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  • Without Question, 1997 Was (Maybe, Possibly) the Best Year in Black Music

      1997 was the best year in black music. Let me rephrase: 1997 was probably the best year in black music. I know. You think I’m crazy. Hear me out—but first, a caveat. I admit that, as a child of the ’90s, my musical tastes are deeply influenced by my proclivity for hip-hop and ’90s…

    By

    Lawrence Ware

    Published

  • 10 Thoughts on Drake and His ‘Playlist,’ More Life

    Disclaimer: I’m not sure I’m a Drake fan, but I’m not NOT a Drake fan, either. I listen to all the albums and have listened to Drake songs when washing dishes, changing diapers and eating brussels sprouts. I’m an informed listener, so I’m speaking on More Life as a music enthusiast and avid consumer who…

    By

    Panama Jackson

    Published

  • Making a Way Out of No Way: Defending African-American Culture

    I’m black and have always identified as such, and until recently, I never questioned exactly what that meant. Having grown up on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., formerly known as Chocolate City, attended an HBCU and worked at two black companies in the past, I’ve been happily surrounded by myriad black people. Recently, that’s included…

    By

    Tracy L. Scott

    Published

  • Watch: Music Innovators King Dish Out Food for Thought

    The group King stands tall among this generation’s wave of black musical innovators. “[Black music] is something that we provide to the whole world; it’s something that so much of our culture was founded on,” says Paris Strother, King’s pianist and producer. The trio first emerged in 2011 with their independently released EP, The Story.…

    By

    The Root Staff

    Published

  • An Ode To SWV

    I grew up in Frankfurt, Germany, as a military brat in the mid-’80s and early ’90s. Those of us who grew up overseas had one channel to watch on television: AFN, which stands for the Armed Forces Network. We all watched the same cartoons, the same soap operas (General Hospital was followed by Guiding Light), and the…

    By

    Panama Jackson

    Published

  • Seven Songs We Need To Retire From Cookouts, Clubs, And Other Places Colored People Congregate

    After years of being exposed to White parties, I’ve gained a particular appreciation for the comfort of attending a Black party and having a general idea of what to expect musically. No getting Rachel Dolezaled when you hear a Black song starting to play and it’s suddenly remixed with EDM porn music. No sir, there…

    By

    Natalie Degraffinried

    Published

  • "Trap Queen" And Other Black Songs White People Love Waaaaaaay More Than We Do

    Essentially, everything about Fetty Wap is an anomaly; his name sounds like a colloquialism for masturbation or a Great Value brand version of a “Money Dance.” He’s from New Jersey yet sounds like an Atlanta artist, and while he reps Haiti to the fullest, he isn’t remotely West Indian. For real, he had some griot…

    By

    herbetteroption

    Published

  • Relax, Everyone. White Rappers Aren't Taking Over

    I returned home this weekend after spending the previous week on a cruise ship. Which means the last 48 or so hours have been spent reacclimating to real life and attempting to rid myself of the remnants of cruise culture. I have to keep reminding myself that I won’t be eating 17 full meals a…

    By

    Damon Young

    Published

  • BET Awards 2014 Show Recap: Because We Hate Ourselves

    Look, I’d be lying if I said I gave any fucks about this show. In fact, I’m watching purely to write about it. This isn’t normal. There was a time when I used to enjoy this show because I was guaranteed at least SOMETHING worthwhile. That could be the case this year as well, but…

    By

    Panama Jackson

    Published