Shatter the Standards
@thestandards.bsky.social
We are dedicated to celebrating milestones, unearthing lesser-known musical gems, and promoting discussions around albums and new music that might not receive ample attention in mainstream conversations.
https://www.shatterthestandards.com
https://www.shatterthestandards.com
While the charts chased EDM, these five albums doubled down on grown‑folks storytelling. They’re the kind of records that reward late‑night listening and make you Google who produced track seven.
Five 2010 R&B Albums for Fans of Neo‑Soul, Quiet Storm and Grown Folks’ R&B
While the charts chased EDM, these five albums doubled down on grown‑folks storytelling. They’re the kind of records that reward late‑night listening and make you Google who produced track seven.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 29, 2025 at 3:00 PM
While the charts chased EDM, these five albums doubled down on grown‑folks storytelling. They’re the kind of records that reward late‑night listening and make you Google who produced track seven.
Jazmine Sullivan channels the spirits of her musical foremothers while forging her own identity. Love Me Back gives so much love that it compels you to love it back in return.
Anniversaries: Love Me Back by Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Sullivan channels the spirits of her musical foremothers while forging her own identity. Love Me Back gives so much love that it compels you to love it back in return.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Jazmine Sullivan channels the spirits of her musical foremothers while forging her own identity. Love Me Back gives so much love that it compels you to love it back in return.
Erykah Badu is still on the line, still experimenting with that perfect frequency. In a world more digitally tangled than ever, sometimes the soul connection is just a hello away.
Anniversaries: But You Caint Use My Phone by Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu is still on the line, still experimenting with that perfect frequency. In a world more digitally tangled than ever, sometimes the soul connection is just a hello away.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 28, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Erykah Badu is still on the line, still experimenting with that perfect frequency. In a world more digitally tangled than ever, sometimes the soul connection is just a hello away.
A decade after her first break, Jessie J isn’t chasing the charts. The singer who once rode the line between pop hits and stage‑school bravado is balancing motherhood, illness, loss, and independence.
Album Review: Don’t Tease Me With a Good Time by Jessie J
A decade after her first break, Jessie J isn’t chasing the charts. The singer who once rode the line between pop hits and stage‑school bravado is balancing motherhood, illness, loss, and independence.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 28, 2025 at 5:05 AM
A decade after her first break, Jessie J isn’t chasing the charts. The singer who once rode the line between pop hits and stage‑school bravado is balancing motherhood, illness, loss, and independence.
Here’s your upcoming rundown of albums/singles releasing on November 28th, featuring Jessie J, Pink Siifu, Stove God Cooks, Sweet Love, and many others.
New Music Drops: November 28, 2025
Here’s your upcoming rundown of albums/singles releasing on November 28th, featuring Jessie J, Pink Siifu, Steve God Cooks, Sweet Love, and many others.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Here’s your upcoming rundown of albums/singles releasing on November 28th, featuring Jessie J, Pink Siifu, Stove God Cooks, Sweet Love, and many others.
Follow Tamar, Ol’ Skool, Elisha La’Verne, Gerald Levert, and Fishbone, and you get a different map of the year 2000. Follow the producers’ names in the credits, and it sharpens even more.
Five 2000 R&B Albums from the Awkward Center of the Mainstream
Follow Tamar, Ol’ Skool, Elisha La’Verne, Gerald Levert, and Fishbone, and you get a different map of the year 2000. Follow the producers’ names in the credits, and it sharpens even more.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Follow Tamar, Ol’ Skool, Elisha La’Verne, Gerald Levert, and Fishbone, and you get a different map of the year 2000. Follow the producers’ names in the credits, and it sharpens even more.
With Elujay, Myles Lloyd, Ben Reilly, Awich, SABRI, iAMLYRIC, André Mego, Tawobi, OLA, Flee Lord/Jansport J, Remey Williams, Hus KingPin, and others, press play on these projects released last week.
Wednesday Roundups #129: 19 Albums/EPs You Should Listen to In Your Spare Time
With Elujay, Myles Lloyd, Ben Reilly, Awich, SABRI, iAMLYRIC, André Mego, Tawobi, OLA, Flee Lord/Jansport J, Remey Williams, Hus KingPin, and others, hit play on these projects released last week.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:02 PM
With Elujay, Myles Lloyd, Ben Reilly, Awich, SABRI, iAMLYRIC, André Mego, Tawobi, OLA, Flee Lord/Jansport J, Remey Williams, Hus KingPin, and others, press play on these projects released last week.
Each of these records was asked to do too much: fix a label, restart a career, honor the dead, prove a crew was still worth betting on. But you can also hear people refusing to back off.
