In my view, Black History Month is a time to reflect on the black experience. It is one filled with unspeakable pain and incredible resilience. No matter how hard we fall, we get back up again. With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of songs that define our struggle.
Rock stalwarts Maroon 5 will collaborate with rapper Megan Thee Stallion for the first time on their forthcoming single “Beautiful Mistakes”, which will be released on March 3. Fans had been suspicious of their collaboration earlier this month, when the Grammy-winning group posted behind the scenes snapshots of the music video on their Instagram Story. Maroon 5 also tweeted out a lyric last week. Lead singer Adam Levine recently teamed up with fellow pop hit maker Jason Derulo on “Lifestyle”, which debuted at No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 last week. Maroon 5 made chart history with Megan’s “WAP” collaborator Cardi B on “Girls Like You”, which spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and a whopping 40 weeks in the top 20 region of the all-genre tally. It also made history for longest running No. 1 song on Billboard’s Radio Songs chart in 2018 and longest running No. 1 song by a group on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Radio Airplay Chart. The Los Angeles-based pop-rock band is currently nominated for Favorite Music Group at the 2021 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, which will air March 13, the night before the 2021 Grammy Awards. The Houston rapper has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year for her “Savage Remix”, featuring Beyonce, who leads this year’s nominations with nine nods.
This song is the property of Six Course Music Group/RCA Records.
“What It Feels Like” is a collaboration between Jay Z and Nipsey Hussle. The song appears on the album “Judas And The Black Messiah: The Inspired Album.”
This song is the property of Universal-Island Records Ltd.
Cosima is a British singer/songwriter who has been described as a cool cross between fellow Brits Adele and Sade, and those comparisons are well deserved. She has amassed quite a following in the UK, with features in the magazines Harper’s Bazaar, The Face and British Glamour. She is also one of the new faces of Valentino. Her debut album, “The Fun Is Here”, is due out on February 26.
Muni Long steps into the spotlight with her latest single “Thot Thoughts” featuring Love & Hip Hop star Sukihana. Muni long, born Priscilla Renea, has written songs for Mariah Carey, Ke$ha, Rihanna, Demi Lovato, Kelly Clarkson, Fifth Harmony, K. Michelle, and more. Given such an illustrious songwriting career, it should come as no surprise that Muni Long would soon craft hits for herself that rival the ones she’s written for others. Her 2020 EP “Black Like This” was released to rave reviews from critics and fans who applauded her new musical direction and visual aesthetic. Since “Black Like This”, Muni Long has been supplying her fans with consistent content including “Build A Bae” featuring Yung Bleu and now “Thot Thoughts.” “Thot Thoughts” details Muni Long’s affair with a married man. Despite having regrets about her secret rendezvous, she just wants him to take her mind off her “thot thoughts.” I don’t think a female artist has created a track about stepping out on their man this good since TLC’s “Creep.” “Thot Thoughts” is a must add to your playlist. Listen to “Thot Thoughts” below.
Onyx is an American hip hop group from South Jamaica Queens, New York City. Formed in 1988, the group’s original lineup consisted of Fredro Starr, Suave and the late Big DS. Sticky Fingaz joined the group in 1991. They are best known for their 1993 hit “Slam”, which The Source magazine described as a song that introduced the art of slam dancing to hip hop. The group has released eight studio albums, three of which have charted in the Billboard 200 albums chart Top 25. Their debut album, “Badafucup”, has been certified platinum, won Best Rap Album at the Soul Train Awards and was selected as one of The Source magazine’s 100 Best Rap Albums. They are also notable for their style: loud screaming, aggression, fighting with each other, stage diving, throwing water, rapping with a grimy voice and the bald head fashion. They have released the albums “Bacdafucup” (1993), “All We Got Iz Us” (1995), “Shut Em Down” (1998), “Bacdafucup Pt. 2” (2002), “Triggermometry” (2003), “#WakeDaFucUp” (2014), “Against All Authorities” (2015), “Shotgunz In Hell” (2017), “Black Rock” (2018) and “SnowMads” (2019). The group recently announced that they will release the album “Onyx 4 Life” on April 9, 2021. “Coming Outside” is the lead single from the album.
