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Before Kool Herc: The Black American Pioneers Hip Hop History ErasedAugust 12, 2026Today, August 11, is widely celebrated as the birthday of hip hop—the day Kool Herc supposedly created the culture at a Bronx party in 1973.Read on SubstackBeyond “The R&B Roots of Rock, Pop & Hip Hop” — Part I: What Makes R&B a Parent Genre?August 7, 2026A deeper look at the musical framework, cultural flexibility, and emotional language that allowed Rhythm & Blues to become the foundation for generations of music that…Read on SubstackThe Songs That Raised Me: Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, and a Night at the Hollywood BowlJuly 26, 2026A Hollywood Bowl night with Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson became a personal reflection on Motown, love, family, and the songs that never leave us.Read on SubstackRhythm & Blues: The Parent Genre of Modern Music (Part I)July 12, 2026Part I: The Genre That Built the Modern WorldRead on SubstackPart IV: How Rhythm & Blues Became the World’s Musical LanguageJuly 7, 2026Small Excerpt from upcoming History of R&B article im writing.Read on SubstackClive Davis Didn’t Just Shape Music. He Changed the Rules.June 25, 2026The death of Clive Davis has produced exactly the kind of coverage you would expect.Read on Substack