Music

Smooth Jazz is a very polarizing genre that people either come to love or hate. Some Jazz purists dislike the genre because it has “Jazz” in its name while the common folk view the artform as nothing more than boring grocery store music. While both arguments have merit, Smooth Jazz is a very dynamic genre that should not be judged by its name or the songs featured on the radio. The Purpose of the Smoothness Scale The Smoothness Scale was developed to provide listeners with an objective...

Who is Merlon Devine? Merlon Devine was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in a musical family led by a guitar playing father and a singing mother. Merlon's childhood home was faith-led so he and his nine siblings developed an affinity and appreciation for Gospel music. But unlike his siblings, Merlon didn't develop any vocal chops so he had to find another way to express himself musically. He decided he would have to play music and because of that he eventually found his voice with the...

To celebrate Black History Month we have compiled a playlist that covers 6 decades of Black American music beginning with the Civil Rights era. Black music is 400+ years of pain, pride and perseverance that serves as the continuous drum beat that carries us towards freedom. As you move through this playlist you will feel the Black Experience in America through the instrumentation, hear through the voice of the artists, and comprehend it through the written lyrics. Our song tells our story...

Music is the soundtrack of life and nothing fits the backdrop of a calm and relaxing moment better than Smooth Jazz. So to help you round out your playlist, we've rounded up some of the best Smooth Jazz artists in the industry today. To ensure only the best of the best made it on the list we only selected artists who in the last two years have had a charting single and/or album and corresponding tour. In addition, we've assigned each Artist a "smoothness" rating so that you get a great...

Deemed a musical journal and gradual shift of his life, Oddisee To What End is a 16 track smorgasbord of skillful lyrical delivery, thoughtful subject matter, and expertly crafted beats. If Oddisee were only an MC, this outing would be leagues ahead of the competition. But no, Oddisee wrote, produced, and mixed every track on the record which puts this new album and Oddisee in a league of its/his own. But does it live up to the Odd Cure EP? Let's dive in and find out. Analyzing 3 Random...

A little over 5 hours ago, Ruff Ryders alumni Styles P announced his upcoming album Penultimate: A Calm Wolf Is Still A Wolf (1/27). Yes folks, the name says it all, Styles P is dropping one more solo album (after this) before retiring. When that time comes it will be a sad day for Hip Hop but it will definitely give him more time to expand Juices for Life, Farmacy for Life, and spend time with family. In addition to the upcoming album announcement, Styles P surprised fans with the lead...

Hubert Eaves IV is a multi-talented instrumentalist, composer, and producer who has has written/recorded and/or toured with several classic artists including Erykah Badu, Freddie Jackson, The O’ Jays, Seal, and more. H4 as he is known, has played drums and bass on some of music’s most iconic songs and albums. In this interview we touch on his upbringing, accomplishments, and future plans. This is an interview you do not want to miss.

What’s your favorite type of relaxing jazz music to listen to? Do you like Smooth Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, or Traditional Jazz? I personally like all 3 but your mileage may very depending on taste. Below are 6 tracks I believe you should download and add to your playlist today. Let's get started... 6. Merlon Devine - Air I Breathe Expert Saxophonist Merlon Devine begins our list with the wonderful "Air I Breathe”. I picked this track to start because Merlon's flute work fully embodies the...

After a 5-year hiatus, Kendrick Lamar steps back on the scene with his fifth album Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. Before we begin, let’s level set…this is not an album for everyone. It’s an experimental genre-bender that will leave those expecting a pure and unadulterated Rap album feeling ostracized and confused. I recommend listeners come to this album expecting “Alternative Rap” at best and “Not Even Rap” at its worst. Now shall we begin? Analysis (3 Random Songs) Silent Hill Silent...

Nas has given us a present this holiday season with his second release of 2021, “Magic”. This 9-track outing is very simple, it relies on up-tempo beats and pared-down verses but also genius because it’s the formula in which Nas shines best. Imagine pouring your favorite Nas albums into a coffee press and as you press the plunger down, you see cuts like “Summer on Smash”, “Like Me”, the whole “NASIR” album filtered out. The resulting Coffee would be the perfect analogy for Nas Magic. Nas...