Music
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Want to Party Like It's 1985? Prince and the Revolution: Live Concert Will Stream on Youtube For a Limited Time
When it purple rains, it pours blessings on the world. The Prince estate has announced that the legendary Prince and the Revolution: Live concert that originally took place on March 30, 1985, will stream on YouTube across three days, starting Thursday, May 14 at 8 p.m. ET. Recorded at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.…
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Happy Birthday to Ya: Stevie Wonder Honored With 24-Hour Instagram DJ Set Featuring Questlove, D-Nice
Music icon Stevie Wonder turns 70 years old today. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s career kicked off at the tender age of 11 when he was signed to Motown’s Tamla Records. He had his first No. 1 hit at the age of 13 and has accumulated a total of 10 No. 1s and 28 top…
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Yo, 2000 Was a Really Good Year for Soul Music
If you are reading this, there’s probably a better than 50 percent chance—and probably closer to 75 or 80 percent, really—that you were one of the, apparently, 8 trillion (Swizz’s math might be a little hyperbolic) people who tuned into the Jill Scott versus Erykah Badu Verzuz on Instagram Live on Saturday evening. Topping out…
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Diddy and Mary J. Blige Commemorate Andre Harrell in Instagram Tributes
The music world is still mourning the unexpected passing of music executive and multi-hyphenate Andre Harrell. The Uptown Records founder and former president/CEO of Motown Records died on Thursday, May 7 at the age of 59. In the outpouring of the tributes to this extraordinary man, many thanked him for discovering acts such as Jodeci,…
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An Exclusive Interview With ‘Tyrone’ of Erykah Badu Infamy
Following the highly successful Verzuz event featuring Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, a particularly interesting recurring convo arose about Erykah’s impromptu hit song, “Tyrone.” Namely, the fact that the song’s popularity also resulted in a particular negative association with the titular character. Now, the long-maligned Tyrone is finally setting the record straight, in his own…
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It's Goin' Down, Down, Baby: Nelly and Ludacris Are Next Up for Verzuz Battle
This weekend, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu’s sisterly celebration of each other’s catalogs for the beloved Verzuz series soothed our spirits and souls. Fans of the Instagram Live event and shakin’ their asses are in for a treat, as the next battle will switch gears entirely, promising to bring the heat. The official announcement of…
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Erykah Badu and Jill Scott Brought the Healing Vibes We Needed in Their Verzuz Battle
Incense was burning, Crown Royal was ready for the sipping, and even our forever first lady Michelle Obama was tuning in for the Verzuz battle between Neo Soul queens Erykah Badu and Jill Scott last night on Instagram Live. During the “battle”—which felt more like a celebration of blackness and sisterhood than anything—the two artists…
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Charlie Wilson Becomes 1st Artist to Score No. 1 Hits In Each of The Last Three Decades
As much as we love all things Charlie Wilson, one thing we don’t give him enough credit for is his longevity. Since The Gap Band’s arrival on the scene in the early 70s, he’s blessed us with hit after hit for decades. And with his latest single, “Forever Valentine,” Billboard reports that Uncle Charlie has…
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The Root Jams Weekly Playlist (5/8/2020): 'Bring Me Peace'
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in honor of that fact, the playlists this month will all be dedicated to it. Our first one, titled “Bring Me Peace,” is a list of songs from staffers of TheRoot.com that are used to bring a peaceful mental state. “Bring Me Peace” (5/8/2020) Panama Jackson Maxwell “Ascension…
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Here’s How You Can Score 3 Months of TIDAL’s Premium Subscription for Free While You’re Staying Home
Most of us may not know the privilege of fame or wealth, but there is a certain privilege in having a TIDAL subscription, especially if you’re a fan of Jay-Z and Beyoncé. When either of the two drops a project, TIDAL typically gets first dibs, and subscribers happily indulge while the rest of us scramble…