True Laurels has evolved from a blog to a fan zine to a glossy print publication since it began in 2011, and its next iteration begins tonight, when Red Bull Radio launches True Laurels radio show at 6 p.m.
True Laurels founding editor Lawrence Burney will be joined live in the studio in New York with Baltimore legend Lor Choc, the 20-year-old West Baltimore R&B hip-hop artist featured on the cover of issue 3 of the print edition.
The hour-long radio show will stream live each Wednesday on redbullradio.com, hosted by Burney and exploring the music and culture across the African diaspora through discussions with artists, journalists, and other guests who can bring insight and perspective.
A Baltimore native, Burney sees music as a byproduct of society and wants to investigate those connections, covering music from his home region as well as the South, the Caribbean, West Africa, and beyond.
Also a staff writer for Noisey, Lawrence splits his time between Baltimore and Brooklyn.
“To me, the music is not just the music,” Lawrence told Baltimore in an interview earlier this year. “Music is the best introduction to any society. That’s why it has to be taken seriously.”