Music

Credit: NPR Djembe. Drums. Piano and bass. A sweeping groove beckoned, welcoming us into the world of surrealist blues poet, Aja Monet. Transformed into a lush garden, the Tiny Desk blooms with the stanzas, sounds and legacy of jazz poetry. Monet's poems cast unflinching eyes towards love, justice, accountability and the joy and healing of daughters and sons of the Black diaspora. At times, her words — gentle gut punches […]

Sean "Diddy" Combs has stepped down as chairman of Revolt, following multiple allegations against him of sexual assault. Here, Combs accepts the global icon award during the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 12 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.Photo Credit: Daniel Incandela Sean "Diddy" Combs has temporarily stepped down as chairman of Revolt — the TV network he co-founded in 2013, a spokesperson for the record executive confirmed […]

Credit: Photo: Keren Carrión When Sampha first performed at the Tiny Desk in 2017, it was just him and his keys. But for this second round, he had a very specific vision to execute. Accompanied by a spirited four-piece band who double as his background singers and percussionists, each member relishes in making music in multiple, creative configurations. Sampha Lahai Sisay's music is known for its sheer vulnerability in tackling the […]

Spotify's recent announcement about revamping its royalty system marks a pivotal shift in the music streaming landscape. As the platform's payouts to the music industry surpass $40 billion, this initiative addresses critical challenges in the royalty distribution process, ensuring fair compensation for artists. Spotify's Growing Payouts and the Need for Change The exponential growth of Spotify's payouts highlights the platform's significant role in the music industry. However, this growth has […]

"I'm better than ever," Brown says. "It just took some time for me to get back to being me again." Peter Beste Age has always been embedded into the narrative of Danny Brown's music. He was a late bloomer in the industry who once titled an album Old. These days, he's relishing his adulthood, welcoming the accumulated wisdom it brings and hoping to impart that wisdom on younger artists who […]

Bobbi Rich/Courtesy of the artist By the standards of the 2020s, when younger audiences metabolize music so quickly that performers need to keep a constant flow of memeable, streamable content coming, Brittany Howard's been laying low. Since wrapping the tour promoting her 2019 solo album Jaime and commissioning remixes of it from peers, she's resurfaced only a handful of times leading up to the announcement of her second solo album, […]