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Bruno Mars Drops Retro-Charged ‘I Just Might’ Video, Teasing First Solo Album in Nearly a Decade

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Bruno Mars Drops Retro-Charged ‘I Just Might’ Video, Teasing First Solo Album in Nearly a Decade

Bruno Mars has returned with the lead single and accompanying video for ‘I Just Might‘, the opening glimpse of his forthcoming album The Romantic, due February 27. The release ends a long wait for new solo material, marking his first full-length studio project since the platinum-selling 24K Magic in 2016, an album that cemented his reputation for sharp pop-funk production and airtight live-band energy. Riding momentum from recent collaborations, Mars picked up a 2025 Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Lady Gaga on “Die With A Smile”, and he’s currently nominated in the same category  including Song of the Year and Record of the Year — for the Rosé team-up “Apt.” at this year’s ceremony.

Co-directed by Mars and Daniel Ramos, the video places Mars front and center with a crew of cloned versions of himself, all locked into the track on a faithfully recreated ’70s soundstage. The setup leans hard into vintage television performance aesthetics;  think tight choreography, period-perfect lighting, and a full band feeding off each other in real time. It’s a clear extension of Mars’ long-standing love for retro soul and funk staging, delivered with the precision he’s known for.

The rollout continues next month with the full arrival of The Romantic, followed by the launch of The Romantic Tour in April. The stadium run will hit major markets across North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom, extending through October. With fresh Grammy hardware already in hand and more nominations pending, Mars looks positioned to reclaim center stage in mainstream pop and R&B throughout 2026.

Watch ‘I Just Might‘:

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Jill Scott Announces To Whom This May Concern, Her First Album in Over a Decade

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Jill Scott Announces To Whom This May Concern, Her First Album in Over a Decade

Jill Scott is gearing up for her return to music with To Whom This May Concern, scheduled to drop February 13. It’s been more than ten years since her last full-length, Woman in 2015, a stretch where the Philadelphia singer leaned into acting with roles in BET’s First Wives Club and the RZA-directed Love Beats Rhymes. Scott cut her teeth in the late-’90s spoken-word scene before Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson pulled her into the Soulquarians circle. Her debut Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds, Vol. 1 landed a Best R&B Album Grammy nomination in 2001, and she kept that momentum alive with a 2023 anniversary tour celebrating the record’s enduring pull.

The album lines up an eclectic guest list, bringing in Ab-Soul, J.I.D., Tierra Whack, and Too $hort for features that promise to bridge generations. On the production side, Om’Mas Keith lays down layered soul foundations, DJ Premier brings his signature sample chops and drum knocks, and Trombone Shorty injects brassy, live-wire energy.

Scott broke the news herself on Instagram, underscoring the communal effort behind the project. Jill Scott shared: “Finally my new album entitled TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN drops Feb. 13th!!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE and THANK YOU for your patience and your listening ears.” In another post highlighting the lineup, she added: “Creating takes a village. I’m sharing my beautiful people most literally.” After years away, this feels like Scott stepping back into the center with purpose.

Pre-Save To Whom This May Concern: HERE

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21 Savage Returns With What Happened to the Streets? – Out Now

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21 Savage Returns With What Happened to the Streets? – Out Now

Earlier this week, 21 Savage slid the announcement everybody’s been waiting on. A quick Instagram video revealed What Happened to the Streets?, his first solo album since 2024’s chart-topping American Dream, arriving December 12. From the I Am > I Was era to the two Savage Mode tapes that redefined trap menace with Metro Boomin, the Slaughter Gang leader has spent a decade carving out one of the grimmest lanes in rap. This year alone he added weight to Summer Walker’s Finally Over It and Travis Scott’s Jackboys 2, but it’s clear the solo bag is where he still does the most damage.

21 Savage doesn’t drop often, but when he does, the conversation shifts. What Happened to the Streets? looks ready to answer its own question the only way he knows how – brutally.

