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A Tribe Called Quest Feat. Trugoy: Award Tour

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A music video for the 1993 song "Award Tour" by the American Hip-Hop recording group A Tribe Called Quest featuring Trugoy, a single released from the album "Midnight Marauders". A music video for the 1993 song "Award Tour" by the American Hip-Hop recording group A Tribe Called Quest featuring Trugoy, a single released from the album "Midnight Marauders". A music video for the 1993 song "Award Tour" by the American Hip-Hop recording group A Tribe Called Quest featuring Trugoy, a single released from the album "Midnight Marauders".

• A Tribe Called Quest
• Trugoy the Dove

• Ali Shaheed Muhammad

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Meaning of Award Tour by A Tribe Called Quest (Ft. Trugoy the Dove)

"Award Tour" is a representation of A Tribe Called Quest's position as successful musicians that are celebrated throughout the world, as well as a commentary on the group's struggle for recognition in the music industry. The song is an exploration of their journey from being unrecognized in their own community, to being on a world tour with fans everywhere. The lyricism of the song is playful and assertive, with Q-Tip delivering clever and catchy rhymes, and Phife Dawg following up with his own brand of style and swagger. The chorus, performed by Trugoy the Dove, emphasizes the theme of the tour and the significance of the group being on this journey.

Throughout the track, A Tribe Called Quest asserts their status in the music industry, while also making a statement about the importance of authenticity in hip-hop. In Q-Tip's verse, he asserts his skills as a rapper and indicates that he is one of the few individuals capable of creating music that is both fast and slow, showing that he can play up to any style. Additionally, he touches on the fact that black men can lose their soul by being exploited, and that white individuals can appreciate rap music, but they should not attempt to engage with it in an inauthentic manner.

Phife Dawg's focus is on the groups' history, alluding to those who initially did not believe in the group and tells a story of how they were deemed "wack" in the early stages of their career. He adds that the group specifically excels in creating authentic music, with no imitation involved. His verse has a conviction and energy that infuses the track with an unyielding determination to succeed without compromise.

Furthermore, the track showcases A Tribe Called Quest's aspirations to be appreciated on a global scale, as well as highlighting their African-Muslim roots. At the outro, they remind listeners that the word maraud refers to looting, indicating that they are claiming their spot in the music industry by taking what they see as rightfully theirs – recognition for their authentic and boundary-pushing music.

This meaning interpretation was written by AI. Help improve it with your feedback

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The Best A Tribe Called Quest Songs

You can debate about who is the most influential hip-hop group of all time, but we wouldn’t have OutKast, Kanye West, or Pharrell without A Tribe Called Quest. They're the most beloved hip-hop crew ever. In Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Jarobi’s honor, here are the best A Tribe Called Quest Songs.

Image via Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

A Tribe Called Quest ’s significance has never faded since the boys from Queens first became a group in the mid-’80s. The world was once again reminded of their iconography when we lost Phife Dawg , the heart of the group, to diabetes-related complications in March 2016. The Apollo Theater memorial that took place that April showed how much the Phife and the Tribe were loved: Dave Chappelle, KRS-One, Andre 3000, D’Angelo, and Lauryn Hill were just a few of the many who came through to pay their respects.

And the adoration for A Tribe Called Quest hasn’t dimmed since then or after they returned with We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service , a comeback album 18 years in the making that doubled as a fantastic going away party for the 5-foot-assassin. You can debate about who is the most influential hip-hop group of all time, but there’s a big chance that we wouldn’t have OutKast, Kanye West, or Pharrell if it wasn’t for the Tribe.

The way Tribe wove their New Yorker perspective into sounds inspired by black music’s proud history is a core reason behind hip-hop heads’ love of the artform. Their first three albums, 1990’s People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm , 1991’s The Low End Theory , and 1993’s Midnight Marauders still stand together as one of hip-hop’s great three-peats.

Still, We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service was good enough to produce songs that rank in the upper echelon of the Tribe’s already near-unassailable catalog. They’ve disbanded in 2017 supposedly for good, and “The Space Program” is their last music video , but they’re leaving with what many other great acts don’t get: a sense of closure. In honor of Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Phife Dawg, Jarobi, and Q-Tip, who turns 48 today, here are the best A Tribe Called Quest songs.

25. “Stressed Out”

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Beats, Rhymes, & Life saw the trio at their nadir. The added energy brought in from Q-Tip’s cousin Consequence was overshadowed by intra-group tensions and rhymes that were alienating in their angst. Phife Dawg, in his typical matter-of-fact way, diagnosed what was missing at the project’s heart: “ Chemistry was dead, shot." But when they did let some light in, we got soothing cuts like the Faith Evans collab “Stressed Out.” The crew notably performed the song on the ‘90s sitcom Moesha .

24. “Find a Way”

The Love Movement may have been a bit too tidy for its own good, but it did give us a classic feel good anthem in “Find a Way.” Phife Dawg and Q-Tip once again mine that fuzzy territory between friendship and sex for a radio joint. It’s one of the easier Tribe songs to two-step to.

23. “Luck of Lucien”

While not as famous as “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo” for obvious reasons (it’s not ATCQ’s first-ever single), fellow People’s Instinctive Travels cut “Luck of Lucien” once again shows Q-Tip’s penchant for oddball storytelling. This time around, he tries to get Frenchman rapper Lucien Revolucien acclimated to the New York way of living. The results are both humorous (ever heard of a crackhead dip?) and empathetic.

22. “Lyrics to Go”

Q-Tip does more than enough to acquit himself here (“I could do a split and turn around like Alvin Ailey”— look him up, kids ), but the star here is the production. The ethereal high octave Minnie Riperton hits on “Inside My Love” get stretched throughout the song, giving Q-Tip’s words a dream-like quality. It’s another example of the Tribe’s inventiveness behind the boards.

21. “Buggin’ Out”

The Low End Theory also got its spark from the increased presence of Phife Dawg (he appeared on only four songs on the Tribe’s debut). After Q-Tip’s solo showcase on the opener “Excursions,” the standing bass comes out again to let Phife Dawg take the floor with Q-Tip supporting for “Buggin’ Out.” It’s the performance that proved he was really the heart of the crew. “I never walk the street thinking it's all about me/Even though deep in my heart, it really could be,” he raps—and he’s basically right.

20. “Oh My God”

Busta Rhymes wasn’t part of A Tribe Called Quest’s original incarnation, but make no mistake: he was an essential spice to their recipe. “Scenario” is the most recognizable example, but then there’s also Midnight Marauders ’ “Oh My God,” a banger whose energy comes from Busta’s spasmodic presence on the hook.

19. “Scenario (Remix)”

While the original Low End Theory closer remains the essential, the remix cribs a Kool & the Gang sample that gives that gives the new posse cut a high-stakes air. In addition to bringing A Tribe Called Quest and Leaders of the New School together again, the remix also features a brash, standout lead verse from Kid Hood, who was sadly murdered days after the verse was recorded. While Busta Rhymes was the obvious show-stealer on the original, Phife Dawg comes the hardest this time around. “So do like Michael Jackson and "Remember the Time" (Do you remember?)/Put on your dancin' shoes or somethin 'cause you sure can't rhyme,” is the best piece of career advice since Biggie’s UPS shoutout .

