black music
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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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'My Boy Lollipop' Singer Millie Small Dead at 72
Millie Small, the Jamaican singer best known for recording the chart-topping smash “My Boy Lollipop” as a teenager in 1964, died yesterday after suffering a stroke. She was 72. Billboard and BBC News report that her death was confirmed by Island Records. The label remembers her as “a sweet person… really special” and “a true…
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Even 20 Years Later, Lucy Pearl's Sole Album Is Still as Perfect as Ever
As is typically the case whenever I’ve undertaken a project of some sort that requires me to carve out a sizable block of time to complete, I try to queue up a few albums that I know I love with high replay value so I don’t have to spend a lot of time skipping tracks.…
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Drake's Dark Lane Demo Tapes, Reviewed (in 200 Words)
The solidly listenable and immediately forgettable Dark Lane Demo Tapes is quintessential Drake—vacillating, as he’s wont to do, from haughty trap elevator angst to nostalgia for shit that just happened 17 minutes ago. It’s the music you listen to when driving to and eating at The Cheesecake Factory, alone, while deciding when you should reply…
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Drake Drops Dark Lane Demo Tapes and the Internet Weeps With Joy
If you went to bed last night thinking, “Boyyyyyy, would I love a new Drake mixtape!” then today’s your lucky day, because the 6 God has emerged from his “50,000-square-foot ultra-luxe pleasure dome” with a new project in tow. On Friday, at exactly midnight, October’s Very Own dropped Dark Lane Demo Tapes his latest TikTok-approved,…
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Charles Barkley Shares Hilarious Story About Michael Jackson and Reveals His Favorite Rap Group of All Time
I pride myself on being pretty observant, and a great way to learn about somebody is either by their shoes or their taste in music. As a media figure, NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley spends most of his time sitting behind a desk, so I have no idea what kind of sneakers or shoes…
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Three 6 Mafia, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Will Tear the Virtual Club Up With Instagram Battle
Thanks to super producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, Instagram battles—in which your favorite artists, songwriters and producers put their catalog to the test against an equally accomplished rival—have provided the perfect escape from all the chaos of COVID-19. In recent weeks, we’ve seen gospel giants Hezekiah Walker and John P. Kee leap into the fray…
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9 Thoughts about Mobb Deep and Their Classic Album, The Infamous, That Just Turned 25 Years Old
Mobb Deep’s sophomore album, The Infamous, recently turned 25 years old, having been released on April 25, 1995. Produced largely by Havoc and featuring notable additional production from Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest—an integral part of their story—and featuring stellar, vivid lyricism from Prodigy and Havoc, this album is an indisputable hip hop classic.…
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The Root Jams Weekly Playlist (4/24/2020): 'Move Your Body'
This playlist is in honor of Breyon Prescott, Teddy Riley’s homie/hypeman during his initial social-distancingless Verzuz battle against Babyface that never really happened. For Breyon’s dedication to the jam, this week we chose songs that make you move as soon as you hear them! “Move Your Body” (4/24/2020) Playlist Monique Judge Montell Jordan “Get It…