Sean Paul dominated the rap and pop music charts nearly 15 years ago. Talk about dating yourself. His sound was inescapable; then he just disappeared. The music industry is 10 times more fickle now than back then. Everyone from Drake to Rihanna and Justin Bieber (Lord help us) is experimenting with the dancehall sound. However, […]
There are some places where anything goes. The ADD Show Through The Eyes of Robi Nickoli is one of those places. I had a blast promoting Fortune Cookie on the show in July with Robi Nickoli, Kay Boss Lady and Erick Murphy. So, with the Kickstarter for my new book, Stingrays, just launching, I knew I […]
The surviving members of A Tribe Called Quest (rappers Q-Tip and Jarobi White and producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad) blazed the SNL stage this Saturday. The group performed the politically charged anthem “We The People” and the poignant “The Space Program”. We Got It From Here….Thank You 4 Your Service was released on Veterans Day (November 11th). […]
Common has always been a socially conscious rapper. He spoke about justice and politics at a time when it wasn’t popular to do so. So, many people may think his 11th studio album, Black America Again, is militant. In fact, this album is less aggressive than its predecessor, the underrated classic, Nobody’s Smiling. However, the […]
The baddest female in music with a pen has returned. Dispute it if you must. Love her or hate her, there’s no denying Alicia Keys’ uncanny ability for writing a great song. She immediately captured the hearts of millions with her debut single, “Fallin”. She hasn’t looked back since, only reaching greater heights. Diary of […]
Picture this. The Summer of 2003 was a very memorable year for me. I graduated high school and was about to enter my freshman year of college. Oh yeah, and Joe Budden’s debut single, “Pump It Up” was blasting in everyone’s car. Many fans may have prematurely placed Joe Budden in a box of […]
Double Up was the last R. Kelly CD that received heavy playback on my iPod. The CDs that followed were either too one dimensional or beneath his caliber for my taste. Ironically, R. Kelly got it right on 12 Nights of Christmas. The project is his 14th studio album, but his first full length Christmas […]
You know you have reached iconic status when the world still adores your first solo studio project, released almost 20 years ago. People still talk about how The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill changed the face of music . Since then, Lauryn Hill has released an Unplugged album. She has released several mixtape derived works. She […]
Maroon 5 has always been one of my favorite groups. I have seen them in concert twice. The second time was even better than the first. Their lyrics are genuine and they know how to connect with their fans. Songs like “Wake Up Call” and “This Love” spoke for us when we didn’t have the […]
I have waited for this moment for quite some time. Emeli Sande has made an impressive name for herself in a short time. However, her debut album, In Our Own Words, was a stellar effort. Plus, she has written hits for top notch acts like Mary J Blige and Alicia Keys. Now, she’s back at center stage to […]