This year, NPR Music is celebrating Black Music Month with an array of brand new Tiny Desk concerts — both from home and from behind our beloved Desk. Together, these artists represent the past, present and future of Black music. This month of carefully curated shows is a celebration of Black artists expressing themselves in ways we've never seen before, and of the Tiny Desk's unique way of showcasing that talent.

Bobby Carter | June 16, 2022
Larry June is the indierap hustle personified. His graduation from the streets has made way for his true purpose in rhyme: healthy living. The organic fruits and juices on the table in this performance indicate the lifestyle fervently pushed in his music. The two cell phones sitting beside him remind us that business is booming. He starts with a few signature adlibs before imploring, "Don't check me / Check the air quality." This lavish living room setting, with the Los Angeles night sky as a backdrop, sets the proper mood for Larry June's Tiny Desk (home) concert.

The Bay Area emcee has been at this for a while, adopting the independent approach like many before him: saturating the market with product and profiting from shows and merch. While much of the music industry stumbled and stalled during the uncertainty of 2020, Larry put up numbers, releasing half a dozen projects from his home studio. Here, he's able to comfortably sit back in the laidback tone we're used to hearing on his records and not the dialedup mood of his stage show. His band, The NME, replays and beefs up the sample on 2020's "Just me & you," plus songs from 2019's Out The Trunk and Early Bird.

In theory, a motivational rapper rapping about bike rides, hikes and investments would be deemed shtick in 2022 — yet he's here, authentic and refreshing. Good job, Larry.

SET LIST
"SLS 30 Days"
"Just me & you"
"Dear, Snow"
"Let's Drive To Vegas"

MUSICIANS
Larry June: vocals
Isaac Oshuntola: bass
Eddie Hamilton: guitar
Jarrett Freeman: keys
Jack Monk: guitar
Brandon Stennett: drums

CREDITS
Producer: Marco Alexander, Andrew Min
Video Assistant: Kian Wang
Recording Engineer: Migui Maloles
Assistant Recording Engineer: Joshua "Jay Que" Queen
Mixed by: Migui Maloles, Todd Cooper

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Video Producer: Michael Zamora
Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
Animation: Kaz Fantone
Tiny Production Team: Bob Boilen, Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Ashley Pointer
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#NPRMusic #TinyDesk #LarryJune