The Listening: Lil Baby, Max B, Mavi, Ferg and More This week’s new music Friday also features Esham, Spree Wilson, Lil Baby, Central Cee and 9th Wonder. entertainment November 28, 2025
How to Be Outside, Inside Featuring Fred T. Joseph The three-time New York Times bestselling author shares his playbook for quiet vibes in the city. new york November 28, 2025
Pursuit of Happiness: Buddah Bless on Giving Yourself Time to Heal For the latest edition of Pursuit of Happiness, superproducer Buddah Bless talks about turning negativity to power and more. wellness November 26, 2025
Klay, Meg and the Fear of Looking “Soft” Softness and vulnerability are overdue for a comeback. It’s a matter of health. wellness November 26, 2025
Every De La Soul Album, Ranked From Worst to Best Following the release of De La Soul’s latest album, ‘Cabin in the Sky,’ Okayplayer ranks De La Soul albums from worst to best. featured November 25, 2025
Player’s Pass With Nino Paid: From PG to Worldwide, Nino Paid’s Next Chapter No shortcuts, no gimmicks. Just a rising star from PG County, Md. is ready to make his story known globally. featured November 25, 2025
Camp Flog Gnaw 2025: Tyler, The Creator’s Universe Expands Again Camp Flog Gnaw 2025 proved Tyler’s imagination still leads the culture. news November 24, 2025
Is R&B Still Rhythm and Blues? R&B has never stayed in one lane — from Mary J. Blige’s hip-hop soul to today’s alternative sounds, it’s a story of evolution, experimentation, and breaking boundaries. featured November 24, 2025
Monte Booker Defines His Own ‘Noise’ Speaking to Okayplayer, Monte Booker breaks down his new album and more. news November 21, 2025
The Listening: De La Soul, Tems, BigXThaPlug, Ransom & Conductor Williams and More This week’s new music Friday also features Ne-Yo, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Polo G, A$AP Ferg, and Rico Nasty entertainment November 21, 2025
How to Be Outside, Inside featuring MoRuf MoRuf keeps it mellow when he’s in the city — good eats, good art, and good people only. new york November 21, 2025
A De La Soul Starter Kit So, you want to get into De La Soul but don’t know where to begin? Okayplayer has your back. featured November 21, 2025
To the World: R&B’s Global Expansion A look at how global influences, cross-continental collaborations, and new voices are reshaping what R&B looks and sounds like today. featured November 20, 2025
How Justin Andrews Expands His Grandfather’s Legacy With the Otis Redding Foundation Speaking to Okayplayer, Otis Redding’s grandson, Justin Andrews, discusses his role in the Otis Redding Foundation. featured November 19, 2025
You Need More People: The Truth About the Winter Blues Beating Seasonal Affective Disorder has less to do with your brain chemistry and gut health, and more to do with our community and how we gather. wellness November 19, 2025
The Miraculous and Inevitable Life and Rhymes of De La Soul A look at how De La Soul weathered industry turmoil, cultural shifts, and personal heartbreak to become one of hip-hop’s most resilient and beloved groups. featured November 18, 2025
Earthy, Electric, Eternal: The Rise of Neo-Soul From Erykah to D’Angelo, a personal reflection on how the genre’s warmth shaped identity, intimacy, and the way we listen. featured November 17, 2025
Every Nas and DJ Premier Collaboration, Ranked From Worst to Best As the iconic rapper and producer prep their long-awaited album, Okayplayer revisits the songs that showcase their synergy. featured November 14, 2025
The Listening: Wale, Summer Walker, Boldy James, Ice Spice, FKA twigs and More This week’s new music Friday also features Van Hunt, Mario, OMB Peezy, and Valerie June. entertainment November 14, 2025
Players Pass with Reuben Vincent & 9th Wonder, 'WELCOME HOME,' a Modern Ode to Hip-Hop Longtime collaborators Reubent Vincent and 9th Wonder came down to the Okayplayer studio to talk North Carolina soul and the timelessness of Black culture. featured November 14, 2025
Khamari Will Not Let R&B Die Anchored in R&B tradition yet unafraid of its evolution, Khamari is carving space for vulnerability, storytelling, and independence — reminding a data-driven industry that soul can’t die as long as artists stay true to theirs. featured November 13, 2025
The Hidden Cost of Almost-Poverty There’s a working population stuck between their bills and their basic needs. The numbers link financial strain to clinical stress, illness, and suicide. Community care minimizes the damage. wellness November 12, 2025
Player’s Pass with Supah Mario: Finding a New Note with ‘DEMO TAPE’ The hitmaking producer trades 808s for saxophones, leading a jazz ensemble that transforms his rhythmic instincts into something timeless, soulful, and entirely new. featured November 11, 2025
