Devoid of any overt radio-friendly fare, How I Got Over, presents The Roots at the top of their game, with a message for the people at a time when the world bought into the possibility of change. After spending much of the ’90s establishing themselves as critical darlings, The Roots entered the new millennium from … Read moreHow The Roots’ ‘How I Got Over’ Became Their Crowning Achievement of…
J. Cole’s new song “Snow On Tha Bluff” is a notable miss from the rapper. The song’s commentary is undermined by lyrics directed at an unnamed woman perceived to be Noname. When the news of Oluwatoyin “Toyin” Salau’s murder broke on Twitter, I became overwhelmed with anger and sorrow. Another one — another nurturer, fighter, … Read moreJ. Cole’s “Snow On Tha Bluff” Is A Missed Opportunity To Uplift…
For all that he’s accomplished, Buju Banton has no desire to be referred to as a legend. He wants to be a vessel. The Gargamel, as he is affectionately known by his sprawling reach of fans across the globe, is guided by one directive: “My message is simple: peace and love,” he tells me over … Read moreBuju Banton isn’t Interested in Legacy
I was 13 when I watched a plane hit the second tower from the corner window of my East Flatbush classroom in Brooklyn. I remember thinking that 9/11 was the scariest thing I would ever experience in my life, but more than that, I remember the screaming of ambulances and whirring of the helicopters that … Read moreA Letter From the Editor: Welcome to the New Okayplayer.com
Graphic: Taron Joyner for Okayplayer.com The Breakfast Club continues to adhere to a golden rule: information and accessibility may be a benefit of their now-prominent platform, but it is only secondary to entertainment at all costs. When Power 105.1’s lynchpin morning show The Breakfast Club — hosted by Charlamagne tha God, DJ Envy, and Angela Yee … Read more‘The Breakfast Club’ Calls Itself “The World’s Most Dangerous Morning Show” —…
Photo by Emmanuel Roberts for Kota The Friend Kota The Friend spoke to Okayplayer about pre-gentrified Brooklyn, completing his new album Everything under quarantine, and his hope-heavy presence in the borough’s full-circle rap renaissance. These days, even the simple things require an extra step. Laundry is a germ gauntlet. The grocery store’s an if-needed-only destination. … Read moreBrooklyn Rapper Kota The Friend is Manifesting His Best Life Yet on His New Album ‘Everything’
Photo by Malte Wingen on Unsplash Because of COVID-19, the music business will be forced to shift. Here are 10 ways the coronavirus will change the music industry. There isn’t a business in the world that won’t change in some material way as a result of COVID-19. The music industry is no exception. Riding high … Read more10 Ways the Coronavirus Will Change the Music Industry
Photo Credit: Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives Thirty years ago, Ice Cube released his Bomb Squad-produced masterpiece AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted. Read the story of how Ice Cube left N.W.A. and traveled to New York City to record a classic. As the pages on the calendar flipped to the 1990s, West Coast hip-hop was beginning to … Read moreHow ‘AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted’ Marked Ice Cube’s Ascension as a Solo Star
Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella Beyoncé’s appearance on “Savage (Remix)” is the latest example of the artist flexing her MC skills. We take an extended look at Beyoncé’s flirtatious relationship with rapping throughout her career. In late April, Beyoncé did what she does best: she shocked the world, appearing on a remix of … Read moreIs Beyoncé Actually A Good Rapper?
Photo Credit: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images In celebration of Stevie Wonder’s 70th birthday, we spoke with two of Fulfillingness’ First Finale’s most important collaborators, producer Robert Margouleff and assistant engineer Peter Chaikin, who provided granular details on how this timeless record was recorded. Three days after the release of Innervisions in the summer of 1973, Stevie Wonder’s … Read moreHow Stevie Wonder Overcame a Near Death Experience to Make ‘Fulfillingness’ First Finale’