Daveed Diggs Takes on Cyberpunk Rap

Daveed Diggs Takes on Cyberpunk Rap

From American Masters: Creative Spark by American Masters | PBS

April 24, 2025 · 26 min · Season 8 · Episode 2

About this episode

Daveed Diggs discusses his creative process and the themes of his hip-hop group's new album 'Dead Channel Sky,' which explores cyberpunk aesthetics and commentary on contemporary society.

You might know rapper and actor Daveed Diggs from his performances in Broadway’s “Hamilton” or 2024’s “Nickel Boys.” But he is also one-third of the hip-hop group clipping. Known for their love of genre storytelling, the group’s new album “Dead Channel Sky” is not their first foray into science fiction. Along with William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes, the trio was previously nominated for a Hugo Award for their 2016 rap space opera “Splendor & Misery.” Now, the group is turning its attention to cyberpunk for the first time. Aesthetically, “Dead Channel Sky” is a clear nod to inspirations ranging from Blade Runner and The Matrix to William Gibson’s Neuromancer. The noisy, glitchy, and dense album presents itself conceptually as a mixtape found in the dustbins of a dystopian future - but it also doubles as prescient commentary on our current moment. In this episode, Daveed Diggs talks to us about his creative process behind writing and rapping on “Dead Channel Sky.” He confesses that we might already be living in the middle of our own “pretty mundane” cyberpunk apocalypse - and it’s “just not that cool.” Through hip-hop, he seeks to craft an alternate present that feels just a little…

People in this episode

Guest: Daveed Diggs

Topics covered

  • cyberpunk
  • hip-hop
  • creative process
  • science fiction
  • community

Keywords

  • clipping
  • Dead Channel Sky
  • Splendor & Misery
  • Blade Runner
  • The Matrix
  • Neuromancer

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Neuromancer, Dead Channel Sky

Books & works: Hamilton, Nickel Boys, Dead Channel Sky, a Hugo Award, Splendor & Misery, Blade Runner, The Matrix

Places: Bay Area

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