With the unprecedented global disruption of COVID-19, it's important to support the music community however we can. With Record Store Recs, GRAMMY.com checks in with vinyl-loving artists to learn more about their favorite record stores and the gems they've found there so that you can find some new favorite artists and shops.

Nigeria-born, Los Angeles-based producer Bongo ByTheWay, a.k.a. Uforo Ebong, has crafted tantalizing beats for heavy-hitters in R&B—including Jazmine Sullivan and H.E.R. on "Girls Like Me," Ant Clemons and Justin Timberlake on "Better Days," and several Teyana Taylor joints—as well as in gospel and hip-hop, Pop Smoke among them. In the latest Record Store Recs, he brings us to his favorite L.A. digs and into the records that shaped his rich sound.

What are three to five record stores you love?

Amoeba Music in Los Angeles

The Record Collector in Los Angeles

Vinyl vendors at Melrose Trading Post in Los Angeles

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Why do you love these shops? What goodies have you found there?

Amoeba is one of the records shops I've always rocked with. It's pretty well known, but the location at Hollywood in L.A. recently closed [and is moving down the street]. There's another store on Melrose called The Record Collector that's pretty dope too. The most frequented place I get my vinyl records from is the Melrose Trading Post; they have a few booths that sell records but I don't know the vendors' actual names.

As a producer, I'm a big texture guy. I love the different textures of music and vinyl records have an innate texture of their own because of the medium. That grittiness, tone and the overall feel is incomparable. Even though you can synthesize sounds to get that feel, at the end of the day, there is nothing like vinyl. You can find some great, classic records at these shops, so it's always a unique, memorable experience every time. For the most part, I solely pick up vinyl when I visit [these stores].

I collected a few record players, too, over the years. It's turning out to be a collection as well! I have one that Keyshia Cole gave me, a few that I got from record shops and another one that I bought from Urban Outfitters—that's another place I purchase records from. They have a good section of new vinyl releases too.

Ebong with Erykah Badu's 'Mama's Gun'

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Please share a recent record or two you bought at one of your favorite shops. What do you love about that record/artist?

Recently I bought Marvin Gaye's In Our Lifetime (1981), Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun (2000) and Stevie Wonder's Music of My Mind (1972).

Those records and artists remind me of my time growing up. Anything Marvin reminds me of those years discovering music and sound. I'm a sucker for old school '70s soul—so all those obscure groups that begin with the word 'the' was it for me. The Manhattans, The Main Ingredient, The Four Tops. I was always enamored by that whole sound and movement. Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder are two of my all-time favorite artists and they both complement that appreciation of music I have, which developed from childhood.

It's funny looking back at those times because I remember vividly, as a teenager, my childhood best friend Lawrence and myself having hardcore, intense debates on who is better: Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye. He would tell you I was always #TeamStevie but recently I've been opening up to more Marvin Gaye and now find myself listening to him a bit more often today. 

Another funny memory with Lawrence came to me recently when I picked up Stevie Wonder's Music of My Mind. When I was vinyl shopping, I saw the cover to Music of My Mind and it made me think of the time when we made a whole album on a four-track tape recorder, in one take, just for the hell of it. Once Lawrence finished everything, he drew our mockup album cover that I thought was so cool at the time—it was a jewel, abstract graphic.

From that moment to today, I thought he came up with the concept by himself. Come to find out, it was an exact copy of Stevie Wonder's Music of My Mind album artwork. [Laughs.] He just drew it over! I only realized it recently because I never saw Stevie's cover art until I was at the vinyl shop that day. I was like, "Wow, Lawrence, you motherf—." [Laughs.]

Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun album changed my life, so I had to cop that one. That album is a strong example of how an R&B album should be created, even though it's neo-soul-driven and not what some would think of mainstream R&B per se. The way she expressed different concepts and ideas, the overall album cohesion was well done and stands the test of time today. That's what I love and appreciate from albums like Mama's Gun, Things Fall Apart by The Roots (1999) or anything from Slum Village.

Ebong with Marvin Gaye's 'In Our Lifetime'

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What's an upcoming or recent release you have your eyes on picking up?

No new releases come to mind because I never know which albums will have a vinyl edition. Also, you never know what you may find when shopping for records and I like that. It makes that moment of stumbling across a record even better. I will say that I've been collecting any J Dilla records that I can find; I have a few in my collection right now.

What were the first CD and first vinyl you remember purchasing? 

The first CD I bought had to have been either Slum Village's Fantastic, Vol. 2 (2000) or Madlib's Shades of Blue (2003). The first vinyl purchase was another Stevie Wonder joint… Innervisions (1973)!

In your opinion, what can music fans do to better support Black artists and businesses? 

Stream their music, for sure. That's the most obvious and easiest way to show support for artists. Also, if there are people that you are real fans of, there are always other ways you can support them. Take me for example. Because there are people who want to support my work but can't directly, because they aren't in the industry or buying beats does not work for them, I have my #ByTheWay merch that they can cop to show their support and appreciation.

So that goes for artists alike. Support the music and their other business endeavors—especially right now when touring, which is the main means where most artists get revenue from, is nonexistent. The same goes for Black businesses. Share and promote that business you frequent because people will check out their friend's recommendations faster than anything else. That third-party endorsement matters, and it could prevent a business from falling on hard times.

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On their new Jersey club-inspired single "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born," Japanese hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts narrate the inner monologue of a confident man, unbothered by others’ negativity and the everyday pressures of life.

