R&B
Artist of the Month Tkay Maidza Dissects New EP Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3 Track by Track: Exclusive
With our Track by Track feature, artists get the chance to take listeners through each song on their latest offering. Today, our July Artist of the Month Tkay Maidza wraps up her EP trilogy with Last Year Was Werid, Vol. 3. Our freshly minted July Artist of the Month Tkay Maidza has uncorked her new EP Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify, followed by a complete Track by Track breakdown of the seven-song effort. The Australian-by-way-of-Zimbabwe rapper dropped Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 1 in 2018, and she followed that with Vol. 2 in 2020. But this is the first EP to arrive after a year of lockdowns, and Last Year Was Weird has never been more true. Vol. 3 completes the trilogy with production from longtime...
Amindi Unveils New Single “nwts”: Stream
Amindi has unveiled the new single “nwts” off her previously-announced Nice EP. The eight-track project is slated for release July 28th via Human Re-Sources. “nwts” finds Amindi bragging about her self-made glow-up over booming percussion and gently swerving production. “And I paid my dues in some days in schools/ In some Payless shoes, I was way less cool/ Now I done bossed up and it’s hard to hide/ And I ain’t lost once ’cause I take my time,” she states on the second verse before adding, “You ain’t made shit/ Self-made bitch/ DIY, make shit.” Stream “nwts” after the jump. Nice serves as a follow-up to the 2020 mixtape, minztape, and will also include previously-released singles “haircut” and “telly.” Ahead of its release, the Jamaican singer-songwriter will present a live...
Blood Orange’s “Born to Be” Soundtracks Trailer for Netflix’s Beckett: Watch
Netflix has unveiled a first look at its upcoming action movie Beckett, and the tense teaser is soundtracked by a brand-new song by Blood Orange. Starring John David Washington, the thriller tells the story of an American tourist in Greece who becomes the center of a dark political conspiracy after his girlfriend mysteriously disappears. As the couple’s car careens over a cliff and Washington’s Beckett wakes up in a hospital with more questions than answers, the atmospheric track “Born to Be” plays on top of the clip. “Not a soul will take my breath,” Blood Orange croons as the Greek police turn on Beckett and he finds himself on the run for his life. A figure at the American embassy says, “I know you’re scared, I get it. But you don’t have the whole picture,” leading Beckett to ask, “Then...
Chris Brown Accused of Hitting Woman
Chris Brown has been accused of hitting a woman in Los Angeles, TMZ reports and NBC News confirms. According to a spokesperson for the LAPD, officers responded to reports of an argument at a residence in the San Fernando Valley. The altercation is being investigated as a battery, though it’s not clear at this time if Brown will face charges. Via TMZ’s anonymous police sources — who are often, though certainly not always, accurate — the alleged victim received a smack across her head that caused part of her weave to come out. Reportedly, she sustained no injuries, and Brown has not been arrested. If true, the troubled singer would likely face misdemeanor charges — if he were charged at all. No other relevant information can be confirmed at this time, but the story will be updated as news co...
Al Green, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube to Headline Once Upon a Time in LA Festival
Whoever said old-school hip-hop and R&B were dead hasn’t seen the lineup for Once Upon a Time in LA, an epic one-day fest going down at Banc of California & Exposition Park on December 18th, 2021. Al Green is the main headliner, and while that’s incredible enough on its own, the fest’s lineup is also stacked with West Coast icons like Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Ice Cube, The Game, Cypress Hill, E-40, and tons more. This is, in fact, not a fairytale. Along with the aforementioned artists, this fest will include additional veteran hip-hop favorites like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Three Six Mafia, DJ Quik, Warren G, Xzibit, and Too Short. There’s also a big pull for funk and soul fans, with performances by the Isley Brothers, Parliament-Funkadelic, War, Zapp, Brenton Wood, Mary Jane Girls, Morri...
Space Jam: A New Legacy Soundtrack Features BROCKHAMPTON, Chance the Rapper & More
Bust out your Tune Squad jerseys because Republic Records and has revealed the complete tracklisting for Space Jam: A New Legacy. In addition to lead single “We Win (Space Jam: A New Legacy)” by Lil Baby and Kirk Franklin, the soundtrack will include an eclectic roster of brand new contributions by the Jonas Brothers (“Mercy”), BROCKHAMPTON (“MVP”), John Legend (“Crowd Go Crazy”), and more. All of the artists on the 16-track LP were revealed via a special video announcement, which kicked off with LeBron James passing the basketball to Bugs Bunny — who subsequently keeps the action going by tossing the ball to the JoBros, Aminé and Lil Baby in turn before it’s snagged by the Tazmanian Devil. Fellow Tune Squad team member Lola Bunny also makes an appearance between the likes of Anthony Ramos...
