To say “To Pimp a Butterfly,” Kendrick Lamar’s Seminal work, aged like fine wine over the past 10 years would be a grand understatement – this album aged akin to a 1762 French Cognac. The album dubbed “TPAB” online is taught in university classrooms across the country, played at protests, featured at number 19 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Best Albums of All Time list, and hailed as one of the best, if not the best, Hip-Hop albums of all time by casual listeners and critics alike. I could parrot many past talking points when discussing this album: Extraordinary creativity, consistent theming, lyrical complexity, musical complexity, stellar production, ridiculous feature list, and conciseness in its message. Instead, I would like to celebrate the album’s 10-year anniversary (this past March 15th) by highlighting TPAB’s longevity and staying power. If you take anything from this article, it is to give this album another listen (especially with the lyrics pulled up alongside as a reference, as you will likely need them).

What I believe makes this album so remarkable is that it may not be “topped” in the foreseeable future, even by Kendrick himself. While “Untitled Unmastered,” “DAMN,” “Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers,” many of his various side projects and most recently "GNX” have been excellent, earning Lamar 37 Grammy nominations, it is hard to see TPAB being dethroned. Somehow, this album has managed to remain relevant and arguably become more relevant. Themes discussed on the album, such as racial inequality, the Black American identity, the trap of fame, exploitation, the cycle of trauma, survival in the face of great odds, the complex relationship between capitalism and the music industry, spirituality, redemption, self-love, self-loathing, institutional racism, and the intricacies of the American political system, continue to be paramount in the American struggle. Simply put, this album discusses things that are present now, will be present for the foreseeable future, and may not ever go away.

Ross Hodge, a Dallas, Texas native and 2nd year head coach at North Texas, makes the jump from the American Conference to the Big 12. Hodge has gone 45-23 in two years at North Texas

Hodge has helped lead some of the best defenses in the country in the last few years and was very successful doing so. Hodge, in his first season at North Texas, finished with a record of 19-15 and an appearance in the NIT. In his second season, North Texas made major strides; they currently have a record of 27-8 and are now in the Final Four of the NIT after finishing second in the American Conference. Hodge also played a huge role in the success North Texas had under current Texas Tech Head Coach Grant McCasland. 

Most people will lock eyes with that iconic red album cover and immediately recognize it as “Semi-Charmed Life” or “that one album with that one suicide song.” Which it is, of course, but many don’t recognize it for what it also is: one of the best debut alternative rock albums of the 1990s. And if you’re one of those people—don’t worry, that’s what I’m here for.

Third Eye Blind’s self-titled debut came out on April 8th, 1997, starring Stephan Jenkins as lead vocalist and Kevin Cadogan on guitar. Brad Hargreaves and Arion Salazar are on drums and bass, respectively, ultimately forming the band that would come together and make the album what it is—a late 90s anthem of angst, broken hearts, filled with that signature pop-rock-post-grunge sound, dripping with crystal meth addictions and self-hatred. Even nearly 28 years later, this 57-minute-long record is an important listen for downcast teenagers (and young adults) everywhere.

The West Virginia Mountaineers (19-3) are set to face long-time rival Marshall (12-12) once again in an in-state showdown at Kendrick Family Ballpark. 

The Mountaineers are looking to bounce back after dropping their first series of the season, after losing two out of three games against Arizona. Despite the setback, they look to get back on track in win column against a Thundering Herd squad looking to pick up a big-time win. 

The sixth-seeded West Virginia University Mountaineers (24-7) will duel the 11-seeded Columbia University Lions (24-6) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 

The Mountaineers had a historic regular season, being the second in which they were ranked in all 20 AP polls. Led by the two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year JJ Quinerly, the Mountaineers are ready to make a March Madness run. 

The West Virginia University Mountaineers (18-1) host the Arizona University Wildcats (16-4) in the Mountaineers’ first Big 12 home series. 

The Mountaineers are 1-0 in conference play, with a win against preseason favorite Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. The Mountaineers and Cowboys had two other games scheduled for last weekend, but both were postponed due to extreme weather conditions in the state. 

Long-time readers may recognize a trend in my album reviews-- specifically, I tend to obsess over emo-adjacent albums with blue covers (IKHT, Combat, starling, some others). This article is no different.

Mend, Move On, released in 2014, is the first studio-length album from Australian melodic-hardcore-turned-pop-punk band Trophy Eyes, and as you may have gathered, I’ve had it on loop for about a month now. The album has a bit of everything, from its half heavy, half hauntingly melodic shouted vocals and crushingly introspective lyrics to its quintessential emo drums and guitar parts. And a blue album cover, of course.

The West Virginia Mountaineers (16-1) are set to host the James Madison University Dukes (7-12) in a midweek two-game series. 

This will be the Mountaineers’ seventh series of the young season. WVU currently has an unbeaten 7-0 record in series. 

In 1976, Mort Garson released the album “Mother Earth’s Plantasia,” a ten-track, thirty-minute album full of relaxing ambient songs meant exclusively for plants to listen to.

Columbus and Chicago-based band A-Go-Go might not have intended originally to make an album of a similar sort – for ears other than humans – but they might have stumbled into it with the newest album, “Today, Today” released via Super Sport Records on February 7th.

The West Virginia Mountaineers (14-1) will welcome the Towson University Tigers (4-11) to Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark for a single-game Tuesday matchup.

The Mountaineers are coming off their fifth-straight series win against the Kennesaw State University Owls. In that series, the Mountaineers won the first and final games in the three-game series but lost the middle matchup.