At midnight on November 27, we got a Thanksgiving surprise when Erykah Badu dropped “Hello,” collaboration with her old love and baby daddy, Andre Benjamin (Andre 3000). The Internet (and my phone) basically blew up. Countless texts, tweets and screenshots of the downloaded track on iPhones prefaced with emojis and expletives blanketed social media for hours. We were all happy ... Read More
Babyface and the Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack 20 Years Later
Last night we experienced the highest level of musical nostalgia during the tribute to Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds at the Soul Train Awards. I was satisfied with the tribute (even though I wondered why Toni Braxton and Karyn White weren’t there), but when he sat at the piano to perform a medley of songs he’d written and produced, collectively, I think everyone watching lost it. ... Read More
Christina Milian Cried “Dangerously in Love” Tears Over Lil Wayne, and We Were All Utterly Confused
I was minding my business scrolling through my Facebook feed last week when I saw a video clip of Christina Milian discussing her break-up with Lil Wayne on her reality show, Christina Milian Turned Up. As she sat in the confessional room, she cried crocodile tears, ruining her makeup and said between inconsolable pauses…”I have never loved anyone the way that I love Wayne. ... Read More
College Dropout Turns 10
“So many records in my basement, I’m just waiting on my spaceship.” “The kid who made that deserves that Maybach.” Today is the 10th anniversary of Kanye’s debut and some would say, his best album, The College Dropout. For fans who can no longer stomach his behavior or his “New God Flow,” today is a day to bask in this album because it symbolizes the grind, the hunger ... Read More
Fear of Reality: Mary Jane, Flaws and All
Being Mary Jane is back. The season premiere just aired, and like the movie, it didn’t disappoint. There’ll be no “unpacking” of the episode. Instead, let’s talk about satisfying consumers. My initial plan was to watch the premiere alone, meaning without texting my friends during commercial breaks or engaging on #BlackTwitter. I failed at both attempts towards the end. As ... Read More