Shatter the Standards

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Wednesday Roundups #130: 21 Albums/EPs You Should Listen to In Your Spare Time
With MAVI, Andy Mineo, 9th Wonder, CRIMEAPPLE, Choclair, Body Bag Ben/Daniel Son, Esham, Von Pea/The Other Guys, Stogie T, Franchesca, and others, hit…
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Shatter the Standards
Five 2000 Rap Albums That Tell on Their Era
These projects catch Ja Rule, E-40, CNN, Afu-Ra, and Dice Raw in motion rather than in control. The friction between what they could do and what they…
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Brandon O'Sullivan
, 
Phil
, 
Javon Bailey
, 
Randy
, 
Asa McKenzie
, and 
Shatter the Standards
The Best Hip-Hop, Pop, and R&B EPs of 2025
The records that matter are giving these fans top-tier appetizers and doing it in over or under twenty minutes. Here are the best hip-hop, pop, and R&B…
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Shatter the Standards
H. Rap Brown’s Long Road Toward a Different Kind of Freedom
His rise from Baton Rouge classrooms to headlines carried a mix of clarity, confrontation, and consequence. That same force followed him into his years…
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Blackpolitan
 and 
Aicha Odilia
Album Review: Onyx’! by Pink Siifu
Siifu enters this project carrying the weight of every shape-shift he’s made up until the sprawling world-building of Black’!Antique. Onyx’! arrives as…
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Genesis Cadwell
 and 
Shatter the Standards

November 2025

Our Tribute to Antone “Chubby” Tavares (1944-2025)
The beloved lead singer of Tavares has died peacefully at home, leaving behind decades of soul and joy. His family remembers his positive spirit and…
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Shatter the Standards
The 50 Best Jazz Albums of 2025
A multigenerational conversation in sound. You’ll hear legends and newcomers weaving fresh narratives; jazz in 2025 will not be pinned down. Expect…
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Shatter the Standards
The Ugliest Hip-Hop Album Covers of 2025
People who suddenly show up white, AI slop, and creepy crawlies on faces: once again this year, rap music distinguished itself with bizarre cover…
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Asa McKenzie
 and 
Shatter the Standards
Five 2010 R&B Albums for Fans of Neo‑Soul, Quiet Storm and Grown Folks’ R&B
While the charts chased EDM, these five albums doubled down on grown‑folks storytelling. They’re the kind of records that reward late‑night listening…
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Phil
, 
Imani Raven
, 
Tai Lawson
, 
Seraphina Joy Clarke
, 
Keziah Amara Reid
, and 
Shatter the Standards
Anniversaries: Love Me Back by Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Sullivan channels the spirits of her musical foremothers while forging her own identity. Love Me Back gives so much love that it compels you to…
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Imani Raven
 and 
Shatter the Standards
Anniversaries: But You Caint Use My Phone by Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu is still on the line, still experimenting with that perfect frequency. In a world more digitally tangled than ever, sometimes the soul…
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Jill Wannasa
 and 
Shatter the Standards
Album Review: Don’t Tease Me With a Good Time by Jessie J
A decade after her first break, Jessie J isn’t chasing the charts. The singer who once rode the line between pop hits and stage‑school bravado is…
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Alexandria Elise
 and 
Shatter the Standards
© 2025 Shatter the Standards, LLC.
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