87 Search results for "usher"

Can you imagine being five years old and having three cops bend you over a desk, handcuff you and then carry you out of your school in handcuffs? Can you imagine being face down on the floor, hands behind you, some cops knee on your neck; then to have that knee migrate to your back […]

Although I’d like to put Dead Prez on blast–like I planned on doing last week–I think it would be most appropriate to follow up last week’s post.  I can’t believe I’m about to force my fingers to type the following sentence, but here goes: I agree with the Obama Administration’s decision not to publish the […]

The Weeknd’s “House of Balloons” is something unmistakably different, relishing in an enrapturing mystery and irresistible insidiousness. Say hello to the dark, smoldering future of Rhythm and Blues.

Before Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson became staples at the Staple Center (pun intended #swag), before bright colors and skinny jeans became cliché (jerking is played out), before krumping became accepted as a movement and not a bunch of weirdoes parading around in  face point, there was a soulful crooner that gave the West coast […]

Ever had a song stuck in your head? “Its the money, money and the cars, cars and the clothes…I just wanna be successful.” This past Sunday I would not help but repeat the Drake rap song in my head. What caused this hip-hop hook rotation? Nothing other than a South African mega church that I […]

I’ll admit I haven’t been that interested in the Obama administration since the presidential campaign.  Yes, I voted this year, but that’s because I’m loyal to certain entrenched systems in the world and not because I like them.  There are just some things I don’t try to overthrow. I know this. Obama knows this. Let’s […]

The Grammys usually suck. Time and time again, some of the most incredible albums and songs of the year are consistently shafted in favor of the easily-digestible and unimpressive. This year is largely no exception. But this is to be expected. And for music nerds, bitching about the Grammys is a begrudged annual pastime, like […]

The election of America’s first Black President in 2008 ushered in what many believed to be a post-racial America. A country historically embittered by racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia could finally boast a grand success in the realm of identity politics. On the fateful night of November 4, 2008 the United States of America seemingly […]

I save up all my BET watching minutes for one night: the BET Awards.  During the telecast, I’m generally underwhelmed and embarrassed for black people.  That last part is a lie.  Still, the BET Awards is how I up my hater stamina.  If I can sit through the entire show and say at least 50 […]

Thriller, released three years later, took things to another level entirely however, and deserves all of the fanfare and acclaim that it receives. But before Thriller there was Off The Wall, the coming out party for an ambitious teen idol that wanted to take over the world, one song at a time. Jackson may have made more successful albums, but he never bettered this one.

Winehouse was touted as a world class vocalist, a supremely gifted songwriter, and a certified game-changer within the landscape of popular music. And then everything went wrong. Very wrong.

Since embarking on a solo career in 2003, Beyonce has completely mastered an intoxicating mixture of R&B and Hip Hop that redefined Pop music in the 2000s, her live performances continue to stun audiences around the world, and her fierce protection of her private life from media scrutiny has allowed her to cultivate a largely blemish-less superstar status. All things considered, Beyonce is clearly the greatest and most influential female pop artist of the 2000s.