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David Ma on Muck Rack

David Ma

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San Francisco, San Jose, The Bay
As seen in: Dad Bod Rap Pod, Wax Poetics, The Guardian, NPR, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, WBUR-FM (Boston, MA), The Grammy Awards, KCRW-FM (Santa Monica, CA), Vibe, The FADER and
Covers:  Hip-hop, Soul, Jamaican-- historical based work.
Bylines: @Waxpoetics, @Guardian, @NPR, @Parisreview, @Billboard, @TheSource, @Okayplayer, @Pitchfork, @RollingStone, @Complex, @Passionweiss

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David Ma’s Biography

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Veteran music journalist and editor with over two decades of published work. Bylines: Billboard, Vibe, NPR, The Paris Review, Pitchfork, Egotrip.com, The Source, Wax Poetics, Rolling Stone, Okayplayer, San Jose Mercury News, Redbull Music Academy, Passion of the Weiss, and others.

David Ma’s Journalist Portfolio

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Essential Hip-Hop Releases From The 1980s: Slick Rick, RUN-D.M.C., De La Soul & More

Essential Hip-Hop Releases From The 1980s: Slick Rick, RUN-D.M.C., De La Soul & More

Releases from the 1980s are some of the genre's most consequential, paving the way for rap to be where it is …

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Essential Hip-Hop Releases From The 1970s: Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash, Sugarhill Gang & More

Essential Hip-Hop Releases From The 1970s: Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash, Sugarhill Gang & More

Releases from the 1970s demonstrate the many ways that hip-hop would be much more than a fleeting fad. In cel…

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The 100 Greatest West Coast Hip-Hop Songs of All Time

The 100 Greatest West Coast Hip-Hop Songs of All Time

From N.W.A to Tyler, the Creator, from mobb music to hyphy

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The Coup's Timeless, Riotous 'Genocide & Juice'

The Coup's Timeless, Riotous 'Genocide & Juice'

'Genocide & Juice,' the bitingly satirical 1994 sophomore album from The Coup, is the VMP Hip-Hop Record of t…

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The Bizarre Ride to 'Labcabincalifornia'

The Bizarre Ride to 'Labcabincalifornia'

Midway through Labcabincalifornia, The Pharcyde's second album, we hear an invigorated Fatlip proclaim: "Been…

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RZA's Constant Elevation: From Wu-Tang to 'Kill Bill,' The Rapper/Producer Discusses His Creative...

RZA's Constant Elevation: From Wu-Tang to 'Kill Bill,' The Rapper/Producer Discusses His Creative...

@ 2022 - Recording Academy. All rights reserved. Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and op…

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Articles

A Guide To Southeast Asian Psych: From The '60s To '70s & Beyond

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By David Ma Verified
| The Grammy Awards Verified
Khun Narin Photo: Ciesay, courtesy of Innovative Leisure If the "White Lotus" soundtrack caught your ear, you've just scratched the sonic surface. From Vietnamese artist Phuong Tam to Sinn Sisamouth, the "Elvis of Cambodia," Southeast Asia's musical history is rife for exploration. |GRAMMYs/May 22, 2025 - 03:42 pm Radical songs that exploded from Southeast Asia in the '60s and '70s weren't made because of heartbreak and destruction — they were made in spite of it.
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Champion Sounds: Onra's 10 Favorite Dilla Flips

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By David Ma Verified
| Passion of the Weiss Verified
Onra via Onra/Instagram, J Dilla via Gregory Bojorquez Independent rap journalists will recommend you new music until their voices give out. Keep it that way by supporting Passion of the Weiss via a subscription to our Patreon. David Ma‘s TV ain’t HD, that’s too real. J Dilla could build an entire world around one minor sound. Detroit’ own James Yancey was well known for flouting convention on the MPC, using unquantized drums that were tapped live (imperfections and all).
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Boxcar Sessions: Saafir's Eulogy

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By David Ma Verified
| Passion of the Weiss Verified
Image via “Light Sleeper” video/YouTube Show your love of the game by subscribing to Passion of the Weiss on Patreon so that we can keep churning out interviews with legendary producers, feature the best emerging rap talent in the game, and gift you the only worthwhile playlists left in this streaming hellscape. David Ma‘s TV ain’t HD, that’s too real. Halfway through Boxcar Sessions, Saafir wonders “Where will I go when I die?
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