From the dominance of rap on streaming formats and the rise of hip hop-centered webcasts like “Everyday Struggle” and “The Joe Budden Show” to the genre’s growing presence at the Grammy Awards, the dialogue about hip hop and its influence on fashion and culture is more relevant than ever.
New York-based journalist Sowmya Krishnamurthy has made a career in hip hop journalism having interviewed heavy hitters including Rick Ross, Pusha T, TLC and Dave East for publications including Billboard, Rolling Stone, Complex and The Village Voice. This year Krishnamurthy made her debut as the host of XXL’s new “Shot Callers” podcast, an informative conversation with movers and shakers in music and culture.
We sat down with Sowmya Krishnamurthy in a Chelsea Pub to talk about her path, love of hip hop and of course style.
Snobette: Hi Sowmya, tell us about your background, where did you grow up?
Sowmya: “I was born in India and moved to the States as an infant, and I grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan.”
Snobette: What was it like growing up in Michigan, what music were you listening to?
Sowmya: “For me growing up as a South Asian was a very binary, other experience. I always loved music, and hip hop music particularly drew me in.It’s something you can’t really explain, like a visceral connection.
“Biggie Smalls was my favorite artist and I remember always feeling so connected to the music that I even suggesting to my brother Rohan that he dissect Kanye West’s single “Stronger” for an undergrad paper. He’s now a music expert. Shout out to Dr. Rohan Krishnamurthy for composing our podcast intro. From about the age of 13, I knew I wanted to move to New York and work in hip hop with Bad Boy [Records].”
Snobette: How did you go from wanting to work at Bad Boy to actually moving to New York and doing that?
Sowmya: “I knew what I wanted to do, but also was not necessarily vocal about it. In high school I remember watching MTV for hours, memorizing the credits. I was intrigued by who these people were behind the scenes. I was doing things like reading liner notes on Okayplayer messages boards and Yahoo chat rooms, just to talk to other people who had knowledge. Even though I was from a small town, our grocery store carried some pretty legit magazines. I would get my Blaze mag from Meyers grocery store and study it.
“Being from a small town with no tentacles in the music, I knew I had to use my intelligence to propel me and also get really good grades. In college I majored in business and wrote for the school paper since writing came very naturally. I wrote a story, which led to a message on my dorm phone from a Jay at Bad Boy. I thought it was a joke at first, but he was totally real. He had graduated a few years before and was checking in on what was happening on campus. I had planned to visit New York prior to our chat so we scheduled a meeting and after our meeting, I got an internship. I knew my parents were not going to let me move to New York with no money so I took a nine to five working for American Express and at 5:01 I was running to Bad Boy offices.
Snobette: How did the concept of XXL “Shot Callers” podcast come about?
Sowmya: “I’ve had a great relationship with XXL through Vanessa Satten, who’s been the publications editor in chief since 2009. She’s always been super supportive and championed creativity. We were in talks for a long time about the podcast. I pitched a bunch of ideas and wanted it to be done thoroughly with a logo, theme, sound engineer, everything.
“Within the hip hop podcast space there are very few women and I think its important for people to hear female voices. I love as a woman being able to use my voice in the space, but at the same time as a freelancer I’m allowed the freedom to be vocal and utilize my platform to speak about about social issues like #timesup, Black Lives Matter and DACA in ways that people who are tied to a company full time cannot.”
Snobette: Is there anything you’d like to see change in hip hop for 2018?
Sowmya: “Hip hop culture is pop culture. It definitely permeates everything. I would like to see hip hop really embrace the #metoo and #timesup movement; not just tweet about it, but let’s see some institutional changes, have more women be managers and heads of labels.
“As a woman, oftentimes you get relegated to a very specific type of music journalism. You interview girls, you interview rappers about their sex life or dating. I’ve never cared very much about those topics. If they come up in dialogue it can be interesting, but I grew up listening to rappers like Nas, Mobb Deep and DMX, and I’d rather have a conversation about the artist as a creative and entrepreneur. In the podcast that is one of the things I focus on, intelligent conversation.
Snobette: If you could create your own hip hop music commentary series with two other hosts who would you choose?
Sowmya: “I definitely would need to shout out my girl Kathy Iandoli. She worked on Jay-Z’s Decoded book and also Prodigy’s book before he passed. We have lengthy conversations about hip hop all the time. I would leave the third seat empty and have it be a rotating host. I would love to see underrepresented voices, whether related to gender, ethnicity or sexual identity. We’ve made a lot of strides in hip hop in that respect, but we have a long way to go.”
Snobette: With all the interviewing you have done, I’m sure you have observed some style trends. Is there a reoccurring fashion look you’ve observed?
Sowmya: “Every artist I interview lately seems to be been wearing black jeans. I’ve seen classic Levi’s to YSL and everything in between. I’m a sucker for a good black denim. It’s such a staple that goes with pretty much everything.
“One trend I can’t wait to retire is artists trying too hard to be stylish. In hip hop, many artists feel pressured to wear what’s hot, whether it fits their personality or not. Don’t wear a designer you can’t pronounce because you think it’s cool. The best fashion statement is to be yourself.”
Snobette: Who are three artists whose style you admire?
Sowmya: “Rihanna is my style icon, across all genres. She could wear a Whole Foods shopping bag and somehow make it couture. I love how she mixes comfy streetwear with pops of feminine sexy. In hip hop, I have to shout out Kanye. He birthed a generation of rappers who think they’re all sartorialists. Thanks Yeezy. A$AP Rocky is another favorite. When I interviewed him and he complimented my outfit, I felt blessed.”
Snobette: What are your personal style choices?
Sowmya: “I heard somewhere that successful people wear the same thing every day. I’m not totally there, but my go-to interview look is black leggings or jeans and a flannel shirt. I own maybe 20 flannel shirts. One of my favorites is a super soft Ralph Lauren I got as a last-minute purchase before a TV shoot from, of all places, the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. I love random finds like that.
“Currently, it’s brick in New York so I throw on a beanie with the bonus that it hides bad bang days. I guess that makes my personal style a hot lumberjack? In the winter, I’m usually wearing Timbs. My absolute favorite are the Teddy fleece fold down boots, because I can slip them on and off easily. When it’s warm, I literally live in leather Vans Slip-Ons. I got a pair as a gift at SXSW and wore them until the heels basically melted off. Every year, I buy a new pair in black and white. If the good folks at Vans are reading this, hook a girl up with an endorsement or something.
Check out Krishnamurthy’s latest”Shot Callers” podcast with Tuma Basa, the talent behind Spotify’s Rap Caviar below.
Photography by Mauricio Jorquera.
