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Oliver Wang

Oliver Wang is a music writer, scholar, and DJ based in California. Since 1994, he's written on popular music, culture, race, and America for outlets such as NPR, Vibe, Wax Poetics, Scratch, The Village Voice, SF Bay Guardian, and LA Weekly.

Wang begins work as an assistant professor in sociology at Long Beach State this fall; He also hosts the renowned audioblog soul-sides.com. For more information, visit o-dub.com.

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The Record
1:12 pm
Tue December 4, 2012

Saviors Of Local Soul: The Archival Science Of The Numero Group

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Credit Courtesy of the Numero Group
The Numero Group's Eccentric Soul: Omnibus includes 45 seven-inch singles highlighting local soul scenes from around the country.
Credit Courtesy of the Numero Group
The staff of the reissue label the Numero Group.
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Music Reviews
4:20 pm
Wed November 28, 2012

Ghetto Brothers: Guitars Over Guns

Credit Courtesy of the artist
Benjy Melendez (right) founded and led The Ghetto Brothers in the early 1970s.
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Originally published on Wed November 28, 2012 4:59 pm

The Ghetto Brothers functioned as one of many youth gangs that formed in the 1960s as economic woes and governmental neglect began to transform New York City's South Bronx for the worse. Led by Benjamin "Benjy" Melendez, the gang was originally, literally, just him and his brothers. As kids, they had called themselves Los Junior Beatles, and that Fab Four influence never left.

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Music Reviews
1:14 pm
Mon November 19, 2012

Bill Withers: The Everyman Singer With A Poet's Soul

Credit Fin Costello / Redferns
Bill Withers onstage in 1973.
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Originally published on Mon November 26, 2012 10:38 am

Bill Withers' very first single became a breakout hit in 1971. He would go on to record nine albums over the next 14 years, and all of them are now available on a new box set, The Complete Sussex and Columbia Masters.

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Music
12:47 pm
Mon November 19, 2012

Still Bill: 5 Bill Withers Covers

Credit Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
Bill Withers posing for a portrait around 1973.
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The Record
10:00 am
Thu September 20, 2012

The Purple Tape: Only Built 4 Collectors

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Credit Courtesy of the artist
The Purple Tape: Raekwon's 1995 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... was originally released on a limited-edition purple cassette that became a collector's item.
Credit Courtesy of the artist
Purple Tapes: Raekwon's 1995 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... was originally released on a limited-edition purple cassette that became a collector's item.
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Originally published on Thu September 20, 2012 4:09 pm

The Beatles had "The White Album." Prince's long-time work-in-progress became dubbed "The Black Album." Rapper Raekwon had "The Purple Tape," one the most storied cassettes in hip-hop history.

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