Music
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Anthems I’d Stand For, Ranked
I have always stood for the national anthem—not because I believe in America and want to honor my country. I did it because … well … being black in America comes with the knowledge that there are certain things you must do just so you won’t piss off white people. But since this whole Colin…
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Tamar Braxton Is Finally the Solo Star She’s Long Wanted to Be, so Why Is She Quitting?
Five years ago, Tamar Braxton appeared on Good Morning America to promote Tamar & Vince. It was a year after she became the breakout star of the breakout hit Braxton Family Values, and a year before the release of her album Love and War. She had a peppy smile plastered across her face throughout the…
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Jay-Z Speaks on Trump ‘With All Disrespect’
“I’m not fearful. I believe that we are resilient, especially us as black people and especially the culture—we’ve been through so much more than this guy.” That’s what Jay-Z had to say about raising his children in the age of Donald Trump. Although Jay-Z has quietly kept busy in the arena of activism and philanthropy,…
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This Acoustic Cover of ‘Bodak Yellow’ Is the Whitest Thing That Ever Happened
Like many children, when I was growing up, I received my share of spankings. Although they were very sporadic, they were not the apex of punishment in my mother’s household. If I did something extremely outrageous stupid (like the time she caught me and my cousin holding a Zippo lighter over a gas stove because…
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Watch: Fantastic Negrito’s New Video, ‘Push Back’
Fantastic Negrito has teamed up with Tidal to premiere his newest video from the rerelease of his Grammy Award-winning album The Last Days of Oakland. The Boston-born, Oakland, Calif.-raised singer won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2017. And with his newest video, “Push Back,” the singer takes a look at the…
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Singer Apologizes After Saying ‘Reggaeton Music Comes From Apes’
With hits like “Despacito” and “Mi Gente,” reggaeton has finally gone mainstream (translation: White people have discovered it). Although people around the world are falling in love with the music that blends Caribbean music, Latin tunes and hip-hop, there is at least one musician who is not a fan. According to Remezcla, Mexican superstar Aleks…
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Taylor Swift Is Releasing Her Album on the 10th Anniversary of Donda West’s Death, and Black Twitter Is Not Pleased
Before we begin, we should first acknowledge that all Beckys are the same. Maybe one day in the near future we will have a complete listing of the different kinds of Beckys, but for today, you should just know that according to the National Academy of White Women Arts and Sciences, Taylor Swift is rated…
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Washed-Up Confederate-Flag Waver Who Stole Black Music Says ‘Fuck Colin Kaepernick’
You know how sometimes you forget a person’s name even though you can see his or her face in your mind’s eye? How you can remember everything about the person, except his or her name? That’s the exact state of mental purgatory in which I find myself as I write this. I’m sure it’ll come…
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Michael Jackson’s Bad: 30 Years Ago the King of Pop Hit His Prime … so Why Is That Album Underrated?
What does it mean to be in your prime? Whether you’re an athlete or an artist, it’s that window of time when all your best attributes and virtues are at the same level. When you’re young, your raw talent and physical ability supersede your intelligence and lack of experience. Over time, said experience gets applied…
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The 10 Best Booty Songs, Ranked
Before we get going, let me preface this entire piece with two words: Fight me. Ahem. Ass anthems. Booty songs. Shake jams. Butt bumpers. No matter what you call them, they all bring the same thing to the table: They put asses on the floor, both literally and figuratively. Songs dedicated to the derriere have…