18. “Hot Sex”

The story of “Hot Sex” also has some beef trailing it. New jack swing crew Wreckx-n-Effect took offense to Phife’s “Me sweat another? I do my own thing/Strictly hardcore tracks, not a new jack swing” on “Jazz (We’ve Got).” Q-Tip got punched in the eye as a result—that’s why he’s wearing a mask in the video.

All that stuff is backstory, though. At the forefront is the tightest and mustiest production in the Tribe’s discography. The irony of “Hot Sex” is how the most memorable part of the song is when that classic beat suddenly cuts out for Q-Tip’s “Where ya at?” The group was always ambitious, but at their best, they were also precise.

17. “Footprints”

The Tribe cribs Donald Byrd’s “Think Twice,” lowers the pitch, and adds some hard drums to deliver a sense of immediacy. Q-Tip follows suit, quickening and tightening his flow in verses that reiterate he and his crews mantras in one of his most dazzling performances. There’s also a callback to Jungle Brothers’ “Black Is Black,” one of his first on-record appearances.

16. “If the Papes Come”

The B-side to “Can I Kick It?” finds Q-Tip getting even more nutty with his rhymes (“Four and four is eight, if fat shit makes the plate/I make sure the Tribe is iinnnnn ”) over a psychedelic instrumental that sounds like it was concocted in an abandoned speakeasy. With barely a hook, “If the Papes Come” definitely isn’t the most accessible Tribe record. But it’s significant because it’s one of our first glances at the darker, experimental bent that would shape their career-defining sophomore effort, The Low End Theory .

15. “The Donald”

The timing of Thank You 4 Your Service made many predict that closer “The Donald” was going to be aimed at Donald Trump. Thankfully, a bigot wouldn’t get the final word on the final Tribe album. Instead, the title takes its name from Don Juice, the late Phife Dawg. Fellow Caribbean descendant Busta Rhymes leads us through a procession that dries the tears during the homegoing.

14. “Butter”

In which Malik Taylor gets played by a girl and names his romantic interests before DMX did the same . “Butter” finds the 5-foot-assassin riding the now-the-girls-flock-toward-me narrative that many of his peers used. But what places this Phife vehicle above similar joints is how it doesn’t pretend to come from a place of righteousness and entitlement. A lot of dissing comes from a place of relatable pettiness (“Here, here, take the towel, wipe off your brow”) that stops far short of being mean-spirited.

13. “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo”

The Tribe already had one of rap’s great storytelling songs with their debut, featuring a fairly simple premise: Tip lost his wallet, pissing off his normally mild-mannered compandre Ali. “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo” establishes two Q-Tip tropes: His non-linear approach to rhyming—we don’t understand he’s telling the story to a cop until after the first verse—and his deep love of pop culture. Neither Ali nor Phife knew at the time that “El Segundo” was a Sanford & Sons reference .

12. “The Space Program”

A Tribe Called Quest kicked off their first album in 18 years with a high-concept joint. “The Space Program” isn’t a hopeful Afrofuturistic anthem; the title refers to urban renewal’s continuous displacement of poor people of color, a cycle so vicious it might follow humankind to space. Q-Tip ties the whole idea together with a flow more agile than most rappers half his age and lines (“Now, people on top of people, feels like we can’t breathe/Put so much in this muthafucka, feel like we shouldn't leave”) fully realized enough to easily follow along. Of course, this song is also notable for featuring Jarobi’s first verse on a Tribe track. His presence is so rife with energy, it’s somewhat of a miracle he doesn’t outrun the beat.

But the song’s emotional depth comes from Phife Dawg, who closes out the song with a galvanizing refrain: “Gotta get it together for brothers/Gotta get it together for sisters/For mothers and fathers and dead niggas.” Without question, you’re all in.

11. “We the People”

A Tribe Called Quest are ultimately optimists, but they’ve never shied away from being acerbic when taking a look at the world. Thank You 4 Your Service is a comeback album, but it still came during Trump’s 2016 campaign. As a result, we get a song like “We the People,” which rides off a synth as dour as the times.

“All you Black folks, you must go/All you Mexicans, you must go,” Q-Tip sardonically sings in a hook that reflects Trump’s bigotry. He spends his verse not as a preacher but a street reporter, pointing out the brothers in the struggle still eating ramen noodles. Q-Tip draws strength from his spiritual brother, joining his voice with Phife Dawg’s on the bridge: “We're not just niggas rappers with the bars/It's kismet that we're cosmic with the stars.”

10. “The Chase Part II”

“The Chase Part II” is where Midnight Marauders turns from the nocturn and makes its way down the homestretch, a drive through a shoreside highway. The antepenultimate track proves once again that Tip and Phife’s chemistry stand out because they’re both singular voices, not a homogenous one. Phife bigs himself up with patois slang and shits on the impressively mediocre quarterback Vinny Testaverde, while Q-Tip follows up with two verses that unfurl as freely as the sample they ride. You get why the Consequence-featuring version that appeared on the B-side of “Award Tour” didn’t make the album.

9. “Sucka Nigga”

The “N” word will probably never be abolished from hip-hop despite the NCAAP’s efforts , and Q-Tip realized this decades ago. What makes “Sucka Nigga” an accessible examination of the word is how he removes any sense of pretension for an honest take on the issue. Yes, it’s a derivation of a term used to dehumanize black folk, but now it’s a part of our language. Q-Tip implicates himself, too: “I start to flinch, as I try not to say it/But my lips is like the oowop as I start to spray it.”

8. “Can I Kick It?”

A clear gem from People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm , “Can I Kick It?” was one of the earlier showings of what would become A Tribe Called Quest hallmarks. First, is the sampling: The Lou Reed-samping riff ran into a squawking horn on the hook, an example of the marriage of jazz and experimentation that would become the group’s signature. Then there’s Phife Dawg, a largely absent presence who was still able to get off one of his memorable one-liners: “Mr. Dinkins would you please be my mayor?” David Dinkins returned the favor and paid his respects to Phife Dawg at his Apollo Theater memorial .

7. “Excursions”

A Tribe Called Quest managed to make decades’ worth of cultural influences all sound urgent, and on no other Tribe track is that more apparent than on “Excursions.” Essentially a Q-Tip showcase, The Low End Theory is both his claim as one of hip-hop’s great rhymers and a sharp reminder of the trio’s mission statement, presenting a panoramic view of black culture that both militant and inclusive. Couplets like “Get in the zone of positivity, not negativity/'Cause we gotta strive for longevity” followed by commandments such as “Don't be phony and expect one not to flex” presented a complete worldview that felt emphatic as the Abstract burrowed through that standing bass line. In a sense, it’s the Zulu Nation version what Janelle Monae proclaimed in her feminist Grammys speech: “We come in peace, but we mean business."