Stream What Happened to the Streets?:

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Black Motion drops Afro-House remix of Lisa Ramey’s ‘Better Than That’

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Black Motion drops Afro-House remix of Lisa Ramey’s ‘Better Than That’

(REMIXER – Black Motion / Image Credit: @StillzBytrei)

‘Better Than That (Black Motion Remix)’ landed on December 5th, 2025 and adds a new rhythmic charge to the ongoing rise of Black Motion. The South African group, made up of Thabo “Smol” Mabogwane, Bongani “Murdah Bongz” Mohosana and Kabelo “Problem Child Ten83” Koma, built their reputation on heavy percussion that cuts through club systems with precision. Their catalog includes Gold certification on Fortune Teller, Platinum success and Best Dance Album for Ya Badimo and four SAMA31 nominations for The Cradle of Art. They also brought their live energy into a performance for NPR Tiny Desk (Home). Their collaborator, Lisa Ramey, first reached national audiences on The Voice, and moved across the US earlier this year as one of two vocalists touring with Zayn Malik. Her debut Surrender hit #34 on Good Morning America’s Top 50 Albums of 2020. Her track ‘Better Than That’ appears on the 2024 EP Foretaste, produced by Joe “Capo” Kent with Sam Maul and Glenn Schick shaping the final mix and master.

The remix strips the original soul-pop framework into something more physical. The tension in Lisa’s vocal lines remains, now wound tighter by rolling percussion and sharp edits that move her voice through reverb and delay. The groove feels grounded and heavy, with each drum hit carrying more weight than the last.

Black Motion keep the focus on rhythm, letting Lisa’s performance hover above a shifting pattern of drums and atmospheric details. Fans of Shimza, Black Coffee and Culoe De Song will recognize that approach, though this track still holds onto the emotional pull of the original cut.

This version hints at how easily Lisa’s voice can live inside Afro-House. The remix pushes her sound into a new lane without losing the urgency of her delivery.

Black Motion shared: “When the challenge came to remix Lisa Ramey’s ‘Better Than That’, we were all in. We wanted to bring our own touch and feel to the song, giving her audience a taste of the South African vibe. With Spice Drums adding his signature feel, we hope people feel the same energy and joy we felt while creating it.”

Stream ‘Better Than That (Black Motion Remix)’:

Follow Lisa Ramey:

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Jairic Lands Hard with New EP n=40 and the Unrelenting ‘Yolo 2 Yoga’

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Jairic Lands Hard with New EP n=40 and the Unrelenting ‘Yolo 2 Yoga’

Jairic has spent years laying the groundwork for this moment, and with n=40 dropping today, his vision finally takes center stage. Born in Detroit and now based in Cannes, he is a creative force who writes every lyric, crafts every beat, and directs every shot himself. That fierce independence has already propelled him past two million streams worldwide, landed his early singles in the playlists of Wonderland Magazine, NOTION, CLASH Magazine, and EARMILK, and kept his sound spinning on NPR Music. Onstage, Jairic transforms exclusive venues into his own world, performing at Château Les Alouettes in Cannes, Villa Balbiano above Lake Como, and premiering the short film Azur in Paris. Drawing inspiration from Nas and Wu-Tang Clan, Detroit’s underground, classic funk, 60s rock, and the cinematic sweep of film scores, Jairic has spent five years forging a path that is unmistakably his own.

The eight tracks on n=40 are sharp, restless, and brimming with intricate detail. Deep bass lines collide with warped guitars, dusty samples are reimagined into fresh forms, and the drums swing with a loose, live-wire energy that keeps listeners guessing. Jairic’s voice adapts effortlessly: intimate and conversational when drawing you in, rapid-fire and breathless when the moment calls for it. The lead single, ‘Yolo 2 Yoga,’ fires the opening salvo, blending experimental hip-hop with echoes of A$AP Rocky’s cool confidence and Kanye West’s fearless genre-mixing, yet always sounding uniquely Jairic. The Vansh Luthra-directed video brings the concept to life, showing Jairic in conversation with his younger selves, watching them fade as he strides forward without hesitation.

