UB Features
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UB Celebrates: The Virtuoso ‘Big Jim’ On Birthday
Today we celebrate the Birthday of Jimmy “Big Jim” Wright, who passed away on September 29th, 2018. James “Big Jim” Quentin Wright was born March 19th, 1966 in Rockford. The son of Jenniel Wright and Alan Jackson. Big Jim, who earned his nickname for his portly size, first rose to fame as an aide to legendary producers Jimmy Jam &…
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UB Celebrates: Merlin Santana On 50th Birthday
Today March 14th, would of been the 50th Birthday for actor Merlin Santana. Dominican-born Merlin Santana was a beloved actor, well-known for his memorable performances in television. Merlin Santana was born in March 14th, 1976 at Upper Manhattan, New York. Merlin‘s parents were born in Dominican Republic. He was an accomplished actor that received nominations and awards from The Alma…
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UB Black History Spotlight: Celebrating Pioneer Sheryl Lee Ralph
UB continues to celebrate Black History Month, with a spotlight on one of our favorites Sheryl Lee Ralph! Emmy winner, Original “DREAMGIRL,” Sheryl Lee Ralph is an acclaimed veteran of film, television and the Broadway stage. Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, the daughter of a college professor and Jamaican fashion designer, Ralph was raised between Mandeville, Jamaica and Long Island, New…
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UB Celebrates Janet Jackson’s ‘Control’ 40th Anniversary
Today 40 years ago, the little girl struggling to throw off the shackles of parental manipulation Janet Jackson, finally did with the release of her third album “Control.” Originally released February 4th, 1986 via A&M Records. Janet Jackson‘s “Control” was the first album I (Aries) fell in love with. It was the first time, outside of “Thriller” that as a…
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R&B Bridgez: Celebrating the Maestro Barry White
Today on this Throwback Thursday, we celebrate the late great Barry White with an R&B Bridgez. Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter on September 12th, 1944, was born in Galveston during a family visit to Texas in the fall of 1944. His mother Sadie had gone to stay with her Texan relatives. It was not altogether smooth as Melvin White,…
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UB Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. + ‘King Holiday’ Tribute Single
Today January 19th, we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In November 1983, with a vote of 78 to 22, Ronald Reagan signed Congressman John Conyers’ bill to declare Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s birthday a national holiday-a date that was not officially observed until the third Monday of January, 1986, and then not by all states. South Carolina, in fact,…
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UB Celebrates: Oran “Juice” Jones ‘The Rain’ 40th Anniversary
Today on this Throwback Thursday, UB celebrates an artist, who was an original Def Jam artist and a rare, one of a kind artist, Oran “Juice” Jones. Oran “Juice” Jones was born in Houston, Texas and raised in Harlem, New York. He was the first musician signed to OBR Records, a subsidiary of Def Jam and thus the very first…
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R&B Bridgez: Celebrating the Multifaceted James Mtume + UB Interview
Today we celebrate the late great James Mtume, who passed away today four years ago on January 9th, 2022. UB spoke to the legend about his catalog and so much more! Born and raised in Philadelphia, James Mtume earned musical fame, starting in jazz with greats such as Miles Davis during the early 1970’s as well as with father, saxophonist…
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UB’s Top 10 Features of 2025
UB’s Top 10 Features of 2025! As we close out 2025, we spotlight the Top 10 features of the year with the most views, shares, and discussions. This year marks our 20th Anniversary and was our most successful year ever! • July Over 5 Million Views • October & November Each, Over 300,000 Uniques • Average Daily Views Over 20k…
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R&B Bridgez: Celebrating the Unparalleled Teena Marie + The UB Interview
One of the best to ever write a soulful lyric and sing a note was the late great Teena Marie! We celebrate her today, as she passed away 15 years ago on December 26th, 2010. This feature includes The UB Interview with the legend. There have been so many artists I’ve seen in my lifetime but no one like Teena…
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