Five 2000 Rap Albums That Tell On the Year That Made Them
Each of these records was asked to do too much: fix a label, restart a career, honor the dead, prove a crew was still worth betting on. But you can also hear people refusing to back off.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Each of these records was asked to do too much: fix a label, restart a career, honor the dead, prove a crew was still worth betting on. But you can also hear people refusing to back off.
MAVI works out from the chaos of his last record with a sober eye and a heavy heart. This mixtape traces how he confronts the cost of success and the scars he has been carrying.
Album Review: The Pilot by MAVI
MAVI works out from the chaos of his last record with a sober eye and a heavy heart. This mixtape traces how he confronts the cost of success and the scars he has been carrying.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:05 PM
MAVI works out from the chaos of his last record with a sober eye and a heavy heart. This mixtape traces how he confronts the cost of success and the scars he has been carrying.
With releases from ROSALÍA to Armand Hammer, here are notable releases in November that stood out to us as the best albums of the month.
November 2025 Roundups: The Best Albums of the Month
With releases from ROSALÍA to Armand Hammer, here are notable releases in November that stood out to us as the best albums of the month.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
With releases from ROSALÍA to Armand Hammer, here are notable releases in November that stood out to us as the best albums of the month.
Does this language elevate or erase hip-hop’s value? What does it say about respect, legacy, genre hierarchy—and who gets to define “artist”? Read over at Blackpolitan.
“Not Just Hip-Hop”—The Hidden Hierarchy Within
Does this language elevate or erase hip-hop’s value? What does it say about respect, legacy, genre hierarchy—and who gets to define “artist”?
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Does this language elevate or erase hip-hop’s value? What does it say about respect, legacy, genre hierarchy—and who gets to define “artist”? Read over at Blackpolitan.
His voice moved through decades without ever losing the conviction he carried as a young singer from Somerton. This tribute gathers everything that shaped one of Jamaica’s most fearless artists.
Our Tribute to Jimmy Cliff (1944-2025)
His voice moved through decades without ever losing the conviction he carried as a young singer from Somerton. This tribute gathers everything that shaped one of Jamaica’s most fearless artists.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:05 PM
His voice moved through decades without ever losing the conviction he carried as a young singer from Somerton. This tribute gathers everything that shaped one of Jamaica’s most fearless artists.
Joe Budden’s Call of Duty jab at Megan Thee Stallion did more than drift past bad taste—it showed how casually women in rap get treated as fair game.
Joe Budden, Megan Thee Stallion, and Gaming as Gendered Arena
Joe Budden’s Call of Duty jab at Megan Thee Stallion did more than drift past bad taste—it showed how casually women in rap get treated as fair game.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Joe Budden’s Call of Duty jab at Megan Thee Stallion did more than drift past bad taste—it showed how casually women in rap get treated as fair game.
ian built his whole image on being easy to clown. The meme costume fit a little too well, so without further ado, let us introduce you to the worst rap album you’ll ever hear for the past decade.
Album Review: 2005 by ian
ian built his whole image on being easy to clown. The meme costume fit a little too well, so without further ado, let us introduce you to the worst rap album you’ll ever hear for the past decade.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:00 PM
ian built his whole image on being easy to clown. The meme costume fit a little too well, so without further ado, let us introduce you to the worst rap album you’ll ever hear for the past decade.
Chamillionaire’s blend of vengeance and melody gave the album its identity: one moment he’s snarling that revenge is a dish best served cold, the next he’s sweetening the hook with a hummed tune.
Anniversaries: The Sound of Revenge by Chamillionaire
Chamillionaire’s blend of vengeance and melody gave the album its identity: one moment he’s snarling that revenge is a dish best served cold, the next he’s sweetening the hook with a hummed tune.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Chamillionaire’s blend of vengeance and melody gave the album its identity: one moment he’s snarling that revenge is a dish best served cold, the next he’s sweetening the hook with a hummed tune.
Veteran West Coast ice‑cold bars, Southern trap appeals, and indie‑rap experiments all collided in the same strange year.
Five 2010 Rap Albums About Prison, Legacy and Moving Forward
Veteran West Coast ice‑cold bars, Southern trap appeals, and indie‑rap experiments all collided in the same strange year.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Veteran West Coast ice‑cold bars, Southern trap appeals, and indie‑rap experiments all collided in the same strange year.
We’re still watching, still debating, and still moved by this lavish, confounding, and brilliant record. Kanye West’s modern man-myth fully came to life, in all its beautiful, dark, twisted glory.
Milestones: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West
We’re still watching, still debating, and still moved by this lavish, confounding, and brilliant record. Kanye West’s modern man-myth fully came to life, in all its beautiful, dark, twisted glory.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:02 PM
We’re still watching, still debating, and still moved by this lavish, confounding, and brilliant record. Kanye West’s modern man-myth fully came to life, in all its beautiful, dark, twisted glory.