Jairic shared: “n=40 isn’t midlife. It’s mid-war. I’ve spent my life building things that last—this album is no different. The music, the visuals, the moves—I’m making every second count.”

n=40 EP Tracklist:

1. Antagonist (Intro)
2. Mitt Rock Me
3. Yolo 2 Yoga 
4. Young, Old, Short & Tall
5. Don’t Let Me Put A Track On You
6. UDK WTF I Am
7. Stick Figaro
8. Still AF Gospel

Stream n=40:

Follow Jairic:

Website – Instagram – Soundcloud – Youtube – Spotify

ACE MEDA4 Drops Debut Album ‘Life / Stories’ – Real Rap For The Intellectual Lands Today

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ACE MEDA4 Drops Debut Album ‘Life / Stories’ – Real Rap For The Intellectual Lands Today

Long Island-born, Fredericksburg-based rapper ACE MEDA4 just released his first full-length Life / Stories, a no-gimmicks statement that plants him squarely in the lane he calls adult contemporary rap. No viral stunts, no industry plug, just a Roosevelt native who grew up on golden-era lyricism and decided the grown-ups still deserve bars that hit like they used to. He bridges that 90s/early-2000s craftsmanship with a 2025 mindset, delivering stories and reflections for people who never stopped loving hip-hop—they just outgrew the kiddie table. Today the album is out everywhere, speaking directly to that crowd.

From the opening blast of “WE IN HERE” featuring Rayla Devine—pure entrance music with knocking production and relentless flow—to the sun-drenched West Coast bounce of “NOBODY” that nods at Dr. Dre without copying homework, the tracklist keeps shifting shapes. “LIKE I LOVE YOU” slides in funky rhythm guitar and a laid-back groove that proves he’s not afraid to stretch. Every cut feels lived-in, the kind of record where the beats serve the message instead of stealing the show.

ACE MEDA4 explained the split in the title: “A way to express and share parts of myself and my perspective while also exploring concepts and thoughts outside of myself. Hence the split in the title. Some things are life, some things are stories, both come from my mind.“

Stream Life / Stories:

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Jairic Unleashes ‘Young, Old, Short & Tall’ Single and Video Today

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Jairic Unleashes ‘Young, Old, Short & Tall’ Single and Video Today

Jairic releases his latest single ‘Young, Old, Short & Tall’ today, November 14, 2025, complete with a video rollout via Rich Air Music. It’s the final preview from his EP n=40, hitting December 5, 2025. These tracks have pulled in props from Wonderland Magazine, NOTION, CLASH Magazine, and EARMILK, on top of rotation from NPR Music. Jairic‘s stage presence has turned heads at private shows in Château Les Alouettes in Cannes and Villa Balbiano on Lake Como, plus a key live turn during the Paris launch of the short film Azur. Working across France, Italy, Prague, and the U.S., he’s clocked almost 2 million streams. He handles every element himself—lyrics, beats, performance—tying it to visuals that layer upscale settings with street-sharp details, locking him in as a connector across hip-hop, visuals, and high fashion.

From Detroit roots to his current spot in Cannes, France, Jairic grew up in a house full of music, starting out by crafting beats for local rappers before honing his own direct, boundary-pushing style. Drawing from Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Detroit’s raw scene, old-school funk, ’60s rock, and score work from films, he packs dense bars into beats that shift genres without apology. Earlier cuts like ‘Stick Figaro’ hook listeners who dig 21 Savage, Yung Thug, Playboi Carti, and A$AP Mob, setting the table for this hip-hop surge.

Watch ‘Young, Old, Short & Tall’:

‘Young, Old, Short & Tall’ eases in on a vocal hook that grabs hold quick, then Jairic unleashes bars with real momentum over a beat loaded with punch and control. The mix starts clean but piles on distortion as it rolls, giving his flow room to cut through the build. The Bastien Leblanc video catches him in motion through a massive house, spitting sharp lines and showcasing how two versions of himself wake up from what can be described as a fever dream. As he goes about his day, he gets flashbacks to the fever dream which can be interpreted through the use of saturated magenta lights and hazy neons.

Jairic told us: “There are so many beautiful people in the world—and then there’s a ton of hate and doubt. Be strong. Keep forging and let the fire burn inside. There are a thousand reasons to stop—forget them.“

Stream ‘Young, Old, Short & Tall’ 

Follow Jairic:

Website – Instagram – Soundcloud – Youtube – Spotify

OutKast Cement their Legacy in the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

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OutKast Cement their Legacy in the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

OutKast‘s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on November 8 capped a legacy that reshaped Southern hip-hop from the ground up. The Atlanta duo—André 3000 and Big Boi—broke through in 1994 with their debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, a slab of funk-laced trap that spotlighted the Dirty South’s gritty edge. They kept pushing boundaries across ATLiens in 1996, Aquemini two years later, and Stankonia in 2000, blending cosmic soul with booming basslines. Their 2003 double set, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, snagged the Grammy for Album of the Year and went diamond, proving rap could dominate pop charts without losing its bite.

