As much as people seem to dislike the Grammys and distrust their perpetually scandal-plagued decision-making body, there’s no doubting the authority the awards body holds. Even as viewership remains far below the 20 million+ it once regularly enjoyed, the performances still have the power to make waves, who wins still makes headlines and who loses… Read more
Photo Credit: Courtesy of DJ Khaled There is something confounding about the success of DJ Khaled. Sixteen years, and thirteen albums, into his career, he has yet to release a truly singular piece of work, let alone a masterpiece. To his critics, Khaled simply does what other DJs do but louder and with a more… Read more
Photo Credit: Mason Poole for Parkwood Entertainment The story of house music is one of liberation; of marginalized communities carving out a space where they could unapologetically be themselves. As a genre, its roots are radical – its formation can be credited to Black and Queer individuals who refused to conform to a society that… Read more
Photo Credit: Collages via Billboard Most people will tell you that the only success that translates financially is “success.” In music, certainly, it’s thought to be almost entirely mathematical: the more records an artist has sold, the more “successful” they are (of course, in recent decades the number of downloads and streams would also have… Read more
It’s widely debated if – or at least to what degree – rap is rock ‘n’ roll. In New York City, where hip-hop originated, a few rock bands were among the first to recognize the significance of rap, as shown by the Tom Tom Club’s single “Wordy Rappinghood” and of course Blondie’s number one smash… Read more
Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur What is art? Art is like how one would describe food. You see it, and you can confidently say that it is that. You may not necessarily know what kind, but you know what it is. Art is subjective, but this we know. And its job of inspiration depends on who… Read more
Photo Credit: Image via YouTube/Drake Drake’s latest release Certified Lover Boy starts with the five-and-a-half-minute “Champagne Problems”; which begins with a sample of Masego’s “Navajo” – which, itself, samples the Beatles’ “Michelle”. The LP opener sees Drake fully recharged since his last full-length record of new material – 2018’s Scorpion. Here, the Canadian rapper turns the dial all… Read more
Photo Credit: @shotbyjacques The posthumous album as a memorial is a concept that has played out in public several times over the last two years. DMX was prolific and well-connected, but hadn’t released a proper album in nine years at the time of his death at 50-years-old. Exodus was executive-produced by Swizz Beats who collaborated… Read more
Q102 Jingle Ball at the Tweeter Center Camden, New Jersey Alicia Keys Craig David Dream Street Enrique Iglesias Jay-Z Lifehouse Michelle Branch O-Town Toya Photography by: Steve Trager
Photo Credit: Shutterstock Some people simply know when to take the baton and run with it. At a point in time when racial tensions and social injustice are at an all time high, here comes none other than Beyoncé Knowles-Carter who takes us on a journey of black excellence with her latest visual album, Black… Read more