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Before Kool Herc: The Bronx Hip Hop Pioneers Mainstream History Erased

At DJ Phase’s annual Bronxdale Houses celebration, I heard directly from the people preserving hip hop’s...

Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight Make the Hollywood Bowl Feel Like Home

Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson brought timeless Black American music, high energy, and personal memories to...

Kamasi Washington, Stanley Clarke & The Birth of the Santa Monica Jazz Festival

Kamasi Washington closed the inaugural Santa Monica Jazz Festival with a powerful hometown performance alongside Los...

Culture

Before Kool Herc: The Bronx Hip Hop Pioneers Mainstream History Erased

At DJ Phase’s annual Bronxdale Houses celebration, I heard directly from the people preserving hip hop’s...

The R&B Roots of Rock, Pop, and Hip Hop: How Rhythm & Blues Changed the Sound of the World

Was Rhythm & Blues simply another genre, or did it become the musical language that shaped...

How Clive Davis Helped Destroy Music

For decades, Clive Davis has been celebrated as one of the most influential executives in music...

Videos

IncenseNashtrays Live Stream

Behind every great car club is a story, and behind Boss Life Car Club is a husband and wife dedicated to preserving the culture, building community, and keeping the tradition of lowriding alive.

In this interview, they talk about how Boss Life Car Club began, what the club stands for, the importance of family, and why lowriding is about much more than the cars. Their story reflects the commitment, love, and respect that have helped shape Los Angeles lowrider culture.

This is part of an ongoing series documenting the people who built and continue to preserve the history of lowriding.

Boss Life Car Club | A Marriage Built on Lowrider Culture

The Individuals Tell The Real Story of Lowriding

For nearly 50 years, The Individuals Car Club has been part of Southern California's lowrider culture. In this exclusive interview, members share the history of the club, how it grew from Los Angeles into one of the nation's largest lowrider organizations, and the innovations they say helped shape the culture—including pioneering tuck wheels and reinforcing car frames.

We also discuss the legacy of Charles Clayton, the fight to legalize cruising, the relationship between lowriding and music, and why preserving this history matters for future generations.

This interview is part of the Black American Music Family Tree Historical Foundation's mission to document the people, places, and culture that helped shape American music and Los Angeles history.

Lowrider History | The Individuals Car Club

America's founding wasn't just slavery; it was also freedom, building, and wealth creation. Black individuals like Benjamin Banneker, John Hanson, and James Forten were pivotal in shaping early America, designing cities and fighting for independence. Discover the deep, often overlooked, Black contribution to the nation's foundation. #BlackHistory #AmericanFounding #Builders #RichHistory #BeyondSlavery

America 250: Black Builders Beyond Slavery #shorts

Rhythm and Blues isn't just a genre, it's the bedrock of ALL pop, hip-hop, K-pop, and more. Discover the '2 and 4' backbeat that redefined music's pulse and still drives every beat today. #RhythmAndBlues #MusicHistory #BehindTheBeat #GenreOrigin #PopMusic

The Genre They Erased from History #shorts

Producers skip 2000s tracks for samples. Why? It's a derivative of a derivative—too cut. The last pure era for sampling was the '70s, before the industry changed it. #MusicProduction #Sampling #2000sMusic #MusicHistory

2000s Music: Why Producers Don't Sample It #shorts

Diddy's influence was built on Clive Davis's power, not his own musical talent. This explains the decline in music quality as non-musicians make A&R decisions. #CliveDavis #Diddy #MusicIndustry #BusinessOfMusic #HipHopHistory

Clive Davis: The REAL Power Behind Diddy's Success #shorts

Walter Yetnikoff focused on promoting talent, while Clive Davis curated music, image, and sound. But could Davis, without a music background, truly operate independently? Conjecture suggests a deeper agenda. #CliveDavis #MusicIndustry #Conspiracy #HarvardReport

Clive Davis: Music Industry Conspiracy Revealed #shorts

The 70s saw artists with messages systematically removed if they didn't 'go pop.' Careers like Bobby Womack and Curtis Mayfield were sabotaged as labels pushed for a pop sound, driven by rival philosophies of Clive Davis and Walter Yetnikoff. #MusicIndustry #70sMusic #RecordLabels #CurtisMayfield #BobbyWomack

Music Industry Sabotage: Black Artists & The Pop Takeover #shorts

Our Mission

IncenseNashtrays exists to document the present, restore the past through rigorous historical analysis, and report on the music and the culture that surrounds it.

We preserve and elevate true musicianship—centering the artistry, lineage, and cultural impact that define American music.

This is preservation. Not nostalgia.

IncenseNashtrays is an independent music publication and brand. Its editor, Dwann Brown, is also President of the Black American Music Family Tree Historical Foundation, a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

“Music is a sonic interpretation of our environment”