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.
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While Night 3 of the DNC was capped with Tim Walz accepting the vice presidential nomination, there were a few other twists along the way — from Oprah to Stevie Wonder and more Republicans. -
National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman delivered a poem to rouse the audience in celebration of Vice President Harris. -
In between impassioned speeches by political VIPs --- including former President Bill Clinton, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and 2024 Vice President candidate Tim Walz --- the heavy hitters of the music world lit up Chicago’s United Center arena. Night 3 was host to performances by Stevie Wonder, John Legend with Sheila E. and Maren Morris. -
Patti LaBelle and Common will soundtrack the second night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention with performances that span generations and genres. -
Fulton County Chief Judge Ural Glanville was taken off the YSL RICO case this week after his actions in an ex parte meeting were deemed damaging to public perception of the case. -
During Super Bowl LVIII, Beyoncé appeared in a commercial and announced that she'd release new music. It didn't take music fans long to turn their attention to her new songs and album announcement.
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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.
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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.
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As the key witness for the prosecution, the Houston rapper spoke for the first time in explicit detail about the night Lanez allegedly shot her in 2020. -
Rapper McKinley "Mac" Phipps was sentenced to 30 years for allegedly killing a fan at one of his shows. NPR podcast Louder Than a Riot explores new evidence that Mac is likely innocent.