6. “Bonita Applebum”

What makes this love song stick out—aside from the unapologetically bohemian vibes—is how it’s almost absent of any machismo, which is a radical move in hip-hop. “Bonita Applebum” is overly romantic, but it isn’t at all corny because of how much of it is rooted in sensuality. There’s an unmistakable intimacy when the music cuts and Q-Tip leans in to say, “I like to tell ya things some brothers don't,” right after hinting at cunnilungus.

5. “Award Tour”

Following the darker, bass-heavy sounds of The Low End Theory , the glossier keys of “Award Show” were a ray of sun that hinted at Midnight Marauders ’ more sanguine shift. It’s more accessible—”Award Tour” is the Tribe’s highest charting hit at No. 47—but it was a promising single. First, Q-Tip arguably improved as a rapper: He’s even more sure-footed and perhaps even more charismatic in a verse that uses Mario Andretti as an excuse to show how quick-tongued he is. Phife Dawg, aka Dynomutt, got even more taut with his one-liners (“Coming with more hits than the Braves and the Yankees”).

Phife’s “Never let a statue tell me how nice I am” ended up being a precise proclamation, too. Despite being one of the most acclaimed hip-hop acts ever, A Tribe Called Quest never won a Grammy. To date, Q-Tip’s lone win is a collaboration with electronic duo Chemical Brothers.

4. “Scenario”

A Tribe Called Quest albums each have their own ambition, but they’re all ultimately hip-hop projects at their core. It makes sense their greatest album ends with an old-fashioned posse cut with Leaders of the New School, because ATCQ efforts are never just about them, but also a wider family (see the Midnight Marauders cover). It’s also not surprising that they let somebody else get the last word: The last verse is a thrilling dry run for Busta Rhymes’ solo career.

3. “Jazz (We’ve Got)”

One of The Low End Theory ’s core missions is showing the natural connection between hip-hop and jazz. Predictably, the most explicit example is the track with “jazz” in its title. While other well-intentioned but lesser artists might use this as history lesson, Phife and Q-Tip take the four minutes to just flow over it, showing a group remarkably confident in their beliefs in their early 20s. Q-Tip’s rhyme style mimics that of many great jazz artists: improvisational and self-assured. Phife Dawg slides in with Caribbean patois and namedrops Shabba Ranks, fluidly connecting hip-hop and jazz to a wider black diaspora that somehow doesn’t include new jack swing. With this many elements in sync, it’s hard to argue against the Tribe’s point.

2. “Electric Relaxation”

The Tribe’s second big hit from from Midnight Marauders was a lesson in minimalism, building itself around a chirping riff that had become hip-hop’s most immediately recognizable. “Electric Relaxation” also finds Phife Dawg at his wittiest: The 5-foot-assassin condenses his musings on the opposite sex from “Butter” for a few of his most famous one-liners (“I like 'em brown, yellow, Puerto Rican or Haitian,” “Bust off on your couch, now you got Seaman's Furniture”). Kanye West and Consequence put together an updated version in 2003 , and J. Cole cribbed the same Ronnie Foster sample for 2013’s “Forbidden Fruit.” At best, both renditions only reminded you how good the Tribe’s classic was.

1. “Check the Rhime”

“Check the Rhime” is the most predictable top choice for a Best Tribe Called Quest Songs list, but it’s also a sensible one. Their opus The Low End Theory touches on a wide breadth of themes, but it’s throughway is this idea of connectivity. “Check the Rhime” is the cut that epitomizes this as Q-Tip—the coolest nasally voice to rap—naturalistically weaves through the sparse, yet historically wrought soul textures along with the seamless back-and-forth between him and Phife. Yes, the classic one-liners are there—people still know what Rule No. 4080 is—but what makes “Check the Rhime” an essential is its joyfully inviting display of cultural and familial kinship.

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Take A Closer Look At The Best Music Video Nominees | 2021 GRAMMYs

Visuals from Beyoncé, Future featuring Drake, Anderson .Paak, Harry Styles and Woodkid will vie for the prize of Best Music Video at the 2021 GRAMMYs

Updated Jan. 5, 2021.

Every picture tells a story, don't it? With visual aesthetics and original style more important than ever in the music world, the Best Music Video category continues to honor the most stunning, striking and moving music videos the year has to offer. Honoring the artist, video director and video producer, this award has gone to past winners and visionary music video pioneers like Peter Gabriel , Madonna , Lady Gaga and OK Go . 

But today, the art of the music video has evolved well past visual experimentation, as music-makers push the medium toward meaningful social statements, moving storytelling and truly original art. In recent years, Kendrick Lamar 's "HUMBLE.," Childish Gambino 's "This Is America" and Lil Nas X 's "Old Town Road" took home the honor, setting the conceptual bar high for all who follow. 

Today, GRAMMY.com takes a closer look at the Best Music Video nominees at the 2021 GRAMMYs, a stellar class of visual artists ready to carry the torch.

To find out who will win, tune into the 2021 GRAMMYs Sunday, March 14, on CBS.

"Brown Skin Girl," Beyoncé

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Beyoncé returns to this category four years after winning it for her commanding and provocative 2016 video for " Formation ." This time around, her breathtakingly beautiful "Brown Skin Girl" video, from her Black Is King visual album, with daughter Blue Ivy, plus SAINt JHN and WizKiD , is a feast for the fashion-forward and a celebration of Black and brown female beauty everywhere. The video's various venues and styles weave together in a stylish, six-minute sight to behold, featuring cameos from Naomi Campbell , Lupita Nyong'o and former Destiny's Child bandmate Kelly Rowland . 

True to her fierce creative vision and limitless talent, Bey also directed the video alongside director Jenn Nkiru . The nomination also recognizes the video's producers Lauren Baker , Astrid Edwards , Nathan Scherrer and Erinn Williams , the latter of whom won the GRAMMY for Best Music Film alongside Beyoncé for the epic 2019 documentary concert film, Homecoming , at the 2020 GRAMMYs .

Read More: Beyonce Created A Space To Celebrate Black Culture At Coachella & More Things 'Homecoming' Taught Us

"Life Is Good," Future Featuring Drake

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GRAMMY-winning rap heavyweights Future and Drake don't quit their day jobs in their hilarious "Life Is Good" music video. In the clip, they go back to work taking out the trash, setting up the Genius Bar, fixing cars and more. On a break from their fast food gig, they dream aloud about saving up for studio time and making it big. They ultimately end up behind the cameras of their own video, meta-directed by the actual Director X, real name Julien Christian Lutz . Try not to laugh as they all ham it up, and look closely for cameos from 21 Savage , Lil Yachty , Mike Will Made It and Big Bank Black.

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"Lockdown," Anderson .Paak

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The people are rising. Three-time GRAMMY winner Anderson .Paak 's on-location report from the streets of Los Angeles in "Lockdown" shows life in the shadows of the Black Lives Matter movement, which grew to define the battle against social injustice in 2020 America. Honoring the lives and tragic deaths of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor and far too many more at the hands of police, .Paak and GRAMMY-winning director Dave Meyers , known for his work with Kendrick Lamar, craft a lasting image of the quieter side of an uprising to accompany the bold social statement song, released as a single in June. 

Nathan Scherrer, who is also nominated in the category for his work on Beyoncé's "Brown Skin Girl" and Harry Styles' "Adore You," also receives the nod for his work here as producer. 

