Music
-
It's Not Right, It's Not Okay, but Whitney Houston Hologram Tour Dates Were Announced Anyway
We all read about it. A lot of us hoped it wasn’t true. They couldn’t have actually gone through with it, right? Wrong. According to Billboard, BASE Hologram has announced the tour dates for An Evening With Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Tour. Yes, it’s happening. “Whitney Houston was a talent beyond words, and her…
-
Andre 3000 May Have a New Album With Dr. Dre on the Way
It’s been 13 years since Andre 3000’s last studio album—long enough that many casual and devout fans of the rapper had squared up with the reality that Andre may never do one again. In fact, Mr. Three Stacks has seemed perfectly content acting, making Anita Hill merch, and occasionally hopping on a track to remind…
-
It’s Official: Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city Is the Longest-Running Hip-Hop Studio Album in Billboard 200 History
Kendrick Lamar has made hip-hop history. His 2012 studio album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, has appeared on the Billboard 200 chart for the most weeks of any hip-hop studio album ever, pushing Eminem out of that No. 1 spot. As of Sunday, good kid, m.A.A.d city has sat on the Billboard 200 chart for 358…
-
Watch the Never-Made Music Video for Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’
Editor’s note: The Root was a media sponsor of this year’s Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference event and panel discussion exploring the marriage of art and activism. When Motown Records came up with the idea to celebrate its 60th anniversary by creating visuals for songs that preceded the music video era, perhaps no other…
-
Pop Up, Guess Who? That’s Right, Cardi B Leads 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards With 10 Nominations
Cardi B don’t need more press, but she’s getting some today! Okurrr! The “Press” artist leads the pack, racking in 10 nominations for the 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards. She is in the running for top categories such as Best Hip Hop Video, Single of the Year, MVP of the Year and more. Second place…
-
Here, Damn: Rihanna's New Album Reportedly Dropping in December
Roberta Flack sang about seeing the sun in late December; can we sing about seeing Rihanna’s new album in December, too? Well, according to The Source, a few reporters covering Universal Music France’s Open Session served the tea straight from the record company’s mouth. That’s right, mark your calendars for December. And apparently, Kanye West…
-
Thanks to My Kids, I Hope to Never Hear ‘Old Town Road’ Again. I’ll Probably Listen to It Again This Afternoon
This is just an estimate, but I’d wager that, to date, I’ve heard Lil Nas X’s smash hit, “Old Town Road,” probably 75 million times. Every time we get into the car, any car, my kids ask to hear “their song.” Their song is “Old Town Road.” In the morning and in the evening. On…
-
Yeezus Returns: Kanye West Brings His Sunday Service Home to the Chi
If you blinked, you would have missed it; but if you didn’t, oh what a revelation! On Sunday, Kanye West brought his young, soaring choir back home, where his heart is, and it was chuuuuch, children. Black church, to be specific, complete with organs, synthesizer, horns, and, uh, Chance the Rapper, who blessed the crowd…
-
A Prayer for Whichever Ballhead Scallywag Removed Teedra Moses’ Complex Simplicity From Streaming Services
Let us bow our heads in prayer: Precious Lord—mellifluous maker of the melody, harbinger of the highest Hosanna in the land—a grave injustice has been manifested by a body or bodies for whom the bell obviously never tolls for happiness. Father Gawd, I opened up my Apple Music recently in attempts to get some simple…
-
Full-Time Petty: Nicki Minaj Announces She’s Retiring and Starting a Family
Bye-bye, Barbie? On Thursday afternoon, apropos of absolutely nothing (as these things go), Nicki Minaj announced her retirement from rap (we think). “I’ve decided to retire & have my family,” Minaj wrote on Twitter. “I know you guys are happy,” she added, a line presumably directed at her haters (Cardi? Some blogger? Remy Ma’s cousins?…