Author Archives: Alfred Lee

Earlier this month when media outlets briefly broke the story of the death of music great Rick James, two words stuck out in particular: “natural causes.” James, after all, had for years lived the fast life emblematic of many an out-of-control superstar, battling legal troubles toward the end of his career and, by his own […]

As many UCLA students prepare to leave town for part of their summer break, it’s important to remember to make full use of your music collection while traveling. And while road trip music is a much talked-about subject, the importance of music on a grueling airline flight is often overlooked. I would even argue it […]

Coming to UCLA as a freshman, I remember being excited at the prospect of expanding my horizons as a music fan. Surely, my interaction with like-minded students at a prestigious university could only result in eye-opening discussions brimming with wit and passion. After the relative uniformity of high school, I would finally be among peers […]

Believe it or not, the one development in recent times that has had the most impact on the music world isn’t Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction. It’s file-sharing. Over the last several years, file-sharing has pervaded the UCLA community, along with the rest of the world. The combination of frugal college students and fast Internet connections […]

By all accounts, last Wednesday’s Hip Hop Xplosion show at Ackerman Grand Ballroom was a success (with all due credit, of course, given to cosponsors Campus Events Commission, Cultural Affairs Commission and the African Student Union). For three hours on June 2, UCLA students were blessed with the privilege of watching performances by former and […]