50 For 50 | Life, Music, & Friendship

Usher's Top 5 Songs, Ranked and Defended

Garrett and Mike build their individual Top 5 Usher songs and put four more to the Rock With It or Stop With It test. Garrett's list: "U Remind Me" at No. 1, then "Yeah!,

Confessions & The Usher Story: A Full Career Deep Dive | 50 For 50

He was a nine-year-old in a Chattanooga church choir, a 15-year-old whose debut album nearly got him dropped, and — after Puffy Combs personally put him through a Bad Boy

Best Notorious B.I.G. Songs: From Juicy to Hypnotize | Top 5

We're ranking Biggie's catalog — but first, our Dream Collaborator: Nas, and the "Gimme the Loot" remix verse that almost happened. Nas was booked for the session and it

Life After Death & The Notorious B.I.G. Story: A Full Career Deep Dive | 50 For 50

He was an honor-roll kid from Fulton Street who dealt crack out of necessity, got discovered through a magazine column, and became — in a recording career that lasted bar

Best Madonna Hits: From Into the Groove to Vogue | Top 5

We're ranking Madonna's catalog. This week's Top 5 spans four decades of hits — Vogue, Dress You Up, Into the Groove, and Papa Don't Preach are all in the conversation —

Confessions on a Dance Floor & the Madonna Story: A Full Career Deep Dive

Before she was the Queen of Pop, she was a 19-year-old with $35 in her pocket and one piece of advice from her dance teacher, Christopher Flynn: go to New York. This week

Ne-Yo Went Country? Inside Highway 79 | The Cool Check-In

Ne-Yo just went independent, planted a flag in Nashville, and dropped his most surprising album yet. Highway 79 — his tenth studio album, out now via Compound Entertainme

A Seat at the Table & the Solange Story: A Full Career Deep Dive | 50 For 50

Long before A Seat at the Table made her a Grammy winner, Solange was ghostwriting for her sister, touring as a Destiny's Child backup dancer, and getting married at 17 t

George Michael's Top 5 Songs + a Discussion about his Passing

George Michael's catalog spans solo albums, Wham!'s full run, and a long list of one-off duets, so narrowing it down to five songs apiece is no easy task. On this episode

Faith & the George Michael Story: A Full Career Deep Dive

Long before Faith made him a solo superstar, George Michael was the shy new kid at Bushey Meads School who fell in with a classmate named Andrew Ridgeley. On this episode

Justin Timberlake's Top 5 Songs (+ Our Favorite *NSYNC Track)

Justin Timberlake's solo catalog spans six albums and two decades, so narrowing it down to five songs apiece is no easy task. On this episode of 50 for 50, hosts Mike Jos

Man of the Woods & the Justin Timberlake Story: A Full Career Deep Dive

When *NSYNC went on hiatus in 2002, Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez were the two co-lead singers everyone expected to go solo and thrive. Only one of them did. On this e

Wu-Tang Clan's Top 5 Songs — And Where the Clan Is Now

Wu-Tang Clan's catalog spans nine solo careers and eight different record labels, so picking just five songs is no small task. On this episode of 50 for 50, hosts Mike Jo

Wu-Tang Clan's $60K Deal That Built 9 Solo Careers (Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers)

In 1993, nine rappers from Staten Island signed to a brand-new label called Loud Records for just $60,000 — with one unheard-of catch: every member was free to sign his o

The Cool Check-In: Why Physical Media Still Matters (Vinyl & 4K Discs)

On this episode of The Cool Check-In, Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales dig into their love of physical media — vinyl albums for both, plus 4K DVDs for Garrett. They cover

Frank Ocean's Channel Orange: The Album That Influenced R&B Forever | 50 For 50

Frank Ocean didn't just release an album with Channel Orange — he changed what R&B could be. On this episode, we go deep on Christopher Breaux's origin story, his songwri

Top Five: Boyz II Men

Garrett and Mike each rank their top five favorite Boyz II Men songs. On the table: "On Bended Knee," "Motownphilly," "Doin' Just Fine," "Water Runs Dry," "Please Don't G

Boyz II Men and the End of an R&B Era | The Cool Check-In

We're not doing a full 50 for 50 on Boyz II Men — but with them recently finishing The New Edition Way Tour alongside New Edition and Toni Braxton, the timing felt right

Top 5 ATCQ Songs: Scenario, Check the Rhime, We The People & More

Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales make their case for the Top 5 A Tribe Called Quest songs of all time — and the debate is real. The ATCQ catalog is deep enough that leav

ATCQ's Low End Theory, the Rapaport Doc, Phife's Death & Their Final Album | 50 for 50

A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory is one of the greatest albums ever made — and on this episode of 50 for 50, we treat it that way. We cover the full ATCQ story: