Each week, we add new music, older tracks, which are known as “Gold adds”, and tracks that might not fit our general format, but still deserve a place in rotation because they serve our mission of showing the depth, breadth, and influence of Black musical expression - These are known as “Variety adds.”

. If you make music and want it considered for rotation, 

 If you want to give feedback directly, reach out to me at jgreen@mpr.org.

Tune in to hear our host Sanni B. live on The Message from 10 AM to 1 PM Monday through Thursday!

Keep all these tracks in one place with the 

 Spotify playlist. This playlist is updated weekly with all the new adds. When that playlist is cycled with new tracks, the tracks live forever on the 

 playlist. That playlist contains all of the music that we've added since the week of July 11, 2022 in chronological order of when it was added. All of the tracks available on Spotify, at least.

Julian Green built and manages the music library for Carbon Sound and oversees content creation.  


Julian Green

All of the tracks added to rotation on Carbon Sound the week of Oct. 9, 2023.


Image for New on Carbon Sound Spotify playlist

Natalia Toledo

New on Carbon Sound

Old on Carbon Sound

New Music on Carbon Sound - Week of Oct. 9, 2023

Carbon Sound caught up with Kari Faux before her concert at 7th St Entry in Minneapolis on Wednesday, August 23. Watch the full interview above.

Carbon Sound caught up with the prolific and influential artist during her tour stop in the Twin Cities


EricXu Romani

Kari Faux talks about her new album and dealing with grief (Interview at Carbon Sound)

Video: Kari Faux talks about her new album and dealing with grief with Carbon Sound

Black Kray, along with his long list of aliases, is a prolific rapper, producer, filmmaker, and founding member of the collective Goth Money Records. He is the master behind many of my favorite songs and the influence behind many of the trends in the underground rap scene. He is most well known as Black Kray but has explored many other pseudonyms, each with unique characteristics and style. I have scoured the internet to trace Black Kray’s journey through the underground, leading to where he is today.  

Black Kray, born Timothy O'Neal on February 23, 1994, is from Richmond, Virginia, a place he refers to as the “Durt Road.” He dropped his first song on MySpace when he was in the 7th grade, and has been making music ever since. Goth Money members met over the internet in 2012, and Kray has since moved to LA to collaborate with them in person. 

He has over 41 solo EPs, mixtapes, and albums combined solely under ‘Black Kray’, excluding all of the other side projects and collaborations. You could say he’s using the Lil B Method, with the sheer volume of his work comparable to the other underground legend, Lil B. Through his body of work, he has explored many different genres, themes, and aesthetics and with that, alter egos. 

Kray’s evolution has been completely natural, you can see him experimenting and finding himself through his music. His progression as an artist can be seen through each name change. It started in 2011 with his era as The Black Kreayshawn. 

The beginning of The Black Kreayshawn era can be traced back to his YouTube presence. You get a glimpse into his world, with the various skate clips, short films, music videos, and song uploads he posted to his channel. His upload of Kreayshawn’s song 

 has amassed over 1 million views. During this time, Kray had a short-lived time as a part of 

, with members like SpaceGhostPurrp, Xavier Wulf, and Denzel Curry. He left in 2012 to pursue his group which was at the time known as 

By the end of 2012, Kray was an icon of the SoundCloud rap scene and a recurring character in underground rap folklore. He was creating a new sound, mixing witch house, trap, cloud rap, and horrorcore. It was like a goth Cash Money, who Kray himself says was an inspiration.

Kray founded Goth Money Records in 2013 with the original roster consisting of himself, Marcy Mane, Kane Grocerys, Luckaleannn, Karmah, and Hunned Mill. Following his move from Virginia to LA and the birth of Goth Money, his music started to gain traction. 

 was his own “Ginseng Strip” music video, complete with the bucket hat and all. Kray showed us his world; metal tee shirts, silk scarves, basketball jerseys, gold teeth, piercings, nature footage, and shutter effects. The unique backdrops for the video were referred to as Flexico by Marcy Mane. By this time, he was going by Black Kray pretty consistently.  

, his first full release under Goth Money Records.  Songs like 

, the release showcased Kray’s style of glitzy, cloudy, and nonchalant trap music. This album is seen as his quintessential release. It solidified his place in the scene and laid the groundwork for many rappers to come. Rappers like Cartier God, Surf Gang, and even Playboi Carti. 

 was where the Goth Money swag was established, and listeners were introduced to the world of “positive thuggin”.

 many coined Kray as “Chief Keef meets Lil B” which I think is an accurate description. Though Kray is more than just the child of two existing, legendary rappers, he was paving the way for something new.

Kray’s most experimental and groundbreaking period was his witch house era, during which he went by lilwitchhouseshawdy. Witch house is a genre known for its trap-influenced beats, ethereal vocals, and goth or witch aesthetics. Kray was creating something completely new, he was the original witch house rapper.

He was ethereal, goth, darker, and cloudier than ever during this era. One of my favorite projects that shows the breadth of Black Kray’s talent is 

 which is also where he coined his name ‘lilwitchhouseshawdy’. Though, he also coined a few of his other names on this album with songs titled 

 as the final track on the album, tying together his style of witch house and ambient trap music. 

Kray was a big fan of the witch house genre himself, he even cites three big witch-house artists as his main influences in a 

, talking about Salem, Crim3s, and White Ring. 

By 2014, Kray had met up with Drain Gang, and he was releasing songs with Yung Lean and Bladee such as 

 which are all now considered classics of the time. He released his album 

 before embarking on an international tour with SadBoys/Drain Gang. Kray has continued to collaborate with Drain Gang and could even be considered an honorary member, but Kray has elevated his sound as well. 

 which was not only the reason I started watching Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta, but a huge stepping stone in his career. The video is now approaching half a million views. The song is a great example of Kray’s themes in his music. The references and aesthetics are never forced, his music is nonchalant. A song like this that references a reality TV couple truly makes you feel like you’re hanging out and watching TV with him. During this time he also started to go by Persian Cellphone Prince. 

He also continued his other artistic ventures during this time, such as filmmaking. With the release of his 

 “Hood Doves,” he features witch house legend Salem’s song “Mine Mine” and lives up to his name lilwitchouseshawdy. 

After collaborations with Drain Gang, Kray was on his way up. He spent time in Atlanta with artists like Lil Yachty and Metro Boomin. Barron Machat, who helped launch the careers of Yung Lean and Grimes, had Kray as his next project. In tragic circumstances, Machat passed and Yung Lean and Drain Gang members took a break from music. Kray transitioned to more solo work during this time. 

At this time, he started to go by Sickboyrari, he explains the name choice as partly because he is ‘sick’ and partly because he ‘stays in his lane like a rari’. He released 

 which leaned even more into the horrorcore sound. With songs like “

Kray aka Sickboyrari dropped three more albums and by the end of 2017, he was considered an underground king. With his song 

 featured on World Star Hip Hop, he was on track to perform internationally alongside his girlfriend and collaborator Bootychaaain. 

Tread was a term coined by Bootychaaain to describe the high BPM, hard-hitting beats of Working On Dying production, and producers such as F1lthy and Kray himself. ‘Tread’ is characterized by distinctive 808 patterns, often off-beat hi-hats and trap triplets with icy synths and lethargic rapping. Kray could be called the ‘King of Tread’. His tape as Sickboyrari, 

, illustrates the realization of this genre. 

Kray is inventive, continuously experimental, and original. He has paved the way for rappers to come with his fearless experimentation and innovation. Through all his different aliases and projects, we can see his experimentation in real time and get a glimpse into his world. He is the definition of an underground king, your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper, and an iconic figure in rap music. 

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Joely Kelzer

We take a deep dive into Black Kray, an influential figure in underground rap of many names.


Black Kray

Who is Black Kray? (AKA Sickboyrari, AKA Gvcci Kray, AKA La Goth, AKA...)

Carbon Sound and Purewateradio hosted the State Fair Producer Showdown at the Minnesota State Fair on Saturday, August 26. 

Eight of the best producers from the Twin Cities battled it out live on stage for a $500 gift card to Down In the Valley. 

Contestants: Brainw0rm, Dave Kellner, Don Belly, Eslicky, Euphoria's Room, Roc Barboza, Somburd, Wan Guru 

Watch the full video of our State Fair Producer Showdown.


Eric Xu Romani

Carbon Sound x Purewateradio State Fair Producer Showdown

“Do You Know Where You're Coming From”

All of the tracks added to rotation on Carbon Sound the week of Sept. 25, 2023.