Watch: Anderson .Paak Is A Part Of A New Wave Of R&B

"Adore You," Harry Styles

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They say if you love someone, you should set them free. In the year's most unlikely on-screen pairing, One Direction alum Harry Styles falls for a fish who keeps outgrowing his makeshift tanks while longing to return to the open sea. The extended version even features an introduction to the land of Eroda, where none other than Rosalía narrates the larger story arc of how Styles turned all the frowns in the fictional, magical land upside down.

"It's the first idea that popped to mind after the first listen to the song, and the first idea I pitched to Harry. It was a story that underscored my understanding of what Harry stood for and felt it was necessary to tell it as a narrative to convey his optimism," Dave Meyers, who directed the heartwarming romp, said of the concept . Mission accomplished. 

Jo Coombes, Ellen DeFaux, Tom Gardner and Nathan Scherrer produced the "Adore You" video.

"Goliath," Woodkid 

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The leadoff track from Woodkid 's 2020 sophomore album, S16 , got a special visual treatment that is probably unlike anything you've seen before. The video for "Goliath," directed by the French artist, born Yoann Lemoine, himself transports the viewer to an industrial construction dystopia where massive, maniacal, mechanical machinery carves away at the earth, feeding the debris—through pulsing rhythms that match the music, mind you—into a super cauldron that births a gigantic, fiery, rising blob before cutting to black with the track's final drum smack. The result is intense, unique and stirring. 

Woodkid's much-anticipated S16 arrived seven years after his 2013 debut—and the wait was worth it. The latest in his catalog of epic music videos, "Goliath" has earned Woodkid his third nomination in the category, following nods for " The Golden Age " at the 2014 GRAMMYs and " Run Boy Run " at the 2013 GRAMMYs . Will this be his lucky year to take home the golden gramophone for Best Music Video?

2021 GRAMMYs: Complete Nominees List

Photo: Julia Beverly/Getty Images

Remembering Producer Rico Wade, Helped Define The Sound Of Southern Hip-Hop

Rico Wade, legendary producer and one-third of Organized Noize, who helped forge the sound of Atlanta hip-hop and propelled artists like OutKast, Ludacris, and TLC to fame, has died at 52.

Hip-hop has lost another legend. Rico Wade , an integral part of the bedrock of Southern hip-hop, the godfather of modern Atlanta rap, and one-third of the production crew Organized Noize with Patrick "Sleepy" Brown and Ray Murray , has died. He was 52. 

Wade was a force that helped launch the careers of OutKast , Goodie Mob, Ludacris , and Future , and produced and co-wrote hits for artists including TLC 's "Waterfalls," as part of a mid-'90s Southern hip-hop renaissance. The epicenter of this revolution was the Dungeon, his mother's basement in East Point, Georgia. The location built a reputation as a haven for Dungeon Family artists like André "André 3000" Benjamin and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton among a generation of ATL creatives formulating their own flavor of Southern rap. 

"We're deeply saddened by the passing of Rico Wade, one of Atlanta’s most prolific music producers," said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. "Rico's influential contributions to the Atlanta music scene beginning in the 1990s helped foster the rise of some of hip-hop’s most prominent artists and played a pivotal role in shaping the genre as we know it today. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and all those whose lives he influenced.” 

Wade was nominated for two GRAMMYs during his lifetime including Record Of The Year for TLC's "Waterfalls" and Album Of The Year for OutKast's Stankonia.  

“Rico left an indelible mark on music and culture around the world and for that, the South will always have something to say,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens in an issued statement echoing the famous battle cry of André 3000's 1995 Source Awards Best New Artist acceptance speech . 

It's been more than 30 years since OutKast dropped their first-ever single "Player's Ball" in 1993 and on that track Wade's voice is the first. He sets the tone for the legendary duo's entire career and Southern hip-hop at the same time with the introduction: "Man, the scene was so thick/ Lowriders, '77 Sevilles, El Dogs/ Nothin' but them 'Lacs/ All the players, all the hustlers/ I'm talkin' 'bout a Black man heaven here/ You know what I'm sayin'?"

"Rico Wade brought us to his house studio, where I heard the most interesting music production I'd ever heard from Atlanta," André 3000 told the Recording Academy in a 2019 interview reflecting on his experience working on OutKast's debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik . "It was Rico, Ray, and Sleepy's vision to make sure [OutKast would put] Southern lifestyle first. I was just playing my part the best I could."

Outkast's Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik would go on to sell 500,000 records and became certified platinum within a year. "When we were working on the OutKast vibe, even though there were two members in the group, we all considered ourselves OutKast at the time — including all of Organized Noize and the Goodie Mob members who appeared on the album," Murray told the Recording Academy in 2019. 

Read more: OutKast Examine Their Southern Experience On 'Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik'

Organized Noize signed a publishing deal with L.A. Reid and Babyface 's label LaFace Records in 1993, setting the foundation for their work on OutKast's seminal "Player's Ball" single. It was a lasting connection that would serve the rest of Wade's career.  

Wade would continue to work with Reid during Reid's tenure as chairman and CEO of Epic Records from 2013 to 2017, building a hub for hip-hop artists at the label including Wade's cousin, Atlanta rapper Future. Future would become the first artist ever on the Billboard charts to debut back-to-back albums at No. 1 with his 2017 release HNDRXX . In March, Future and Metro Boomin jointly released another No.1 album, We Don’t Trust You . 

Wade nurtured Future's talents through his Dungeon connects. The two didn't meet until Future was well into his teens, but once they did Wade quickly put his cousin's clear drive and talent to use, introducing him to the Dungeon Family and bringing him into the studio to work on in-house production projects including Ludacris ' "Blueberry Yum Yum" (Red Light District), which earned Future a songwriting credit in 2004.

“That's how he ended up writing the record for Ludacris, becoming part of a group that could make music, and getting a record deal,” Wade told Complex in 2013. “It showed him that the music industry money is real."

Inspired by his cousin, Future studied the industry through the in-roads made by Wade. “I took everything I learned from him and applied it to my everyday craft from being in the studio,” Future told Complex. "Just knowing how to feel records so I know how to make songs and write for people to keep around and go to the next level.” His devotion to Wade's tutelage and legacy is apparent in the Olde English script tattooed across his arms that matches Wade's own markings — "DUNGEON" appears on the right and "FAMILY" on the left. 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Killer Mike (@killermike)

Killer Mike , a constant collaborator who worked with Wade on his latest album Michael which swept the 2024 GRAMMYs rap categories with three wins for Best Rap Album , Best Rap Song , and Best Rap Performance , announced Wade's passing in an Instagram post on Sunday. "I don't have the words to express my deep and profound sense of loss. I am Praying for your wife and Children. I am praying for the Wade family. I am praying for us all," Killer Mike wrote. "I deeply appreciate your acceptance into The Dungeon Family, mentorship, Friendship and Brotherhood. Idk where I would be without ya'll." 

