Farewell to Andre Williams, R&B Singer and Godfather of Rap

Singer, songwriter and arguably the inventor of rap

Zephire “Andre” Williams—singer/songwriter and arguably the inventor of rap—has passed away in Chicago at 82 years old. Nicknamed Mr Rhythm, Williams worked in the music industry in various positions since the 1950s, from procuring and developing new talent to songwriting and producing. He co-wrote “Shake Your Tail Feather,” produced for Parliament-Funkadelic, teamed up with the Dirtbombs—his desire to make and explore music was, by all …

Supersonic Aircraft’s Shockwaves Shot by NASA

The first-ever images of two shockwaves interacting, taken by NASA, appeared online this week. These photos—shot using a 150-year-old German technique—are some of the first of supersonic flights in the air and not in a wind tunnel. Seeing how the shockwaves interact with one another and on their own, NASA may be able to reduce the noisiness of sonic booms—the result of pressure changes when …

New York Public Library’s Lou Reed Archive

Before NYC rock icon Lou Reed passed away in 2013, he did not give instructions on how to handle the large collection of recordings, photographs, notes and other artifacts from his prolific career. His wife, Laurie Anderson, decided to donate the collection to an institution that would display it for the public—and to “present raw material and let people make up their own minds.” Two …