Music
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Jimmy Jam’s Episodes of Questlove Supreme Might Be the Greatest Episodes of Anything That Ever Existed
I can be prone to hyperbole. I can see proof of it in my daughter, who has adopted my penchant for saying, “This is my favorite song ever” for nearly every song she hears that she likes. We don’t do things small in the My-Last-Name-Isn’t-Really-Jackson household. I remember once playing the Sylvers’ “Even This Shall…
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Donald Glover’s ‘This Is America’ Explained by 2 People Who Don’t Pretend to Understand It
Since Donald Glover/Childish Gambino released the awe-inspiring video for his song “This Is America,” the internet has been filled with people explaining the symbolism of the imagery, subtext and subtle references contained in the music video. Those people don’t know shit. Instead of overwhelming you with bullshit phrases gleaned from an art-appreciation class, we decided…
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Stans, Ranked
Rapper J. Cole’s new album, KOD, has reignited a recurring discussion about the appreciation of “real” hip-hop between his fans and the people who find him interminably boring. While I am a big fan of J. Cole’s, I cannot call myself one of his “stans” because, while I love his music, I cannot bear the…
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Tale of the Tape: Nicki Minaj vs. Cardi B
After releasing two songs on Thursday, rapper Nicki Minaj reignited her feud with the current princess of rap, Cardi B, because—if we’re being honest—we kinda forgot about the black female Max Headroom of hip-hop once we met Cardi. I guess Minaj has to sell those records any way she can. (Is it even “records” anymore?…
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With Invasion of Privacy, Cardi B Crafted the Perfect Thot Bop Album
In a since-deleted post on Instagram, Azealia Banks, the poster child for self-destruction, launched another attack on hip-hop’s newest female superstar, Cardi B. News about Banks trolling a peer on social media in itself is as mundane as word about the color of the sky, but part of her critique—“Scary ass, ghost written, sucking and…
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A Cardi B Invasion of Privacy Think Piece Because We’re All Waiting for One
I like Cardi B a lot. Who doesn’t? It’s almost impossible not to enjoy her brand of in-your-face in-your-faceism. She keeps it real, and that authenticity has endeared her to folks near and far. When “Bodak Yellow” dropped and broke records and wormholed its way into your subconscious—I actually can’t just say “moves” anymore without…
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Anita Baker Slayed My Life, Fantasia Inspired an Altar Call and Trick Daddy Was King at Jazz in the Gardens Music Festival [Updated]
Updated, June 18, 2018 8:30 a.m.: The Root was a media sponsor of this event. “It’s the world’s biggest outdoor house party!” Kid from ’90s rap duo Kid ’n Play said when I caught the icons backstage at the Jazz in the Gardens Music Festival this past weekend. The two were part of the festival’s…
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I’m Seeing Anita Baker, Y’all, and You Can, Too, at Jazz in the Gardens This Weekend
When someone asks you to attend a concert featuring Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, Fantasia, Smokey Robinson and more, what do you do? You graciously accept the invite! And that is the story of how The Root became a media sponsor for the 13th annual Jazz in the Gardens Music Festival. As the fastest-growing jazz and…
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The Bruno Mars Controversy Proves People Don’t Understand Cultural Appropriation
Before we begin any discussion of Bruno Mars and cultural appropriation, we must lay down a few ground rules: This will not be a debate about the quality of Bruno Mars’ work. That discussion is too subjective, and no one will ever reach a consensus on any kind of art. Plus, some people have shit…
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Red-Carpet Roundup: It’s All Love at the iHeartRadio Awards (With a Healthy Dose of Cardi B)
Working in digital media as a middle-aged person can be challenging. After all, there’s a constant need to know what the kids are into these days, and without kids of my own, it can be tough. Thankfully, we’ve got the annual iHeartRadio Awards to tell us old heads who’s hot and who’s on the come…