‘My Life’ is a prime example of substance over artifice, released in the middle of a decade that found many R&B artists succumbing to the latter in their quest to curry favor with radio and MTV.
Read moreSisQó’s Debut Solo Album ‘Unleash The Dragon’ Turns 25 | Album Anniversary
If Prince helped us party like it was “1999,” SisQó showed us how to rock out like it was Y2K with his unforgettable debut LP.
Read moreQ-Tip’s Debut Solo Album ‘Amplified’ Turns 25 | Album Anniversary
Revisiting ‘Amplified’ two-and-a-half decades on, it’s absolutely what a Q-Tip solo album should have sounded like, and it’s very much in the same universe as Tribe’s records that preceded it.
Read moreQueen Latifah’s Debut Album ‘All Hail The Queen’ Turns 35 | Album Anniversary
One of the earliest recordings to emerge from the revered Native Tongues camp, Latifah’s debut LP formally signaled the arrival of a dynamic voice to be reckoned with.
Read moreLisa Stansfield’s Debut Album ‘Affection’ Turns 35 | Album Anniversary
Although heavy on the dance/house vibes, ‘Affection’ is, for all intents and purposes, an incredibly soulful record, a feat that many pop artists with powerful voices fail to achieve.
Read moreParliament’s ‘Gloryhallastoopid (or Pin the Tale on the Funky)’ Turns 45 | Album Anniversary
Even if George Clinton knew Parliament’s end was nigh while recording ‘Gloryhallastoopid,’ the group’s eighth studio affair doesn’t sound like a swan song.
Read moreRedman’s ‘Dare Iz A Darkside’ Turns 30 | Album Anniversary
Redman’s second studio affair is his most underground and uncompromising album, with music and lyrics that pulse with darkness and pain, layered in thick slabs of sludge-drenched funk.
Read morePrince’s ‘The Black Album’ Turns 30 | Album Anniversary
When all is said and done, ‘The Black Album’ is a mixed bag, a less consistent Prince than we had become accustomed to.
Read moreJohn Frusciante’s Debut Solo Album ‘Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt’ Turns 30 | Album Anniversary
The performances on Frusciante’s debut solo album are unpolished, feeling like first-takes of ideas. But the ideas are solid and fit snugly into his songwriting canon.
Read moreMF DOOM’s ‘MM.. Food’ Turns 20 | Album Anniversary
On his fifth album, DOOM maintains his creativity both in front of and behind the boards, reinforcing his well-earned reputation as one of the most gifted rapper/producer double-threats of all time.
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