Search Results for ‘Common’

Review: Lorde – Melodrama

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The sophomore record for any artist is riddled with the anxiety of having to top the debut record, in proving one’s worth to be a continuing card-carrying member of the priority artist club, where big budgets and marketing campaigns flow in a guaranteed return on investment, because after all, it’s … Continue Reading →

Review: Blitz The Ambassador – Diasporadical

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Diasporadical, fourth studio album by Blitz The Ambassador, joins the canon of African narratives by the continent’s own storytellers, creative content makers and trendsetters. Packed into three inspired acts, the collection of songs further establishes the emcee and bandleader’s trademark Afropolitan hip-hop fusion. Throughout the project you hear a now … Continue Reading →

Review: Alicia Keys – Here

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Fifteen years after the debut of Songs In A Minor, and a month before the release of her sixth studio album, entitled Here, Alicia Keys stood in the middle of Times Square in complete awe of the thousands of fans cheering her on. With all-star guests joining her on stage, … Continue Reading →

Review: Madonna – Rebel Heart

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If you don’t know that ‘ageism’ is intertwined with ‘sexism’, Madonna is here to set the record straight. “I don’t think men have to deal with ageism, so it’s a sexist discrimination”. In a recent interview, the icon expressed her feelings on working in an industry where youth is the … Continue Reading →

Review: Wu-Tang Clan – A Better Tomorrow

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As scores of American citizens rally in the streets, protesting injustice and racial discrimination across the country, Wu-Tang Clan releases their reunion album titled A Better Tomorrow. With more than two decades since their debut, and deemed hip-hop’s greatest group of all time, RZA managed to get all nine original … Continue Reading →

Review: Asa – Bed Of Stone

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Asa, the French-Nigerian acoustic rock diva adored by many, has dropped her highly anticipated third album, Bed Of Stone. A follow-up to her 2007 debut Asa (Asha) and her sophomore album Beautiful Imperfection in 2010, Bed Of Stone paints the type of musical pictures that Asa prefers to develop as … Continue Reading →

Review: Dilated Peoples – Directors Of Photography

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Directors Of Photography, the fifth full-length album of OG west coast artists Dilated Peoples, has a sharp albeit kaleidoscopic focus. Eight years after the release of their last album, 2006’s 20/20, and branching out to explore the success of solo careers, the trio consisting of Evidence, DJ Babu and Rakaa Iriscience, is staying true to their brand. This … Continue Reading →

Review: Cormega – Mega Philosophy

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Let’s talk about themes you don’t hear in mainstream hip-hop these days: Wisdom. Honor. Responsibility. Elevation. Ambition. Moral conviction. When is the last time you heard an established emcee tell a generation of young men to pick their pants up without sounding corny or out of touch about it? In … Continue Reading →

Chale! Blitz The Ambassador conjures up AFROPOLITAN DREAMS

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As an artist, Blitz The Ambassador has mastered the form of mashup, taking the African music realm and fusing it with all things hip-hop, funk, rock and soul. While musical genres like High Life and Afrobeat are immediately present in his music, listening deeply reveals a definitive diasporic musical melange. … Continue Reading →