In this episode, I actually had to reach back into the archives and pull out a conversation that I had not long ago with an old college buddy of mine, Dom the Doll. We discuss Beyonce, Tyrese, Phyliss Hyman, Papoose, and a few others. I hope to be back in your listening ears with something real fresh before Good Friday. Thank you so much for your patience.

For Richie's Christian Deconstruction Podcast; Surviving Fundamentalism For Richie's newsletter: ⁠⁠Just Above My Head | Richie X | Substack

In this episode, I go over the categories that matter the most to me and talk about who I believe should or shouldn't have won. I also speak briefly on how it's important in the yt supremacist culture that they keep mediocrity as the bar/standard. If we are allowed to raise that bar too much, they fear they won't be able to achieve or be seen as having any value in these art forms that they have stolen from people of color. 

It's finally here. The First Episode of the new year. We're talking about Brandy's Full Moon Album. Full Moon has garnered retrospective recognition from musicians, vocalists and music producers, particularly within the R&B and urban contemporary gospel genres. Regarded as "the blueprint of modern R&B," the album is credited with "continuing Norwood's artistic progression and introducing a new facet of herself, destroying the image of a teenager in exchange for that of a grown woman," with Billboard calling it "the one to cement her as an R&B trailblazer" as well as the "gold standard for modern R&B vocalists".

Last Friday, I went to see my girl for the first time ever and I was not let down at all. It was a true Christmas Spectacular featuring Jermaine Dupri, Monroe, Morrocco, and so many more. The special is available on Paramount and will air on CBS for the everyone to see on Christmas Eve at 8pm EST. While I was eating my grits this morning, do you know what I said to myself? Mariah got the hits that stick like these MFs. Following my brief update about my night at MSG, I go through "The Emancipation of MiMi" with a fine toothcomb and rejoice at this modern classic album's magic and all it means to me. It is one of this century's greatest albums, and I'll never take it back.

This week on Hate or Love it, we're discussing every inch of Aaliyah's One In A Million album. My top three songs are 4 Page Letter, the title track, If Your Girl Only Knew, and Heartbroken is my bonus fave. I didn't love or understand Aaliyah in real time, but I've come to fully appreciate her love of hearing music and beats and making the appropriate vocal choices. 

Happy 40th Anniversary month to "Thriller!" An absolutely one-of-a-kind album, for a one-of-a-kind artist, Michael Jackson.

In this episode, I do a semi-deep dive into the best-selling album of all time--the vocals, production, songwriting, and musicianship. It's my first time ever hearing the album in its totality. It did not disappoint. 

Hey... This week's episode is an introduction of sorts. I'm taking you all on a journey--from how music first piqued my interest in 1992 to today. We cover everything from Blues to gospel and more. I hope you enjoy. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this trailer, which introduces the next chapter for this channel. After flirting with the idea for some time, I decided that the end of the most recent season of Underdogs On Top would be our last. It was fun to do, but it was important to me to pursue this next endeavor individually and with clarity of vision. 

On Hate It or Love It, I will explore the complete works of all of your faves—albums, singles, and vocals-- both classic and modern. We will laugh, Listen, cry, sing, rap, and explore the brilliance of music greats like Quincy Jones, Kenneth Babyface Edmonds, Ashford and Simpson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Louis, Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony, Chucky Thompson, Raphael Saadiq, Mariah Carey and so much more. I hope you all will go with me. If not I totally get it!