and Design of Hip-Hop and designed the definitive book Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label.

A special note: to see a gallery of many of the images Cey is talking about during our interview, click here.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/112/ for full show notes and comments.

It’s that time of year! We sit down with Bill to talk about this year’s edition of his world-famous Christmas music mix Xmas Jollies 2015, which you can stream EXCLUSIVELY from us here.

We also discuss how Bill’s extensive hip-hop archives ended up at Cornell University, despite the wishes of his pal Lyor Cohen; why you’ll soon see his photos at the Smithsonian; and the story of how a noted civil rights activist was outed as an FBI spy.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/134/ for full show notes and comments.

Adrian Miller is the manager of Anderson .Paak, the rapper/singer/musician who rose to stardom after his show-stopping appearances on Dr. Dre’s new album, Compton: A Soundtrack By Dr. Dre. But there’s a whole lot more to Adrian’s story than helping to guide Anderson from obscurity to overseas tours and late-night television appearances.

Adrian was at the epicenter of the Los Angeles rap scene throughout the 1990s. He played a key role in the rise of acts like Coolio, Freestyle Fellowship, Funkdoobiest, Cypress Hill, House of Pain, The Pharcyde, and many, many more. His time in LA reads like a who’s-who of artists, producers, executives, and even movie moguls. After helping to get the L.A. rap scene on its feet, Miller took a job at Warner Brothers as the Senior Vice President of A&R, working directly under legendary executive and manager-to-the-stars Benny Medina. We talked to him about his entire crazy journey, from getting his first real radio job in Oklahoma all the way to making deals with Dre.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/144/ for full show notes and comments.

Ms. Jade is a Philadelphia-based rapper who first came to most peoples’ attention as a protege of Timbaland. She, along with other artists including Tweet and Bubba Sparxx, were part of the producer’s Beat Camp collective. Ms. Jade also worked closely with another one of Timbaland’s frequent collaborators, Missy Elliott, appearing on several of Missy’s hits like “Funky Fresh Dressed” and “Slap Slap Slap.”

Shortly after the release of her debut album Girl Interrupted, Jade parted ways with Timbaland and released several mixtapes that showed her rapping with an aggression and power that wasn’t always there during her time in the spotlight. Ms. Jade has released a bunch of recent freestyles, and is finishing up a new album entitled Beautiful Mess.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/159/ for full show notes and comments.

Adisa Banjoko is the founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation, a non-profit organization that fuses music, chess, and martial arts to promote unity, strategy and non-violence. He has a new book about the history and philosophy behind the organization called Bobby, Bruce & the Bronx: The Secrets of Hip Hop Chess. The book was originally titled Bobby, Bruce & Bam, but Adisa changed it – and very publicly resigned his years-long membership in the Zulu Nation – in light of the accusations of sexual abuse against Afrika Bambaataa.

With the Hip-Hop Chess Federation, Adisa has put on tons of workshops, seminars, and lectures to help children learn not only chess, but entrepreneurship, performing arts, and more. He has even worked with the World Chess Hall of Fame to put on one of their most successful exhibits ever.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/160/ for full show notes and comments.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—if you love soulful Christmas music! We sit down with Bill to talk about the 2016 edition of his world-famous ‘Xmas Jollies’ mix, which you can stream EXCLUSIVELY from us here.

We also discuss Paul Simon, vaudeville, Atlanta, record shopping in Bayou country, the raunchiest Christmas song of all time, and much more.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/181/ for full show notes and comments.

Adam Mansbach is a novelist and, of course, the author of the “children’s book for adults” Go the F to Sleep. But his new project is not a book—it’s a screenplay. Adam wrote the new movie Barry, available now on Netflix. The film is a fictionalized examination of Barack Obama’s first months in New York City, as he arrives at Columbia University in 1981.

The film stars Ashley Judd, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jason Mitchell, Ellar Coltrane, Avi Nash, and the fantastic newcomer Devon Terrell as Obama. It’s been getting rave reviews and has garnered a bunch of award nominations, including NAACP Image Award and Independent Spirit Award noms for Adam. We talk to Adam about writing and filming Barry, but we also catch up about the election, his new TV show, Henny Youngman’s joke-telling philosophy, and a whole lot more.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/182/ for full show notes and comments.

