Music
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'Bout Time: Teddy Riley Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Now, you know if Donald Trump has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (which fabulously continues to be vandalized), that music producer, New Jack Swing-originator, and thin-mustachioed crooner Teddy Riley been should have had one. Riley, who has had a significant impact on all music genres for more than a few decades, seems…
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Somebody Found John Coltrane’s Lost Album Blue World and We’re All Better for It
John Coltrane is kind of a big deal. Over the course of a career that spanned over two decades, the legendary composer and saxophonist churned out classic albums like 1957’s Blue Train and 1964’s A Love Supreme, all while trying to kick a vicious heroin addiction and expanding the boundaries of what we knew jazz…
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For Drake So Loved the World That He Gave His Only Begotten Care Package
Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment has evolved into a cultural cornerstone, but there was a time and place where the now-iconic imprint was dismissed as an ominous purgatory where promising careers went to die. Then along came Drake, who went on to sell over 150 million records, collect too many awards to kept track of,…
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Meet Katy Perry, the Latest White Musician Found Guilty of Stealing From a Black Artist
America has a long history of stealing from black folks. Nearest Green was never credited or compensated for his role in establishing Jack Daniel’s iconic brand; Michael Bolton pillaged a whole ass song from the Isley Brothers; and there are living, breathing human beings who wholeheartedly believe that the Kardashians invented whatever the hell “boxer…
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Earth, Wind & Fire Becomes First R&B Group to Receive Kennedy Center Honors. Taylor Swift Snubbed Again
Give them all the things. After turning countless dance floors into a “Boogie Wonderland,” Earth, Wind & Fire will become the first R&B group to receive the Kennedy Center Honors, according to Billboard. “The Kennedy Center Honors celebrates icons who, through their artistry, have left an indelible stamp on our collective cultural consciousness,” Kennedy Center…
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Chance the Rapper Reveals Title, Release Date of Debut ‘Owbum’ on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon
Despite mounds of evidence to the contrary, Chi-Town superhero Chance the Rapper refuses to call any of his previous releases “albums.” They’re mixtapes, dammit. He said what he said. I mean, sure. They’re all monetized, courtesy of their availability on streaming services, all have infiltrated the Billboard charts, and all feature original compositions, but were…
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Stevie Wonder Announces Plans for Kidney Transplant Surgery
The iconic singer/songwriter who is unquestionably the greatest love poet in American history (don’t debate this) surprised British concertgoers by announcing that he will take a break from performing to undergo a kidney transplant this fall. Sixty-nine-year-old Stevland Hardaway Morris, known worldwide as musician Stevie Wonder, made the announcement in London’s Hyde Park after performing…
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Grammy Award-Winning Jazz Drummer Lawrence Leathers Dead at 37
Grammy-winning jazz drummer Lawrence Leathers died Sunday in New York City. He was 37. ABC News reports that Leathers was discovered unconscious in a stairwell of his Bronx, NY, apartment building before he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police believe he was a victim of domestic violence and confirmed that his girlfriend, 41-year-old Lisa…
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10 Thoughts About the Wu-Tang Clan and Their Showtime Documentary Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics & Men
1. I got into the Wu-Tang Clan very late to the game. It’s not because I didn’t think they could spit—I did, but the sound was just too dirty for me. I was a very big fan of Dr. Dre and DJ Quik and they both produced very cleanly, so to speak. And also, one…
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The 10 Biggest Cultural Thefts in Black History
Netflix’s new documentary, The Lion’s Share, chronicles the history of the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” how it became a worldwide hit and—most importantly—how media companies including Disney, kept the song’s original creator, South African musician Solomon Linda, from receiving any of the profits. While discussing the film, someone on The Root’s staff pondered if—considering…