Louder: J. Cole Speaks, Monterey Pop Returns, Chuck Berry Is Celebrated

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Caryn Ganz Pop Music Editor I asked for a nickname for you, our loyal Louder readers, and you responded! A few of my favorite suggestions: Loudites, D'Ears and Knights of the Sound Table. But while discussing the dilemma with my cubicle neighbor Nicole Herrington, I may have come up with my own solution: Dear Receivers. It reminds me of my old Yahoo! music blog, The Amplifier (RIP). But its spirit lives on at @nytimesmusic (very much alive!).  I'm off to listen to the Kendrick Lamar album (our review will be online later this weekend), so here's an overview of this week's Louder: We've got a fascinating interview with J. Cole, a report from Chuck Berry's funeral, news about the return of Monterey Pop and loads of opinions about the Chainsmokers. Enjoy!

J. Cole Russell Frasier/HBO J. Cole, the Platinum Rap Dissident, Steps Back From the Spotlight By JON CARAMANICA He's a superstar rapper who has avoided the life of a superstar rapper. In a new HBO special, "J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only," he shows fans what he'd rather think about. He explains why here, in a rare interview.

Monterey Pop, the Rock Festival That Sparked It All, Returns By BEN SISARIO The California event that defined the spirit of the Summer of Love, and gave Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin a boost, will rise again in June at 50.

Jack Plunkett/Invision, via Associated Press Album of the Week The Chainsmokers Find That Pop Is an Awkward Fit By JON CARAMANICA Dance music's inside jokesters suffer under the pop spotlight on "Memories…Do Not Open." Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times The Playlist Kamasi Washington Releases a Blast of 'Truth' By JON PARELES, JON CARAMANICA AND GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO Hear the new songs that mattered this week, from Frank Ocean's collaboration with Jay Z to the latest from Amadou & Mariam.

Popcast How Do You Solve a Problem Like the Chainsmokers? By THE NEW YORK TIMES In three years, the duo has had several hits while offending all sorts of people. What does its sound say about EDM? We break it all down.

Carlos Gonzalez for The New York Times Hey Hey, My My: Aging Rock Fans Still Hold Their Lighters High By TAMMY LA GORCE Rock 'n' roll will never die, at least not as long as a generation that once said it mistrusted anyone over 30 keeps trekking to concerts. Chad Batka for The New York Times 8 Memorable Moments From the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction By BEN SISARIO AND JOE COSCARELLI Pearl Jam, Tupac and Journey were honored in Brooklyn at an event where David Letterman got big laughs and Joan Baez brought the most daring moment.

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Chuck Berry Is Hailed as a Rock Trailblazer and a St. Louis Hero at His Funeral Edward Thien, one of the mourners who paid respects to Chuck Berry at Mr. Berry's funeral in St. Louis on Sunday. Whitney Curtis for The New York Times By TIM O'NEIL The musician was honored in his hometown, with a service including letters from Paul McCartney and Bill Clinton and a rendition of "Johnny B. Goode."

Farah Sosa A Label That Fostered Mexican Cumbia Gets Its Own Shout-Out By GREGORY SCRUGGS Discos Barba Azul, which operated until 2013, nurtured a massive cross-border underground. A new compilation collects and celebrates its recordings. Caitlin Ochs for The New York Times How Steve Earle Got Back Into Downtown Theater By ELISABETH VINCENTELLI The Grammy-winning musician thought he was just writing the score for "Samara." Then the playwright Richard Maxwell asked him to take a role, too.

Feature The Return of Lorde By JONAH WEINER Four years after her debut album, the pop prodigy is back with a testimonial to heartbreak and solitude.

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Demetrius Freeman for The New York Times Revival for the Notekillers, Still Noisy After All These Years By SARAH GRANT The unsung noise-rock band and its leader, David First, are somewhat closer to having a moment. Finally. Maria Antipina/Associated Press What in the Name of Pop Is Going on With Eurovision? By CHRISTOPHER D. SHEA Geopolitics and pop culture clash as Ukraine bars Russia's entry into the 2017 Eurovision contest because of a visit by the contestant, Yulia Samoylova, to Crimea.

David Peel, Downtown Singer and Marijuana Evangelist, Dies at 74 By WILLIAM GRIMES Mr. Peel's best-known song was "I Like Marijuana." His best-known friends were John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

J. Geils, Whose Band's Catchy Pop Hits Colored the 1980s, Dies at 71 By NIRAJ CHOKSHI "Centerfold," "Freeze-Frame" and "Love Stinks" were among the band's most popular songs. Joseph Rascoff, Who Had Rolling Stones' Tours Under His Thumb, Dies at 71 By RICHARD SANDOMIR He preferred classical music, but Mr. Rascoff became a business manager and tour producer for powerhouse rock 'n' roll acts including U2 and Paul Simon. Linda Hopkins, a Tony-Winning Actress and Singer, Dies at 92 By WILLIAM GRIMES Her soaring, gospel-rooted voice was heard on Broadway in "Inner City," "Black and Blue" and her long-running one-woman show, "Me and Bessie." Louis Sarno Dies at 62; Moved to Africa to Preserve Ancestral Music By SAM ROBERTS An American who became a cultural go-between for generations of Bayaka people.

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