Jordan Listenbee

Your fave’s favorite Gemini. New Jack Swing to Trap Queen.

Nippy is 60: Whitney Houston’s Greatest Live Performances

August 9, 2023

Featured·Music·Playlists·Retrospectives·Whitney Houston

Whitney Elizabeth Houston lived a life that was akin to a Greek tragedy. The world watched her reach dizzying heights and stunning lows. In admiration, the public saw Whitney Houston morph from a church girl from Newark, N.J. into an otherworldly Pop deity beloved by massive throngs of fans and peers alike. That audience soon balked at the slightest indication

Featured·In Depth·Music·Reviews

Album Review: Solange Delves Into The Bible of Black Experience To Bring Us A Seat At The Table

“If you don’t understand my record, then you don’t understand me, and this is not for you.” – Master P. I stand before you willingly and ashamedly admitting that I have sinned. I have been sleeping on Solange Piaget Knowles. I’ve been in a deep, ugly, damn near

Nippy: A Retrospective

We simply referred to her, as Whitney. For no one before her,

The 7 Wonders of Beyoncé’s Formation World Tour

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is the epitome of Black girl magic. It’s been

Playlist: 97 Minutes of Christmas, Vol. 3

December 12, 2021

Music·Playlists

This Christmas season, the staff of THE 97 will be sharing their favorite holiday songs via our new 97 Minutes of Christmas Playlist series. Each playlist contains 1 hour and 37~ minutes of Christmas jams personally curated by the staff writer. VOLUME 3, CURATED BY JORDAN To me, Christmas is all

Cancelling R. Kelly: A Former Fan’s OpEd

July 18, 2017

Featured·Music

I have a confession. Until far too recently, I was a HUGE R. Kelly fan. As a native of the South Side of Chicago, I’m a part of the generation that was probably most impacted by R. Kelly’s success and influence. I vividly remember my family owning Space Jam on

From The Beautiful Ones: A Letter to Prince

April 21, 2017

Featured·In Depth·Music·Now

Dear Prince, I’m hurting today. This incredibly heavy grief that I’m feeling right now is one I haven’t felt in about four years. It’s one that I told myself that I would be prepared for next time around. But then again, you never can really prepare for the loss of

Strange Relationship: Prince’s Sign o’ the Times

March 31, 2017

Featured·For the Nostalgia·In Depth·Then

“Isn’t it a shame, this ain’t a movie?” Though he was already an indomitable musical force, by 1986, Prince Rogers Nelson was at a crossroads. Two years removed from the gargantuan success of Purple Rain, music journalists were rather indifferent towards his follow-up album, 1985’s Around The World in A Day.

Dear Black Celebrities, If You Cape for Trump, Stop Using MLK to Justify Your Betrayal.

January 20, 2017

Music

Throughout the past couple of months, an increasing amount of black celebrities have come forward to cape for President-Elect Donald Trump, in the form of visits to Trump Tower, and bookings at today’s inaugural festitvities. In almost every case, people such as Steve Harvey, Jennifer Holliday, Martin Luther King III,

InFormation: In the Wake of a Terrible Election, Choose Love.

November 11, 2016

Music

Wednesday was hard. I woke up feeling victimized. I found myself constantly questioning my humanity, and grasping for reasons to stay optimistic. It was a far cry from the jubilance I felt in 2008, when as a 17-year-old girl, I watched the nation elect our first black President. I watched

InFormation: Dear White People, Recognize Your Black Friends’ Woes.

July 7, 2016

Music

Dear white people, We need to talk. As a writer, I’m often compelled to jot down my thoughts on issues that not only concern my life, but the lives of those around me. In the wake of the police shootings of Alton Sterling, and Philando Castile, I

Slate Magazine, You Tried It: Views From the Clickbaited

June 23, 2016

In Depth·Music·Now

Slate, girl. We need to talk. So this morning, I was sipping on my coffee and living my life like it’s golden, when I saw some really aggressive tweets on my Twitter timeline. Never one to neglect the tea, what I saw absolutely shocked me. Right there, in black and white on

Black Music Month Spotlight: Phyllis Hyman

June 20, 2016

Music

It’s week three of our month-long Black Music Month celebration, and today brings us to one of my favorite vocalists of all time, the incomparable Phyllis Hyman. Born on July 6, 1949 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this multifaceted songstress was born with all of the natural gifts needed to become a superstar,

How ‘Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite’ helped revolutionize R&B

April 14, 2016

For the Nostalgia·In Depth·Music·Then

Rhythm and Blues has always been evolutionary. Deeply rooted in gospel, jazz, and the blues, R&B has become one of the main expressions of the African-American experience throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Whether the subject matter ranges from civil disobedience, to love, family, or to sex, what is

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Jordan Listenbee

Nippy is 60: Whitney Houston’s Greatest Live Performances

Album Review: Solange Delves Into The Bible of Black Experience To Bring Us A Seat At The Table

Nippy: A Retrospective

The 7 Wonders of Beyoncé’s Formation World Tour

Playlist: 97 Minutes of Christmas, Vol. 3

Cancelling R. Kelly: A Former Fan’s OpEd

From The Beautiful Ones: A Letter to Prince

Strange Relationship: Prince’s Sign o’ the Times

Dear Black Celebrities, If You Cape for Trump, Stop Using MLK to Justify Your Betrayal.

InFormation: In the Wake of a Terrible Election, Choose Love.

InFormation: Dear White People, Recognize Your Black Friends’ Woes.

Slate Magazine, You Tried It: Views From the Clickbaited

Black Music Month Spotlight: Phyllis Hyman

How ‘Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite’ helped revolutionize R&B

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Andrew Martone

Mario M.

Staff

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