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July 2025 Roundups: The Best Albums of the Month
With releases from Clipse to Raekwon, here are notable releases in June that stood out to us as the best albums of the month.
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The True R&B Songs of the Summer in 2025
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know. We don’t have a definitive “song of the summer” that we can collectively agree on, but for all “R&B is Dead” complainers, the…
The Ten Songs That Joe Thomas Wrote for Other Artists
Joe Thomas’ résumé behind the microphone is well-known, yet his pen is just as formidable. A close read to show what makes his writing persuasive, and…
 • 
Imani Raven
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June 2025 Roundups: The Best Albums of the Month
With releases from Little Simz to McKinley Dixon, here are notable releases in June that stood out to us as the best albums of the month.
The Best R&B Mixtapes You Might’ve Missed In the 2010s
The 2010s produced a quiet flood of R&B tapes that redirected the genre through bedrooms, label boardrooms, and avant-garde club basements. Let’s see if…
 • 
Jill Wannasa
R&B Groups That Never Came to Fruition
The list outlined an alternative timeline of R&B, one where everything remained central even as the business world around them kept changing the rules.
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Jill Wannasa
The 50 Best Albums of 2025 (So Far…)
In the past few months, a very few different records have drifted into rotation, but even though there’s a lot to be desired in certain areas, here are…
The Best Rap Music of 2025 (So Far…)
This six-month scoreboard for mainstream rap is a death sentence for the majors, but indie rap has done what is supposed to do at its best: grow new…
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The Best R&B Music of 2025 (So Far…)
This year didn’t deliver too many standouts in the mainstream. However, on the other side, they sketch a panorama of R&B’s present, rooted in tradition…
The Handguide to ‘70s Funk Albums (Beginners Edition)
These selected albums significantly influenced the history of funk, conveying its breadth and diversity.
 • 
Brandon O'Sullivan
 and 
Murffey Zavier
May 2025 Roundups: The Best Albums of the Month
With releases from billy woods to Kali Uchis, here are notable releases in May that stood out to us as the best albums of the month.
The Handguide to Backwoodz Studioz
These releases chart the moment when Backwoodz Studioz forged its signature alloy of literary street rap, deconstructed samplecraft, and…
 • 
Brandon O'Sullivan
 and 
Phil
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