内容摘要：Sly’s time on top was brief, roughly from 1968-1971, but profound. No band better captured the gravity-defying euphoria of the Woodstock era or more bravely addressed the crash which followed. From early songs as rousing as their titles — “I Want To Take You Higher,” “Stand!” — to the sober aftermath of “Family Affair” and “Runnin’ Away,” Sly and the Family Stone spoke for a generation whether or not it liked what they had to say.

Sly’s time on top was brief, roughly from 1968-1971, but profound. No band better captured the gravity-defying euphoria of the Woodstock era or more bravely addressed the crash which followed. From early songs as rousing as their titles — “I Want To Take You Higher,” “Stand!” — to the sober aftermath of “Family Affair” and “Runnin’ Away,” Sly and the Family Stone spoke for a generation whether or not it liked what they had to say.

Tataloo, whose full name is Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, faces a death sentence after being convicted on charges of “insulting Islamic sanctities.” It’s a far cry from when he once supported a hard-line Iranian presidential candidate.Tataloo’s music became popular among the Islamic Republic’s youth, as it challenged Iran’s theocracy at a time when opposition to the country’s government was splintered and largely leaderless.

The rapper’s lyrics became increasingly political afterand the subsequent wave of nationwide protests. He also appeared in music videos which criticized the authorities.“When you show your face in a music video, you are saying, ‘Hey, I’m here, and I don’t care about your restrictions,’” said Ali Hamedani, a former BBC journalist who interviewed the rapper in 2005. “That was brave.”

The Iranian Supreme Court last month upheld his death sentence.“This ruling has now been confirmed and is ready for execution,” judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told reporters at a press conference last month.

Activists have decried his looming execution and expressed concern for his safety after he reportedly tried to kill himself in prison.

Tataloo began his music career in 2003 as part of an underground genre of Iranian music that combines Western styles of rap, rhythm-and-blues and rock with Farsi lyrics. His first album, released in 2011, polarized audiences, though he never played publicly in Iran, where its Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance controls all concerts.Bitcoin, the first and largest crypto, was created in 2009 in the wake of the global financial crisis as a decentralized digital asset that could act as an alternative method of payment.

The asset has found more popular use as a store of value, like a digital form of gold. Bitcoin has attracted enthusiastic supporters as prices have climbed almost 1,000% in the last five years. But its volatility and lack of regulation are concerns.AfriBit Africa introduced bitcoin into Soweto West in early 2022 through crypto-denominated grants to local garbage collectors, who are often funded by nonprofits. The groups are made up of dozens of young people, who Mdawida says are more likely to be open to new tech.

After gathering on a Sunday to collect trash, garbage collectors are paid a few dollars’ worth of bitcoin. AfriBit Africa estimates that it has put some $10,000 into the community, with garbage collectors acting as the main agents of spreading bitcoin in Soweto West. In Kibera, many people earn about a dollar a day.Now a small number of other residents hold bitcoin, and some merchants and motorcycle taxis accept payments in crypto.