Music
I miss mixtapes. They gave us a completely different perspective on our favorite artists.
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I never need to be the guy who says, “hip-hop was better back in the day.” When I turned 30, I promised myself I would never be that. But music culture is made for the young, and the music culture of your youth will all the time be closest to your heart. The older you get, the more effort it takes to welcome recent developments in music culture into your heart. You must be conscious and diligent to not say, “back in my day, it was better.” But you possibly can say, back in my day, it was different. And you possibly can say I miss among the things that were common years ago.
A number of years ago, within the 90s and 00s, there was a strong mixtape culture. I really miss mixtapes. I know that word gets thrown around here and there, but I’m telling you, mixtapes was a thing.And a whole book about mixtapes was released last 12 months titled “Do Remember!: The Golden Era of New York Hip-Hop Mixtapes.”
You needed to know where to go to search out them—there was normally a vendor on Flatbush Avenue or one hundred and twenty fifth Street or wherever; you could not normally get them in stores. And they were fleeting. You had to purchase recent ones quickly, or they might be gone endlessly.
Mixtapes featured a big selection of artists—some well-known, some underground. Sometimes a star would rhyme in another way than usual or say crazy things they wouldn’t say of their mainstream work. Sometimes someone out of nowhere would outdo established professionals and make a name for themselves.
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Mixtape culture was underground. These were songs made specifically for die-hard fans. Artists knew that only die-hard fans would put in the hassle to exit and find these unadvertised mixtapes, so the rhymes they spat out and the styles they tried were intended for music snobs.
Mixtapes flourished within the pre-internet era because that was when you possibly can have a true underground scene. A giant star like Nas or Raekwon could jump on a mixtape and know that his rhymes weren’t going to succeed in everyone’s ears. They were appealing to their most hardcore fans, so that they could push themselves further than they were willing to go on their albums. Today, you possibly can’t have a truly underground scene—one where stars mix with hopefuls—since the whole point of the underground is that artists are free to explore the more radical areas of the genre. On today’s web, anything a star says that’s truly radical or avant-garde would quickly turn into web fodder, and also you’d be judged by the masses, for higher or worse. With the stakes so high, it’s too dangerous for a star to play with an underground instrument just like the mixtape.
Also, back then, before the web, it was hard for smaller artists to get the eye of the culture, so smaller artists used mixtapes as a approach to get the eye of essentially the most serious hip-hop fans. But to do this, that they had to be cool, or they would not get noticed. 50 Cent made a big splash by releasing a few albums of fabric as free mixtapes before his debut. Mainstream hip-hop fans discovered who he was when he dropped “In Da Club,” however the more dedicated fans—the mixtape fans—already knew all about him. It was a really clever approach to introduce yourself to the culture.
Speaking of which, I miss the sketches. I loved a good sketch. It was one other way for rappers to speak who they were and what the vibe of the album was. Snoop’s sketches on “The Chronic,” De La Soul’s sketches on “De La Soul Is Dead,” and Wu-Tang’s sketches on a lot of their albums were essential to understanding who they were. It was one other way for them to be creative and make their albums greater than just music. Good sketches by some means made it feel like a cultural experience.
I’m not likely a “things were better back in my day” type of person, I love a lot of recent hip-hop and revel in the culture’s continued progression, but I’d wish to see a few of the most effective parts of the past come back.
Music
Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (TIPS)” is now the longest -working Hot Country Song No. 1 by one artist – Happy Black History Month
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Shabozey, The Virginia Country Sensation, whose song “A Bar Song (TIPS)” has turn into an inevitable pop breakdown, now has one other album so as to add to its list of achievements. His mentioned single is now The longest leading songs on hot country number 1 By one artist who is strong at the age of 35 weeks, the series that began in May 2024. The song replaces “Body Like a Back Road” by Hunta Sam to the currently lonely title of the artist.
This last achievement of Shaboosey (born Collins Obinna Chibueze) adds Star (and currently 2025) to the great singer. In addition to the passage towards a record 50 weeks on the list of Country’s principal singles (the album is currently led by the song Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line “Mater To Be”), Shaboozey had a record record of 19 weeks first on the first place on the Billboard Hot 100 and solo with 27 weeks on the 27 weeks on the list of 27 weeks on Radio Songs Songs. I believe it may be safely said that Shaboozey had “one of them” by way of the hit single.
And because in 2024 no discussion about country music was accomplished without Beyoncé in the conversation, “A Bar Song (TIPS)” denied the queen “Texas Hold ’em” Queen Bey at the Hot Country Songs summit, mentioning for the first time in history that two black artists held this place in weeks.
Very few artists in history have been successful from one single managed by Shaboosey, but it surely is not a miracle. After appearing on many albums in “Cowboy Carter” Beyoncé, which won the award “Album of the Year” during this yr’s Grammy Awards, Shaboozey released his third album (but as an artist with successful single), “Where I where, not how I’m good”, which landed in the first five Billboard 200 albums Number 2 on the billboard us Chart.
After a yr he had, who knows what’s going to occur next to Shabozey, but one thing is certain, his future looks very clear. Oh my good sir!
