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(ThyBlackMan.com) When I think about the voices that shaped the sound of grown-up R&B, Alexander O’Neal is always near the top of the list. His music didn’t just fill dance floors or top charts—it tapped into the emotions that so many of us wrestle with: heartbreak, trust, longing, love, and self-worth. O’Neal sang like a man who had lived through it all, and his songs have this uncanny way of […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) From the moment Ne-Yo stepped onto the scene, I knew he wasn’t just another R&B singer chasing hits—he was a storyteller. His voice had this polished yet emotional clarity that felt like it was speaking directly to you, whether you were dealing with heartbreak, falling hard, or just reflecting on your own journey. What set Ne-Yo apart wasn’t just his vocal talent—it was how he wrote songs that felt […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) The first time I heard Jimmy Ruffin sing, it stopped me in my tracks. His voice didn’t just carry a melody—it carried a lifetime of emotions. There was something so honest, so soul-baring about his delivery that it felt like he was speaking directly to whatever part of you had been bruised by love. In a Motown era filled with polished harmonies and polished showmen, Ruffin stood out by […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) As a former NFL player and professional trainer working with athletes from elementary school to the professional level, I understand the critical role nutrition plays in achieving peak performance. Training, discipline, and dedication are all essential, but without the right fuel, even the most talented athletes will struggle to reach their full potential. Before I begin working with a new client, I conduct a thorough assessment of their nutritional […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) Because of your particular circumstances, you might not agree that our world is broken and heading swiftly towards perdition, but the vast majority of ordinary people out there are under no such illusion. The angst suffered by ordinary people is so great that only if you are cosseted by having great wealth, or if you are so corrupt that the wealthy is cosseting you, that you can be unaware […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) The federal budget remains a disaster, and for all the splashy talk of cost-cutting and tariff-driven revenue, Americans know it. Especially galling is that the latest fiscal wreckage is being overseen by an administration that promised business acumen and conservative restraint. Republicans are delivering the opposite: a self-inflicted destruction of wealth, rising interest rates, creeping inflation fears and an abandonment of even their usual pretense of fiscal discipline. The […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) Macy Gray is one of those rare artists whose voice is instantly recognizable—gritty, soulful, and full of personality. When she arrived on the scene in the late ’90s, her sound stood apart from anything else in pop or R&B. She wasn’t chasing trends; she was building her own lane, blending soul, funk, jazz, and alternative influences into a style that was—and still is—entirely her own. Over the course of […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) From the first time I heard Seal’s voice, I knew it wasn’t just music—it was something more. Something spiritual. His songs didn’t just sound good; they made you feel something deeper, like he was reaching into your soul and giving your emotions a name. Whether it was love, loss, hope, or healing, Seal had a way of singing the things most of us struggle to say out loud. Over […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) Disdain for President Donald Trump translates into a refusal to accept reality if doing it gives Trump a political victory. Examples include, but are certainly not limited to, the continuing assertion that Trump, about Charlottesville, said some variation of, “There were good and bad white nationalists and neo-Nazis on both sides”; the denial of the Hunter Biden laptop; that Trump “mocked” a disabled reporter; that Trump said to “drink […]

(ThyBlackMan.com) If you came up during the late ’80s and early ’90s like I did, then Guy wasn’t just a group—they were a moment. Their sound was everywhere: house parties, slow jams on the radio, the backdrop to your first dance, and maybe even your first heartbreak. Guy was the heartbeat of New Jack Swing, blending the swagger of hip-hop with the soul of gospel-trained vocals and the polish of […]