Music
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The Root Jams Weekly (5/22/2020): 'What a Bam Bam'
In honor of the upcoming Verzuz battle between legends Bounty Killer and Beenie Man on IG Live, The Root is bringing you a playlist full of the staff’s favorite West Indian island jams. “What A Bam Bam” (5/22/2020) J’na Jefferson Terror Fabulous “Action” Beres Hammond “Last War” Tenor Saw “Ring the Alarm” Tonja Stidhum Beenie…
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We Ain’t Gettin No Younger, so We Might as Well Give 112 Verzuz Jagged Edge a Try
Oh, you thought we were having a regular Verzuz weekend? Nope! Since this upcoming weekend is a long weekend thanks to Memorial Day, aka the unofficial start of summer, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz have managed to provide us with a double feature along with Saturday night’s Beenie Man vs. Bounty Killer showdown. After some speculation…
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Question for the Singer: An Open Letter to Lana Del Rey
Question for Lana Del Rey: Now that you’ve pulled out your MacBook and fixed your fingers to claim that you’ve been criticized and crucified for the inability to truly moan along perform lyrics in your catalog pertaining to “being embodied, feeling beautiful by being in love even if the relationship is not perfect, or dancing…
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A Line-by-Line (ish) Defense of Jagged Edge's 'Let's Get Married'
Ever since the first Verzuz “battle” popped off, the social medias have been aflutter with discussions of which artists would make for a good head-to-head battle. Suggestions, both good and terrible, seem to be what social media was built to amplify. Well, after the last “battle” between Ludacris, Nelly and Nelly’s WiFi connection, Swizz Beatz…
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Chris Rock, Babyface, Naomi Campbell and More to Celebrate the Life of Andre Harrell in Star-Studded Tribute
It’s time for us to pop some champagne for the late legendary music mogul Andre Harrell. According to a press release sent to The Root, BET is partnering with Revolt TV and iOne digital brands to present a star-studded tribute celebrating the life of Harrell called A Tribute to Andre Harrell: Mr. Champagne & Bubbles.…
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Eryn Allen Kane's Song 'Fragile' Is One of The Most Beautifullest Things In This World
I don’t know what I was doing awake on the Saturday before Easter (April 12), at midnight, but whatever it was, I Shazam’d a song at 12:05 A.M. My best guess is that, per usual, I was watching a movie, or some television show and heard a snippet of a song that tickled my fancy.…
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Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj Made Billboard History
In the midst of all the bad news that this year insists on bringing, black women have been bringing us spots of joy by being amazing and groundbreaking as usual. Last weekend, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott reminded us the power of music and sisterhood in their Verzuz battle (which reportedly led to a tripling…
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Ice Cube's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted Is 30 and I Pretty Much Had No Business Listening to This as an 11-Year-Old in 1990
According to historical records, Wikipedia and Instagram, Ice Cube’s debut, solo album, the indisputable classic, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, turns 30-years-old on May 16, 2020. For those of us (you) less mathematically inclined individuals, that means that the album was released on May 16, 1990. On the heels of his departure from N.W.A. and without the…
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The Root Jams Weekly (5/15/2020): 'A Long Walk'
This week’s playlist is both in honor of Jilly from Philly and E. Badu’s Verzuz battle from last weekend, but also because in our current climate, a long walk is what many of us rely on for a bit of peace. “A Long Walk” (5/15/2020) J’Na Jefferson India.Arie “Can I Walk With You” Frank Ocean…
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It’s Her Turn: Tracee Ellis Ross Debuts Her First Ever Song, ‘Love Myself’
Tracee Ellis Ross is “reaching out to touch” your heart with her new song debut! The Black-ish actress is starring in a new film, The High Note, where she portrays a legendary singer named Grace Davis with a decades-long career navigating the current music industry. Sound familiar? Yeah, I think her mom knows a little…