Category Archive: Music

Jermaine Dupri: Cultural Curren$y:

There aren’t very many people who have worked with nearly every superstar in hip-hop and R&B, especially during the 90s and early 2000s. However, So So Def  CEO Jermaine Dupri is an exception to the rule. From discovering his own artists like Kris Kross, Usher and Bow Wow, to working with fellow hip-hop heavyweights in the game like Jay-Z and Ludacris, to R&B and Soul royalty group Xscape, Mariah Carey, and the late Aretha Franklin, Jermaine Dupri’s hands have touched hit after hit for nearly 30 years. His name deserves to be mentioned among today’s well-known hip-hop moguls like Diddy,  and Dr. Dre.

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Lina Robins-Tamure: One of a Kind

Pacific Islanders get virtually no representation in mass media. That number decreases below zero when factoring in queer people, especially transgender people. Hawaiian singer Lina Robins-Tamure represents the Pacific Islander transgender community well and with pride. The 24-year old is not paraded around as the “trans-Hawaiian singer” to be used as a diversity prop because she has genuine talent that can’t be knocked as a form of “affirmative action” simply because she’s representing a marginalized group. Her voice has the silky smoothness of early R&B singers like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Her passion for music pulsates around her from videos to live performances.

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Eric Bellinger: Your Favorite Ghostwriter

Close your eyes. Imagine that the weather is perfect and you’re in your favorite place with not a care in the world, a moment of pure bliss. That’s what I feel when listening to Eric Bellinger’s acoustic tracks. His vocal range is admirable. When his voice is paired with an acoustic guitar, the two become one and are in perfect harmony.

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Alaya High: Mini Show Stopper

Alaya “Lay Lay” High, 11, preps by applying a fresh coat of lip gloss and delivers heat with the confidence of a seasoned rapper. She demonstrates raw talent through viral Instagram videos of her sitting in the front seat of her father’s car, spitting bars over famous beats like BlocBoy JB’s track “Shoot.”

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