Butcher Brown shares the spacey “Ibiza” from their next album, Letters From The Atlantic. The instrumental single builds tension with subtle percussion and ambient keys interspersed with a floaty saxophone. “Ibiza” is part of the band’s announcement for the new album, which takes its inspiration from jazz, soul, rock, funk, and more. Melanie Charles, Yaya Bey, Mia Gladstone, Victoria Victoria, Nicholas Payton, Neal Francis, and Leanor Wolfe have guest appearances. The band explained the dance music influence of “Ibiza” in a press release. 

“We recorded that joint with the idea of it tapping into something you’d hear in a dance club in New York or the UK. We’re all producers, so we’re thinking of the samples a DJ would find and chop up into a groove – but do it all live, no samples, reimagining it in our own way. There was something magical about the recording of this song, cosmic is the only way to describe that feeling. The excitement and joy everyone felt listening back in the control room was a clear sign we should get this out to the world. We hope ‘Ibiza’ takes you somewhere warm and offers a level of comfort.”

Butcher Brown released their last album, Solar Music, in 2023. Letters From The Atlantic was recorded last summer at Spacebomb Studios in their hometown of Richmond, Virginia. The eclectic jazz group’s album officially drops on March 25 on the Concord Jazz imprint, and they will kick off a tour of the United States. 

Butcher Brown Tour Dates 

Mar 29 Chicago, IL SPACE

Apr 2 Boston, MA Brighton

Apr 4 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Bowl

Apr 5 Philadelphia, PA Milkboy

Apr 11 Charlottesville, VA The Southern

Apr 12 Virginia Beach, VA Elevation 27

Apr 18 Portland, OR The Get Down

Apr 19 Seattle, WA Nectar Lounge

Apr 20 Vancouver, BC The Biltmore Cabaret

Apr 22 Boise, ID Neurolux

Apr 23 Salt lake City, UT State Room

Apr 26 San Francisco, CA The Independent

Apr 27 Santa Cruz, CA Kuumbwa

Apr 29 San Diego, CA Casbah

Apr 30 Los Angeles, CA Regent Theatr

On January 12, 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. founded Tamla Records in Detroit, Michigan. Gordy had previously owned a music store that exclusively sold jazz records and was a member of a songwriting team for singer Jackie Wilson and others. A meeting with a 17-year-old Smokey Robinson led to Gordy recording the single “Got A Job” by Robinson’s group, The Miracles. He leased the song to End Records, and this practice of leasing songs to bigger labels outside of Detroit continued with the Marv Johnson song, “Come To Me.” Robinson encouraged Gordy to start his own R&B record label, and he borrowed $800 from his family to release Johnson’s song on his Tamla label. In 1959, he started Anna Records, which was named after his sister, and they had the most success with Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want).” In April of 1960, he merged both companies and incorporated Motown Records.

Strong’s single was Motown’s first hit record in June of 1960, and by that time, Gordy had purchased the building that was the label’s headquarters and called it Hitsville U.S.A. Motown eventually took up space in seven additional nearby houses for the company’s administrative duties, artist development, management, payroll, sales, and recording. The Miracles’ “Bad Girl” was the first official Motown release, but it was their single “Shop Around” that was the first million-seller for the group and label. Gordy’s motto was to make music that appealed to both Black and white audiences. Motown became the most successful African-American business and independent record company in America, with 79 songs in the Billboard Top Ten between 1960 and 1969. Motown’s influence was critical to the integration of pop music. The label was home to some of the most important artists in the history of music, including The Miracles, Mary Wells, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Jackson 5, and Stevie Wonder. The company also moved into the media world after moving to Los Angeles with television specials and movies. Diana Ross’ starring roles in Mahogany, Lady Sings The Blues, and The Wiz opened the way for Whitney Houston’s The Bodyguard decades later. 

Motown stayed independent until 1988, when Gordy sold it to MCA. Universal Music acquired Motown in 1998 when they purchased Polygram. In 2025, Motown is home to Brandy, Erykah Badu, Kem, Migos, Lil Yachty, and The City Girls. 

Did Fat Joe resign from hosting the BET Hip Hop Awards because of comments he made about Puerto Rican’s contributions to hip-hop and Foundational Black Americans being “broke” and “radical Black activists” on Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion podcast? 

Did Jay-Z really try to get the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to change its name to the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame? 

Pink Siifu announces his fourth album, BLACK’ANTIQUE and shares “WHOUWITHHO+” featuring Kal Banx. Siifu raps in his usual snappy but almost whispery flow over Banx’ rotating trap drums. “WHOUWITHHO+” is the second single to emerge from the next album following “SCREW4LIFE!RIPJALEN’!.” Siifu embraces his singular style even harder on BLACK’ANTIQUE and explained that approach in a press release: “This album was made with the intent to sharpen and truly show that an artist should be one of one. This album is the shit eye say to myself in the mirror. We get each album/project to tell a different side of ourselves, bring you into a world, speak on our existence, and express ourselves in depth. Everything present and in front of you isn’t here to stay, but the memory and the stories will forever be something. That’s an antique’! Something or Someone Who is Here to Stay’! A Source of Inspiration, Power, and Something Timeless’!”

Siifu’s third solo album, GUMBO! came out in 2022, and since then he has had collaborative albums including Real Bad Flights with producer Real Bad Man, Leather Blvd. with Ahwlee, and It’s Too Quiet..’! with Turich Benjy. BLACK ‘ANTIQUE will be released on January 27th.