The iconic Black rock band Living Colour’s Time’s Up, released in 1990, was recorded in the aftermath of the spectacular critical and commercial success of their debut record Vivid. Time’s Up is a musical and lyrical triumph, incorporating distinct forms and styles of music and featuring inspired collaborations with artists as varied as Little Richard, Queen Latifah, Maceo Parker, and Mick Jagger. The clash of sounds and styles don’t immediately fit. The confrontational hardcore-thrash metal – complete with Glover’s apocalyptic wail – in the title track is not a natural companion with Doug E. Fresh’s human beat box on “Tag Team Partners,” but it’s precisely this bold and brilliant collision that creates the barely-controlled chaos. And isn’t rock & roll about chaos?

Living Colour’s sophomore effort holds great relevance in light of its forward-thinking politics and lyrical engagement with racism, classism, police brutality, and other social and political issues of great importance. Through interviews with members of Living Colour, and others involved in the making of Time’s Up, Kimberly Mack explores the creation and reception of this artistically challenging album, while examining the legacy of this culturally important and groundbreaking American rock band.

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Press for Living Colour’s Time’s Up

Interview by Bradley Morgan for podcast series New Books in Music. Posted on September 19, 2023.

Interview by Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis for podcast series Sound Opinions. Posted on August 11, 2023.

Review by Jordan Kessler in Popmatters. Posted July 13, 2023.

Review by Jordannah Elizabeth in New York Amsterdam News. Posted July 13, 2023.

Interview by Philip McKenzie for podcast series The Deep Dive. Posted on June 22, 2023.

Interview by Eric Senich for podcast series Booked on Rock. Posted on June 16, 2023.

Interview by Nicole M. Young-Martin for podcast series Black Writers Read. Posted on June 15, 2023.

Interview by Amy Linden and Courtney M. Anderson for podcast series ImmaLetYouFinish…. Posted on June 14, 2023.

Interview by Ron Hart for Rock and Roll Globe. Posted on June 5, 2023.

Interview by Nathan Wilcox for podcast series Let it Roll. Posted on June 1, 2023.

Interview by Jason Webber for The Blade. Posted on May 17, 2023.

Interview by John Morrison for Okayplayer. Posted on May 16, 2023.

Book Talk with Laina Dawes for the Popular Music Books in Process series. Posted on May 15, 2023.

Interview by Malcolm X Abram for Cleveland.com. Posted on May 5, 2023.

Article by Matt Wardlaw in Ultimate Classic Rock. Posted May 4, 2023.

Interview by Mark Anthony Neal for Duke Franklin Humanities Institute video series Left of Black. Posted on March 17, 2023.