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Music
Grief, Growth and Haitian Konda: Singer-Songwriter Fridayy reveals the layer of its identity in its latest album
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Today, the producer and artist Friday released their second album, “I am good on some days, some days are not.” This deeply personal album examines a series of topics, from like to faith and even regret of losing a loved one – especially his father. Emotions related to this regret resound through songs akin to “Proud of You”, “some days I’m good, I’m not” and “Without you.”
Although the vocalist of “God do” DJ Khaleda was born and raised in Philadelphia, Friday proudly bears the Haitian heritage of his family.
“My parents come from Haiti, but I was born in Philadelphia. So everything I got from my Haitian culture comes from my parents and my family who always listened to Haitian music, “he shared the fifth interview before releasing the album.
The Baryton singer remembers how the music was first presented in the church by his father, who insisted that he and his siblings play an instrument – a reality with which many Haitans could refer from childhood. Since the release of his first studio album, Fridayy has described his musical style as a combination of R&B, Gospel, Hip-Hop and Afrobeats. But because of this latest project, he introduces a brand new layer to his music music: Haitian Konpa.
Friday, which was previously Woven fragments of Haitian Creole (or Kréyol) in your workit concerns this heritage together with your own Herring “Need You” Which translates into “needs you” in English. With the participation of the popular Haitan artist Jaé DWET FILLE – whom Honpa hit “4 camp“Platinum in France and a viral on tiktok – two easily mix English, Kreol and French, giving the listeners the taste of modern konpa.
Compass (or Compa) This is the music of the world’s first free black republic. The rhythmically full species of the island attracts the influence of jazz, soul and merengue and comprises brass instruments, akin to trumpet, saxophone and trombone, layered above the rhythm of the iconic Haiti barrel drum, “Tanbou”. Although this species has been recorded many types with the integration of modern technology from the very starting almost 70 years ago, the Appa stays by nature Haitan.
“Haiti is a country that has about 60 different rhythms. It is a very rich musical culture, “said Fabrice Rouuzier, a Haitan pianist and producer WXPN. “Kloty drew from all this. This makes the park from the Golden Era – from the 1960s to the early 1980s – it really makes it a lasting species. And this is a composition that never loses its taste, and is inseparably haitan. You can’t say that he is borrowed from any nation. He has his own identity in a way that cannot be found in today’s music. “
Over the years, Haitian Konpa inspired many species, including “Zouk”, a well-liked species in French Western India, which incorporates islands akin to Marinique, Guadeloupe and many others. Similarly, the influence of Haitan Bads of the Konpa might be heard in contemporary French Afro-Pop songs from the most significant artists akin to Tayc, Dadju AND Aya Nakamura. While Haitian Musical Industry has achieved their very own success, many fans are still waiting for the Klota to achieve the global crossover seen by Afrobeats in recent years.
Only time will show whether the Friday record can be the one who inspires other artists to look at the contagious hits of the konpa. But one thing is definite – this edition appears to be the victory of the Haitian community. At a time when the Haitians around the world are battling great violence, corruption and system failure, harassing the place where their hearts call the home, the decision of the Friday to honor his heritage and present the wealthy musical culture of Haiti, never is a robust reminder of the popular Creolaian expression: “Ayiti PAP JANM PERI”, which implies Haiti.
Among the painful headlines and material from the current state of Haiti, artists akin to Friday prove that the spirit of Haiti lives for generations of her diaspora. Until Friday, from one other Haitian-American who works, in order that her ancestors are proud-I’m ,.
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Haniyah Philogene is a Haitian-American multimedia storyteller and lifestyle and entertainment author who includes all things of culture. He sets out with passion for digital media to search out latest ways of telling and sharing stories.
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Music
RHIANNON GIDDENS-MUSIC Singer cancels the Kennedy Center program, citing the takeover of Trump
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The award -winning singer Rhiannon Giddens became the latest artist who dismissed the performance at Kennedy Center, who was under the leadership, since President Donald Trump released the leadership of the center and was elected chairman of the Trust Council.
Trump’s takeover is a component of its wide campaign against the culture of “Woke”.
“I decided to cancel my program at Kennedy Center on May 11, 2025 and move it to the hymn,” she wrote in social media, referring to the separate place of Washington. “The Kennedy Center program was reserved long before the current administration decided to take over this two -sided institution.”
Giddens is an eclectic performer of Roots music known for his co -founder Karolina Chocolate Drops and such cooperation with Francesco Turrisi, like winning the Grammy Award “call me home”. In 2022, she helped write the Pulitzer Opera “Omar” award. He can also be the recipient of the Macarthur “Genius” grant.
Actor Issa Rae, writer Louise Penny and the Low Cut Connie rock band also canceled the planned events of Kennedy Center. The singer and writer of the lyrics Victoria Clark continued her program on February 15, but on the stage she wore the “Anti Trump Af” shirt.
Supported by government money and personal donations and attraction of hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, Kennedy Center is a fancy with a height of 100 feet with a concert hall, opera and theater, in addition to a lecture hall, meeting spaces and a “thousand -year stage”, which was a celebration to free shows.
Until Trump of their first term presidents routinely participated in the award ceremony, even in the presence of artists who didn’t agree with them politically.
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