NPR Music

This week on All Songs Considered, hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton offer up a brand new song by Jack White. The screaming instrumental track "High Ball Stepper" is the first taste of White's second solo album, Lazaretto, which will be out on June 10.

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Almost as long as there has been rap music, it's been debated whether rap is art, and you can talk among yourselves about that later.

But now there is another debate. The issue is, is rap evidence - that is to say can rap lyrics be used as evidence in a criminal proceeding. In Virginia, prosecutors hope these lyrics by Antwain Steward, known as Twain Gotti, will help convict the rapper of double homicide. Here it this.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HIP FULL OF GUN")

"There's zero symbolism, and that's the scary thing," Timothy Showalter says. "Every single lyric is either a direct thought or a direct event. It's exactly my life."

(Happy April Fools 2014. See you next year.)

The latest World Cafe: Next artist is Oklahoma singer-songwriter Parker Millsap, who recently released his solo debut and follows in the footsteps of fellow Oklahoman John Fullbright. With strong songwriting, a powerful voice and an engaging live show, Millsap represents himself awfully well for someone who's only 20. Download a pair of his songs on this page, or as part of our World Cafe: Next podcast.