Bobby Carter

A Tiny Desk Concert as intimate as it gets (that's saying something). Just Sampha, a piano and three heart-wrenching songs that seem to double as coping mechanisms.

The rapper/singer storms the NPR Music offices, activating his signature smile and bouncing through five highlights from his catalog — including the smash single "Broccoli."

The jazz band, known for its soulful interpretations of songs by Nas and Ol' Dirty Bastard, plays its own new material live in the NPR Music offices.

While you were watching Frank Ocean build a staircase, NPR Music contributors Bobby Carter and Kiana Fitzgerald were listening to these records.

Chance the Rapper and A Tribe Called Quest received deserved accolades, but there were many more rap records worthy of celebration this year.

Bringing the heat to the NPR Music offices, the R&B singer performs three funky, sexy, stripped-down songs from his debut album, Eldorado.

Watch the invigorating, genre-busting bandleader, drummer, singer and rapper perform four songs — three from this year's Malibu, plus one surprising audience request.

The soul star, his backup singers in The Hamiltones, and his band visit the NPR Music offices to perform "Amen," followed by three songs that have defined his career.

KING excels at setting a mood. The group's music conjures an all-encompassing, dreamy, Utopian vibe, rather than a mad dash to assemble a who's-who of writers and producers. From the get-go, KING's instant fan base embraced that approach, and that's where the years-long demand for We Are KING took ...

For more than 10 years, fans have been drawn to Dutch singer-songwriter Benny Sings' ability to layer R&B, jazz and pop over hip-hop foundations. While it was only a matter of time before he'd play behind the Tiny Desk, we never expected the performance to be his very first ...

Rapsody has waited patiently for her time to shine. Through seven solo projects, she's grown as an MC, crafting her own style while developing her thesis in the rap game. True breakthroughs are commonly marked by a pivotal moment, and hers came when she provided the sole rap guest verse ...

R&B resurfaced in a big way in 2015. Not only was there a smorgasbord of LPs and EPs available for online consumption, R&B also returned to Top 40. New school representer The Weeknd blew up and dominated for much of the year while contemporary veteran Tyrese's album, Black Rose,

Inara George and Greg Kurstin, the duo who make up The Bird and the Bee, hold enviable positions in the music industry. They've been featured in Apple spots, countless Judd Apatow films, and even a Yo Gabba Gabba episode, so you've almost certainly heard their music even if you may ...

Teedra Moses is a miracle worker. The Crescent City native has managed to remain near and dear to R&B lovers' hearts despite releasing only one studio album in 11 years. A large part of that oversized adoration is due to the tremendous impact and cult appeal of Moses' debut, ...

If there was a loop on TOKiMONSTA's thick kicks, cowbells and keys in the first sixteen seconds of "Surrender," we could leave it there to flourish. But singer/songwriter Gavin Turek quickly hops in the pocket, elevating the song, and cobbling together a dance-floor gem.

They're good company: The sole woman ...

Stacy Barthe's debut album, BEcoming, is all about brutal, fearless honesty. Having already written songs for a string of modern R&B and pop stars, Barthe first began to break through as a headliner in 2013, as she surfaced on lists of artists to watch and, ultimately, the year's ...

Brooklyn's own Phony Ppl released their brilliant fourth project, Yesterday's Tomorrow at the top of the year, placing themselves in an early slot on many 2015 favorites lists. While the band's sound has matured since 2012, the overtone is still primarily playful and buoyant.

"HelGa" is an ode to the ...

The notion of "doing one thing and doing it well" simply does not compute with Mayer Hawthorne. He's inspired by all things music and has expressed as much influence as possible since his 2009 breakout. During his live show, he's liable to perform anything from Aerosmith ...

If we're being honest, there was no consensus in R&B this year. Not until Black Messiah stepped up to the plate in the 9th inning, i.e. last weekend. Nothing we were all listening to. No one weekend when everybody you know woke up with a smile on their ...

Big K.R.I.T. isn't supposed to still be here. Three years ago, the rapper and producer entered the mainstream rap world on the cover of XXL Magazine's 2011 Freshman class issue — arguably the best ever, including as it did Kendrick Lamar, YG, Mac Miller, ...