‘The Cold Vein’ describes the artery of pain that flows through New York City, as well as the desperate hope of its denizens to find a way to transform into something that can rise above it all.
Read moreMasta Ace’s ‘The Falling Season’ Turns 10 | Album Anniversary
On ‘The Falling Season,’ Masta Ace captures the nostalgia and excitement of being young and ready to conquer the world, while being aware of the experiences, both good and bad, that have shaped him.
Read moreDe La Soul’s ‘De La Soul Is Dead’ Turns 35 | Album Anniversary
Anyone with a pulse can benefit from listening to the inspired ‘De La Soul Is Dead,’ the most masterful of De La Soul’s multiple album masterpieces.
Read morePaula Abdul’s ‘Spellbound’ Turns 35 | Album Anniversary
Amidst high expectations and intense scrutiny following her breakthrough 1988 debut LP ‘Forever Your Girl,’ Abdul—ever the consummate professional—delivered another gem with ‘Spellbound.’
Read moreKenny Lattimore’s Eponymous Debut Album ‘Kenny Lattimore’ Turns 30 | Album Anniversary
Contrary to the arguably more calculated aesthetics cultivated by his mid-‘90s contemporaries, Lattimore merely showed up as himself and brought his life with him, infusing it within his songs.
Read moreKMD’s Debut Album ‘Mr. Hood’ Turns 35 | Album Anniversary
An underappreciated early ‘90s gem, KMD’s debut LP remains an intriguing musical artifact for many reasons, not least of which is that it introduces the lyrical gifts of Zev Love X (a.k.a. the late MF DOOM).
Read moreIce-T’s ‘O.G. Original Gangster’ Turns 35 | Album Anniversary
Sprawling and ambitious in scope, the album’s themes and ideas are still pertinent in our current cultural climate, and its lyricism and musicality are timeless.
Read moreGeorge Michael’s ‘Older’ Turns 30 | Album Anniversary
With his third solo album, Michael allowed himself to deep dive into an emotional whirlpool of experimentation, where new sounds were implemented and his artistry was challenged.
Read moreGrace Jones’ ‘Nightclubbing’ Turns 45 | Album Anniversary
A genre-fluid, head-bobbing bundle of coolness, Jones' fifth studio album is a decadent, tasty meal of wide-ranging musical flavors.
Read moreRoy Ayers Ubiquity’s ‘Everybody Loves the Sunshine’ Turns 50 | Album Anniversary
Decades later, the ‘Sunshine’ still shines and it always will. Certainly, we have Mr. Ayers’ evolution to thank for it all.
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