If you never ate Now & Laters with little bits of paper stuck to them you can't argue with me about music.

Yeah this is just what his communications team wants right now

Once a week I tell myself that I want a puppy. Also once a week I talk myself out of it.

From couples creeping at Coldplay to Young Money and Dipset down bad to whatever is going on with Jermaine Jackson's head, 2025 nearly drove me to drink. I might as well, because clearly these people are. It's time for the annual Playa Please Awards. Watch me go off on the worst of the worst.

Live a life so undeniable that the bigots scramble – and fail – to discredit you in death.

2025: The year R&B began to find its voice again, legends received the spotlight they deserved and we witnessed comebacks for the ages. I listened to *218* projects this calendar year. Here are the 50 best.

Light-Years is the hip-hop White Whale that I've been chasing for literally half my lifetime. What we got wasn't what I expected, but what we needed – a beautiful ode to hip-hop culture and the perfect way to cap off this year's Legend Has It series. soulinstereo.com/2025/12/albu...

Witnessing the kids I mentored at age 10, 11 and 12 become mentors for the next generation a decade later is an amazing feeling. Want to break generational curses? Revamp the cycle.

With the #Boys4LifeTour coming soon, let's look back at the solo career of B2K's frontman Omarion. It took awhile, but he's grown into one of R&B's more consistent artists. Ranking every Omarion album & B2K project. #SoulInStereo soulinstereo.com/2025/12/rank...

Dave Hollister's #Chicago85TheMovie has become a cult classic. It might not have grabbed the headlines it deserved in 2000, but 25 years later, it's celebrated as one of the brightest hidden gems of its era. Let's look back. #SoulInStereo soulinstereo.com/2025/11/2000...

25 years ago, Erykah took a huge creative leap with her sophomore album, and if you ask us, that risk paid off. Green Eyes, Bag Lady, Didn't Cha Know – they weren't just songs, they were testimonies. Revisiting #MamasGun. soulinstereo.com/2025/11/2000...

My most anticipated album of all time. I've wanted it since 1999 but never thought it would happen. Dec. 12, 2025, dreams come true. Nas. DJ Premier. Define My Name.

If Summer Walker didn't sing like she has a mouth full of Werther's Originals I might like this album.

25 years ago today, Musiq Soulchild dropped an album that was annoying to spell but impossible to deny. Tim Hall joins me to revisit Musiq's beloved Aijuswanaseing, the legacy of "Love" and if that neo-soul tag really is a bad thing. #SoulInStereo soulinstereo.com/2025/11/2000...

With 450 albums dropping every week, it's easy to miss the good stuff. Let's circle back and celebrate 12 projects you may have missed.

Good work being done down here

Kehlani reminding R&B singers to be R&B SINGERS and not boring melodic rappers is my favorite lesson of 2025.

If you're a longtime fan of Big L, his latest posthumous release doesn't come with many surprises. But if you're not familiar with his game, introduce yourself to one of the best to ever grace a booth. soulinstereo.com/2025/10/albu...

Not shocked that rap is off the Billboard charts. Mainstream slop had a shelf life and now that its original audience has finally matured it no longer has a purpose. Meanwhile 2025 has given us some of the best rap albums in years. We're good. The culture was never determined by charts.

Fun fact: I wish I could have interviewed Fred Rogers. He fascinates me. The world desperately needs a Fred Rogers these days.

I'm not surprised that a bunch of privileged weirdos were being racist in the group chat. I'm surprised our alleged leaders are defending them. Actually, no I'm not.

When your music is this transformative, this stirring, this groundbreaking, you only needed three albums to become a legend. RIP D'Angelo. Cancer will never silence your voice.

Can't wait for y'all to check out Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur, which drops later this month. Author Jeff Pearlman shares hidden Pac gems, the relevance of All Eyez on Me & how much the world needs his revolutionary voice. soulinstereo.com/2025/10/a-co...

I lived through Lil Kim vs Foxy Brown. Cardi vs Nicki is light work.

So I hear one of these lil' websites y'all like said a 2-star Young Thug mixtape is one of the greatest albums of all time – better than Lauryn, Outkast, Jay, BIG, Kendrick, all of 'em. Please visit SoulInStereo.com for rap convos that make sense. Say no to clickbait.

