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The Blues Pioneers
Inspired by “I Used to Be Your Mama,” this column features Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Ma Rainey, and Mamie Smith.
 • 
Jamila W.
 and 
Tabia N. Mullings
The Mother of Hip-Hop
Sylvia Robinson began her career as a soul singer in the early fifties. In the late seventies, while working to develop Sugar Hill Records, she earned…
 • 
Tabia N. Mullings
Our Tribute to D’Wayne Wiggins (1961-2025)
As we say goodbye to D’Wayne Wiggins, we honor the mark he left on the industry and in the lives of his peers and proteges.
1
The Handguide to Albums by Related Artists (‘80s Whitney)
In the 1980s, Whitney Houston released two essential albums: her debut and follow-up. Here, we’ve selected 11 albums by the key collaborators who helped…
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Imani Raven
New Music Drops: March 7, 2025
Here’s your upcoming rundown of albums/singles releasing on March 7th, featuring Lady Gaga, JENNIE, Lil Uzi Vert, Madison McFerrin, and many others.
Album Review: Ruby by JENNIE
From building her team in Los Angeles to embracing Ruby Jane's fearless alter ego, all of this culminates in a body of work that is boldly authentic to…
 • 
Charlotte Rochel
2
Album Review: Mayhem by Lady Gaga
Whether you come to her for the club anthems, the messaging, the daring visuals, or the cinematic performances, Lady Gaga’s latest LP is a masterclass…
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Jill Wannasa
1
Our Tribute to Roy Ayers (1940-2025)
Roy Ayers may have left the stage, but the dialogue he remains alive, urging future generations to approach music with the same blend of tradition and…
1
Wednesday Roundups #91: 19 Albums/EPs You Should Listen to In Your Spare Time
With BANKS, Terrace Martin, Hope Tala, Michi, Queen Herawin, REASON, Big Hit, Aloe Blacc, Ye Ali, Justin Nozuka, Boldy James, K.Keed, and others listed…
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Don’t You Know What That Means?
The memory of these women—pioneers of female creativity—remains eclipsed by a male-centered history of rock and Black music.
 • 
Jamila W.
1967 — Early ‘70s Female Singer-Songwriters
As we entered the 2020s, the era of individuality dawned, with a singer-songwriter boom coinciding with the wave of the late ‘60s sexual revolution and…
 • 
Jill Wannasa
, 
Tai Lawson
, and 
Charlotte Rochel
The Beginning of the ‘I’ Era
The act of “women speaking in their own words” became taken for granted in popular music. However, it also served as an example of how important it is…
 • 
Charlotte Rochel
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