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Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

Beyond Country: All The Genres Beyoncé Explores On 'Cowboy Carter'

On 'COWBOY CARTER,' Beyoncé is free. Her eighth studio album is an unbridled exploration of musical genres — from country to opera and R&B — that celebrates the fluidity of music and her Texas roots.

"Genres are a funny little concept, aren't they? In theory, they have a simple definition that's easy to understand. But in practice, well, some may feel confined."

With those words, spoken on "SPAGHETTII" by Linda Martell — the first commercially successful Black female artist in country music and the first to play the Grand Ole Opry solo — Beyoncé provides a proxy response to her original call on Instagram 10 days before COWBOY CARTER was released: "This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album." 

She delivered on that promise with intent. Through a mix of homage and innovation, Beyoncé's latest is a 27-track testament to her boundless musicality and draws  from a rich aural palette. In addition to its country leanings, COWBOY CARTER includes everything from the soulful depths of gospel to the intricate layers of opera. 

Beyoncé's stance is clear: she's not here to fit into a box. From the heartfelt tribute in "BLACKBIIRD" to the genre-blurring tracks like "YA YA," Beyoncé uses her platform to elevate the conversation around genre, culture, and history. She doesn't claim country music; she illuminates its roots and wings, celebrating the Black artists who've shaped its essence.

The collective album proves no genre was created or remains in isolation. It's a concept stoked in the words of the opening track, "AMERIICAN REQUIEM" when Beyonce reflects, "Nothing really ends / For things to stay the same they have to change again." For country, and all popular genres of music to exist they have to evolve. No sound ever stays the same.

COWBOY CARTER's narrative arc, from "AMERICAN REQUIEM" to "AMEN," is a journey through American music's heart and soul, paying tribute to its origins while charting a path forward. This album isn't just an exploration of musical heritage; it's an act of freedom and a declaration of the multifaceted influence of Black culture on American pop culture.

Here's a closer look at some of some of the musical genres touched on in act ii, the second release of an anticipated trilogy by Beyoncé, the most GRAMMY-winning artist of all-time: 

Before COWBOY CARTER was even released, Beyoncé sparked critical discussion over the role of herself and all Black artists in country music . Yet COWBOY CARTER doesn't stake a claim on country music. Rather, it spotlights the genre through collaborations with legends and modern icons , while championing the message that country music, like all popular American music and culture, has always been built on the labor and love of Black lives. 

It's a reckoning acknowledged not only by Beyoncé's personal connection to country music growing up in Texas, but the role Black artists have played in country music rooted in gospel, blues, and folk music. 

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Country legends, Dolly Parton ("DOLLY P", "JOLENE," and "TYRANT"), Willie Nelson ("SMOKE HOUR" and "SMOKE HOUR II"), and Martell ("SPAGHETTII and "THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW") serve mainly as spoken-word collaborators, becoming MCs for Queen Bey. Some of the most prolific country music legends receiving her in a space where she has been made to feel unwelcome in music (most notably with the racism surrounding her 2016 CMA performance of "Daddy Lessons" with the Dixie Chicks ) provides a prolific release of industry levies. Martell, a woman who trod the dark country road before Bey, finally getting her much-deserved dues appears as an almost pre-ordained and poetic act of justice. 

"BLACKBIIRD," a version of the Beatles ' civil rights era song of encouragement and hope for the struggle of Black women is led softly by Beyoncé, backed by a quartet of Black female contemporary country songbirds: Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts. 

Beyoncé holds space for others, using the power of her star to shine a light on those around her. These inclusions rebuke nay-sayers who quipped pre-release that she was stealing attention from other Black country artists. It also flies in the faces that shunned and discriminated against her, serving as an example of how to do better. The reality that Beyoncé wasn't stealing a spotlight, but building a stage for fellow artists, is a case study in how success for one begets success for others. 

Read more: 8 Country Crossover Artists You Should Know: Ray Charles, The Beastie Boys, Cyndi Lauper & More

Gospel, Blues, & Folk (American Roots)

As is Beyoncé's way, she mounts a case for country music with evidence to back up her testimony. She meanders a course through a sequence of styles that serve as the genre's foundation: gospel, blues, and folk music.

"AMERIICAN REQUIEM" and "AMEN" bookend the album with gospel-inspired lyrics and choir vocals. The opener sets up a reflective sermon buoyed by  the sounds of a reverberating church organ, while the closer, with its introspective lyrics, pleads for mercy and redemption. The main verse on "AMEN", "This house was built with blood and bone/ The statues they made were beautiful/ But they were lies of stone," is complemented by a blend of piano, and choral harmonies. 

Hymnal references are interlaced throughout the album, particularly in songs like "II HANDS II HEAVEN" and in the lyrical nuances on "JUST FOR FUN." In the later track, Beyoncé's voice soars with gratitude in a powerful delivery of the lines, "Time heals everything / I don't need anything / Hallelujah, I pray to her." 

The gospel-inspired, blues-based "16 CARRIAGES" reflects the rich history of country songs borrowing from the blues while simultaneously calling back to songs sung by field laborers in the colonial American South. "Sixteen dollars, workin' all day/ Ain't got time to waste, I got art to make" serves as the exhausted plea of an artist working tirelessly long hours in dedication to a better life. 

Rhiannon Giddens , a celebrated musician-scholar, two-time GRAMMY winner, and Pulitzer Prize recipient, infuses "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" with her profound understanding of American folk, country, and blues. She plays the viola and banjo, the latter tracing its origins to Sub-Saharan West Africa and the lutes of ancient Egypt. Through her skilled plucking and bending of the strings, Giddens bridges the rich musical heritage of Africa and the South with the soul of country, blues, and folk music.

Pop, Funk, Soul & Rock 'n' Roll  

All in, Beyoncé is a pop star who is wrestling with labels placed on her 27-year career in COWBOY CARTER . Fittingly, she brings in two other pop artists known for swimming in the brackish water between country and pop, Miley Cyrus and Post Malone . Her intentional inclusion of two artists who have blurred genres without much cross-examination begs the question, Why should Beyoncé's sound be segregated to a different realm? 

On "YA YA" Linda Martell returns as the listener's sonic sentinel, introducing the track like a lesson plan: "This particular tune stretches across a range of genres. And that’s what makes it a unique listening experience." The tune sinks into the strummed chords of Nancy Sinatra 's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" before leaping into a fiery dance track that features reimagined lyrics from the Beach Boys , with soulful vocal flourishes and breaks that show the throughline connection between '60s era rock, funk, and pop music.

Robert Randolph lends his hands on "16 CARRIAGES" with a funk-infused grapple on his pedal-steel guitar. It's a style he honed through his early years touring and recording with his family band and later in his career as an in-demand collaborator working with names including the Allman Brothers , and Norah Jones . 

The lesson is solidified as the album transitions into an interlude on "OH LOUISIANA," featuring a sped-up sample of a classic track by Chuck Berry. This moment emphasizes the pop superstar's nod to civil rights era music history, spotlighting a controversial artist celebrated for his pioneering contributions to rock 'n' roll. (It's a part of music history Beyoncé knows well, after starring as Etta James in the 2008 film Cadillac Records , a veiled biopic of the legendary Chicago label Chess Records.)

