The Greatest Day in Album Release History
Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Spirit both arrived in 1976. Why these two albums remain music’s highest spiritual statements.
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Top 20 R&B Producers Who Built the Sound of Modern Music
Twenty producers, arrangers, bandleaders and sonic architects who built the sound of R&B — from Louis Jordan and Ray Charles to Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Babyface & L.A. Reid, and Teddy Riley.
Josef Leimberg: The Producer and Musician Who Connects Snoop, Kendrick, SZA and Badu
You may have heard Josef Leimberg long before you knew his name. The trumpeter, producer, and engineer behind records for Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Snoop Dogg, and Erykah Badu sits down with Incense N Ashtrays to trace the connections between jazz, hip-hop, funk, and his own albums Astral Progressions and Mystic Journey.
Taylor Graves: The Musician Behind the Sound of the Future
From Dr. Dre and Battlecat to Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Mac Miller, and film scoring, Taylor Graves has quietly helped shape some of Los Angeles’ most adventurous music. In this IncenseNashtrays profile, Graves discusses his musical upbringing, the Bruner-Graves sound, and the journey behind the credits.
Before Kool Herc: The Bronx Hip Hop Pioneers Mainstream History Erased
At DJ Phase’s annual Bronxdale Houses celebration, I heard directly from the people preserving hip hop’s overlooked early history. DJ Phase and Disco King Mario’s daughter, Mina, shared the stories of a Bronx scene already moving speakers, cutting breakbeats, and building community before Kool Herc’s famous 1973 party.
Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight Make the Hollywood Bowl Feel Like Home
Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson brought timeless Black American music, high energy, and personal memories to the Hollywood Bowl—reminding Los Angeles why it remains the city’s greatest summer venue.