Autor: Producer Gang

Image Image Credit Arturo Holmes/MG23 / Contributor via Getty Images, Earl Gibson III / Contributor via Getty Images, and Jon Kopaloff / Stringer via Getty Images Image Alt Kendrick Lamar attends the 2023 Met Gala, Teyana Taylor at the 2026 BAFTA Tea Party, and Doechii attends the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Image Size landscape-medium Key Takeaways: Kendrick Lamar, Doechii and Cardi B are among the top contenders in the 2026 NAACP Image Awards music categories. The list showcases genre diversity, with nominations spanning Hip Hop, R&B, gospel and alternative sounds. NAACP leadership emphasized the awards’ role in celebrating Black…

Image Image Credit CBS Photo Archive/Contributor via Getty Images and CBS Photo Archive/Contributor via Getty Images Image Alt Teyana Taylor and Ryan Coogler Image Size landscape-medium Key Takeaways: Teyana Taylor’s Golden Globes speech honored softness, purpose and representation in a powerful moment for Black women. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners earned the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award, marking another major win for Black-led cinema. The 2026 Golden Globes highlighted a shift in industry recognition for Black creatives across major categories. On Sunday (Jan. 11), the 83rd Golden Globe Awards opened with a headline that felt overdue: Teyana Taylor wins Best Supporting…

Image Image Credit Mario Skraban / Contributor via Getty Images Image Alt Kid Cudi performs onstage during 2025 Sziget Festival Image Size landscape-medium Key Takeaways: Kid Cudi made his stand-up comedy debut at Mi’s Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica. The rapper described the experience as “electric” and thanked fans and fellow comics for their support. Cudi’s latest creative move follows his ventures into acting and visual art, showing his continued evolution. Kid Cudi is living his best life with a big smile — and cracking jokes, too. The multi-hyphenate has now added “stand-up comedian” to his growing list of…

Image Image Credit Screenshot from A$AP Rocky’s “Helicopter$” music video Image Alt Screenshot from A$AP Rocky’s “Helicopter$” music video Image Size landscape-medium Key Takeaways: The Dan Streit–directed music video blends 2000s video game animation with surreal, chaotic visuals. Lyrics reference Cam’ron, Jim Jones and A$AP Rocky’s sneaker brand history, adding layers to the rollout. “Helicopter$” builds anticipation for Rocky’s forthcoming album, Don’t Be Dumb, with bold visuals and experimental energy. A$AP Rocky just dropped the “dumbest video of the [f**kin’] year,” in his own words. On Monday (Jan. 12), the Harlem rapper shared the second single leading up to Don’t…

Waves recently announced Curves Resolve, a new freebie to kick off 2026, and we have some more information to share. Besides breaking out of their typical Black Friday free plugin schedule, Waves stayed true to form for the most part. After announcing the freebie, the developer provided a sign-up page and minimal information. Now, we have a little more detail to share. Speculation led us to the obvious assumption that Curves Resolve would be a plugin that addresses frequency clashes in a muddy mix, and new information from Waves confirms this. Curves Resolve is a plugin that intelligently resolves sonic…

I’ll jam on it with no real plan, just exploring its chaotic, organic behavior, and then I record long takes of whatever comes out. After that, I run those recordings through Guitar Rig to see how far I can push them: saturating, reshaping, distorting, or softening them until they become completely new sounds. Once I have these textured layers, I add them back into the groove, but always very low in the mix – almost hidden. The idea is that you don’t consciously hear the texture, but if you mute it, the whole track suddenly loses depth and feels empty.…

Phantom Sounds has released Orbit, a free reverb plugin in AU, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS and Windows. We aren’t exactly short of reverb options, so when a new plugin comes along, it’s nice if it has a bit of a twist, like the fantastic SOL by S1gns Of L1fe. Phantom Sound’s Orbit has a bit of a twist. The twist is that Orbit is a spatial reverb with a rotating wet signal. The movement makes Orbit more characterful than a standard reverb, and that’s why you might want to add it to your collection. The interface has a…

Aqeel Aadam Sound has released Outgrowth, a sample-based instrument for macOS, Windows, and iOS, developed in collaboration with Brooklyn-based electronic and jazz musician BlankFor.ms. Outgrowth is based on the simple idea of turning your existing samples into an expressive instrument as quickly as possible. I generally enjoy using plugins that help me flip and transform my samples in new ways, but Ougrowth won me over right away with its elegant workflow. You drag one or more samples directly into the interface, and the plugin automatically analyzes their pitch content and maps them across the keyboard. This means you can go…

AudioDeluxe is currently running an excellent combo deal where you can grab UJAM Finisher BOOST for just $5, down from its usual $59 price. That’s a solid 92% discount on its own, but the real prize is that you also get a free bonus plugin with your purchase. One of the two available free add-ons is Tape Machine 80 from IK Multimedia, and for me, that’s the clear winner. There’s also the option to grab M-Rotary from MeldaProduction as the freebie instead, but if you’re into tape saturation and analog character, Tape Machine 80 is the one to go for.…

Rockheyday has released SlowWave, a free, standalone Windows app that instantly applies slowed-down playback and lush reverb to any audio file. At 40 (someone recently called me unc and I had to Google it), I’m definitely not in the target age group for this kind of effect. But even so, I instantly figured out what this thing does (who’s the unc now?). If you’ve spent any time on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, or TikTok, you probably will too. It’s that melancholic sound where a track is slowed down and drenched in reverb, often turning even upbeat songs into something moody.…