Album Reviews, Playlists, and More

As I've said on many episodes of 50 For 50, when we start our research on an artist and the album we're going to discuss, I try and listen to that artist's entire discography. The easiest way for me to listen to music attentively is during my dail…

A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory is consistently lauded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. I certainly regard it as a high water mark for its era, even though it’s not even my favorite Tribe album. Here are five reasons why …

When it came time to choose our Top 5 (full episode below) for Luther Vandross, I had to figure out a way to show my love for the last two albums of Luther's career, but also to not come off as a fake Luther fan. I know that most people would find L…

Before Luther Vandross became the legend we now know him as, he was already a superstar. In the decade or so prior to the release of 1981’s Never Too Much, the NYC-based singer/songwriter had already performed alongside the likes of David Bowie and …

If you haven't heard our episode of The Cool Check-In on The New Kids On The Block, definitely check it out. Mike and I talked about how we became fans of the New Kids when it wasn't necessarily the cool thing for male teenagers to do. We also talke…

Whitney Houston's career of hits spanned from her debut album in 1985 all the way through her last album in 2009. While the quality of her albums and their consistency could be debated, what isn't an argument is the amazing number of hit records tha…

When Whitney Houston passed away in February 2012, she was in the process of yet another comeback. A sea of personal issues had turned the powerhouse vocalist into a bit of a laughing stock in the new millennium. Her death was the final sad event in…

Has anyone transitioned from young artist to star to everyone's favorite auntie better than Mary J. Blige. I remember when she hit the scene in the early 90s and wore the ball cap and jersey better than anyone. Snap your fingers and she's wearing go…

Back in 1990, LL Cool J dreamed about a girl with “a Fendi bag and a bad attitude.” However, Uncle L’s around the way girl didn’t really exist in popular culture. Even in the music world that created that rap classic, female artists fit one of two a…

There are few artists who came around in the 2000s who have connected with me as a music fan like the artists of my youth did. One who did is Shaffer Chimere Smith, better known as Ne-Yo.  Ne-Yo's strength was as a song writer for others, but I'd s…

Las Vegas native Ne-Yo spent a solid decade at or near the top of the pop/R&B world, as a songwriter and performer. His pen game is what got him in the door, thanks to songs like “Unfaithful” (made popular by Rihanna), “Let Me Love You” (a #1 smash …

At one point, Kanye West was near the top of my mountain of music artists. Kanye was the underdog, the up and comer, the guy who had to produce first to get a chance to rock the mic. His big brother Jay-Z was pretty much a titan of the game since hi…

I have written more words about Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall than I have about any other album I’ve ever owned. Each time I put (virtual) pen to paper, though, I become intimidated. How do I properly discuss an album that’s so essential to who I a…

One thing I marveled at when we did our 50 For 50 deep dive on Alanis Morissette was her longevity. While she didn't keep making the same juggernaut albums from her younger days, she kept making music. A lot of it. And I got to listen to it; a lot o…

I feel compelled to start this review by saying that, for the record, I find the last 12 or so years of Kanye West’s public persona abhorrent. I do not harbor or support his anti-Black or anti-Semitic views. It has been heartbreaking to see an arti…

Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill was one of the ‘90s biggest success stories. Millions upon millions of records sold. The Album of the Year Grammy (in a pretty stacked year for music). Legions of imitators (more on that later). What made this …

Mike and I have known each other for almost half our lives. We met in the early 2000s through the internet. Now, that might not sound like a big deal in 2026, but back in the day, it wasn't that casual to consider someone you'd never met in person t…

It's funny which artists you gravitate to when you're young. I don't know why Huey Lewis & The News was my cup of tea as a youngster in the mid-80s. I know my dad played Huey a bit inside the house. He recorded their videos on MTV and VH-1. But he d…

The sophomore jinx is real, y’all. Artists have their entire lives to create their debut, and often just a year or two to create a second album. The light shines brighter on you if your debut is a success. The eyes of the public are staring deeply i…

I was a young teenage hooper playing one-on-one against my buddy George in his drive way. Even though we were the same age, physically, George was two years ahead of me. Just dipping his shoulder and going through my chest. He had his boom box out a…

I’ve been trying to think of a good way to describe Huey Lewis & the News, and the most accurate analogy I can make comes from the News’ home base in The Bay. Think of the TV show “Full House”, and imagine The Rippers fronted by Bob Saget’s Danny Ta…

The modern day rap fan doesn’t know MC Hammer from Armie Hammer, and that makes me simultaneously happy and sad. The Bay Area-based rapper was the first all caps POP ICON of hip-hop. His sophomore effort, 1990’s Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘em spent th…

As I said on our episode about The Beastie Boys, I learned so much about a group that I knew so little about. So much so that I would consider myself a huge fan now. I love their story. I love their place in history. And I love how they took account…

In 2004, The Beastie Boys released To The Five Boroughs. It was the first album of new music released by the trio since the attacks on September 11th, 2001 that left an indelible mark on the city they (and I) were born in. To The Five Boroughs is a …