DENNIS LEUPOLD Joyride is an interesting point in the Tinashe lore. The oft delayed and majorly anticipated follow up to her critically acclaimed debut, the road to Joyride was unorthodox. But that did not stop her from crafting an album that would hurl banger after banger, producing a memorable set of pop/R&B that took fans by storm. THIS is the RNB Nerd review of Tinashe’s Joyride. “Keep Your Eyes On The Road (Intro)” – Well, come on now (Wendy Williams voice). Did we expect Tinashe to begin such a massive project without an intro? Much like its predecessor, Aquarius, Tinashe takes a mo ..read more

What I love the most about "Means Nothing" is how nonchalant Randy is about just letting his feelings and thoughts flow. His vocal delivery conveys his sincerity and authenticity, leaving no space for anything to be forced. Randy's singing is soulful and controlled, being sure to connect the emotion behind the songs message.  Lyrically, Randy is looking for answers. In his attempts to understand his significant other, we get some insane honesty and vulnerability in these lyrics that document just how down bad he is. Randy revels in both the pain and lingering adoration that he still has f ..read more

I am not sure how I came to find Nahima but watching her video for "Dumb Boy" made me smile. She looks gorgeous and the minimal video highlights not only her beauty but keeps the focus totally on the lyrics and the overall aesthetic of the song. "Dumb Boy" starts with a beautiful acoustic that has a moment which sounds scaringly close to Eddie Money's "Take Me Home Tonight/Be My Baby" for just a split second and I freaked out a little. It was just my ear though, as the song is a beast on its own. Not even through the first verse and we are hit with some strong melodies and great BGV's. Her ton ..read more

RNB Nerd reviews Samaria’s new single, “tight rope” Samaria comes right back to walk the “tight rope” on her latest single. Samaria has been letting us into her world, song by song, by delivering musical art that is both vivid and honest.  “tight rope” is another vignette for us to enjoy, full of beautiful, expressive vocals that carry a painful sincerity that keeps you at attention. The production feels a bit sinister in the beginning before blossoming into a dramatic beat that glitters with quirky instrumentation and strings. This is the perfect mix that gives room for Samaria’s vocals ..read more

There is nothing better to prepare us all for the impending heat of the season than a smooth banger made for summer nights. “Glow on You” fits the bill for this role and then some. Adding another notch to his eclectic belt, Streets Symphony (aka Torrance Esmond) gives us another side of his talents to enjoy. Along with the skillful lyricism from Soda Supreme, the gentlemen have crafted a poetic record that highlights the magnificence they see in their leading ladies. Records like this don’t come around like they used to. At least not when they are done well and so damn SMOOTH. Soda really kil ..read more

Much like its predecessor, “Press Play”, Diddy (with the ladies of Dirty Money) returns to finish what he started. I do not doubt that Diddy took inspiration for the project from his jet-setting lifestyle as well as the electronic sounds that were bleeding into the music of The Black Eyed Peas, Joe Jonas, Rihanna, Kanye West, Usher, and Chris Brown. Following the release of this project, I would argue that Diddy fabricated a signature aesthetic from which all future releases would be rooted. "Last Train to Paris" hosts a troop of sounds that are dark and heavily electronic, which come to ..read more

Before I get into the review, I need to be 100% honest about how much of my adoration and appreciation for this album came after years of spins and studying. I had moments where I really loved a select few songs and disregarded others, moments where I would skip the singles and only play the album songs, and moments where I deleted some songs from my library only to add them back later. It is important to share this because I think it conveys how much I love ALL of this album today AND that I don't believe I was the only Aaliyah fan to have this experience. This album was a COMPLETE departure ..read more

"On The Line", which features Omni Clutch, is a captivating, dreamy, and vulnerable record with lyrics that hold nothing back. The instrumentation is great. Complete with a guitar that sounds beyond crisp and that fades nicely into the back so that the dark beat can set the mood. Imani sings gently but conveys the hurt from what she is going through. The verse from Omni adds to the somber mood of the record; coming in to admit his own contribution to the madness. Sometimes a feature can be a detriment to the message of a song. For example, imagine a love song that has a feature artist rap or s ..read more

In a world ruled by aesthetics, the colorful and spirited depiction of how Dakota Chris (Kotà) presents himself to the world could also be an artist behind literally ANY sound or genre of music. As an R&B music fan and using the references that come naturally to me, this record feels like Dakota toying with the sounds and sensibilities of the genre, and this gives us a new aspect of his artistry to enjoy. There are no boxes put on him and in surveying his other work, you cannot deny that. In “LOVE Vs. MONEY” Dakota delivers a rousing hook that sounds oh so smooth. The elements in the song ..read more

RNB Nerd covers Grammy Award winning songwriter, Starrah, by reviewing my top three songs that feature this powerhouse creative. Starrah is a name that will continue to remain affixed to my music peripherals and it should be to yours too. Not only has she become synonymous with progressive and genre bending artists (Skrillex, FourTet, Diplo), but she has also written for the biggest pop stars (The Weeknd, Rihanna, Beyonce, and Madonna). But what impresses me the most about Starrah is that she does all of this with incomparable style, a crazy level of anonymity, and a nuance that continues to ..read more