Second Listen Sunday: Nate Dogg, “Music & Me”
My introduction to Nate Dogg goes back to Dr. Dre’s 1992 debut, The Chronic, and the song “Deeez Nuuuts.” Even then, something about Nate’s voice set him apart from everybody else. He wasn’t just singing on rap records. He was bringing soul, gospel, street knowledge, and West Coast cool into the same space. He set the standard for hook singers in hip-hop, and dare I say, he’s still vastly underrated.
Slow Jam Saturday: Stevie Wonder, “From the Bottom of My Heart”
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give Stevie Wonder his due as he prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his masterpiece, “Songs in the Key of Life,” on tour. While the easy choice could have been “Knocks Me Off My Feet”—a classic that still resonates fifty years later—I chose “From the Bottom of My Heart,” the second single from his twenty-third studio album, “A Time to Love,” released in 2005.
Jamal Roberts’ The Journey Review: A Refreshing Throwback to Stick-to-Your-Ribs Soul
It’s hard to believe that an iconic singing competition like American Idol has produced only two Black male winners in its more than two-and-a-half-decade history. Jamal Roberts made history last year when he won the show, following Ruben Studdard’s well-deserved victory in Season Two.
“Ghost in the Cell” Review: Joko Anwar’s Bloody Prison Horror Gets Lost in the Chaos
I’ll admit that I wasn’t familiar with Joko Anwar’s previous work before watching “Ghost in the Cell.” However, I’m always open to an action flick or horror movie, so the combination of prison drama, supernatural horror, and dark comedy caught my attention.
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother” Review: Mahershala Ali Brings Heart and Fury to a Story of Fatherhood
Emerging writer-director Bassam Tariq teams up with two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali for his latest feature, “Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother,” from Orion Pictures and Amazon MGM Studios. Ali portrays Latif, a devoutly religious hitman who struggles to balance work, faith, and fatherhood. Following the death of his wife, he becomes the sole protector and provider for his newborn daughter, Fathia (Adia), and son, Qadir (Jahleel Kamara).
Second Listen Sunday : T-Pain, “Revolver”
One wonderful aspect of supporting physical media is that I never run short of albums to choose from when deciding what to cover for Second Listen Sunday. Often, I’ll head to the man cave, browse through my CD collection, and an album will pop out at me. This week’s pick is T-Pain’s fourth album, “Revolver.”
Slow Jam Saturday : Charlie Wilson “Thru It All”
One of my favorite singers, Mr. Eric Roberson, is performing this weekend at America’s legendary music venue, The Birchmere. To show Eric some love, I want to highlight something longtime R&B fans have always known: he’s had remarkable songwriting talent.
Daley Returns in Fine Form With “Strange Nature” Ahead of Howard Theatre Show
It’s been nearly a decade since Daley released a full-length album, but the British soul singer hasn’t lost the sound that made me a fan in the first place. His latest project, Strange Nature, finds the Manchester native returning with ten tracks of smooth R&B while sounding older, wiser, and comfortable with where his music fits in today’s landscape.
JAŸ-Z In 8 Review: Jaÿ-Z and Rick Rubin Revisit the Music Behind the Legacy
One of my favorite quotes from Jaÿ-Z’s memoir, *Decoded*, is: “If the beat is time, flow is what we do with that time, how we live through it. The beat is everywhere, but every life has to find its own flow.”
Heart of the Beast Review: Brad Pitt and Man’s Best Friend Take on the Wilderness
Before he reprises his Academy Award-winning role as Cliff Booth later this year, Brad Pitt reunites with his “Fury” director, David Ayer, for the friendship tale “Heart of the Beast” from Paramount Pictures.
“Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!” Review: Grief, Desire and a Second Chance to Dance
Josef Kubota Wladyka makes his debut in the dance-film genre with his third directorial feature, “Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!” Sony Pictures Classics will release the film, which earned Wladyka the Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Second Listen Sunday : Alfonzo Hunter, “Blacka Da Berry”
During the nineties, Hip-Hop and R&B were closely intertwined. Nearly every major Hip-Hop label featured a singer or group to handle the hooks, and many MCs leaned on these connections to bring vocalists to the forefront.