Why Music and Basketball Have Always Shared the Same Soundtrack From locker rooms and warmups to highlight reels and All-Star Weekend, here's how music became basketball’s unofficial language. featured January 28, 2026
5 J. Cole ‘Birthday Blizzard '26’ Lyrics That Will Make You Sorry for Hating The North Carolina spitter unloaded a surprise new project just ahead of his birthday, and Okayplayer breaks down the best bars. entertainment January 28, 2026
On 'Vacancy,' Ari Lennox Sinks Smoothly Into Hard-Earned Freedom Ari Lennox’s latest album is her first since she departed Dreamville Records last year. entertainment January 28, 2026
Okayplayer Hosts the Okayplayer Lounge During 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend In partnership with the National Basketball Retired Players Association and The Finn Group, the Okayplayer Lounge pop-up is bridging music, basketball, art and legacy. news January 28, 2026
J. Cole Drops Surprise New Mixtape, 'Birthday Blizzard '26' The DJ-Clue hosted mixtape arrives ahead of his new album, ‘The Fall Off,’ which is supposed to drop next week. entertainment January 28, 2026
Roc Marciano’s ‘656’ Is Another Minimalist Masterpiece Roc Marciano’s entirely self-produced album only reinforces his legend. entertainment January 26, 2026
‘The Vince Staples Show’ Wasn’t Perfect, But it Was Too Good For Netflix Anyway The streaming platform canceled Staples’ show after just 11 episodes, before its strange world could blossom into something beautiful entertainment January 26, 2026
Delroy Lindo’s First Oscar Nomination is Beautiful — But Also Decades Late The 73-year-old is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Delta Slim in Ryan Coogler’s 2025 hit ‘Sinners.’ entertainment January 26, 2026
The Listening: Roc Marciano, Ari Lennox, T.I., Juvenile, DaBaby and More This week’s new music Friday also features Flo Milli, Denzel Curry, Nija, Wiz Khalifa and Roc Marciano. entertainment January 23, 2026
What’s Free to do in New York: Violin Master Class, 2026 Vision Boards in the Park, Blog and Newsletters Workshop and More From beginners' salsa classes to writing workshops, here’s what’s free in NYC this weekend. new york January 23, 2026
A$AP Rocky’s ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ Is a Convoluted, But Rewarding Blockbuster A$AP Rocky’s latest album can be a bit sprawling for its own good, but his superhuman cool holds the vista together. entertainment January 20, 2026
John Forté Remembered: “Legends Never Die” The longtime Fugees affiliate was celebrated by Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill after his death at 50. news January 16, 2026
The Listening: J. Cole, A$AP Rocky, Ella Mai, Fivio Foreign and More This week’s new music Friday also features Wiz Khalifa, Lexa Gates, Charlie XCX, NBA Youngboy and Gunna. entertainment January 16, 2026
What’s Free to do in New York During MLK Weekend: Acting Classes, MLK Service Weekend, Max B at Polygon From community service to partying with Max B, this MLK weekend has a lot to offer — when it comes to what’s free. new york January 16, 2026
Teyana Taylor, Ryan Coogler Take Home Trophies at the 2026 Golden Globes ‘One Battle After Another’ took home major honors as TV shows like ‘Pluribus’ and ‘The Studio’ also won. news January 12, 2026
5 Takeaways From Max B & French Montana’s ‘Coke Wave 3.5: Narcos’ Max B & French Montana’s latest proves the two are nearly as wavy as ever. entertainment January 12, 2026
The Listening: Ari Lennox, Bruno Mars, Max B & French Montana, A$AP Rocky and More This week’s new music Friday also features Jill Scott, Kodak Black, Pusha T and Danny Brown. entertainment January 9, 2026
Albums We’re Excited For in January From A$AP Rocky to Ari Lennox, here are the month’s hottest releases. entertainment January 9, 2026
What’s Free in New York This Weekend: Yin/Yang Yoga, Family Art-Making, Memoir Writing and More Enjoy the city without spending a dime. Check out our weekly list of free activities for friends, family and first dates. new york January 9, 2026
How To Be Outside, Inside Featuring Rasheeda Purdie The chef and owner of NYC’s Ramen by Ra takes us on a downtown tour featuring museum stops, thrifting breaks, pastry intermissions, and breezy bike rides. new york January 9, 2026
Styles P on Being Willing to “Lose a Dollar” to Help the Black Community The Yonkers native and his company, Juices For Life, are working to promote healthier lifestyles through better choices. wellness January 7, 2026
Art as Abolition: The Radical Intent Behind ‘Songs from the Hole’ This ain’t trauma porn. Songs from the Hole is abolitionist art made by and for the people it represents. And it’s still managed to find a global audience. wellness January 7, 2026
Latto is Focused on What’s Next, Not the Noise In an exclusive interview with Okayplayer, Latto reflects on growth, confidence and the creative clarity guiding her into 2026. featured January 6, 2026
What’s Free to do in New York on the First Weekend of 2026 Free fun in New York City this weekend includes community jogs, moonlight meditations, youth hair-braiding classes and more. new york January 2, 2026
The Listening: Doechii, SZA, YFN Lucci, Chief Keef, Jill Scott and More This week’s new music Friday also features Rod Wave, Lil Tony Official and Kareen Lomax. entertainment January 2, 2026