Here’s your upcoming rundown of albums/singles releasing on November 21st, featuring De La Soul, Oneohtrix Point Never, Tank, Chris Patrick, and many others.
New Music Drops: November 21, 2025
Here’s your upcoming rundown of albums/singles releasing on November 21st, featuring De La Soul, Oneohtrix Point Never, Tank, Chris Patrick, and many others.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Here’s your upcoming rundown of albums/singles releasing on November 21st, featuring De La Soul, Oneohtrix Point Never, Tank, Chris Patrick, and many others.
De La Soul returns with their first new LP in nine years. After the weight of Trugoy’s absence, the album is a tribute to a brother and a continuation of a group that refuses to be frozen by grief.
Album Review: Cabin in the Sky by De La Soul
De La Soul returns with their first new LP in nine years. After the weight of Trugoy’s absence, the album is a tribute to a brother and a continuation of a group that refuses to be frozen by grief.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:31 PM
De La Soul returns with their first new LP in nine years. After the weight of Trugoy’s absence, the album is a tribute to a brother and a continuation of a group that refuses to be frozen by grief.
Pink Friday turned Nicki Minaj from an underground queen into a household name—a crowning moment, even if it meant swapping the wild style of her mixtapes for a polished pink coronation.
Anniversaries: Pink Friday by Nicki Minaj
Pink Friday turned Nicki Minaj from an underground queen into a household name—a crowning moment, even if it meant swapping the wild style of her mixtapes for a polished pink coronation.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Pink Friday turned Nicki Minaj from an underground queen into a household name—a crowning moment, even if it meant swapping the wild style of her mixtapes for a polished pink coronation.
Ransom has never been a comfortable rapper, but his collaboration with Premier gave him a new dimension. Now joining forces with Conductor Williams, he pushes into his own misgivings.
Album Review: The Uncomfortable Truth by Ransom & Conductor Williams
Ransom has never been a comfortable rapper, but his collaboration with Premier gave him a new dimension. Now joining forces with Conductor Williams, he pushes into his own misgivings.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:05 AM
Ransom has never been a comfortable rapper, but his collaboration with Premier gave him a new dimension. Now joining forces with Conductor Williams, he pushes into his own misgivings.
These are the albums that make you rethink whatever you assumed from the lead tracks. The deeper cuts do the kind of work the marketing never bothered to point at.
Five 2000 R&B Albums That Caught Us Off Guard in the Best Way
These are the albums that make you rethink whatever you assumed from the lead tracks. The deeper cuts do the kind of work the marketing never bothered to point at.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:06 PM
These are the albums that make you rethink whatever you assumed from the lead tracks. The deeper cuts do the kind of work the marketing never bothered to point at.
With Grimm Lynn, Q Parker, Felicia Temple, Oh No, Sekou, Don West, Gabriel Jacoby, Jay Cinema, ABBIANA, Apollo Brown & Ty Farris, and others, hit play on these projects released last week.
Wednesday Roundups #128: 25 Albums/EPs You Should Listen to In Your Spare Time
With Grimm Lynn, Q Parker, Felicia Temple, Oh No, Sekou, Don West, Gabriel Jacoby, Jay Cinema, ABBIANA, Apollo Brown & Ty Farris, and others, hit play on these projects released last week.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:02 PM
With Grimm Lynn, Q Parker, Felicia Temple, Oh No, Sekou, Don West, Gabriel Jacoby, Jay Cinema, ABBIANA, Apollo Brown & Ty Farris, and others, hit play on these projects released last week.
Dave Hollister was best known for his gospel-honed vocals and a stint as Blackstreet’s original lead singer, but this sophomore solo effort would become his best work to date.
Anniversaries: Chicago ‘85… The Movie by Dave Hollister
Dave Hollister was best known for his gospel-honed vocals and a stint as Blackstreet’s original lead singer, but this sophomore solo effort would become his best work to date.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Dave Hollister was best known for his gospel-honed vocals and a stint as Blackstreet’s original lead singer, but this sophomore solo effort would become his best work to date.
The hippie label never fit them, and De La Soul Is Dead proved it. The collective they helped shape made that vision bigger than any one album.
Giving De La Soul Their Well-Deserved Flowers
The hippie label never fit them, and De La Soul Is Dead proved it. The collective they helped shape made that vision bigger than any one album.
www.shatterthestandards.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:05 PM
The hippie label never fit them, and De La Soul Is Dead proved it. The collective they helped shape made that vision bigger than any one album.