Five Best Moments From the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony OutKast, Salt-N-Pepa, Cyndi Lauper, Thom Bell and more were among this year’s inductees. entertainment November 10, 2025
The Six Biggest Snubs for the 2026 Grammy Nominations The 68th Annual Grammy Awards take place on Feb. 1 in Los Angeles. entertainment November 10, 2025
How The Golden Era of Black Media Made R&B Mainstream In the ‘90s, musical crossover with hip-hop and prominence in media pushed R&B into the mainstream featured November 10, 2025
Rediscovered: ‘Liquid Swords’ by GZA/Genius The Genius of Wu-Tang Clan delivered a dark, brooding classic that cemented his legend both within and apart from his iconic crew — and continued RZA’s production hot streak. featured November 7, 2025
Max B’s Second Wave Sixteen years after his incarceration, Harlem’s musical savant is coming home. In one of his final prison calls, Max B reflects on fatherhood, faith, and why his return isn’t a comeback — it’s a continuation. featured November 7, 2025
Players Pass with Chance The Rapper: The North STAR LINE of Hip-Hop Exploring the inspiration, intention, and evolution behind Chance The Rapper’s second album, 'STAR LINE.' entertainment November 6, 2025
From Spike Lee to 50 Cent: Celebs React To Zohran Mamdani’s Historic Mayoral Win Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani becomes New York City’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest since 1892. featured November 5, 2025
November Albums We're Excited to Hear From Summer Walker to G Herbo and De La Soul, here are the month’s hottest releases. entertainment November 4, 2025
Rochelle Jordan is Redefining What Freedom Sounds Like After a decade of shaping her own lane through R&B, house and electronic soul, the Toronto-born artist is at the helm of her own creative freedom. In this Okayplayer exclusive, she discusses independence, evolution and the power of surrender behind her new album, 'Through the Wall.' featured November 3, 2025
Black Horror Films Have Always Known Who the Real Monster Is Black Horror has long exposed the truths America tries hardest to bury. featured October 31, 2025
Omar Dorsey Stars In ‘Mr. Benjamin’s Birthday,’ A Look at Black Men, Mental Health and Aging Written and directed by Crystle Roberson Dorsey, the short film examines death and depression and how Black men cope. featured October 29, 2025
Poetry in Motion: How Black and Brown Communities Are Rewriting the Rules of Action Sports From roller-skating to bungee jumping, non-traditional sports are on the rise in the Black and brown communities. Okayplayer speaks to T.I, Jessie Reyez, and more about the phenomenon. featured October 28, 2025
ONE MusicFest 2025 Was a Symphony of Unity in the Heart of Atlanta More than a weekend of performances, Atlanta's ONE MusicFest became a gathering of generations honoring Black artistry, Southern pride, and the rhythm that continues to move us all. featured October 27, 2025
Busta Rhymes Celebrates D’Angelo With “Magic” Okayplayer spoke to the emcee about his friendship with the late singer-songwriter. featured October 27, 2025
Alchemist on Working With Future: “We’re in Contact” Okayplayer chats with Alchemist about his new joint albums, Prodigy, Future and more. featured October 24, 2025
The Listening: Megan Thee Stallion, Miguel’s ‘CAOS,’ Hit-Boy and Alchemist, Ari Lennox, New Leon Thomas and More This week’s new music Friday also features Cautious Clay, Daniel Caesar, Bruiser Wolf with Harry Fraud, and Samara Cyn. entertainment October 24, 2025
Rico Wade: The Sound, Spirit, and Legacy That Built Atlanta Hip-Hop Before Atlanta ruled the charts, it had The Dungeon — and Rico Wade was its soul. His sound, his loyalty, and his belief in the South changed hip-hop forever. featured October 24, 2025
We Asked ChatGPT for Therapy. Then We Asked a Real Therapist. ChatGPT had answers. A real therapist had questions. Here’s what happened when we asked both. wellness October 22, 2025
Black Fans Are the Main Characters in the Future Afrofuturism Promised Black cosplayers and creators no longer just celebrate the culture — they are now living the futures they’ve always imagined, one costume and universe at a time. featured October 20, 2025
And Yet, the Soul Remains — Remembering D'Angelo D'Angelo's music was made for reflection, so this week we'll be spending some time doing exactly that, from 'Brown Sugar' to 'Black Messiah.' entertainment October 19, 2025
How Mobb Deep's 'Infinite' Avoided the Posthumous Album Trap Okayplayer explores how Mobb Deep’s latest manages to skirt the pitfalls of other posthumously released albums. entertainment October 17, 2025
