VIDEO: Red Bull Music Academy Lecture: DOOM

DOOM aka MF DOOM sits down for this very rare interview and discusses his origins and the mystique behind the mask.

VIDEO: Red Bull Music Academy Lecture: MANNIE FRESH

Super producer Mannie Fresh needs no introduction. The former Cash Money Records hit maker is on the rise once again with new alliances with Kanye West and Mystikal. In the above video, Mannie speaks on his 25 year career as one of the Dirty South's most significant beatsmiths.

VIDEO: Red Bull Music Academy Lecture Featuring MASTERS AT WORK

Their name says it all - Masters At Work. 'Little' Louie Vega and Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez celebrate 20 years together, channeling dance music down new paths with their inventive production style and imaginative feel for different musical forms. The two native New Yorkers have amassed an overwhelming body of work including hundreds of original productions and defiantly mix everything they can find - house, hip hop, funk, disco, Latin, African and jazz - into a universal groove. XLR8R's Shawn Reynaldo sits down with them on the couch during Red Bull Music Academy's 'New York City to SF Bay' lecture series in San Francisco to discuss the start of their careers and dissolving the barriers between genres.

VIDEO: Red Bull Music Academy Lecture Featuring Bobbito Garcia & Stretch Armstrong

Red Bull Music Academy has long held this series of lectures that showcases many of the greatest contributors to music culture. The above video features an in depth interview with the hosts of arguably the greatest hip hop radio show ever- Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Garcia. Their radio show, broadcast on 89.9 FM WKCR in New York City in the 90's, was the conduit for many of the biggest names in hip hop today. They are also a major inspiration for THEZROHOUR as well as many other hip hop radio hosts that came before them.

VIDEO: RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY Lecture Session With Mario Caldato Jr.

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY presents a great interview session with engineering and production wunderkind Mario Caldato Jr. Mario began his career engineering for Mark Nishita aka Keyboard Money Mark. This led to gigs with the production team, The Dust Brothers, on classic releases by Tone Loc, Young MC and the Beastie Boys. His work with the Beasties Boys secured his status as one of the most creative and daring technicians behind the scenes. In the video above he discusses his journey as well as new projects on tap.

VIDEO: RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY Lecture Session With DJ Toomp

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY presents a great interview session with Grammy winning super producer DJ TOOMP. Atlanta native DJ Toomp is the mastermind behind some of the biggest hits from T.I., Kanye West, Ludacris, Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, Nas and others.

VIDEO: RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY Lecture Session With CHUCK D- Truck Turner Strikes Again

The Red Bull Music Academy continues their lecture series with a great interview/discussion with the legendary Chuck D.

VIDEO: RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY Lecture Session With NICOLAY of Foreign Exchange

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Matthijs L. Nicolay Rook’s CV reads like a modern-day social networking fairy tale. After years of playing bass ‘n’ drums in various funk bands (p and electronic) and pulling a Kanye after falling out with his teachers at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam over his fascination with Frank Zappa, Nicolay had already ended his dreams of being a professional musician and got himself a 9-to-5. Some day he caught up with then-rising Jansport hero Phonte on the Okayplayer message board, uploaded some of his work as a hobby beat maker – and ended up with a full set of songs recorded over his instrumentals. The rather unconventionally founded group was called Foreign Exchange, released their debut album on BBE in 2004 and gained the praises of ?uesto and company. Three more full-lengths (one with Houston MC Kay, one solo as a producer, and a second Foreign Exchange LP with Phonte), a launch of an own label (Nicolay Music Group) and a relocation to the shores of North Carolina later, this fly Dutchman definitely stands out as one of the most inspired beat cats on Planet Rock, remixing Roy Ayers and laying down richly instrumented computer soul for US indie luminaries as well as the leaders of the European pack.

VIDEO: RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY Lecture Session With Blu & Exile

The RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY is currently in session for its special tenth anniversary edition in Barcelona. The Academy has travelled far and wide, bringing its unique symposium of knowledge and good musical vibes to cities like Melbourne, New York, Sao Paulo, and Cape Town. As every year, it goes down like this: a group of 60 participants, hailing from 36 different countries and selected from thousands of worldwide applicants, zooms into town. It’s not just the students, or ‘participants’ as they call them, who’ll find themselves fusing new musical patterns. 40 musical luminaries have been invited as lecturers: from Melvin van Peebles to James Pants, there’ll be plenty of wisdom and wonkiness in play. The lecturers, team members and participants will take those fresh ideas from the studios straight to the ears of the people of Barcelona, as they perform at over 40 events in the city.

The above video features a sit down with hip hop duo, BLU & EXILE. They speak on their beginnings, creative and production philosophy and Exile rocks the MPC live throughout. Blu and Exile is a tag team made in heaven, as their album Below The Heavens ably demonstrates. There's not many duos making hip hop music in the spirit of the golden age, yet astonishingly fresh. Blu talks to his audience instead of at them, concerned more about the message in the music than breaking even. Bringing West Coast sunshine and honest introspective lyrics, he is the perfect foil to Exile's fierce MPC adventures, crafting gritty soul in the tradition of greats like Primo, Dilla, and Pete Rock.