Kelefa Sanneh facts for kids

Kelefa T. Sanneh (born 1976) is an American journalist and music critic. He is known for writing about different types of music. From 2000 to 2008, he wrote for The New York Times. There, he covered rock and roll, hip-hop, and pop music. Since 2008, he has been a writer for The New Yorker magazine. In 2021, Sanneh released his book, Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres.

Early Life and Education

Kelefa Sanneh was born in Birmingham, England, in 1976. When he was very young, he lived in Ghana and Scotland. In 1981, his family moved to Massachusetts in the United States. They later moved to Connecticut in 1989.

His father, Lamin Sanneh, was a professor at Yale University. He taught about the history of religion. Kelefa's mother, Sandra, is from South Africa. She is a linguist, meaning she studies languages. She teaches the isiZulu language at Yale.

Sanneh went to Harvard University and graduated in 1997. He earned a degree in literature, which is the study of books and writing. While at Harvard, he worked for Transition Magazine. He also helped run the rock music section for WHRB radio's Record Hospital show. Sanneh played bass guitar in several bands during his college years.

Kelefa Sanneh's Career

Kelefa Sanneh has had an important career writing about music and culture. He is known for his thoughtful articles.

Writing for The New York Times

From 2000 to 2008, Sanneh was a music critic for The New York Times. He wrote about many different music styles.

The "Rap against Rockism" Article

In 2004, Sanneh wrote a famous article called "The Rap against Rockism." This article talked about a big discussion among music critics. It was about "rockism." Sanneh described rockism as when people admire old rock legends but make fun of new pop stars. It was like loving punk music but not liking disco. He argued that people should not think serious rock songs will last forever and pop songs are just for fun. He pointed out that Van Morrison's "Into the Music" and the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" both came out in the same year. He asked which one people hear more often today.

Reviewing Beyoncé's First Album

In 2003, Sanneh wrote a review of Beyoncé's first solo album, Dangerously in Love. The review was titled "The Solo Beyoncé: She's No Ashanti". Over the years, the headline of this review became very popular online and was shared as a funny internet meme.

Other Writing and The New Yorker

Before writing for The New York Times, Sanneh was an editor for Transition. This magazine focused on race and culture. His articles have also appeared in other well-known magazines. These include The Source, Rolling Stone, and The Village Voice.

In 2008, Kelefa Sanneh left The New York Times. He then joined The New Yorker magazine as a staff writer. He continues to write for The New Yorker today. In 2008, he wrote an article called "Project Trinity." This article explained the background of Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who was Barack Obama's pastor at the time. It gave historical information about Trinity United Church of Christ, Obama's church.

His Book: Major Labels

In October 2021, Sanneh published his book, Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres. This book explores the history of popular music by looking at seven different music styles.