MacArthur Fellow and New York Times bestselling author Hanif Abdurraqib is stepping in front of the camera for the first time as the host of Living for the City, a new video podcast series exploring the geographic roots of global music revolutions. Premiering May 13, the eight-episode inaugural season focuses exclusively on Detroit, tracing the city’s profound influence across Motown, techno, and hip-hop.
Produced by the newly formed Side Stage network—a joint venture between Live Nation and Magnet Originals—the series operates on the premise that music is inseparable from its place of origin. Abdurraqib, one of contemporary culture’s most vital voices, guides viewers through the record stores, clubs, and neighborhoods of Detroit, interviewing the artists and producers who built these movements from the ground up. “I am someone who has a deep investment in not just sounds, but the roots of the sounds,” Abdurraqib said in a statement. “I am thankful for a project that lets me explore these stories and these people.”
The first season explores how Detroit’s industrial rhythm birthed the Motown assembly line and how its underground spaces later defined the future of electronic music. By connecting past innovators with modern voices, the show acts as a “living map” of cultural continuity rather than a standard historical timeline. Future seasons of Living for the City are already in development, with plans to spotlight other global cities that have fundamentally reshaped music across generations.
The official trailer is available now on the series’ dedicated YouTube channel. Following the May 13 premiere, new episodes will drop every Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. As the flagship show for the Side Stage network, Living for the City marks a significant push by Live Nation into original video storytelling, centering on the deep connection between live performance and local community.
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