It's the 1st of the month...
Can you believe that there’s only 2 months left in the year? It seems like just yesterday that we were prepping the grill for spring and summer and now it’s time to pull out boots and sweaters. Time is moving too fast and I don’t like it. We haven’t even gotten to Thanksgiving yet and Mariah is already pushing us toward Christmas. Slow down, lady!
What We’re Watching
Season 4 - Atlanta
It’s hard to say this about a show that we’ve loved from the very beginning, but even though there are 2 episodes left in the series, I can honestly say that Season 4 is the best of them all. From the first episode of this season, “The Most Atlanta” to the most recent, “The Goof Who Sat By The Door,” Donald Glover and crew have given us some amazing television. I’m sad to see it go, but I’m glad that it’s going out on a high note unlike a few of our other faves.
This is too much. 😂
What We’re Reading
The Come Up: An Oral History of the Rise of Hip-Hop by Jonathan Abrams
I first became a fan of his work through his books, Boys Among Men and All The Pieces Matter: The Inside Story of The Wire. I loved both of those, so I figured that it wouldn’t be much a stretch to think that I’d like this as well. So far, that has been a correct assessment. Although, I’m only a couple of chapters in at this point, I’m confident in saying that if you are a hip hop head, then this book is for you. It’s a collection of stories about the the foundational years of the genre, told by the people who were there. There are a lot of familiar names in this book, but one of the best things for me was getting a chance to hear from the pioneers that have either been forgotten over the years, or were never even known outside of those original crews. I can’t wait to get into the west coast chapters. We’ll post a full review in a future newsletter.
Photo courtesy of Essence
The State of R&B on Essence.com
Regardless of what some parts of Twitter and Diddy may try to tell you, R&B is not dead. This series on Essence takes on all of the social media and podcast hot takes, and challenges us to look at the genre as something that is ever evolving, the same way the R&B that our parents grew up with was different than ours. It’s a solid read. Check the articles out here:
Which leads us to…
What We’re Listening To
Ari Lennox - age/sex/location
When this album was released, there was a lot of internet chatter about how this album is a throwback to the neo-soul of the 90’s, so we had to pull it up and give it a run. I’d been reading how it’s very reminiscent of Baduizm, so nothing more needed to be said. Production-wise, I can see it. It’s very well done, and in terms of the lyrical content, it’s very 2022, but, I’m okay with that.
If you took Erykah’s Baduizm, sprinkled in a little Mimi-era Mariah and a splash of Teedra Moses, you’d end up with age/sex/location. And we’re here for it.
Another fave around the TROY HQ is Durand Bernarr’s Wanderlust. This album is alllll over the place, but in a good way. It gives you a chance to see Durand’s versatility when it comes to his song styles and his vocal range. Peep this and his previous album, Dur& when you get the chance. You won’t be disappointed.
On that note, we’ve put together a playlist of some of our favorite “new” R&B artists that we think the old heads can get into. Check it out:
Shameless Plugs
We’ve got a couple of big episodes coming to close out 2022. We’re recording an ep about Omar Epps tonight, so be on the lookout for that in a couple of weeks. We’ve got 2 Dr. Dre themed eps coming, and a couple of B-Side episodes as well. We’re trying to close out the year on a high note. While you’re here, check out our most recent episode if you haven’t already. If you have heard it already, send it to a friend!
We also want give a shout out to our listeners in Nigeria. Y’all have been tapping in consistently recently, keeping us on the Apple Podcast charts, so thank you. 🇳🇬
If you enjoy the content that we're making and you're looking for ways to support our independent podcast, please leave us a 5 star rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser or Goodpods. You can also drop a few coins in our tip jar here: https://ko-fi.com/troypodcast if you're feeling generous. If it’s merch that you’re looking for, check out our store, Nuthin’ But A Tee Thang. Spreading the word about the show to your friends and family helps too. But however you choose to support, know that it is greatly appreciated as always.
That’s enough for now. We’ll see you again with a bag of goodies next month. Until then, ✌🏾.
