Sidney Madden
Sidney Madden is a reporter and editor for NPR Music. As someone who always gravitated towards the artforms of music, prose and dance to communicate, Madden entered the world of music journalism as a means to authentically marry her passions and platform marginalized voices who do the same.
Originally from Boston, Madden graduated from Hofstra University in New York with a bachelor's degree in journalism and sociology. As a freelancer, she earned bylines at MTV, People's Choice, Nylon Magazine and more before joining the editorial team at storied hip-hop pillar XXL Magazine.
During her time at XXL, both as an editorial assistant and assistant editor, Madden pitched, wrote and edited news posts and features for the outlet and interviewed artists ranging from all eras and facets of rap — from Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent to Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B and Lil Uzi Vert. In addition to working on cultural touchstones like the magazine's annual Freshman Class covers, in 2016, Madden assisted in reporting out one of the magazine's seminal investigative packages, The Current Status of Every Murdered Rapper's Case, which revealed the high percentage of unsolved murders involving rappers over the last 30 years.
Madden joined the NPR Music team in 2017, serving as editorial lead for digitizing and editing music stories that air on NPR's premiere news magazine programs, Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition. In 2018, she began producing Tiny Desk Concerts with a special focus on bringing burgeoning, left-of-center artists from the worlds of R&B and hip-hop to the desk. To date, her Tiny Desk Concert productions include Jorja Smith, Megan Thee Stallion, DVSN and Snoh Aalegra. She's also created reports for on-air and digital that contextualize hip-hop culture within society's larger strata — whether it's unpacking the genius marketing of Cardi B, Tyler, The Creator's subversive heartbreak or the socioeconomics that fuel Solange's downhome Afrofuturism.
In September 2020, after two years of research, reporting and development, Madden became the co-host of Louder Than A Riot, NPR Music's first narrative investigative podcast that traces the interconnected rise of hip-hop and mass incarceration.
-
NPR Music's Sidney Madden gets us up to date on the several lawsuits and allegations of sexual assault against rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.
-
Rapper Nicki Minaj put out her first album in five years Friday. Her legacy as the best-selling female rapper of all time includes 132 chart entries on the Hot 100.
-
The singer Cassie has accused the rap mogul of subjecting her to years of abuse, in a suit made possible by the Adult Survivors Act. Can the case spark a sexual assault reckoning within hip-hop? -
R&B Singer Cassie Ventura has filed a civil lawsuit against hip-hop mogul Sean Combs, alleging she suffered physical and sexual abuse for more than a decade.
-
The 1999 song "No Scrubs" was catchy and fun — and it made its mark for calling out lazy loser guys who hit on women. It became an anthem for women across the country.
-
The artist's Tiny Desk proves how far the sounds of West Africa have influenced the U.S. and, more implicitly, just how much the music defies catch-all labels like 'Afrobeats.'
-
The unwritten rules of rap unpacked in Louder's second season are held together by a scarcity principle that came to define the show itself. As it draws to a close, the team reflects on its mission. -
Rico Nasty and her fans know what it's like to be judged for being themselves. For anyone who feels like an outsider, Nasty Mob is a space to forget that alienation. -
Since 2019, Saucy Santana has been a regular presence on the social web, producing several streaming hits. But the very qualities that set him apart threatened to hold him back. -
In 2005, Kim Osorio sued The Source for gender discrimination, sexual harassment and hostile work environment, retaliation, defamation. Responses to the case reinforced hip-hop's culture of silence.
