Music
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Drawing Inspiration from Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade Makes His Rap Debut on Rick Ross Banger 'Season Ticket Holder'
For professional athletes, retirement is all about new beginnings. For Kobe Bryant, it meant collecting an Oscar for his animated short Dear Basketball and launching the Mamba Sports Academy in order to guide and inspire the next generation of athletes. For Dwyane Wade, it means becoming the Chief Culture Officer for CAA Sports, dropping a…
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Spotify Proves Black History Is Now With Phenomenal Black Music Campaign
Contrary to white-washed belief, black folks have had a profound impact on the evolution of the entire musical landscape. From country crooner DeFord Bailey injecting the Grand Ole Opry with a taste of the blues as one of its very first stars in the 1920s, to funk metal gods Bad Brains revolutionizing contemporary punk, our…
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Exclusive: On the 2-Year Anniversary of the Parkland Shooting, Black Violin Takes 'One Step' Against Gun Violence, Police Brutality
The duo Black Violin—comprised of members Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste— merge hip-hop, classical and rock elements to create dynamic music with a message. And on the two-year anniversary of the Parkland shooting, they’re making a statement with the world premiere of their music video “One Step.” “‘One Step’ intends to take the audience on…
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Well, This Is Cute: Janet Jackson Does a Classroom Instrument Remix of 'Runaway'
Janet Jackson can’t stop because she has a contractual obligation with King Jesus not to—or at least, that’s the best answer I can come up with. Longevity! We love to see it. At 53, this titan of work ethic and whisper vocals has an upcoming Black Diamond World Tour, which will feature brand-new songs from…
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Ludacris Donates $75,000 Worth of Musical Instruments to a Miami High School
I have to say, between coronavirus, the death of Kobe and it looking more and more like the Senate is going to imbue the presidency with the kinds of powers it shouldn’t have, this has been a historically crappy week when it comes to news. Luckily, Ludacris came through to give us a bit of…
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Kelis Claims She Was 'Blatantly Tricked and Lied to' By The Neptunes, and Didn't Make Money From Her First Two Albums
Kelis is a force. Whether it’s through her music or her general aura, the 40-year-old artist has given me “badass” vibes from the very first time I saw her. It’s been twenty years since her debut album, Kaleidoscope (1999), dropped and Kelis recently sat down with The Guardian to discuss her career, as well as…
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2020 Grammys: A Subdued Celebration as Lizzo, Alicia Keys and Others Pay Tribute to Kobe, Prince and Nipsey Hussle
A tragic pall was cast over the 62nd annual Grammy Awards Sunday night as news broke earlier in the day of Kobe Bryant’s untimely death. The fact that the awards were held in the Staples Center, the arena Kobe called home for the majority of his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, only added…
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Lawyer-Turned-Label Chief James McMillan Overcomes Drug Felony to Prove It Gets Greater Later
James McMillan has come a long way since his drug-dealing days at an HBCU. Now the Cleveland native, a top-rated Entertainment and Sports Attorneys in New York City, started his own label and signed one of the biggest breakout success stories of 2019, YBN Cordae. The 22-year-old Raleigh, N.C., native is up for two of…
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Are the Grammys Rigged? A New Complaint From the Former CEO of the Recording Academy Alleges So
“Music’s Biggest Night” has some major mess to clean up backstage. The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards will kick off next Sunday, but the lead up to the awards show has been all about the folks behind the scenes; namely, recently ousted CEO Deborah Dugan and the rest of the leadership of the Recording Academy. Dugan…
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Grammys 2020: Kirk Franklin, Meek Mill, DJ Khaled, John Legend and More to Perform in Nipsey Hussle Tribute
The biggest night in music is coming up and, of course, a special tribute to Nipsey Hussle is scheduled to take place. Born Ermias Joseph Asghedom, Nipsey was shot and killed on March 31, 2019. He was 33 years old. His tragic death sent waves across South L.A. and the music industry, as a whole.…