Al Shipley

Al Shipley

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Freelance critic (e.g., Rolling Stone, Vulture); hip-hop/pop coverage and industry trends.

AI-Generated Fake Drake Tracks Flood After “Taylor Made” Freestyle
SocialMay 11, 2026

AI-Generated Fake Drake Tracks Flood After “Taylor Made” Freestyle

the proliferation of fake ai drake album snippets is what he deserves after "taylor made freestyle"

By Al Shipley
Fans Crave Meg & Cardi Joint Album, Summer Anthem
SocialMay 9, 2026

Fans Crave Meg & Cardi Joint Album, Summer Anthem

i still want Meg and Cardi to do an album together, Watch The Thong would run the summer

By Al Shipley
Top 40 Radio
SocialMay 8, 2026

Top 40 Radio

it feels like top 40 stations forcefully put "the fate of ophelia" back in heavy rotation immediately after "elizabeth taylor" was chosen as the doa third single

By Al Shipley
Stevie Wonder’s Late‑December Sun Shines Bright
SocialMay 8, 2026

Stevie Wonder’s Late‑December Sun Shines Bright

I wrote about Stevie Wonder's "I Can See the Sun in Late December" for @Spin's Deep Cut Friday column this week: https://t.co/wMiFB6f4aY

By Al Shipley
French Montana’s Filler Verse Makes Verzuz Performance Comical
SocialMay 8, 2026

French Montana’s Filler Verse Makes Verzuz Performance Comical

french montana doing "all the way up" in a verzuz is hilarious, his role in that song is basically a filler bonus chorus after the real chorus

By Al Shipley
Young Thug's Lone Rap Spot Feels Corny, Tryhard
SocialMay 7, 2026

Young Thug's Lone Rap Spot Feels Corny, Tryhard

i didn't pile on the choices in the nyt living songwriters list because it was a fun piece. but young thug being the only rapper besides kendrick whose prime was in the last 20 years was kind of corny and...

By Al Shipley
Rare Calm: DC Morning Commute Beats Expectations
SocialMay 6, 2026

Rare Calm: DC Morning Commute Beats Expectations

it's practically never happened before and may never happen again, but weekday morning traffic into dc was pretty chill today, i got to work quicker than i expected

By Al Shipley
Screening Netflix’s Norwegian Crime Drama “Detective Hole”
SocialMay 5, 2026

Screening Netflix’s Norwegian Crime Drama “Detective Hole”

by "showing hole" i simply meant that i am screening episodes of netflix's norwegian crime drama series detective hole

By Al Shipley
New Bruce Hornsby Album Features a 5/4 Track
SocialMay 4, 2026

New Bruce Hornsby Album Features a 5/4 Track

the first thing i listen to after uploading this year's 5/4 mix is the new Bruce Hornsby album...which has a song in 5/4! will have include it in a future set. https://t.co/ac8FLkCNY6

By Al Shipley
NCIS Prequel Explores Young Gibbs' Early Career
SocialMay 4, 2026

NCIS Prequel Explores Young Gibbs' Early Career

TIL there's an ncis prequel series about a young whatever mark harmon's character is named

By Al Shipley
Sombr Scores Rare Buckingham and Swift Endorsements, Shows Promise
SocialMay 2, 2026

Sombr Scores Rare Buckingham and Swift Endorsements, Shows Promise

sombr getting a lindsey buckingham cosign and a taylor swift cosign in the same week is crazy, i think he's still pretty hit and miss, but there aren't many one-man-band types now at the pop star level he's at, there's...

By Al Shipley
Second Leon‑Thomas/Chris Brown Track Sparks Fan Back
SocialMay 1, 2026

Second Leon‑Thomas/Chris Brown Track Sparks Fan Back

a leon thomas/chris brown collab has been on the radio nonstop for a year but apparently people didn't want to get mad at leon until there was a second one, the first was a mulligan

By Al Shipley
Why Outkast’s ‘Red Velvet’ Remains a Timeless Deep Cut
SocialMay 1, 2026

Why Outkast’s ‘Red Velvet’ Remains a Timeless Deep Cut

I wrote about one of my favorite Outkast songs, "Red Velvet," for @Spin’s Deep Cut Friday column this week: https://t.co/JA9A2akS7S

By Al Shipley
Travis Scott Penned “Sicko Mode” At Jamba Juice
SocialMay 1, 2026

Travis Scott Penned “Sicko Mode” At Jamba Juice

june 2018!? travis scott was in the same jamba juice writing sicko mode at that very moment

By Al Shipley
Al Shipley | Pulse