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Photos by B+, Eric Coleman, Yanran Xiong, Jeremy Weiss and Israel Ramos / Illustration by Jackie Lay/NPR / Courtesy of Stones ThrowFrom generational classics like J Dilla's Donuts to the star turns of Sudan Archives and Anderson .Paak, one small LA label has made history for 30 years — without losing its roots.
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Photos by Patrick T. Fallon/Shotbycozyy/Axle Jozeph/Leon Neal/Theo Wargo/Getty Images/Illustration by Jackie LayThe dam appeared to break in 2024, as South African phenom Tyla made Grammy and chart history. But for a wide field of buzzed-about voices, the path to a crossover has narrowed.
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TikTok made "Love Me Not" a Top 10 hit, but its rise felt disembodied from the artist behind it. On Blue Island, Lenae responds to a career plot twist by stepping into the past.
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The 1976 film is about a '60s trio based loosely on The Supremes. It wasn't a big hit, but it has a devoted cult following, and critic Ken Tucker says it features some of Aretha Franklin's finest performances.
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The R&B group's breakout stars released new solo albums on the same day — one leaning out of the spotlight while the other confronts viral fame.
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The husband-wife duo, and their tight band, deliver fresh, soul-inflected songs of uncommon power.
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R&B star Syd explores the complexities of romantic relationships and self-acceptance in her third solo album, Beard.
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The singular singer's third album finds a message worthy of her instrument: Great romances are defined not by what you want, but by the act of wanting.
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Fred Hammond, a leading architect of modern gospel music, gives us a catalog-spanning set and declares: "Tiny knows how to party in the Holy Ghost!"
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New albums by Lizzo and the rising artist Imani Imani are both "event" records — but one arrives with arguably too much backstory, the other with almost none.
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The R&B veteran steps behind the Desk to blaze through his smash hits, including "Good Girls," "I Wanna Know" and the macking anthem, "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)."
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The Nigerian pop star delivers Afro-fusion grooves, dreamy soundscapes and high-energy rhythms with a stellar band.