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Meshell Ndegeocello Trades Songs And Stories, Live In L.A.

Meshell Ndegeocello's latest album is <em>Comet, Come To Me</em>.
Jason Rodgers
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Courtesy of the artist
Meshell Ndegeocello's latest album is Comet, Come To Me.

After two decades recording and performing, Meshell Ndegeocello no longer has any illusions about the way music publicity works. "You need those generalizations to create a marketing scheme," the celebrated bassist and songwriter says, "and it's hard to make a generalization about me."

Ndegeocello spoke those words before a live audience on May 30 in Los Angeles, where she her band gave a "secret show" at the legendary Village Studios for about 150 fans. NPR's Arun Rath was there, and after a set that included songs from the new album Comet, Come to Me and some classics she hasn't played in years, he joined her on stage to talk about how old-school hip-hop, political slogans and record label drama have influenced her music. Hear their conversation at the audio link, and listen to selections from the concert below.

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