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The Handguide to the Ladies of Hip-Hop
Presented chronologically to show the long march of ladies in rap music toward success and recognition, contains several types of projects.
Mar 31, 2025 • Tai Lawson, Jamila W., and Tabia N. Mullings
150 Best R&B Albums of the 2020s So Far
So whether you’re an old-school purist, a fan of avant-garde experimentation, or simply looking for your new favorite record, here are 150 selections of…
Feb 24, 2025
New Music Drops: February 13, 2026
As new albums and singles get constantly flooded into our radar, look no further than skimming through the release week of February 13th. We know it can…
1 hr ago • Shatter the Standards
Album Review: November Scorpio by Tiana Major9
On her debut, Tiana Major9 sings about money, God, and bad fights with the same possessive grip, and that honesty is the album’s engine. The penmanship…
8 hrs ago • Shatter the Standards and Imani Raven
Album Review: Icon by Brent Faiyaz
After scrapping Icon the night before release, Faiyaz returned with something tighter and stranger. Raphael Saadiq executive-produces a sealed-off…
12 hrs ago • Shatter the Standards and Sydni Carter-Reed
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R&B Albums That Basically Counts As Going to Therapy
Apr 21, 2025 • Brandon O'Sullivan
Album Review: The Fall-Off by J. Cole
Feb 6 • Shatter the Standards and Kamaria Jules
Album Review: Man’s Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter
Aug 28, 2025 • Charlotte Rochel
Album Review: Son of Spergy by Daniel Caesar
Oct 23, 2025 • Tai Lawson and Shatter the Standards

Recent posts

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Album Review: Salvation for the Wicked by Ransom, Boldy James & Nicholas Craven
Three hustlers split a hymnal and find cocaine between the pages. Every prayer on this record is addressed to the scale. Detroit math and Jersey…
20 hrs ago • Shatter the Standards and Quinn Baptiste
EP Spotlight: Table for Two by Lucky Daye
Lucky Daye built his career writing for other singers. Table for Two tests whether that instinct holds when he finally shares the mic.
20 hrs ago • Shatter the Standards and Esther Blake
Wednesday Roundups #136: 23 New Projects You Should Listen to Now
Listen to new releases from Ron Carter & Ricky Dillard, RZA, Puma Blue, Charlotte Day Wilson, RAAHiiM, Aquakultre, Dina Ögon, The Musalini, Rissi…
Feb 11 • Shatter the Standards
Album Review: Expansions by Zo! & Tall Black Guy
Zo! and Tall Black Guy fill a full-length with Detroit grease and Chapel Hill warmth. Expansions bets workaday optimism weighs as much as heartbreak…
Feb 10 • Shatter the Standards and Harry Brown
How Deregulation from the Telecommunications Act Stripped Black Music of Power
Thirty years ago, ownership caps vanished. Black stations vanished with them, replaced by playlists built for shareholders, not communities.
Feb 9 • Blackpolitan and Reginald Marcel

Guides

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Singers Painting R&B in the Colors of Heart-Flutters
After “So Sick” conquered the charts, a wave of melodic R&B singers found their audience in Tokyo. These Ne-Yo disciples built careers on falsetto and…
Feb 6 • Shatter the Standards, Brandon O'Sullivan, and Phil
The Handguide to J. Cole
From Fayetteville dorm rooms to platinum plaques. The mixtapes that built his name. The albums that tested his audience. A complete guide to J. Cole’s…
Feb 4 • Shatter the Standards and Kamarion
The Lineage of Michael Jackson (Mellow / Sensitive)
Each guide is based on this run of albums, believed to be part of Michael Jackson’s roots. It then branches out into post-1995, drawn from that tree…
Jan 30 • Shatter the Standards, Brandon O'Sullivan, and Phil
The Lineage of Michael Jackson (Dance / Boogie)
Each guide is based on this run of albums, believed to be part of Michael Jackson’s roots. It then branches out into post-1995, drawn from that tree…
Jan 23 • Shatter the Standards, Brandon O'Sullivan, and Phil
The Handguide to Michael Jackson
As we’re approaching three months to the biopic, what better way to go down memory lane to the King of Pop, whose resume speaks for itself. From Jackson…
Jan 16 • Shatter the Standards, Brandon O'Sullivan, and Phil

New Music Drops

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New Music Drops: February 13, 2026
As new albums and singles get constantly flooded into our radar, look no further than skimming through the release week of February 13th. We know it can…
1 hr ago • Shatter the Standards
New Music Drops: February 6, 2026
As new albums and singles get constantly flooded into our radar, look no further than skimming through the release week of February 6th. We know it can…
Feb 6 • Shatter the Standards
New Music Drops: January 30, 2026
As new albums and singles get constantly flooded into our radar, look no further than skimming through the release week of January 30th. We know it can…
Jan 30 • Shatter the Standards
New Music Drops: January 23, 2026
As new albums and singles get constantly flooded into our radar, look no further than skimming through the release week of January 23rd. We know it can…
Jan 23 • Shatter the Standards
New Music Drops: January 16, 2026
As new albums and singles get constantly flooded into our radar, look no further than skimming through the release week of January 16th. We know it can…
Jan 16 • Shatter the Standards
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