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Louis Armstrong: Pioneer of Jazz
On August 4, 1901, Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans. Until the age of five, Armstrong's grandmother was his…
Chaz Shepherd Pays Tribute to George Floyd in Powerful New Video
Philadelphia based actor/singer-songwriter, Chaz Shepherd, is well-versed in the arena of soulful, R&B music,…
Celebrating 10 Years of “Pink Friday”
The year is 2010. Every middle schooler has an armful of Silly Bandz, people still expect Avatar sequels within…
Billie Holiday: Improving the Improv
Eleanora Fagan was born on April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia. As a child, she started going by Billie Holiday, Billie…
Nikmoody Transforms Setbacks and Pain into Conscious Prose
Long Island rapper Nikmoody has been writing his entire life, taking the lemons of life and turning them into more…
Cab Calloway: The Hi De Ho Man
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was born on Christmas Day 1907 in Rochester, living on Sycamore Street. His mother was a…
Made in NYC: Frank Zappa, Madison Avenue Ad Man
AMC’s Mad Men is one of TV’s most critically acclaimed series. It’s a stylish recreation of the martini stoked…
Fats Waller: Composer, Pianist and Clown Prince of Jazz
On May 21, 1904, Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller was born to Adeline Locket Waller, a musician and Rev. Edward Martin…
Harlem Renaissance: Ethel Waters Breaking Barriers
Ethel Waters was born on October 31, 1896 in Chester, Pennsylvania. She was raised in poverty by her grandmother…
In Memory of Lou Reed, 1942-2013
Today we celebrate the memory of one of New York's true musical icons, Lou Reed. Seven years ago today, Reed died…
Bessie Smith: The Empress of the Blues
On April 15, 1894, Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her parents and brother had died by the time…
The Harlem Renaissance: ‘Count’ing Basie’s Life and Legacy
William James "Count" Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey in August 1904. Both of his parents played…
Autumn Nicholas Strives to Make a Difference Through Music
Autumn Nicholas, a soul-pop singer-songwriter from Raleigh, NC, is a talented young musician that makes her…
Kyle Stockman Finds ‘Solace’: A Chameleon Amongst Genres
Harlem-native, Kyle Stockman, has suffered through an unexpected 2020 along with many fellow Americans. After…
The Harlem Renaissance: Duke Ellington
On April 29, 1899, Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in Washington D.C.. Both of his parents were musicians, and…
Why Method Man is the Perfect Adversary for Jay-Z in a Verzuz Battle
Since March, the Coronavirus global pandemic and government shutdown had left many people in their homes stuck…
On this day in Grateful Dead history, Jerry Garcia debuts ‘Wolf’…
Among the many guitars in the cache of Jerry Garcia, "Wolf" stands as the most legendary of them all. "Wolf" was…
Wu Tang Wednesday: The Clan Brings Da Ruckus
“Bring da Ruckus,” from the Wu Tang Clan's debut 36 Chambers LP stands as one of the rawest songs in rap history.…
Wu Tang Wednesday: ODB joins Mariah Carey on “Fantasy”
They say you never know how good something is until you try it, who knew that peanut butter and jelly would set…
Speaking Truth to Power through Music: A conversation with Donald Sturge Anthony…
Throughout the summer, protests surrounding the shootings of unarmed Black Americans led to calls for police…