MJB and Solange fit together so perfectly, and yet, they really shouldn’t. We all know about Mary J Blige and her iconic dancing. She don’t need mo’ hateration on that front. With that in mind, this video should be cognitively dissonant. MJB’s music is hyped and the moves reflect that. But instead, Twitter user @INTERNETBBY threw clips of her dancing over Solange’s Cranes in the…
The Swedish music man makes some jams using a $20 cat keyboard. We’ve asked producers in the past “if money was no object, what is one piece of gear you would buy?”. For many of these musicians, they’ve created music using very cheap tools. Even some the equipment I use cheap (or cheaper than retail price because they were second-hand). But we’d still love some…
Modernism might have a white visage but Madlib’s brand of afro-modernism shouldn’t be overlooked. Film director James Cameron once said, “People call me a perfectionist, but I’m not. I’m a rightist. I do something until it’s right, and then I move on to the next thing.” Fans of Madlib – and Dilla – will be familiar with this ideal. Perfection fuels many creatives in how they…
Imperial is the first guest in our new mini interview series. It’s difficult to find a balance between long form and short form writing. Long form is extensive but takes time to read. Short form is quick to absorb but might not offer as much in comparison. We’ll never cease long form content but we appreciate readers might not have as much time to spend….
This edition of Leftover Links is all about the rappers. We get so many submissions every day, it’s not possible to get to them all as and when they come through. That means we miss things and get to them late. A bit like when you’re stuck for something to eat and have nothing substantial in, you put together a mish-mash concoction. And then it…
We’ve compiled a special World Cup playlist with songs from every nation in the tournament. The advantage of having run this blog for 6 years is the countries we’ve covered in that time. We still have some gaps to fill but in the meantime, celebrate the tournament starting on Friday with our special World Cup playlist. It features music/artists from every nation so you won’t…
Music consumption has changed quite a lot in the past 30 years. The latest metamorphosis reduces songs to samples of their individual components. Forbes writer Cherie Hu wrote an interesting piece on the next wave of recorded music’s disruption detailing the emergence of “sample services”. The popular format changes from vinyl to compact disc were groundbreaking but Napster’s deconstruction of albums into profitable singles changed the…
The Journal of African American Studies has released a special issue dedicated to Prince, and it’s free to download. If you read the title and subheading, don’t even bother reading this and peep the journal link below. 20 academic papers on Prince. All free to read and download. Get your scholar on and bask in the purple glow of knowledge! Journal of African American Studies…
Swiss beatmaker Nuts One pays homage to his nation’s craftsmanship with his debut, Clockwork Wizards. We respect anyone who puts this much effort into their debut album. But it’s to be expected from a man from Geneva in Switzerland. Nuts One hails from the land of prestigious banks, chocolate, and watchmakers and it’s the latter that plays into the title of his debut album, Clockwork…
Ohbliv releases his latest beat tape, Foreverness. We’re big proponents for fragmented soul loops (looking at you, Knxwledge). Ohbliv is a master of the craft and his newest offering is no exception. Foreverness embodies its title in style and ethos with an abundance of soulful chops. Jagged in place and smooth in others, it’s a tape for the head boppers and soul searchers. Ohbliv manages…