Posthumous albums often are red flags for flags but, when done well, they're way more than rushed cash grabs. Check out 12 releases that keep artists' legacies strong. soulinstereo.com/2025/09/12-o...

"Bad Bunny's songs aren't in English, how are we gonna enjoy this?' Young Thug has been rapping in Klingon for a decade what's the difference?

Do I like Bad Bunny's music? No. Is he worthy of a Super Bowl spot? Yes. He's one of the most successful artists on the planet, he puts on a decent show, & has big hits. Plus it will make the racists mad so LOL. This ain't for me but it will resonate w/ millions & that's cool.

Lady Wray is all about evolution, and she may have reached her final form with Cover Girl, an incredible celebration of throwback soul and gospel flair. Don't miss one of the year's best R&B releases.

I can't shake the feeling that we've heard many of these songs before – and done way better – but when Mariah finds her groove Here For It All entertains. soulinstereo.com/2025/09/albu...

I really don't care about which football player Cardi B is having children with or what rapper she's mad at today. I only have one question – is the music good? The answer? ...It's aight. Am I The Drama review via #SoulInStereo soulinstereo.com/2025/09/albu...

Imagine demeaning experienced employees with multiple degrees as "DEI hires" when you still haven't mastered "their" and "they're."

Awhile back, I realized that Killer Mike quietly has amassed one of the best discographies in recent hip-hop history. From RTJ to his solo run, he always hits. Let's go through his entire run and prove it.

It's been awhile, so let's UPDATE our MCU villain ranking! 90+ bad guys across film, Disney+ and Netflix. #SoulinStereo soulinstereo.com/2025/09/rank...

I already looked at Gerald and King Keef, so let's celebrate the G in LSG. Johnny Gill has one of the most renowned voices in R&B and he has several albums y'all slept on. Let's revisit and rank his entire solo run (with a surprise or two) soulinstereo.com/2025/08/rank...

The #SummerofSpitters continues with another AOTY contender! No, #SupremeClientele2 isn't on the level of SC1, but it's probably Ghostface Killah's best album in 2 decades. soulinstereo.com/2025/08/albu...

Imagine if Jay sued Nas over 'Ether.' "Your honor, he called me a ... Tae Bo Ho..."

Classic or cap? Did these albums deserve five mics from The Source PART TWO. Time to spit truths! www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGFi...

Malcolm-Jamal Warner was the cool older brother we all wish we had. That's why this feels like losing a family member. RIP to the Gordon Gartrell guru. This one really hurts.

The best thing social media did was give some of y'all a platform. The worst thing social media did was give some of y'all a platform.

Clipse's legacy is about way more than coke rap. They're a morality play on wax, and #LetGodSortEm Out is high-level storytelling. A can't miss album of the year contender. soulinstereo.com/2025/07/albu...

July 4 is a complicated day. But if you love this country, you shouldn't be afraid to criticize it, to demand more from leadership and to fight for the freedoms it guarantees. Patriotism isn't blind loyalty. It's about wanting better for everyone who calls this land home.

Shout out to Bloomberg for showing love to Son of Birmingham on their summer reading list! We’re honored and humbled. bloombergcities.jhu.edu/news/5-summe...

Let's talk the best album of the year so far ... with a few new additions to my previous list. youtube.com/watch?v=-NjK...

Pardon my French but, uh, Sometimes I get kinda Peeved at these weak MCs I feel like Biggie daily.

If our freedom offends you, that tells me all I need to know. Celebrate liberty Honor #Juneteenth

2025 has been an up and down year, to say the least. But I dug through 100+ albums to bring you the 25 best of the year ... so far. soulinstereo.com/2025/06/the-...

A pioneer among pioneers.

After years of misfires and setbacks, is Tha Carter 6 the project that finally restores Lil Wayne's claim as Best Rapper Alive? Spoiler: NOPE. soulinstereo.com/2025/06/albu...

"People who treat other people as less than human must not be surprised when the bread they have cast on the waters comes floating back to them – poisoned." --James Baldwin Ignoring the breadcrumbs of fascism will be fatal for all of us.