The Listening: Big L With Nas, Wale, RZA With Big Daddy Kane, Gucci Mane, Ty Dolla $ign’s ‘TYCOON,’ and More This week’s new music Friday also features Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Bun B, Jay Worthy, Usher and Muni Long. entertainment October 17, 2025
To D’Angelo, Love Always, Okayplayer In memory of D'Angelo, Okayplayer spoke to friends and colleagues of the legendary soul artist in an attempt to capture just what made him so special, and how sharply his absence will be felt. featured October 17, 2025
How Fela Kuti Channeled James Brown’s Funk to Spark His Own Revolution For Fela Week, Okayplayer takes at how Fela Kuti connected James Brown and the Black Power movement to fuel his own unique revolution. featured October 16, 2025
Don't Teach Me Nonsense: Fela Kuti as a Sample in Rap As the world marks Fela Kuti's 87th posthumous birthday this week, Okayplayer and OkayAfrica celebrate the legendary musician's life and legacy with stories that explore his lasting impact on music, culture, and activism. featured October 16, 2025
NLE The Great Explains Why He Chose to Prioritize His Mental Health In a convo with Kirk Franklin, Jonathan Majors and more, the Memphis rapper reveals how journaling and faith helped pull him out of depression. wellness October 15, 2025
How ADHD and Music Shape Each Other A generation of undiagnosed kids found focus and freedom in music. Now, science is catching up to what artists with ADHD have known all along. wellness October 15, 2025
We Love You, D'Angelo The beloved neo-soul pioneer and R&B innovator is dead at 51 after a prolonged, personal cancer battle. featured October 14, 2025
DJ Premier, Tyler, The Creator and More React to the Death of D’Angelo The singer-songwriter’s passing has led to an outpouring of grief and remembrance from stars like DJ Premier and Nile Rodgers. featured October 14, 2025
D’Angelo Dead of Pancreatic Cancer at 51 The family of D’Angelo confirmed that the soul icon has passed away from a private battle with pancreatic cancer. featured October 14, 2025
Black Alternative Music Was Always Here Black alternative music has always thrived in the in-between, turning misfit energy into an expressive movement. From Detroit garages to global stages, its lineage is resistance, innovation and survival. featured October 14, 2025
The Listening: Mobb Deep Drops ‘Infinite,’ New Cool Kids, Khalid, Princess Nokia’s ‘Girls’ and More This week’s new music Friday also features G Herbo, Doechii, Bia and Skepta. featured October 10, 2025
Pursuit of Happiness: How The Alchemist Turned Positivity Into Legendary Collaborations For the latest edition of Pursuit of Happiness, The Alchemist discusses fatherhood, navigating the internet and more. wellness October 10, 2025
How to Be Outside, Inside Featuring BAYLI Brooklyn-bred pop and R&B singer BAYLI shares her perfect New York day and her favorite spots to refuel and clear her mind. new york October 10, 2025
In Her Words: Serayah is Learning to Let go, Lean in, and Protect Her Peace We spoke to the talented actress about mental health, her recent pregnancy, and guarding her privacy as a celebrity. wellness October 10, 2025
10 Times That Hip-Hop Was Inspired By The Comic Book World From masks to monikers, here are ten times the two worlds collided in unforgettable ways. featured October 9, 2025
It Gets Better: From Kid Cudi to Earl Sweatshirt, Artists are Embracing Sobriety and Self-care Performers like Kehlani, Flavor Flav and Jessie Reyez are sharing their stories and embracing their journeys to wellness. wellness October 8, 2025
Pursuit of Happiness: Shad on Why Ball Is Literally Life For the latest edition of Pursuit of Happiness, Okayplayer speaks to Shad, a respected rap veteran who emerged from the Canadian underground. wellness October 8, 2025
Do Music Reviews Even Matter Anymore? From one-listen reviews to polarizing scores, music criticism has traded patience for speed, leaving artists and audiences wondering how music is even measured today. entertainment October 7, 2025
LIFEOFTHOM’s 'Driving Blind' Is a Sonic Leap Forward for Underground Hip-Hop Crafted alongside Plain Pat, 'Driving Blind' is a raw, genre-blurring record that aims to place LIFEOFTHOM’s in the center of hip-hop’s next wave. entertainment October 3, 2025
The Listening: Hit-Boy Teams Up With Alchemist, Chloe’s “Nightlife,” New Leon Thomas, Bryson Tiller and More This week’s new music Friday also features Cam’ron, Dave East, Justine Skye and Ledisi. entertainment October 3, 2025
From the Couch to the Concrete: 6 Essential Tips for New Runners The runner’s high is real, and you don’t have to be a marathoner to feel it. Here’s how to get started. wellness October 1, 2025
