Substacks recommended by Shatter the Standards

Recommended by Shatter the Standards

London Listening Sessions

By Dami Ajayi

A newsletter focused on contemporary Anglophone West African music, particularly Afrobeats.

The Phenom Socialite

By Omaria the Phenom Socialite

a bunch about conversations, culture, and creativity.

Blackstack

A corner of Substack for the Black community. We can call this a little safe hub F.U.B.U. If you don't check the box for Black on applications, don't click the subscribe button to this publication. They not like us!

The Ordinary Vintage

By Maya Yandal

The Ordinary Vintage is an archive of lived interiors—where culture, memory, and design quietly meet. Memory lives here.

Around My Way

By Wanna

'Around My Way' blends personal stories with music and culture, highlighting the connections between our past and present experiences.

Network Notes

By Darren Hemmings

A newsletter about the music industry, technology, marketing, and the intersection of all three, brought to you by the strategic marketing agency Motive Unknown.

REALM EMPIRE INDUSTRIES

By creative barter economy 🌎

A global creative economy redefining how art, culture, and opportunity move — powered by community, collaboration, and barter.

Playlist Park

By Nick Pierre

A playground for music lovers. Monthly Playlists straight to your inbox.

YAMS Magazine

A leading voice in R&B music discovery and new perspectives on music culture. For the ❤️ of R&B. From the minds behind @yamstheplaylist.

TENTH

By Ebanē

A reverent offering to Black art, memory, and sound—told through essays and reflection.

Scene Serene

By Natelegé Whaley

Sharing events, writings, and DJ mixes exploring Black women and non-binary people's influence in music. By Natelegé Whaley

Rap Fiction

By Andrew Robert Colom

Please subscribe to Rap Fiction

The Coldest Truth

By Carmelia

Views on Black music and culture

Working Creative Weekly

By Donwill

This is a place where I give weekly updates on new music, explore some topics a little deeper, or just wax poetic about stuff that I don't know how to put anywhere else.

ChaoticGood

By Chaoticgood by Clarissa Brooks

a newsletter dedicated to Black culture and our inherent liberation by Clarissa Brooks

If you’re not tapping into Clarissa Brooks and the ChaoticGood publication, you are missing out on your blessings.

- Shatter the Standards

FJDay

By Faith Joy Day

A some times writer, creator, and educator. An all times millennial observing the media and the masses.

AZARIAN

By Jzon Azari

Azarian Magazine is a platform for showcasing the arts and entertainment that inspire and delight. It celebrates the creative spirit that constantly gives birth to new and original expressions of beauty and culture.

Reviews And Dunn

By New Article

John Noire

Restoring the feeling in storytelling

Laughter & Lexapro

By Jay Connor

Chaos and commentary from award-winning culture critic Jay Connor. Come for the laughs, stay for the truth.

Hip Hop Can Save America!

By Manny Faces

Exploring Hip Hop as a culture of innovation — and what it can teach us about education, justice, and public life.

Inside The Credits

By Miki

Writer/Journalist Miki Hellerbach's headfirst dive into album and song credits highlighting one behind the scenes producer wizard a week with first person essays!

GROAVEN

Where Black music and culture converge in a groove-infused haven, dive in for bold perspectives, archived interviews, and the stories shaping tomorrow’s sound.

Black music culture, in all its forms (hip-hop, R&B, Afrobeats, jazz, soul, and beyond), relies on community and shared experience. “Groaven” connotes both the pulse of rhythmic expression and a supportive refuge for deep cultural conversations.

- Shatter the Standards

Cadence Weapon

A music newsletter by Polaris Prize-winning rapper and former Edmonton poet laureate Rollie Pemberton a.k.a. Cadence Weapon

Mimi the music blogger 📍

I’ve spent years amplifying music and culture as a journalist and host. This space is where I tell the stories that matters to ME... unfiltered. ME = MIMI

The Music Directory

By Shanté

A place for musicians, music writers, avid listeners, and everyone in between to find each other & discover new sounds in community.

things i collected

By Shanté

musings on music, maximalism, memorabilia, mysticism, and more!

Nielly Listens

Deep dives into music history, culture, and composition to learn about yourself & the world around you

SNOBHOP

By John Wright

Hip-hop, Marketing, & Black Culture EVERY SINGLE FRIDAY. Click below to Join the crew.

Joint Jams Radio

Music hub for Realm Music

ARTSTACK

The official hub for artist on Substack.

thesovereignaudite

By the sovereign audite

experiencing music through a music lover's ears. ✨

Special Instructions

By Ella Hussle

Special Instructions is a newsletter for thoughtful musings on the world of CDs, the art of archiving, librarianship, and the treasures of antiquarian books. Dive into compelling album reviews and explore the intersection of nostalgia and knowledge.

The Growth Journal

By Mcpotar

A repository of information for self architecture

a filmless score.

By a filmless score by Shanté

a passion project that prompts one to see film musically and hear music cinematically.

Rap Portraits

Imprecise words.

Another Link in The Chain

By Jillian Grace

Essays, thoughts, and other things concerning Black music.

Lynn Lauren

For the past decade I've worked in music as a journalist and now, marketing strategist. Here you'll find updates and unfiltered thoughts on the latest in Hip Hop/R&B music, culture, and trends.

Bars 4 Ya Mindz - Powered by The Boom Bap Hour Podcast

By Bars 4 Ya Mindz Newsleter

Get real insights, relatable gems, and inspiration—powered by Hip Hop & R&B songs. Access to The Boom Bap Hour Podcast & upgrade to the LEGΔCY LAB (coming soon) - the artist accelerator where artists succeed and level up their music career at ANY age!

The R&B Grid

By Tatiana

R&B Essentials, signed & unsigned.

We’re highlighting The R&B Grid by Tatiana “Yan” Snead because it reliably spotlights the week’s essential R&B (established names and independents). Snead’s background (Black music editor at Pandora) and the newsletter’s current home on Substack make the curation both informed and easy to follow.

- Shatter the Standards

ᴛʜᴇ ʙʟᴋᴜᴇᴍ

By The Blkuem By Realm Empire Industries

ᴠɪꜱᴜᴀʟ ᴀʀᴄʜɪᴠᴇ