New Music on Carbon Sound - Week of Sept. 25, 2023

 points to one thing: 2023 is the year to show up and show out. Fueled by post-COVID delirium, we’ve flocked to stadiums and theaters alike in our finest, glitteriest attire, and the Walker Art Museum’s 

The museum’s annual party for the ages serves as both a fundraiser as well as a Minnesotan take on the Met Gala. Decked out in 

, visitors come in droves to enjoy a night of drinking, dining, and dancing. Aside from enjoying some reliably great live music (previous Avant Garden performers include Questlove and Dessa), event goers can also bid on 

“It’s the party of the year,” outgoing Walker board president Seena Hodges shared over a phone call. “It’s a celebration of summer moving into fall, and it’s this last moment of unbridled joy before we hunker down for the winter. You get to be your full self and turn out. It’s a really good time, for a really good cause.” 

If supporting the Walker’s educational and cultural programming isn’t enough of a draw, this year’s festivities boast a particularly impressive lineup. Alongside local DJs Tricky Miki and Dub Minus, lauded indie singer-songwriter 

 will perform a set at this year’s afterparty.

“To me, it’s important from a curatorial perspective when it comes to picking live performers,” Hodges went on. “It’s crucial to bring people of color into these spaces and give them the opportunity to be in a museum setting. Plus they play the music that we all know and love. [Avant Garden] has hosted artists like MC Light, Biz Markie, and DJ Jazzy Jeff. We just want people that make you want to dance and, you know, not afraid to sweat your hair out.”

Hodges serves as a member of the Black Trustee Alliance for Art Museums (BTA), and notes that Avant Garden wasn’t always this accessible: “When I joined the Walker’s board of directors in 2016, I remember hearing the price of [Avant Garden] tickets and bursting out laughing.” 

In the years since a flurry of changes has followed: Aside from booking diverse musical talent, there is a yearly initiative to set aside Avant Garden tickets specifically for BIPOC artists. In addition, the art being auctioned off is now set at affordable price points.

“It’s our responsibility to broaden the tent at every turn,” Hodges continued. “Every year we invite artists who may not have a relationship with the Walker to celebrate with us. Now the event really feels like a microcosm of the Twin Cities — people forget that we have the largest Somali and Hmong populations outside of their homelands here. Minneapolis really is a diverse place, and you can see that diversity at [Avant Garden].” 

Avant Garden takes place this Saturday, September 23, at the Walker Art Center. The cocktail reception is at 5 and the after-party, including performances from Vagabon, Tricky Miki, and Dub Minus, starts at 8:30.

Fatima Rahman

Walker Art Center’s event is Minnesota’s Met Gala.


Walker Art Center

Walker Art Center brings a diverse lineup to Avant Garden 2023

Though Death Grips’ catalog is almost impossible to sing along to, the crowd gave it their all.


Nikhil Kumaran | MPR

Review: Death Grips bring dark energy to The Fillmore

On a sticky July night, more than a hundred people filed into a backyard in St. Paul. Armed with foldout chairs and coolers, they crowded behind an old house, laying out blankets and cramming onto splintery picnic benches. 

As the sun lowered, the gathering, now restless, had stretched out into the neighboring yard. Behind a set of sliding glass doors, you could catch glimpses of just who they were waiting for — local singer-songwriter Mayyadda, decked out in a fluttering green dress and intricate white braids. The night, hosted at the 

, commemorated the release of her latest album, the entirely acoustic 

“Don’t be a parasite,” she chided the crowd. “Don’t do the Minnesotan thing and wait politely to clap. If you’re feeling a run or lick, don’t be afraid to clap. And do 

 clap on the one and three.” Laughter rippled through the audience.

“In some ways, my music career is an effort to stave off midlife crisis,” Mayyadda joked during our interview. “I just didn’t want to wake up one day at 50 and regret never pursuing this.”

Even over the phone, Mayyadda is humble and charismatic. It’s a feat, considering her status as somewhat of an internet sensation, nearing 200,000 TikTok followers and over 200,000 Spotify monthly listeners. The fame is by no means unwarranted: Mayyadda has long honed her craft, being a self-taught musician, producer, and audio engineer. Her firm blend of R&B, pop, and traditional singer-songwriter fare has accrued a not-insignificant audience. 

“I always tell people, the only thing I’ve been doing longer than playing piano is breathing,” Mayyadda remarked. Aside from piano lessons from age two, Mayyadda taught herself guitar at 14, all the while singing in choirs, theater, and acapella groups. 

A teen obsession with the Jonas Brothers sparked an initial interest in songwriting, something she later picked back up during her undergrad at Duke: “I don’t know what switch flipped, but by college I had enough life experience that I finally had stuff to write about. It was just me and a guitar in my dorm room, all on Voice Memos.”

