Sowmya Krishnamurthy

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Sowmya Krishnamurthy
Born (1983-12-28) December 28, 1983 (age 40)
Kolkata, India
OccupationMusic journalist and author
NationalityAmerican
SubjectHip-Hop
Website
www.sowmya-krishnamurthy.com

Sowmya Krishnamurthy (born December 28, 1983) is an American music journalist, pop culture expert, and author.[1] She has contributed to Time, Rolling Stone, XXL, Complex, Billboard, Playboy, NPR, and several other outlets.[2] Sowmya is the critically-acclaimed author of Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster).[3][4]

Career[edit]

Krishnamurthy began her writing career with her column at The Michigan Daily.[5] She interned at CNN and Bad Boy Records and was in William Morris Endeavor's agent training program.[6] In 2012, she starred on MTV's Hip-Hop POV roundtable show with Charlamagne Tha God and Amanda Seales. Sowmya has appeared on television as a pop culture expert on MSNBC, BBC, and CNN.[7][8] In 2021, she launched The Lookout by SoundCloud on SiriusXM that spotlighted emerging and breaking hip-hop artists.[9]

She has provided expert commentary on subjects like Beyonce, The Notorious B.I.G., and the music industry.[10][11]

Literary Work[edit]

In 2023, Krishnamurthy authored Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion which featured endorsements from Dapper Dan, Slick Rick, and Raekwon. The book began as a story in XXL.[12] This is the first anthology on hip-hop fashion.[13][14]

The book highlights hip-hop's "fraught" relationship with high fashion and draws from cultural commentaries, archival reporting, and oral histories to delve into the cultural impact of artists like Sean "Diddy" Combs, Lil' Kim, and Cardi B.[15][16][17] Krishnamurthy has called Lil' Kim the most "underrated" contributor to fashion.[18][19] She has called Cardi B, one of the "most exciting" figures in hip-hop fashion.[20][21] She has said that the LGBT community has been "essential" to hip-hop fashion.[22]

Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion received positive reviews including a starred review from Kirkus Reviews that described the book as: "Exciting and exhaustive, this fun hip-hop history explains what your favorite rappers are wearing and why."[23] Booklist noted that "readers are lucky that this brilliant, shining gem of a book exists.... Along with its many nuanced arguments and observations, the book is a stunning historical record of years, people, places, runway shows, brands, and evolutions that should be studied. An essential book about U.S. culture."[24][25]

The New York Times listed Fashion Killa as one of the most stylish books of 2023.[26] Kirkus Reviews and Booklist named the book as one of the best books of 2023.[27][28]

In January 2024, she announced that her next book is about Jay-Z and hip-hop label Roc-A-Fella Records: Roc-A-Fella Records: An American Rap Dynasty.[29]

Personal life[edit]

Krishnamurthy grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan and graduated from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.[30][31] She is the first hip-hop journalist of Indian American descent and lives in New York City.[32][33] In October 2023, she and rapper Drake became involved in a public back and forth after she said she outgrew his album, For All the Dogs, on The Breakfast Club.[34][35][36]

ELLE has called Krishnamurthy one of the women authors "redefining" the hip-hop books canon.[37]

Her brother is percussion prodigy Rohan Krishnamurthy.[38][39]

Books[edit]

Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion. Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster. 2023. ISBN 9781982176327.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Sowmya Krishnamurthy's schedule for Music Biz 2019". musicbiz2019.sched.com. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  2. ^ Leah, Rachel (2018-06-20). "Why can't #MeToo shake up the music industry?". Salon. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  3. ^ Fashion Killa. 2023-10-10. ISBN 978-1-9821-7632-7.
  4. ^ Noble, Barnes &. "Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion|Hardcover". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  5. ^ "SOWMYA KRISHNAMURTHY, Author at The Michigan Daily". The Michigan Daily. 2005-09-21. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  6. ^ "Kalamazoo's Sowmya Krishnamurthy's quick career rise leads to panelist spot on new MTV hip-hop show". MLive. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  7. ^ "Sowmya Krishnamurthy". Audible. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  8. ^ "Exclusive: 'Hip Hop POV' Preview Kicks Off Tonight!". MTV. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  9. ^ "SoundCloud to Launch The Lookout Hip-Hop Show Exclusively on SiriusXM". Music Business Worldwide. 22 April 2021. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  10. ^ Beyonce's new "Lemonade" album | CNN, 2016-04-26, retrieved 2023-11-05
  11. ^ Krishnamurthy, Sowmya. "Why this Biggie track is the greatest hip-hop song". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  12. ^ "How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion". BET. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  13. ^ "Fashion Killa". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  14. ^ "How hip-hop influenced what we wear". 1A. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  15. ^ Newman, Scarlett (2023-09-01). "Hip-Hop and Fashion's Fraught Relationship". The Cut. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  16. ^ "Sowmya Krishnamurthy Says the Flyest New Yorkers Live in Harlem". Interview. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  17. ^ "Hip-Hop's 50-Year Fashion Revolution | All Of It". WNYC. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  18. ^ "Why Lil Kim Is Hip-Hop's Most Underrated Contributor to Fashion, According to 'Fashion Killa' Author Sowmya Krishnamurthy". Complex. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  19. ^ "The Author Behind Fashion Killa On Her Glaringly Honest Book On Hip-Hop And Style's Relationship". Essence. 2023-09-29. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  20. ^ "From streetwear to 'street couture': Hip-hop transformed fashion like no other before it". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  21. ^ "Fashion elite used to shun hip-hop. Now it fully embraces rappers". KCRW. 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  22. ^ Gonzalez, Alex (2023-10-20). "Sowmya Krishnamurthy says queerness has always been essential to hip-hop and fashion". INTO. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  23. ^ "Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  24. ^ Krishnamurthy, Sowmya (2023-10-10). Fashion Killa. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-9821-7632-7.
  25. ^ Sowmya, Krishnamurthy. "Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion". Library Journal. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  26. ^ "The 12 Most Styles-ish Fashion Books Coming Out This Fall". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  27. ^ "Best of 2023". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  28. ^ Booklist Editors' Choice: Adult Books, 2023, by | Booklist Online.
  29. ^ Krishnamurthy, Sowmya (January 31, 2024). "Publisher's Marketplace".
  30. ^ "Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion". Barnes and Noble. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  31. ^ "Art Beat: Fashion Killa". WMUK. 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  32. ^ "Sunday Share". The Sunday Share. 2012-10-03. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  33. ^ Bhatt, Kalloli (2023-10-18). "Sowmya Krishnamurthy". Encore Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  34. ^ "Drake Responds to More Criticism From Journalist That Says She Outgrew His Music". Complex. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  35. ^ "Music journalist propositions Drake to a chat after critiquing his career". REVOLT. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  36. ^ VladTV. "Drake Responds to Author Telling Breakfast Club She's No Longer His Die-Hard Fan". www.vladtv.com. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  37. ^ "Women Authors Are Redefining the Hip-Hop Books Canon". ELLE. 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  38. ^ "Q&A With XXL Shot Callers Podcast Host Sowmya Krishnamurthy". SNOBETTE. 2018-02-12. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  39. ^ "The mridangam prodigy who set the stage on fire at 9". Rediff. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
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