Classical & Opera

Opera was missing from many listeners' Beyoncé Bingo card, but didn't surprise those that know her background. Beyoncé was trained for over a decade starting at an early age by her voice teacher David Lee Brewer, a retired opera singer who once lived with the Knowles family. 

COWBOY CARTER gives sing-along fans a 101 opera class with "DAUGHTER." In Italian, Beyoncé sings passages from the 1783 Italian opera "Caro Mio Ben," composed by Giuseppe Tommaso Giovanni Giordani. The aria is a classic piece of vocal training that fittingly shows off her full range — taking us back to the earliest days of her vocal teachings.

Hip-Hop & R&B

Midway through the album on "SPAGHETTII" Beyoncé announces, "I ain't no regular singer, now come get everythin' you came for," landing right where expectations have confined her: in the throes of a romping beat, experimenting with sounds that blend hip-hop with R&B and soul. The track notably highlights the talent of Nigerian American singer/rapper Shaboozey, who also shows up to the rodeo on "SWEET HONEY BUCKIN'" brandishing his unique mix of hip-hop, folk-pop, and country music. 

Beyoncé worked with longtime collaborator Raphael Saadiq on this album, a career legend in the R&B industry, who lends his mark to several tracks on which he wrote, produced, and played multiple instruments. Beyoncé also utilizes the Louisiana songwriter Willie Jones on "JUST FOR FUN," an artist who draws on a contemporary blend of country, Southern rap, and R&B in the hymnal ballad. 

The violin-heavy "TYRANT" and "SPAGHETTII" both underscore hip-hop's long love affair with the classical string instrument (See: Common 's " Be ," and Wu Tang Clan 's " Reunited " as the tip of that particular iceberg) with a blend of soulful R&B lyrics paired with beat-based instrumentalization. 

In a world quick to draw lines and label sounds, Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER stands as a vibrant mosaic of musical influence and innovation. Ultimately, Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER isn't seeking anyone's acceptance. As a Texan once told she didn't belong, her critical response claps back at this exclusion.  It's also a reminder that in the hands of a true artist, music is limitless.

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Photos: Taylor Hill/Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy; Joseph Okpako/WireImage; Chloe Morales-Pazant; Mike Coppola/WireImage; Sasha-Samsonova; Prince Williams/WireImage; Peter White/Getty Images

15 Must-Hear Albums In April 2024: Taylor Swift, Vampire Weekend, St. Vincent & More

April promises to shower listeners with heavy-hitting hip-hop, pop, country and rock releases. From Metro Boomin and Future's upcoming collab, to TOMORROW x TOGETHER's new minisode, get your April 2024 playlist ready with 15 exciting new releases.

This year, April brings more than just showers to beget May flowers. Instead, there must be something in the stars: In the fourth month of 2024, four artists are releasing their fourth studio albums. These are pop-rock band X Ambassadors’ Townie , R&B singer Bryson Tiller ’s Bryson Tiller , rapper PartyNextDoor ’s P4 , and Irish rockers Picture This’ Parked Car Conversations .

Numerology aside, April will also contemplate exciting new works from pop masters Taylor Swift , whose The Tortured Poets Department drops mid-month, and St. Vincent ’s All Born Screaming , country star ERNEST’s Nashville, Tennessee , jazz master Kenny Garrett and electronic producer Svoy’s What Killed AI? , and — allegedly — the second part of Future and Metro Boomin ’s first joint-effort, We Don’t Trust You .

There’s music for all tastes ready to fill your playlists for the rest of the year. Read on for 15 of the most exciting albums dropping in April 2024.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER - minisode 3: TOMORROW 

Release date: April 1

Luckily, fans of the K-pop quintet TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) rarely have to wait for new music. Six months after releasing their third studio album, The Name Chapter: Freefall , the group is gearing up to release minisode 3: TOMORROW .

The seven-song EP is fronted by upcoming lead single "Deja Vu," which is said to mix trap, rage, and emo rock into their signature emotional intensity, as per a press release. The other tracks continue to expand the group’s versatility, experimenting with pop rock, house, and acoustic guitars. 

As usual, the concept of the album is connected to TXT’s overarching lore, and features several references to their past works — track "- --- -- --- ·-· ·-· --- ·–," for example, evokes their debut era where Morse Code was used in teasers and in the single "Crown."

TXT will embark on their Act: Promise World Tour starting May 3-5 in Seoul, South Korea, and then head to the U.S. for 11 shows across the country, including two dates at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Conan Gray - Found Heaven

Release date: April 5

Gen Z popstar Conan Gray has Found Heaven . After 2022’s Superache , his upcoming third album was co-produced by legendaries Max Martin , Greg Kurstin , and Shawn Everett , among others.

Gray had been teasing the 13-track record since last year with a slew of buoyant, '80s-tinged singles ( "Never Ending Song," "Killing Me" and "Lonely Dancers") and poignant, Elton John -esque ballads ( "Winner," "Alley Rose" ). "When I was making the album, I was really obsessively listening to music of that era," he explained to NME . "I think also, because it was a deeply emotional time, I was almost hiding from reality. I didn’t listen to a song from the 2020s during the making of this album."

To celebrate this new, holy era, Gray will be touring Australia in July, North America in September and October, and Europe and the UK in November. "I want people to know that I was having fun and goofing around, and I want you to smile and I want you to feel like you can just be yourself," he added. "I just want the album to be a reminder to people that you can be so many things all at once."

Sinkane - We Belong 

Ahmed Gallab, the Sudanese American multi-instrumentalist behind Sinkane, has built his discography resisting musical genres. We Belong , his upcoming eighth studio album, is no different: it combines pop, funk, electronic, afrobeats, disco, and more into "a love letter to Black music," per a press release.

Sinkane’s first album since 2019’s Dépaysé , We Belong features 10 tracks and participations by Bilal, Money Mark, STOUT, and others. Each song tells the story of a different era in Black music and history, laced with love and hope for the future: the disco groove of "Come Together," the gospel choirs of "Everything Is Everything," the funky bassline of "How Sweet is Your Love."

Along with live band the Message, Sinkane has announced a select 10-city tour in the U.S., starting May 3 in New York City and wrapping up on June 9 in Pioneertown, California.

X Ambassadors - Townie

** Pop rock trio X Ambassadors dive deep into nostalgia for Townie , their fourth studio album. The record was inspired by their experience of growing up in the small city of Ithaca, New York, and how it shaped who they are. **

"As a grown man, I’ve fallen back in love with upstate NY, and I oddly feel blessed to have had something to rally so hard against/fight to escape from as a kid," vocalist Sam Harris said in a statement. "No Strings," the first single off the project, is an anthem for that restless feeling, and anchors their concept in a haunting, propulsive melody. "Your Town" and "Half-Life" continue the journey, although taking more melancholy tones.

X Ambassadors first set off their Townie tour in Europe and the UK during February and March. On the day of the release, they will begin the North American leg of the tour in Vancouver, Canada.

Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us 

Five years after releasing their latest record, 2019’s Father of the Bride , indie band Vampire Weekend will drop their fifth studio album, Only God Was Above Us .

