He’s written tracks for Madonna, Mariah, and Mary J. He’s also written for Janet (Jackson), Jamie (Foxx), and Jesse (McCartney). With longtime friend and collaborator C. “Tricky” Stewart, he produced Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)”—two songs famously likable by folks who don’t even like urban music. Given this already [...]

One thing in life you can always be sure of is that you can not judge a good book by its cover. Sure, you can gain a good perception by reading the back cover, but until you delve deep into a book’s pages, you could never tell just what you are getting simply by looking [...]

“What does that mean, ‘the loudest album of all time?’ ” the young teen asked the college student behind the counter. The kid had just finished reading a blurb about a new rock group featured next to the cash register. The college student—glasses, beard, and flannel—paused and deliberated. A blank wave washed all expression from [...]

One of the two greatest things in life you can ever do to experience pure joy or happiness is to live life with no regrets. The other is to go out with a bang when you feel that life is coming to an end. Madonna on Hard Candy, her last studio album for Warner Brothers [...]

R.E.M’s latest studio effort, Accelerate, will make listeners remember why the group is revered in the hearts of millions of music fans worldwide. Easily the best work they’ve recorded since 1994′s multi-platinum Monster, this disc represents R.E.M.’s thunderous return to making interesting, fun music that connects to the listener in a way that doesn’t induce [...]

In a time when music is more manufactured than original and artists are more about fanfare than fan-pleasing, it’s refreshing when an album comes along and pushes the boundaries of our social norms. It’s that much more refreshing when that album is three weeks ahead of the original release date! = Gnarls Barkley, on their [...]