Music
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Where Does Dru Hill Fit In The Pantheon of Great Male R&B Groups?
Sometimes, I feel like Dru Hill gets lost in the sauce. When having discussions about great R&B male groups from the 90s (and 2000s), Jodeci is typically the gold-standard, and while Boyz II Men is pretty much a snoozefest in retrospect, their accomplishments cannot be ignored. New Edition is, well, New Edition despite being of…
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Dear Miley Cyrus: Hip-Hop Culture Never Needed You and It Won’t Miss You
We often see celebrities evolve before our very eyes, for better or for worse, especially if we have been exposed to them since childhood. Beyoncé, for example, went from creating mainstream pop music to making music more reflective of black women’s lived experiences in her critically acclaimed Lemonade. Then there are celebrities like Miley Cyrus.…
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Whitney: Can I Be Me Succeeds in Not Exploiting but Celebrating Whitney Houston’s Life
As the Tribeca Film Festival rolls through New York City this week and next, perhaps no film has been more anticipated or controversial than Whitney: Can I Be Me , an inside look at troubled pop icon Whitney Houston. At the world premiere of the film Wednesday evening, directors Nick Broomfield and Rudi Dolezal (no relation…
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I Didn't Know I Needed "Don Cheadle Rapping" In My Life Until Kendrick Lamar's "DNA" Video And Now I Know That I Do
Other relatively recent additions to the list of “Things I Didn’t Know I Needed Until I Had Or Experienced Them And Now I Can’t Live Without Them.” Feta cheese Guacamole The crab fried rice from Nicky’s Thai on Western Avenue in Pittsburgh A car with a shitload of unnecessary and obnoxious horsepower Simply Lemonade with…
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Hey Y'all, His Name Is Eddie KING, Jr. Not Eddie Kane, Jr. Here’s How I Know.
It is amazing how a simple comment or Facebook status message can lead to clarity, but that’s exactly what happened that has me out here doing it for the culture and providing some definitive information to settle bets that have languished for years. Hell, I, myself, lost $20 on this very discussion because of a…
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In Case You Forgot, Ashanti Was Once The Queen of R&B.
I know what you’re probably thinking. The world needs an Ashanti comeback. Ok literally no one is thinking that. Except for me. And maybe some random dude on the west coat cause they be on some other shit. Never mind it’s definitely still just me. Aside from the fact that Ashanti has lowkey been slaying…
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8 Songs You Probably Didn’t Know Were Touched by Prince’s Magic
Prince Rogers Nelson was arguably the most musically gifted artist in history (and by “arguably” I mean “definitely,” and I will fight anyone who says otherwise). Luckily for us and the music industry, he was willing to share those musical gifts with a wide range of artists. From helping to launch the careers of Sheila…
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‘But I’m Here to Tell You, There’s Something Else’ … Prince Week at The Root
Man, 2016 really took a weird turn after Prince died. Russians invading our elections. Wave after wave of surprising deaths. The ascension of Donald Trump against all the best logic and reason. So much happened, it made you wonder if the only thing holding the fabric of the universe together was a petite man with…