Brooklyn artist Chelsie Denise, also known as “NYC’s Sweetheart,” delivers raw emotion in the official video for “Cry For Me.” The visual tells a Brooklyn love story about loyalty, struggle and betrayal, following a couple who build together only for success to fracture their bond. Offering a modern twist on Jay-Z’s “Song Cry,” the track captures heartbreak, resilience and the bittersweet power of walking away.

From her third and latest album Do You Still Love Me?, Ella Mai unveils the visuals for “Outside,” a single that finds the Grammy-winning singer returning to the romantic honesty that first made her a fan favorite. In the video, Mai embraces vulnerability as she navigates single life, balancing independence with a lingering desire ("If that phone lights up, say the word and I'm there.") for love and genuine connection.

As Reggae Month celebrations grow across the Caribbean, reggae’s tradition of resistance and social commentary takes center stage with a new collaborative release on reparatory justice. Grammy-winning Gramps Morgan joins Gassy Dread, the recording identity of Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, for "Reparations", a single addressing colonialism and slavery’s lasting impact while highlighting reggae’s historic role in liberation movements and advocacy worldwide today.

Nigerian singer and songwriter Cheque ushers in a bold new chapter with his seven-track EP YAZI , a deeply personal project rooted in emotional hip-hop, trap-infused production, and his signature melodic style. Blending Afropop with R&B and street-pop influences, Cheque reflects on ambition, faith, pressure, and resilience across standout tracks like “Goodbye” and “Ocean Dry.” From the urgent opener “Booming” to the introspective closer “Desperado,” YAZI captures an artist embracing vulnerability, growth, and renewed confidence with honest storytelling and expressive soundscapes.

UK singer/songwriter Cleo Sol opens 2026 with “Nothing Is Impossible With You,” a faith-centered slow soul track about seeking divine guidance and strength through hardship. Carried by a timid but hypnotic drum pattern and sparse production, the song highlights her warm vocals and reflective lyrics. Emphasizing resilience, gratitude, and self-growth, Sol encourages listeners to overcome doubt, cherish loved ones, and remain steadfast in faith.

GloRilla’s recent public clash with her sister Victoria “Scar Face” Woods has ignited a familiar and uncomfortable conversation about fame, family, and financial obligation. Since breaking out in 2022 with “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” and quickly ascending to mainstream success with charting singles, awards, and a top-five debut album, the Memphis rapper has become one of hip-hop’s fastest-rising stars. But with that success has come an expectation that she must now serve as the financial backbone of an extended family, a burden that too often gets placed on the first person to “make it” out of difficult circumstances. Scar Face’s claims that GloRilla has abandoned family members in need tap into a narrative that success equals permanent responsibility. Yet the evidence suggests a far more complicated reality. GloRilla has publicly shown moments of generosity toward her parents and loved ones, and other family members have stepped forward to defend her support over the years. Her response (including sharing a message of appreciation from her mother and urging her sister to seek employment) may have felt blunt, but it underscored a necessary point: providing help does not mean surrendering one’s autonomy or becoming an endless source of cash for anyone who asks.

This Throwback Thursday, hip-hop fans revisit “Me, Myself and I,” the groundbreaking 1989 single by De La Soul. Released in March 1989 from their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising, the song became the trio’s only No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart while also topping the Dance Club Play chart. Built around a Funkadelic sample and playful lyricism, the track helped define alternative rap’s creative freedom at the dawn of the 1990s. Written as a response to critics labeling them “hippies of hip-hop,” the song saw members like Posdnuos and Trugoy The Dove push back against industry expectations and celebrate individuality. Producers including Prince Paul crafted a radio-friendly groove sampling Funkadelic’s “(Not Just) Knee Deep,” though the group initially resisted its commercial sound before recording what would become a defining anthem of self-expression. The satirical music video, directed by Charles Stone III, featured cameos from members of A Tribe Called Quest, including Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, reinforcing the song’s message of authenticity over conformity. Today (February 12, 2026) also marks the third anniversary of Trugoy’s passing, making this throwback a poignant reminder of De La Soul’s lasting legacy and the timeless power of staying true to oneself.

Two-time Grammy Award-winning Jamaican drummer Sly Dunbar, whose powerful rhythms shaped generations of reggae and rock recordings, has died at the age of 73. His wife, Thelma Dunbar, confirmed his passing to the Jamaica Gleaner. As one-half of the legendary rhythm section Sly and Robbie alongside bassist Robbie Shakespeare, Dunbar became one of the most sought-after drummers in modern music, contributing to countless hits across genres. Known as part of the influential “Riddim Twins,” Dunbar and Shakespeare played on classics by Bob Marley, Black Uhuru, Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh, while also collaborating internationally with artists including Grace Jones, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and Serge Gainsbourg. Dunbar’s drumming powered tracks such as Junior Murvin’s “Police and Thieves,” Marley’s “Punky Reggae Party” and Dave and Ansell Collins’ “Double Barrel.” He also worked with acts outside reggae, including Joe Cocker, No Doubt, Sinead O’Connor and Carly Simon, helping introduce reggae’s rhythmic innovation to global audiences. Dunbar earned 13 Grammy nominations and won twice — for Black Uhuru’s Anthem, which captured the first-ever Grammy for Best Reggae Recording in 1985, and for Sly and Robbie’s Friends in 1999. In 1980, he co-founded Taxi Records with Shakespeare, nurturing artists such as Shaggy, Shabba Ranks and Beenie Man. Tributes poured in from across the music world, with UB40’s Ali Campbell noting that modern beats “wouldn’t be what they are” without Dunbar’s pioneering influence, cementing his legacy as one of reggae’s greatest drummers.

PHABO continues his ascent in modern R&B with Ratchet & Blues . On the new project the independent LA singer-songwriter blends church-trained vocals with candid storytelling, reflecting a decade spent refining his sound. Still brimming from his 2021 debut Soulquarius a half-decade later, PHABO delivers a confident, late-’90s and 2000s-inspired sonic world. Across 15 tracks Ratchet & Blues also showcases his range as a writer and collaborator while cementing his status as one of R&B’s most compelling breakout voices.