Beautifying Neglected Basketball Courts With Project Backboard

Founded in 2014 by Daniel Peterson, Project Backboard refurbishes neglected basketball courts by commissioning artists to make them works of art. Initially in Memphis, the project has now spread across neighborhoods in the United States and features beautiful work by the likes of Nina Chanel Abney, Nick Dahlen, Brandon Marshall and more. Peterson says that the initiative has several goals, “to help people understand that …

Hype Williams Changed Hip-Hop

The prolific, innovative and imaginative director Harold “Hype” Williams was honored at the 2017 VH1 Hip-Hop honors this week—and deservingly so. Hip-hop wouldn’t be the same without Williams, whose flashy, weird and wonderful vision came to life across countless music videos—especially in the ’90s and early 2000s. From Q-Tip’s “Breathe and Stop” to The Notorious BIG + Puff Daddy + Mase’s “Mo Money Mo Problems,” …

Susan Bennett Explains How She Became the Voice of Siri

Susan Bennett’s voice has always been special. Back at the start of her career, she toured as a back-up singer for musicians like Burt Bacharach and Roy Orbison, while also singing jingles. In July 2005, however, she took on a recording project: recording jibberish phrases for one month. It was for the text-to-speech company ScanSoft, a phone messaging system that would ultimately become Siri. Through …