Though Nikka Costa has been releasing albums since she was nine, her real introduction to America came with 2001’s Everybody Got Their Something, her second album as an adult. As an early beneficiary of the now common practice of breaking songs through ads instead of the radio, “Like a Feather” was first known as “that […]
Maxwell Tour (featuring Jazmine Sullivan)Radio City, New YorkLast week I had the pleasure of checking out the New York stop on Maxwell’s tour which also featured rookie soulstress Jazmine Sullivan. It all went down at New York’s prestigious Radio City Music Hall. It had been such a long time since I had heard music from […]
It was the year 1996 when Q, Slim, Mike and Daron, who the world would come to know as 112, dropped their first single, “Only You.” I thought I told you that we won’t stop, was the recognized catch phrase from the remix of their hit single, featuring the Notorious B.I.G and Mase. The ATL […]
Last week at the Nokia Theater in Times Square NY, Pepsi and New York’s Hot 97 teamed up for Pepsi Smash, a showcase of both new and established artists.After brief looks at One Block Radius and Ace Hood, Nina Sky took to the stage to finally provide the crowd with songs they’d actually heard before. […]
Two words, she’s back! And if all the other chicks in the game didn’t put their music out prior to now, it’s a wrap. You will be overshadowed by the sights and sounds of Mrs. Carter. This week we were graced with two highly anticipated singles by Beyoncé, “If I Were a Boy” and “Single […]
What’s the word, everybody? We have reached the end of another week and there’s still scandal in the air with Obama and McCain having their second debate, the government bailing out insurance giant American International Group (AIG) and mixed martial arts favorite Kimbo Slice getting knocked the f– out in 14 seconds by Seth Petruzelli. […]
It’s ironic that as I write this piece, my neighbor upstairs happens to have “Love Lockdown” blasting so loud that I can hear the 808’s pounding like a heartbeat in my chest. A hit is a hit, and by no means am I surprised that this new single from Kanye West has caught the attention […]
While the curse that seems to haunt the females that surround Beyonce was seemingly lifted by Solange’s sophomore effort, the “other” Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams picked a good time to conjure up her first mainstream project. Instead of continuing with Gospel releases, Michelle tackled the world of Club/Dance with Unexpected. Maybe in an effort […]
Brandy’s road to the top didn’t have its fair share of bumps along the way. In Part Two, we learn about her sticking together with brother Ray J when the media gets brutal, her planning for her ’30s and her rap career that never was, and a “Boy Is Mine” Part Two? AllHipHop.com Alternatives: So […]
We’ve watched Brandy Norwood grow up right before our eyes. From her early days of wanting to be down to claiming the boy was hers over a full moon, Brandy has been that friend you saw on the regular. Even as Moesha, Brandy was always a relatable individual who never seemed to compromise her values […]
Koushik – Out My WindowGo ahead and say it – “who?” Canadian musician Koushik Ghosh is far from a household name, but his place on the perennially respected Stones Throw Records alongside Madlib, MF DOOM and the late, great J Dilla is no mistake. While he’s been kicking around the label for a few years […]
It’s been a minute since I’ve heard an R&B song that was just, “SMOOTH.” So smooth that you wanted to hear it over and over. Well Nicole and Natalie, the ladies of Nina Sky have crafted a collaboration with Rick Ross titled “Curtain Call” that makes you feel good about R&B again. It’s one of […]
Artist: Myko Location: Atlanta, Georgia Influences: The Chi-Lites, The Stylistics and The Delfonics, The Manhattans Why You Should Know Myko: Ever wonder if new solo artists stepping into the music industry feel like it’s their freshmen year on a high school basketball team? You know, the butterflies you get when you’re […]
Date: Wednesday, October 1stLocation: Mansion Nightclub, New York CityThis past Wednesday, I was fortunate enough to check out the New York stop on Heineken’s Red Star Soul Concert series. The event, which took place at NYC’s trendy Mansion Nightclub, featured DC crooner Raheem Devaughn and BET reality show star Keyshia Cole. Upon entrance, it was […]
What’s universal Planet Earth? With the House of Representatives voting today on the latest version of that $700 billion economic bailout package the Senate passed on Wednesday (Sept. 30), to the teams for this year’s World Series being decided with the MLB playoffs, Wall Street having its worst performance since the big stock market crash […]
In case you haven’t been paying attention, since the days of House of Pain, Everlast started singing the blues, had a cup of day-old black coffee with Def Jam and an… “incident” with Eminem. He also formed one of those Rap supergroups that usually never make an album (La Coka Nostra – look it up […]
From his platinum selling debut Get Lifted and countless Grammy awards, to successfully launching HomeSchool records; Legend is a true American success story. Everything he touches turns to Gold. The most recent being that of British starlet Estelle’s album Shine, the first lady of Legend’s HomeSchool record label. It is definitely a far cry from […]
It’s rare when a natural born singer, who got the American Idol boot, wins an Oscar before ever getting nominated for a Grammy, but Jennifer Hudson was fortunate enough to see this unusual road. It was safe to assume a debut album of that unique caliber would have followed. Wrong.Jennifer Hudson’s self-titled debut album, which […]
After aligning with the legendary Andre Harrell at only 16, Thicke might have expected a smooth road to success. To the contrary, his first album took forever to see release, came out twice with two different names and was more or less ignored. A cosign from Pharrell wasn’t an instant fix, but after “Lost Without […]
It seems like everyone has it out for Gym Class Heroes. Since the release of 2004’s The Papercut Chronicles, GCH has often been on the receiving end of criticism from an extremely fickle fan-base. After the band released the more accessible As Cruel as School Children, the band became “too Hip-Hop” for Rock and “too […]