At the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, Childish Gambino handed over the honor, crediting OutKast for building Atlanta into a hip-hop powerhouse and paving the way for acts like his own. The pair kept it light with a quick Rock, Paper, Scissors round to pick speech order. Big Boi led off, shouting out the divine spark that linked him with his partner from the jump. André 3000 followed with an off-the-cuff reflection, voice cracking as he nodded to humble origins in the cramped Dungeon Family setup—echoing Jack White‘s nod to “little rooms” where big ideas ignite.

Big Boi closed the night solo, ripping through a high-energy medley of classics backed by Tyler, The Creator, J.I.D, Killer Mike, Janelle Monáe, and Doja Cat. As the lone hip-hop group in this year’s class, OutKast slots in alongside past inductees like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, N.W.A, Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, Eminem, and Missy Elliott—plus last year’s A Tribe Called Quest. Salt-N-Pepa picked up the Musical Influence Award, while the late Warren Zevon got his due in rock.

Stream: Stankonia (25th Anniversary)

Follow Outkast:

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Ollie Hunt’s “Ah!” Reclaims Pop Space with Brazen Precision

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Ollie Hunt’s “Ah!” Reclaims Pop Space with Brazen Precision

Australia’s own Ollie Hunt returns with ‘Ah!’, a genre-blurring banger that refuses to be boxed in—electrified with the kind of self-determination rarely this polished. The Melbourne native channels a fearless new era here: one where the pop star isn’t seeking the spotlight but is the spotlight.

Think melodic high fashion meets emotional catharsis. Hunt’s vocals skate over a production laced with house shimmer, R&B sleekness, and pop punch. But beyond the sonic design lies the ethos—this is a track about owning it, whatever “it” is to you. Anxiety is no longer the monster under the bed; it’s been laced into the lyricism and transmuted into a rhythmic weapon.

Having already clocked over 240K combined streams with previous releases, Hunt levels up on ‘Ah!’ with a track that stares back at the industry and says, “Watch me.” And honestly? We will.

Stream ‘Ah!’:

Follow Ollie Hunt:

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‘Fool’ by Der Oscar Effekt Hits with Subtle Sting, Previewing ‘three stone fireside, vol. 1’

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‘Fool’ by Der Oscar Effekt Hits with Subtle Sting, Previewing ‘three stone fireside, vol. 1’

Der Oscar Effekt, the Cameroon-born artist now based in Germany, kicked off his latest chapter with the release of ‘Fool‘ on October 17, 2025, serving as the lead single for his forthcoming album three stone fireside, vol. 1, due out October 24. Drawing from Afrofusion, Makossa, Bikutsi, African folk, and hip-hop, he builds tracks that pulse with introspection and groove, all while holding down a day job as a project manager—embodying his #9to5isnoexcuse ethos that turns constraints into fuel for creation. Over the past couple years, he’s solidified his voice through two standout full-lengths: the unguarded Kryptonite in 2023, which laid bare his inner workings, and 2024’s Neige et Poussière, a bilingual nod to the push-pull of African dust and European chill, exploring renewal and split identities. With this new project, Der Oscar Effekt channels the communal hum of Cameroon’s three-stone fireside setups—those outdoor hearths for cooking, chatting, and handing down stories—into beats crafted by producers back home, threading themes of love, betrayal, grit, and thanks across the record.

On ‘Fool‘, Der Oscar Effekt leans into quiet intensity, weaving English and Pidgin over a steady, contemplative rhythm that lets the lyrics simmer. It’s a track forged in the aftermath of repeatedly being misunderstood and betrayed.

Der Oscar Effekt had this to say: “Before we can shine for the world, we must understand the fire that keeps us warm.” In a scene quick to hype the next big drop, his work cuts deeper, merging daily grind with deep-rooted sounds to build something that resonates long after the beat fades.

Stream ‘Fool’:

Follow Der Oscar Effekt:

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