Guides

The Handguide to Backwoodz Studioz

These releases chart the moment when Backwoodz Studioz forged its signature alloy of literary street rap, deconstructed samplecraft, and…

May 16 •

Brandon O'Sullivan

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Revisiting the Year 1978 in R&B

Stitch these moments together and you get a year that didn’t add chapters to R&B’s saga but opened entirely new plotlines.

Apr 28 •

Brandon O'Sullivan

and

The Lineage of Miles Davis and Roy Ayers

Each guide is based on legendary musicians believed to be part of D’Angelo’s roots. It then branches out into post-‘Brown Sugar’ and ‘Voodoo,’ drawn…

Apr 22 •

Brandon O'Sullivan

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R&B Albums That Basically Counts As Going to Therapy

Below is a hand‑picked R&B syllabus for the soul—seventy albums that feel less like casual listening and more like a guided therapy session.

Apr 21 •

Brandon O'Sullivan

The Lineage of Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, and Minnie Riperton

Each guide is based on legendary musicians believed to be part of D’Angelo’s roots. It then branches out into post-‘Brown Sugar’ and ‘Voodoo,’ drawn…

Apr 15 •

Brandon O'Sullivan

and

The Lineage of Roberta Flack, Nina Simone, and Billie Holiday

Each guide is based on legendary musicians believed to be part of D’Angelo’s roots. It then branches out into post-‘Brown Sugar’ and ‘Voodoo,’ drawn…

Apr 8 •

Brandon O'Sullivan

and

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 •

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Tabia N. Mullings

The Handguide to Albums by Related Artists (‘80s Whitney)

In the 1980s, Whitney Houston released two essential albums: her debut and follow-up. Here, we’ve selected 11 albums by the key collaborators who helped…

Mar 7 •

1967 — Early ‘70s Female Singer-Songwriters

As we entered the 2020s, the era of individuality dawned, with a singer-songwriter boom coinciding with the wave of the late ‘60s sexual revolution and…

Mar 3 •

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Charlotte Rochel

The Lineage of Al Green and Bobby Womack

Each guide is based on legendary musicians believed to be part of D’Angelo’s roots. It then branches out into post-‘Brown Sugar’ and ‘Voodoo,’ drawn…

Feb 25 •

Brandon O'Sullivan

and

The Lineage of Stevie Wonder

Each guide is based on legendary musicians believed to be part of D’Angelo’s roots. It then branches out into post-‘Brown Sugar’ and ‘Voodoo,’ drawn…

Feb 18 •

Brandon O'Sullivan

and

The Lineage of Donny Hathaway

Each guide is based on legendary musicians believed to be part of D’Angelo’s roots. It then branches out into post-‘Brown Sugar’ and ‘Voodoo,’ drawn…

Feb 11 •

Brandon O'Sullivan

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