Paradise Gray began his career in hip-hop under the tutelage of masters like Pete DJ Jones and Disco King Mario. However, he really hit his stride when he began booking hip-hop acts and hosting in 1986 at a nightclub in the heart of Times Square called the Latin Quarter. While at the club, he would have a front row seat to the introduction of a new generation of hip-hop artists—the key acts in what would come to be called the genre’s Golden Age.

After the club closed in 1988, Paradise would form the group X-Clan with some friends, and deliver some of the most powerful, conscious rap records of all time.

Paradise has a new book about his time at the LQ called No Half Steppin’: An Oral and Pictorial History of New York City Club the Latin Quarter and the Birth of Hip-Hop’s Golden Era.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/190/ for full show notes and comments.

Kevin “DJ Head” Bell is a producer and DJ from Detroit who played a big role in that city’s scene during the mid-to-late 1990s. At that time, an insanely talented group of people were getting together for open mics, beat battles, ciphers, and shows. Among that crew were people who would go on to be some of the most popular and well-regarded rappers and producers of all time, including J. Dilla and Eminem.

DJ Head worked closely with them both. He was also tight with the late rapper Proof, a member of D12 and pillar of the scene, in addition to being best known as Eminem’s best friend and longtime onstage foil. DJ Head played a big part in Em’s meteoric rise—producing, programming drums, and DJ’ing for the rapper as he went from underground battle rapper to international superstar. He also produced songs for Xzibit, D12, Obie Trice, and more.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/222/ for full show notes and comments.

Bill Adler is…well, you probably already know who Bill is. Publicist, journalist, author, gallery owner, archivist - Bill has done it all. From helping to popularize acts like Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys to defending free speech alongside Luther Campbell to boycotting the Grammys with Public Enemy and the Fresh Prince, there’s very little Bill hasn’t done.

But most importantly, Bill Adler is a Christmas music obsessive. Every year since 1982, he’s created a mix of seasonal music that he actually likes, called the Christmas Jollies. And the past five years, we’ve been lucky enough to sit down with him to discuss the music on it.

You can find this year’s collection here, and several other past volumes can be found elsewhere on our SoundCloud page.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/228/ for full show notes and comments.

This week, we talk to a man who needs no introduction, Big Daddy Kane. Kane tells us about his legacy, dissing Erick Sermon, who really produced his first album, and tons more. This is a Cipher-ized, improved version of an episode that originally ran in 2013.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/239/ for full show notes and comments.

Glen “Daddy-O” Bolton is a rapper, producer, executive, and all-around hip-hop Renaissance man. He formed the ground breaking Stetsasonic in 1981, and the group went on to release several classic albums and become the first great hip-hop band.

As a producer and remixer, he worked with everyone from Audio Two to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to They Might Be Giants. He was an executive at MCA and Motown, and continues to consult with a number of companies. And he’s still releasing music to this day. Daddy-O’s latest album, released this past May, is No Tablecloths.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/244/ for full show notes and comments.

Every Christmas since 2013, we’ve sat down with Bill—who is the former head of PR at Def Jam, among numerous other accomplishments—to talk about his world-famous Xmas Jollies mix. Bill spends the whole year scouring record stores, flea markets, the internet, and everywhere in between to find the perfect batch of great holiday music, and then shares it with his select mailing list, and with us. Now, we talk to him about some of this year’s selections.

You can hear Bill’s mix in its entirety at our Soundcloud page.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/251/ for full show notes and comments.

“Maximising your Return on Investment from a Good Idea”

Leaders from some of Europe’s largest companies will be gathering in Birmingham to discuss the role that open innovation and collaboration can play in boosting the economy

Madin walking tour led by Alan Clawley Starting at Five Ways Station, 10.30 am, 22nd June 2013

"Help us to help you get the treatment you need across Birmingham and Solihull."