How to Be Outside, Inside Featuring Mal Wright From reality TV to the streets of Brooklyn, fan-favorite Mal Wright shares her go-to places to keep it cute without the crowd. new york January 2, 2026
2025 Kicked in the Door: A Year Hip-Hop Survived From grief and legal wars to defining moments, hip-hop weathered another year. featured December 30, 2025
What's Free in New York City on Christmas Weekend Astrology readings, live trivia, community frisbee, a comedy show and more. See what’s happening for free this weekend. new york December 26, 2025
How to Be Outside, Inside Featuring Adelfa Marr and Manny Montana The actor and his wife, Adelfa Marr, share their favorite spots in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens that serve cozy, cultured vibes with just the right amount of social. new york December 26, 2025
The Listening: Tyler, The Creator, Snoop Dogg, Lil Uzi Vert, Sexyy Red and More This week’s new music Friday also features Chance the Rapper, Cash Cobain, $uicideboy$ and Vic Spencer. entertainment December 26, 2025
Okayplayer’s Most Slept-On Albums of 2025 Too many releases. Not enough time. Here are some albums that deserved more love. featured December 22, 2025
How to Be Outside, Inside: Poet Roya Marsh Makes a Strong Case for Never Leaving Home Sunrise affirmations, late-night chopped cheese — Bronx-based poet Roya Marsh walks us through her perfect New York day. new york December 19, 2025
The Listening: Benny The Butcher, YFN Lucci, Polo G, Sevyn Streeter, Dave East and More This week’s new music Friday also features Smokepurpp, DaBaby, Brandy Haze and EST-Gee. entertainment December 19, 2025
Why This Year’s Jamrock Cruise Hit Different Even under the weight of Hurricane Melissa, the Jamrock Cruise kept its rhythm. featured December 19, 2025
Cathy Hughes Bet on Black, and Built a Media Empire From radio to television to digital, the Urban One founder spent decades proving that ownership, intention, and community are the true framework for media power. featured December 19, 2025
2025 Was the Year Hip-Hop Hit the Reset Button From Clipse to Nas, and from the underground to the global stage, hip-hop returned to its foundation — prioritizing culture, intention and longevity over virality. featured December 18, 2025
Masicka Visualizes the Discipline, Patience and Honesty of Love Okayplayer and Masicka unpack the imagery and intention behind his new EP, 'Her Name Is Love,' where femininity and emotional awareness take center stage, accompanied by an exclusive photo story. featured December 18, 2025
Seeds of Liberation: You Can’t Fight the Power if You’re Starving Aliffer Zamira Sabek built Seeds of Liberation on the belief that freedom begins with food, rest and real community — not rhetoric. What started as direct action in the streets has grown into an ecosystem for wellness, dignity and racial education in Brooklyn. featured December 17, 2025
Player’s Pass with PARTYOF2: The Genre-less Future As traditional labels fade and musical genres blend together, PARTYOF2 steps into the spotlight with a boundary-breaking approach that merges innovation and instinct with pure creative chemistry. featured December 15, 2025
21 Savage Told Drake Not to Battle Kendrick: “Leave That S**t Alone” The Atlanta rapper felt that getting into a beef was a “lose-lose” for the OVO superstar. news December 12, 2025
How to Be Outside, Inside Featuring Olalekan Jeyifous Brooklyn-based artist Olalekan Jeyifous on nocturnal rituals: long walks, quiet observations, and a rotating final stop. new york December 12, 2025
The Listening: Nas & DJ Premier, 21 Savage, Conway The Machine, Samara Cyn, and More This week’s new music Friday also features 21 Savage, Joyner Lucas, DaBaby, Yasiin Bey and Dee-1. featured December 12, 2025
Okayplayer's Top Artists of 2025 These artists were the ones who carried the torch throughout the year. featured December 11, 2025
Cheryl “Salt” James On How She Works Out to Feel Good, Not for Vanity With Salt-N-Pepa getting their much-deserved flowers, Salt is sharing how embracing her health has helped to rejuvenate her mind, body and spirit. wellness December 10, 2025
Why I’m Quiet Quitting Christmas What if canceling Christmas isn’t just a protest but a return to community wellness? wellness December 10, 2025
Earl Sweatshirt Showed Terminal 5 How to ‘Live Laugh Love’ Earl tore it down in Manhattan last week for the latest stop of his tour. featured December 8, 2025
Okayplayer’s Top 25 Songs of 2025 As 2025 comes to a close, Okayplayer shares our top songs of the year. featured December 8, 2025
The Listening: Erick Sermon, Lil Baby, GloRilla, Polo G with G Herbo and More This week’s new music Friday also features Ice Spice, The Game, Logic and Wiz Khalifa, Big K.R.I.T. and Kevin Gates. entertainment December 5, 2025
How to Be Outside, Inside Featuring Shyvonne A Bronx-born, genre-bending “emotional house” artist shows us how to enjoy a slightly more adventurous side of New York. new york December 5, 2025
Shaggy Brings His Legendary Vibes to Art Basel Shaggy headlined Okayplayer and VP Records’ Art Basel experience, and spoke with us about longevity, legacy, and legendary career. featured December 5, 2025
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
