Neil Kulkarni

Neil Kulkarni (26 July 1972 – 22 January 2024) was a British music journalist, author and musician from Coventry, England. Upon his death, Clash magazine called him "one of the sharpest pens of his generation". He primarily focused on hip-hop and metal.

Early life
Kulkarni was born in Coventry to parents who had immigrated from India.

Career
Kulkarni was initially a writer for Melody Maker from 1993 to 2000, where he called out the publication's overlooking of Black artists. Following the discontinuation of the imprint Kulkarni wrote freelance for magazines and media including Uncut, Vox, Loaded, Spin, Metal Hammer, Plan B, The Source, The Guardian, Bizarre, The Quietus, DJ Magazine, and Drowned in Sound.

Kulkarni was the author of books including The Periodic Table of HIP HOP (Penguin, 2015), a module leader on the Music Journalism course at BIMM Birmingham, and a musician with the band The Moonbears.

Death
Kulkarni died on 22 January 2024, at the age of 51. At the time of his death, Kulkarni had a partner, four children (two of them are step-children) and four grandchildren.