In 1998 Aretha Franklin had far from anything to prove, but that didn’t stop her from proving a lot. After a seven-year gap, Aretha released one of her strongest and most cohesive albums to date: A Rose Is Still A Rose. The album pairs Aretha with contemporary powerhouses like Lauryn […]
In 1997, Mary J. Blige was on top of the world professionally. Her sophomore album, 1994’s My Life was a smash. Mary was at the forefront of the hip hop-soul revolution in music, garnering her the undisputed title “Queen of Hip Hop Soul”. She changed course with 1997’s Share My […]
Six years ago, I ventured to New Orleans for my first visit to the city, my first Janet Jackson concert, and my first Essence Music Festival experience. Make no mistake of it – I was there for Janet (as well as Monica and Chrisette Michele). However, after my first, one-night-only Essence […]
Menacing. Pusha T knows how to select beats that agree with his unique voice, signature “yuuuh”, and dark, snowy, lyrical content. Bringing back Puff Daddy on the boards results brilliantly in the disjointed, aggressive “Crutches, Crosses, Caskets” and a few more notable moments. Timbaland excels as Pusha projects “The flow […]
“This album I get to show my creativity, my versatility” – Lil’ Kim, 2000 After the death of The Notorious BIG in early 1997, the legacy he was building was left hanging in the balance. For the artists he was helping establish, especially Lil’ Kim, it became public question what […]
Starting with 1995’s “Fantasy,” Mariah Carey began to transform her more pop-leaning singles to become full-fledged hip-hop recreations. In addition, she would also re-imagine the songs in fully re-sung house remixes, which began with 1993’s “Dreamlover.” Mariah continued this practice with the lead single from Butterfly, “Honey.” While the original […]
By 1997, Mariah Carey was a household name and an undeniable icon. She was one of pop music’s most successful artists and her influence was undeniable. She made her debut in 1990 with the iconic single, “Vision of Love” and from 1990 on, Mariah released an album every year: But […]
When it came to R&B and hip-hop music crossing over in the mid-90s, one need look no further than Bad Boy Records and its pinnacle release, No Way Out, which sold upwards of 7 million copies in the United States. Helmed by Sean Combs, the man with the ever changing stage name […]