At 21, Mayyadda took the plunge and chose to pursue music professionally, releasing 

, her debut EP, on New Year’s 2016. Written the summer after her college graduation, 

 is a rootsy, DIY EP. Cuts “Rainmaker” and “Blue” are lo-fi and bittersweet, the former a florid mediation on family and time: “Blue minutes ticking time bombs / Bleeding tears and grins / Blue faces whipping past as / The old projector spins.”

Mayyadda is a little more scathing: “I go back and forth all the time on whether I should take [

] off the internet … It sounds crazy. I recorded it in my cousin’s bathroom, and I had vocal nodes.” 

The seven years since brought forth four albums and a holiday EP, plus gigs everywhere from Milwaukee’s 2023 Summerfest to playing the Dakota twice. Mayyadda’s work straddles the lines between pop, R&B, and traditional singer-songwriter fare, and each album has more than a few standouts — though tracks 

'' are plenty popular on TikTok, deep cuts like 

 showcase an artist with a knack for wordplay, and a profound understanding of harmony.

“I’ve learned a lot working with her,” friend and collaborator Sid Gopinath shared in a phone call. Gopinath produced Mayyadda’s 2022 EP, 

. “I would be like, I think the song is done, and she’d say, ‘One second.’ Then she’d send me 40 harmony tracks. There would be doubles and triples of parts just to add textures and layers. She can build an entire soundscape out of vocals in a way few artists are able to … She has such a soulful voice, and such musicality across genres.”

Though Mayyadda initially dubbed her style of music “BlackGirlMagic,” she wavers on the term now: “Genre designations don’t feel super helpful to me. Depending on the day you catch me or depending on the performance, I could sound completely different.” Given Mayyadda’s myriad of influences, the statement rings true. Mayyadda draws from Paramore, Brandy, Ingrid Michaelson, and Miguel — upon my remark that her music reminds me a lot of the latter, Mayyadda let out a long shriek of excitement.

She went on, “People don’t often realize that a lot of what we understand as American music comes from Black people. The girls made rock and roll, the blues, gospel. Whatever I’m making, there’s a touch of so many genres rooted in Black music. That’s part of the magic of Black people, our ability to create and adapt sounds.”

’s acoustic release had a strange alchemy to it, and I struggled to piece it together. A ceremonial hush had fallen over the crowd, and the backyard lights were golden and low. Mayyadda commanded the quiet, deftly leading sing-alongs and weaving in confessionals. 

“When Mayyadda performs live, she has this very controlled, disciplined expression,” friend and multidisciplinary artist Vie Boheme revealed. “She’ll get lost in the music and take you on a journey, and then she hops out after every song as herself, in such a personable way.” 

The release also happened to fall on both Mayyadda and her bassist’s birthday. (They turned 30 and 40 respectively.) “I’ve been feeling really existential crisis-y about 30,” Mayyadda confided in our earlier interview. “But this new album feels like a good moment. I’m still surprised by the way [the original] 

 was received. Even though it came out two years ago, it keeps resonating with people. I also find that no matter how I have something fully produced, people always end up asking me for the acoustic version.”

Though the future is uncertain, one thing is true — Mayyadda has plenty in store. “I’m eager to hear what she does with a bigger budget or with further sonic experimentation. I know she’s going to keep putting in the work. She’s quite the generational talent,” Gopinath said. “I imagine her inspiring the next generation of songwriters. We’re all lucky to be around at the same time as her.”

The prolific Minneapolis singer-songwriter credits her success to a lifelong love and practice of music.


Amaya Peña for MPR

Mayyadda, Minneapolis singer-songwriter, has even more to give

Natalia Mendez

The show provided a healing space to validate having needs, expressing desires, carving out a space, or even crafting your own world to safely do so. 


Sara Fish for MPR

Janelle Monáe brings sensuality and self-love to the Armory

All of the tracks added to rotation on Carbon Sound the week of Sept. 11, 2023.


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New Music on Carbon Sound - Week of Oct. 9, 2023

Video: Kari Faux talks about her new album and dealing with grief with Carbon Sound

Who is Black Kray? (AKA Sickboyrari, AKA Gvcci Kray, AKA La Goth, AKA...)

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Carbon Sound x Purewateradio State Fair Producer Showdown

New Music on Carbon Sound - Week of Sept. 25, 2023

Walker Art Center brings a diverse lineup to Avant Garden 2023

Review: Death Grips bring dark energy to The Fillmore

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Mayyadda, Minneapolis singer-songwriter, has even more to give

Janelle Monáe brings sensuality and self-love to the Armory

New Music on Carbon Sound - Week of Sept. 11, 2023

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