Oliver Wang
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About Me:
Dr. Oliver Wang is an associate professor of sociology at California State University, Long Beach. He is a frequent contributor to National Public Radio and the Los Angeles Times as well as his own audioblog, Soul-Sides.com.
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My KCET.org Activities
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The Korean American rapper Dumbfoundead, arguably K-Town's most visible and accomplished MC, speaks about his early days and offers his own guide to Koreatown.
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"Style Wars," a 1983 documentary on the culture of New York graffiti crews of the late '70s and early '80s, had a large influence on L.A. graffiti writers.
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The brainchild/labor of love of community organizer Marco Amador, Radio Sombra empowers community members to produce their own radio content.
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Many back-up singers in the music industry came through the South L.A. church community. The new documentary, "20 Feet From Stardom," profiles of some of the most prolific voices ever recorded.
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Alas, I only read about them losing their lease literally on the day I filed my story. It's a real shame, I totally agree....
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Glendale's Moonlight Rollerway has been a cultural and community landmark for over 60 years.
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Custom Fidelity was one of the premier "private press" companies in Los Angeles where anyone could produce a record.
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Traditional visual effects specialists have shifted their creative focus from movies into other realms as pre-digital make-up and costuming decline.
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The "KICK ASS! Kung Fu Posters from the Stephen Chin Collection" exhibit highlights vintage posters mostly from the golden era of 1970s martial arts films.
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As part of the burgeoning Brainfeeder family, Strangeloop (née David Wexler) has become the collective's visual wizard, conjuring video art for artists from Erykah Badu to Flying Lotus.
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Michael Miller was the go-to lensman for countless album covers and publicity stills during one of California hip-hop's most vibrant eras.
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For Asian American hip-hop/R&B groups, racial authenticity has been a complicated issue to negotiate.
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Oliver Wang speaks to Palm Springs native Damien "DJ Day" Beebe about hip-hop culture in the Coachella Valley and how the desert cities are a world unto themselves.
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Gun violence is ubiquitous in American life, but hip-hop seems singled out for critique in ways that the rest of popular culture often is not.
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The comeback of record stores in Northeast L.A. is a validation of the continuing allure of the record as well as the power of a good record shop to anchor and promote the musical character of a neighborhood.
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Posted Record Collectors in Their Natural Habitats: Eilon Paz Photographs Vinyl Addicts in the Wild
in ArtboundNew York-based photographer Eilon Paz has embarked on a tour across the U.S. capturing record collections and their respective owners. The artist has now come to L.A. -
Despite appearing on over 300 recordings, musician Miguel Atwood-Ferguson might still be one of L.A.'s best-kept secrets.
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When people think about "album cover art," they're usually focused on the image on the cover. But the cover/jacket itself, as a physical object, is also a product of creative, artistic processes.
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Oliver Wang explores the different locations and time eras that are captured in the LP art of L.A.
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Oliver Wang explores the different locations and time eras that are captured in the LP art of L.A.
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If you've listened to pop music over the last 40 years, you've heard James Gadson. The musician is one of the most successful and prolific session players in history.
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L.A. graffiti writer/street clothing designer Slick talks about working with Ice Cube, Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. and Pharcyde, and why his iconic "L.A. Hands" don't belong to a certain mouse from Anaheim.
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L.A. native Brent Rollins sits down with Oliver Wang to discuss his work as the art director of the lauded underground music magazine ego trip, his album cover designs for Spank Rock, Black Star, and Blackalicious, and his logos for Boyz N' The Hood and Mo' Better Blues.
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Think LA's Citywalk is an amusement park or an "idealized reality" of city living? Oliver Wang investigates the forced perspective of one of LA's most perplexing attractions
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The idea of a reality show, set in L.A.'s Koreatown, documenting the antics of young Asian Americans, made instant waves. As news of the show spread, the response to "K-Town" always combined amusement, outrage, and curiosity.
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It was music - and hip-hop in particular - that served as seer and storyteller in the months before and after the L.A. Riots. Oliver Wang addresses a series of moments, captured in music, from before and after the Riots, offering a cultural lens to understanding an event that, 20 years later, continues to leave its imprint on Los Angeles.
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After the Fung Bros. arrived in Los Angeles, they recognized the uniqueness of the local culture in the San Gabriel Valley and coined it the "626 Lifestyle," a nod to their area code, aka the "Boba Life," referring to that milk tea and tapioca ball concoction served out of countless SGV mini-malls.
Recent Actions from Oliver Wang
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Alas, I only read about them losing their lease literally on the day I filed my story. It's a real shame, I totally agree....
Responses to Comments from Oliver Wang
No recommendations yet.
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The Korean American rapper Dumbfoundead, arguably K-Town's most visible and accomplished MC, speaks about his early days and offers his own guide to Koreatown.
-
"Style Wars," a 1983 documentary on the culture of New York graffiti crews of the late '70s and early '80s, had a large influence on L.A. graffiti writers.
-
The brainchild/labor of love of community organizer Marco Amador, Radio Sombra empowers community members to produce their own radio content.
-
Many back-up singers in the music industry came through the South L.A. church community. The new documentary, "20 Feet From Stardom," profiles of some of the most prolific voices ever recorded.
-
Glendale's Moonlight Rollerway has been a cultural and community landmark for over 60 years.
-
Custom Fidelity was one of the premier "private press" companies in Los Angeles where anyone could produce a record.
-
Traditional visual effects specialists have shifted their creative focus from movies into other realms as pre-digital make-up and costuming decline.
-
The "KICK ASS! Kung Fu Posters from the Stephen Chin Collection" exhibit highlights vintage posters mostly from the golden era of 1970s martial arts films.
-
As part of the burgeoning Brainfeeder family, Strangeloop (née David Wexler) has become the collective's visual wizard, conjuring video art for artists from Erykah Badu to Flying Lotus.
-
Michael Miller was the go-to lensman for countless album covers and publicity stills during one of California hip-hop's most vibrant eras.