Banks Unleashes New Single “The Devil”: Stream
Banks is back and turning up the heat with her new single “The Devil”. The R&B singer’s last album proper was 2019’s III, and she followed that in 2020 with the live EP Live and Stripped. As she confirmed in a new press release, “The Devil” is the first sinful taste of a larger project coming soon. Over a bass line as dark and deep as the pit, Banks whispers, “Someone write my new name down.” The song is about metamorphosis, and the lyrics find a slinky power in embracing the darkness within. She sings,”Way down I go/ Got a one-way ticket and the Devil waiting/ Call from down low/ Naive, I know.” Related Video In a statement, Banks said, “’The Devil’ is about being stronger than the demons that haunt you. About rebirth and transformation into the forces of nature we were...
H.E.R. Announces Back Of My Mind, Shares “We Made It”: Stream
H.E.R. has announced the release date for her long-awaited debut album Back Of My Mind. The LP follows the R&B star’s two compilation albums — 2017’s H.E.R. and 2019’s I Used to Know Her — and is set to drop June 18th via MBK Entertainment/RCA Records. Ahead of the release, H.E.R. has also unveiled the project’s latest single, “We Made It”, which follows previously-released tracks “Damage” and the Chris Brown-assisted “Come Through”. Related Video “For all those nights hopin’ that we’d find it/ Lookin’ at the sky, like thank God that you’re with me/ You’re with me/ Run red lights and following the signs/ It’s been a long ride and I just can’t believe/ Can’t believe we made it,” she croons on the song’s lovestruck chorus. Check out the album’s moody cover art and stream “We Made It...
L’Rain Shares Origins of New Single “Suck Teeth”: Stream
Our new music feature Origins provides artists the platform to give unique insights into their latest track. Today, L’Rain explains the sounds of “Suck Teeth”. Brooklyn R&B artist L’Rain is set to release her sophomore full-length, Fatigue, on June 25th via Mexican Summer. As the latest preview of the LP, the musician born Taja Cheek has shared the single “Suck Teeth”. The track finds L’Rain exploring her feelings about motherhood, particularly what new challenges it could bring to her psyche. “I’m thinking through childhood and having children, wondering if it’s possible for someone to prevent their failures and shortcomings from getting passed on,” she explains in a statement. Related Video If “Suck Teeth” is a meditation, it’s a woozy one, warbling guitars spiraling out ov...
Thundercat Announces 2021 North American Tour Dates
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-06-08T17:00:06+00:00“>June 8, 2021 | 1:00pm ET Thundercat has unveiled dates for a North American tour taking place this fall. The bass maestro will stop in more than 20 cities in support of the Grammy-winning It Is What It Is, one of the best albums of 2020. After kicking off the trek with an appearance at Maha Music Festival on July 31st in Omaha, Nebraska, Thundercat will make stops in cities like New York, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Toronto, Ontario; Los Angeles, California; and Portland, Oregon before closing out on December 5th at Knitting Factory in Boise, Idaho. Besides Maha, Thundercat will also play San Francisco’s Stern Grove Festival and Chicago’s Pitchfork Mu...
Win The Best of Philadelphia International Records Vinyl Prize Pack with Turntable and Headphones
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-06-02T17:45:57+00:00“>June 2, 2021 | 1:45pm ET June is Black Music Appreciation Month, and we’re kicking things off by celebrating one of the most influential producers of Black music in the country: Philadelphia International Records. Launched 50 years ago, the label is responsible for what is referred to with reverence as the Philly Soul sound. Artists like Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass, The Three Degrees, and The O’Jays redefined soul by backing it up with gorgeous orchestral arrangements and influences from funk, doo-wop, and R&B. P.I.R. is honoring its own legacy as we as BMAM with their new compilation The Best of Philadelphia International Records. Released at the end ...
Doja Cat and SZA Perform “Kiss Me More” at 2021 Billboard Music Awards: Watch
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-05-24T00:17:37+00:00“>May 23, 2021 | 8:17pm ET Open a new tube of chapstick and check out Doja Cat and SZA’s first performance of “Kiss Me More” at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. “Kiss Me More” is the first single from Doja Cat’s upcoming album, Planet Her, and Sunday marked the first time she and SZA have sung it together live on stage. Surrounded by dancers with their heads in giant orange balls, the pair delivered a stylish performance. SZA sang from atop a rotating pedestal platform before kicking it down to Doja for a dance-remix breakdown. Check it out ahead. After jumping into bed with hyper-sexualized songs like the “34+35” remix, you might be wondering, why a song about l...