According to a press release, frontman Ezra Koenig wrote most of the songs in 2019-2020, and spent the last five years refining them with bandmates Chris Baio and Chris Tomson. The result is a collection of 10 "direct yet complex" tracks, "showing the band at once at its grittiest, and also at its most beautiful and melodic," as seen in singles "CAprilicorn," "Gen-X Cops," and "Classical."

In addition to a sold out performance in Austin, Texas that will coincide with the total eclipse on April 8 and a headline show at Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, Vampire Weekend has announced an extensive North American tour throughout summer and fall.

Bryson Tiller - Bryson Tiller

Grab your tickets to Bryson Tiller’s upcoming tour while you can: he might go on a hiatus right after. That’s what the R&B singer and rapper told Complex , alleging that his number one passion is actually video games. "I've been designing a game for the past three years; been looking into internships for different companies. That's what I want to prioritize after this album comes out."

The album Tiller refers to is his eponymous fourth LP, a 19-track collection that includes a feature by Victoria Monét , and is described as "seamlessly blending R&B, dancehall, pop, drill, trapsoul, neo-soul, and hip hop" in a press release. " Bryson Tiller is not just an album; it's a declaration of artistic independence and a tribute to the relentless pursuit of greatness."

The project’s three alluring singles ( "Outside," "Whatever She Wants," and "CALYPSO") exemplify how Tiller pushed the boundaries of R&B even more, and solidified his identity as one of music’s most singular artists. "My No. 1 goal with this album is just for everybody on Earth to hear it one time," Tiller also told Complex. "My guarantee is that they'll love [at least] one song."

Tori Kelly - TORI.

"You think you know who Tori Kelly is, but this album will prove that maybe you didn’t," said the YouTube-star-turned-singer in a NME interview about her fifth studio album, TORI . "I feel like I’m stepping into my power and owning my craft."

Her first LP since 2020’s A Tori Kelly Christmas , TORI. took inspiration from '90s and early aughts R&B and pop, as heard on singles "Missin U" and "Cut." "I was trying to create this world of nostalgia, but also there’s that balance with [ TORI. ] feeling fresh and new," she said. Comprising 15 tracks, it also includes participations by Ayra Starr in "Unbelievable," LE SSERAFIM ’s Kim Chae-won on "Spruce," and Jon Bellion — who co-wrote and produced the album — on "Young Gun."

During the creation process, Kelly told Bellion that her guidelines were to be able to "belt out [songs] in the car" and "dance" to them, like one can do in the powerful "High Water." As far as it goes, it looks like they accomplished their mission.

Kelly will kick off her Purple Skies North American tour on April 12 in Ventura, California, and conclude it on May 3 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Future & Metro Boomin - TBA / We Still Don’t Trust You  

Release date: April 12

Rap titans Future and Metro Boomin have been personal friends and work peers for over a decade, but their first collaborative album is only coming out now. We Don’t Trust You , the first installment of a double album, dropped on March 22, while the second part — titled yet to be announced — is slated to release on April 12.

In We Don’t Trust You , the duo showcased their flawless chemistry with grandiose tracks, haunting trap beats, and star-studded features, such as "Like That" with Kendrick Lamar , "Young Metro" with The Weeknd , and "Type S—" with Travis Scott and Playboi Carti . As Metro defined in an interview with Complex , "it’s the classic Future and Metro, but just updated."

So far, no further details have been shared about the second album, but expectations remain high for the duo to outdo the first effort.

girl in red - I'M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!

"I wanted to sincerely apologize for the events that happened directly after the release of my second album, I'M DOING IT AGAIN BABY! " prefaced Norwegian singer girl in red — real name Marie Ulven — on a solemn social media video last month. But while viewers caught their breaths, she revealed it was all a witty joke: the album will only come out on Aprilil 12.

"This is a big year for me. 2024 is, like, my year," she added in the video. I'M DOING IT AGAIN BABY! follows Ulven’s 2021 debut If I Could Make It Go Quiet , but feels "more fun and more playful, and a little bit more confident," as she told Billboard . Lead track "Too Much" brings that novelty heads on, while singles "Doing It Again Baby" and "You Need Me Now?" with Sabrina Carpenter prove that Ulven’s powerful pop is only getting better.

Ulven will kick off her Doing It Again tour from April 16-June 2 in North America, and from Aug.27-Oct. 5 in Europe.

Kenny Garrett & Svoy - Who Killed AI?  

For his first electronic foray, NEA Jazz Master and GRAMMY-winning saxophonist Kenny Garrett enlisted the acclaimed producer-musician Svoy. The result is Who Killed AI? , a seven-track daring exploration of jazz and pop culture.

"The first two songs are really reminiscent of Miles [Davis] ," Garrett shared in a statement. "The way I’m stretching the melody — that’s how I played with Miles." The opener and lead single "Ascendence" is a strong preview of what’s to come: distorted synths and drum and bass beats fused with Garrett’s fun and brilliant lines, a compelling portrait of what the future of music can be.

Later in the year, Garrett plans to take the album on a live tour. "I think my fans will find this interesting," Garrett shared in a statement. "Some people forget that my teacher was Miles Davis. So for me, it’s not that I have to do something different. It is just something that I do. All you have to do is present the music and let them take the journey." 

ERNEST - Nashville, Tennessee  

Early in March, singer/songwriter ERNEST announced on social media that he would be running for mayor in order to "legalize country music." Of course, fans started to get their hopes up for new music — and they were right. The plot was just part of his promotion for the newly announced Nashville, Tennessee , out April 12.

A tour de force with 26 tracks, the record features a bevy of guest stars: from Jelly Roll ("I Went To College, I Went To Jail"), to Lainey Wilson ("Would If I Could"), and ERNEST's two-year-old son, Ryman Saint. It also includes a bluegrass cover of Radiohead ’s "Creep" with HARDY, and a cover of John Mayer ’s "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room."

In addition to "I Went To College, I Went To Jail," four other advance tracks have been shared: "Why Dallas" with Lukas Nelson , "Ain’t As Easy," "Ain’t Too Late," and "How’d We Get Here."

Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department 

Release date: April 19

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On the same night that she won her  lucky 13th GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Album with 2022’s Midnights , Taylor Swift also announced her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department . Coming out April 19, the record will feature 16 tracks and collaborations by Florence + the Machine on "Florida!!!" and Post Malone on "Fortnight."

"I needed to make it, it was really a lifeline for me, it sort of reminded me why songwriting gets me through life," Swift said during her The Eras Tour show in Melbourne. "I've never had an album where I needed songwriting more than I needed it on Tortured Poets ."

Along with the statement, Swift also shared an alternate cover for the physical album, titled after and including bonus track "The Bolter." Later on, three other versions named "The Manuscript," "The Albatross," and "The Black Dog" — all including an eponymous bonus track —  were also made available for purchase.

For the rest of the year, Swift will be touring through Europe and North America. As usual with the singer, more surprises are likely to come soon.

