KING and Mara Hruby kick-off the 2015 FIGat7th Fest

Third times the charm as Arts Brookfield presents the third annual FIGat7th Downtown Festival in Downtown Los Angeles. The free outdoor concert occurs every Friday starting July 10 and ending August 28. This past Friday, soulful group KING…

The Roots, Erykah Badu, and more honor J. Dilla’s legacy

The final day of headlining concerts at the BET Experience was centered on the love of hip-hop. While acts such as Kendrick Lamar, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg were holding a West Coast takeover at Staples Center, The Roots and Erykah Badu had a…

D’Angelo Wows Los Angeles as a Master of Funk

Fans were elated when soulful singer D’Angelo and his electrifying band The Vanguard released their Black Messiah album back in late 2014. Many were beginning to wonder if the crooner would surface back into the industry, especially since…

‘You Should Be Here’ for Kehlani’s Breakout Year

In late 2014, 20-year-old singer Kehlani was one of the artists I predicted to soon become a household name. Once I saw her perform last year at Oakland’s annual Hiero Day festival, I knew she would bring a fresh flare to the R&B world.…

The Melody Mention: DJ Skee Presents Rich Cole’s “The Rich Tape”

For decades, hip-hop music in the Bay Area has coasted through mainstream thanks to heavy-hitting veterans such as Too $hort and E-40. However, when people think of rappers who hail from Northern California, those veterans are typically the…

Melody’s Spring Fever Playlist

As we move into the third week of spring, artists continue to bring fans feel-good songs perfect for the season. Springtime is great for new adventures, from newfound love, to day parties, to road trips, to celebrations, and music speaks to…

The Melody Mention: Artists To Watch in 2015

As 2014 comes to a close and we look back on the year’s best music, the industry continued to evolve from Outkast reuniting on tour, to U2 giving every iTunes user a free album, to J. Cole earning his third number one album without any singles…

Jhené Aiko Brings New Light to R&B with Enter The Void Tour

Every year around Christmas time, the Bay Area’s hip-hop and R&B radio station 106 KMEL brings its Holiday House of Soul concert to The Warfield, showcasing upcoming and top R&B acts. This past Wednesday was no different as KMEL and…

The UR Experience: Usher Celebrates Twenty-Year Legacy

The eight-time Grammy award-winning artist Usher has teased fans all this year with new music to anticipate the release of his eighth studio album UR. A great way to show his fans appreciation for supporting him during the past two decades…

Nas Presents Time Is Illmatic in Oakland

It was back in 1994 when the groundbreaking album from New York rapper Nasir Jones better known as Nas, released his Illmatic debut, and over the years has been critically acclaimed as the best hip-hop album of all time. I was a kid in kindergarten…

Treasure Island Music Festival: A Pearl in the Festival World

As the festival season typically comes to an end during the close of summer, San Francisco takes a unique route every October with its annual Treasure Island Music Festival. Held on the peaceful landmark of Treasure Island with ocean panoramic…

Childish Gambino and Erykah Badu Bring Fans to The Greek

As the Indian summer nights continue to emerge across the California coast, last Friday’s weather set the perfect tone for an outdoor concert. Zealous fans lined up for hours on the campus of UC Berkeley at the prestigious Greek Theater to…