Brian Raftery

Contributing Writer for SPIN Magazine

Brian Raftery appears in the following:

Remembering the King of Pop

Friday, June 26, 2009

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, died yesterday afternoon at the age of 50. Details of his death will not be known until a full autopsy is done. But what we do know is the legacy he has left behind. His career spanned over 40 years, and his musical importance ranks with Sinatra, Elvis and the Beatles.

Joining us in remembering the King of Pop are Chuck D from legendary hip hop group Public Enemy, Brian Raftery, Contributing Writer for SPIN Magazine, and, Farai Chideya, journalist and friend of The Takeaway.

"I think of Michael Jackson as a brilliant artist and entertainer, and all those other issues about the plastic surgery or the child molestation, they're irrelevant to me."
— Chuck D. on Michael Jackson

Click through for a transcript.

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Twenty-five Years of Prince and "Purple Rain"

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Twenty-five-years-ago, an upstart from Minnesota shot into superstardom with the release of "Purple Rain," the film and its accompanying soundtrack. The album produced hits like the title track, “Let’s Go Crazy” and its biggest hit, “When Doves Cry.” Brian Raftery is a contributing writer for SPIN Magazine, and he has the cover story on its next issue commemorating Purple Rain’s 25th anniversary. It includes interviews from most of the major players involved in the groundbreaking film and album.

Because of copyright restrictions, we can't show you the real video for "When Doves Cry." Instead, here is Clay Aiken singing the famous song. Yes, this is the problem with copyright law.



To see Dave Chapelle's take on the iconic Prince, watch the video below. (Warning: Some content may be not safe for work. Also, there's a lot of bleeping.)

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