PartyNextDoor - PartyNextDoor 4 (P4)

Release date: April 26

** Canadian hitmaker and singer PartyNextDoor will make his long-awaited return this month. PartyNextDoor 4 , also dubbed P4 , is his first full-length work since 2020’s Partymobile , and continues his eponymous albums series after 2016’s P3 . **

"This is the hardest I’ve ever worked on an album. This is the proudest I’ve felt," Party told Billboard for his March cover story. "I’m excited to grind even more for the next [one]. I’m in love with how hard you should work for it." 

He also explained that love is the reason why he takes so long to release new stuff. "I get into relationships and then music becomes second," he said. "I think I’m going to take a break from relationships, a long break, and just get back to making music."

In support of the release, Party shared moody, intimate singles "Resentment" and "Real Woman" — inspired by the same relationships that kept him off stage.

St. Vincent - All Born Screaming

In an interview with Mojo , St. Vincent — also known as Annie Clark — defined her upcoming seventh album, All Born Screaming , as "post-plague pop." Since its creation started right after the release of 2021’s Daddy’s Home , the years of seclusion and adjustment due to the COVID pandemic were a prominent influence in her new work.

"That kind of isolation breeds paranoia and loneliness, and loneliness can breed violence," she said. "It’s been a time of loss collectively and personally. [But] loss and death are very clarifying things, they make everything that doesn’t f—ng matter go away."

Comprising 10 tracks and features from Dave Grohl , Cate Le Bon, and Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa, All Born Screaming is St. Vincent’s first entirely self-produced set, and an attempt at showcasing what does matter. "This record is darker and harder and more close to the bone. I’d say it’s my least funny record yet. There’s nothing cute about it," she added.

Clark released two singles off the album, "Broken Man" and "Flea," and is gearing up for a North American tour starting May 22.

Picture This - Parked Car Conversations

" Parked Car Conversations is by far the most personal album we have ever created," said vocalist and lyricist Ryan Hennessy in a press release about Picture This’s upcoming album. "It is an album about everything involved with being human. Love and loss and hurt and euphoria and all of those other complex emotions that flutter in between."

The album consists of 15 songs, but a third of it can be previewed through bittersweet, soaring singles "Get On My Love," "Song To Myself," "Leftover Love," "Call It Love," and "Act Of Innocence." Overall, Parked Car Conversations is a soundtrack "not to a movie, but to life," and aims to convey "the ups and downs of living" through ballads and anthems alike, according to Hennessy. 

Coming almost three years since the Irish band’s last release, 2021’s Life in Colour , the new record will be celebrated in high spirits with an Europe and U.K. tour, starting April 21 in München, Germany.

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Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Beyoncé's highly anticipated 'COWBOY CARTER' opens up a Pandora's box of American lore, and the deep connections between Blackness and country music. Here's the rundown of the album's featured artists, cover songs and tracklisting.

Beyoncé 's act ii is upon us — say hello to COWBOY CARTER .

On March 29, the 32-time GRAMMY winner unleashed the follow-up to her acclaimed 2022 album, RENAISSANCE . While COWBOY CARTER hints "Bey goes country," the LP is more of a psychedelic opus, with glimmers of country twang and style.

Across a sprawling 27-song tracklist of inspired originals flecked with covers and interpolations, Queen Bey takes us on a rodeo ride through so many musical universes, paying homage to the Beatles , Chuck Berry , Willie Nelson , Dolly Parton , Linda Martell, and more.

Clearly, there's a treasure trove here — more than enough to keep the Beyhive abuzz throughout 2024. GRAMMY.com is here to help you pore over every twangy lick, mega-guest star and lyrical implication. 

As you dive into Beyoncé's astonishing new album, read on for some of the fundamentals of COWBOY CARTER.

The Tracklisting

Two days prior to COWBOY CARTER 's release, Bey released the tracklist — fittingly, in the form of a rodeo poster. And much to the delight of the Beyhive, it's nearly double the length of its 16-track predecessor, RENAISSANCE .

Check out the rodeo poster, as well as the complete track listing, below.

AMERIICAN REQUIEM

16 CARRIAGES

SMOKE HOUR WILLIE NELSON

TEXAS HOLD 'EM

ALLIGATOR TEARS

SMOKE HOUR II

JUST FOR FUN

II MOST WANTED

LEVII'S JEANS

THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW

OH LOUISIANA

DESERT EAGLE

RIIVERDANCE

II HANDS II HEAVEN

SWEET HONEY BUCKIIN'

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The Cover Songs

Among two dozen dazzling Beyoncé originals,   COWBOY CARTER   features covers of the Beatles' "Blackbird," Dolly Parton's "Jolene" and Chuck Berry's "Oh Louisiana."

"BLACKBIIRD" (retitled from "Blackbird," with an   act ii   flavor) is a   Paul McCartney   song, credited to Lennon-McCartney and featured on 1968's   The Beatles , commonly known as   The White Album . The song's civil rights inspiration makes it more than a worthy selection: the use of McCartney's original guitar and foot-tapping track makes it especially ear-grabbing.

"JOLENE" is a Dolly Parton classic, similarly given symphonic heft by Bey; Parton offers a radio-like intro on the   COWBOY CARTER   rendition.

In Parton's pre-"JOLENE" intro, "DOLLY P," she connects "Jolene" to Bey's immortal line "Becky with the good hair" from the   Lemonade   track "Sorry": "You know that hussy with the good hair you sing about? Reminded me of someone I knew back when, except she has flamin' locks of auburn hair. Bless her heart. Just a hair of a different color, but it hurts just the same."

"OH LOUISIANA" is a Chuck Berry deep cut from 1971's undersung   San Francisco Dues ; a flicker of Berry's "Maybellene" appears in "SMOKE HOUR WILLIE NELSON," which also features interpolations of Roy Hamilton's "Don't Let Go" and Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Down By The River Side."

Similarly, "YA YA" contains glimmers of Tommaso Giordani's "Caro Mio Ben,"   Lee Hazelwood 's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'," and   the Beach Boys ' "Good Vibrations."

Beyoncé has always displayed razor-sharp intent with her collaborators, and   COWBOY CARTER   is no exception.

The featured guests highlight a slew of   rising Black stars   in the   country scene . "BLACKBIIRD" spotlights four budding female artists, Brittney Spencer, Renya Roberts, Tanner Addell and Tiera Kennedy; Willie Jones shows off his chops on "JUST FOR FUN"; and country-rap fusionist Shaboozey stars on two tracks, "SPAGHETTII" and "SWEET HONEY BUCKIIN.'"

She also welcomes two country-loving pop stars,   Miley Cyrus   and   Post Malone , who make appearances on "II MOST WANTED" and "LEVII'S JEANS," respectively. And along with Parton, Beyoncé honors two more country greats with two aptly titled homages: fellow Texan   Willie Nelson   appears on "SMOKE HOUR WILLIE NELSON" and "SMOKE HOUR II," and trailblazer Linda Martell "The Linda Martell Show"

Perhaps Beyoncé's cutest collaborator is her six-year-old daughter, Rumi Carter, who makes her adorable debut on "PROTECTOR."

With that, venture forth into   COWBOY CARTER   — another quintessentially Bey statement of purpose and prowess.

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