In this episode of Global Spin, watch Creepy Nuts deliver an electrifying performance of the track, made more lively with its bright flashing lights and changing LED backdrop.

"Before I show them my true ability/ My enemies run away without capability," they declare in Japanese on the second verse. "Raising the bar makes me very happy/ ‘Cause I’m outstanding, absolutely at No.1."

"Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" was released on January 7 via Sony Music and also serves as the season two opening track for the anime "Mashle: Magic and Muscles." The song previously went viral across social media for its accompanying "BBBB Dance."

"Basically, the song is about it’s best to be yourself, like flexing naturally. Of course, even though we put effort into writing its lyrics and music, it’s still a song that can be enjoyed without worrying about such things," they said in a press statement.

Press play on the video above to watch Creepy Nuts’ energetic performance of "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born," and don’t forget to check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Global Spin.

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Twenty-six-year-old rapper Anycia truly lives in the present. The Atlanta-born artist describes her most viral hits as if they were everyday experiences — she's simply going out of town on "BRB" and mad at a partner in "Back Outside" featuring Latto. 

Despite her calm demeanor and cadence, Anycia is a self-proclaimed "firecracker" and credits her success to her long-held confidence. 

"I [command] any room I walk in, I like to introduce myself first — you never have to worry about me walking into the room and not speaking," Anycia tells GRAMMY.com. "I speak, I yell, I twerk, I do the whole nine," adding, "I see tweets all the time [saying] ‘I like Anycia because she doesn’t rap about her private parts’... are y’all not listening?" 

With authenticity as her cornerstone, Anycia's genuine nature and versatile sound appeal broadly. On her recently released sophomore LP, Princess Pop That, Anycia's playful personality, unique vocal style and skillful flow are on full display. Over 14 tracks, Anycia keeps her usual relaxed delivery while experimenting with different beats from New Orleans, New York, California, and of course, Georgia. 

"I'm learning to be myself in different elements. I'm starting to take my sound and make it adapt to other beats and genres," she says. "But this whole album is definitely a little showing of me dibbling and dabbling.

The rising hip-hop star gained traction in June 2023 with her sultry single, "So What," which samples the song of the same name by Georgia natives Field Mob and Ciara. When Anycia dropped the snippet on her Instagram, she only had a "GoPro and a dream." Today, she has millions of views on her music videos, collaborations with artists like Flo Milli, and a critically acclaimed EP, Extra. On April 26, she'll release her debut album, Princess Pop That, featuring Cash Cobain, Luh Tyler, Kenny Beats, Karrahbooo and others. 

Ahead of the release of Princess Pop That, Anycia spoke with GRAMMY.com about her influences, maintaining individuality, working with female rappers, and using her music as a therapeutic outlet.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Where did the title Princess Pop That come from?

Princess Pop That is my little alter ego, and my Twitter and finsta name. It's kind of like a Sasha Fierce/Beyoncé type of situation. 

The cover of your album gives early 2000 vibes. Is that where you draw most of your inspiration from?

Yeah. My everyday playlist is literally early 2000s music. I even still listen to [music] from the '70s – I just like old music! 

My mom is a big influence on a lot of the music that I like. She had me when she was like 19, 20. She's a Cali girl and has great taste in music. I grew up on everything and I feel like a lot of the stuff that I'm doing, you can kind of see that influence.

I grew up on Usher, Cherish, 112, Jagged Edge, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Teena Marie, Luther Vandross and Sam Cooke. Usher was my first concert, ever and actually my last concert — I went to his residency in Vegas with my mom. That's like our thing.

I know you had your hand in many different professions — including barbering and working at a daycare — how did you get into rapping?

I always liked music, but [thought] girl, we need some money right now. Rapping and music is cool, but I always had one foot in and one foot out. When I was [working] my jobs, it was more this is what I need to be doing right now — but I wasn't happy. 

It got to a point where I noticed that I was doing all these things, and it worked but it wasn't working for me. I didn't want to get caught up; I didn't want to be stuck doing something just because it works. I wanted to do something that I actually love to do. I decided to quit both jobs because I was literally making me miserable. 

I feel like that's what happened with a lot of our parents — they lose focus of their actual goals or what they actually wanted to do, and they get so caught up in what works in the moment. One thing about me, if I don't like something I'm done. I don't care how much money I put into it, if I'm not happy and it doesn’t feed me spiritually and mentally I'm not doing it. Right after [I quit] I was in the studio back-to-back making music. It eventually paid off.

Walk us through your music making process. 

A blunt, a little Don Julio Reposado, a space heater because I’m anemic. Eating some tacos and chicken wings or whatever I’m feeling at the moment. It’s not that deep to me, I like to be surrounded by good energy in the studio. 

People like to say female rappers aren’t welcoming or don’t like to work with each other. You’re clearly debunking this myth with songs like "Back Outside" featuring Latto and "Splash Brothers'' featuring Karrahbooo. What was it like working with them and how did these collaborations come about? 

Karrahbooo and I were already friends before we started rapping. It was harder for people to get us to do music because when we were around each other we weren't like, "Oh we need to do a song together." We had a friendship. 

Working with Latto, we didn't collab on that song in the studio. I did the song myself after being really upset at a man. I made the song just venting. I didn't even think that I was ever gonna put that song out, honestly. Latto ended up hitting me up within a week's span just giving me my flowers and telling me she wanted to do a song [together]. I ended up sending her "Back Outside" because I felt like she would eat [it up] and she did just that. 

She did! Are there any other female rappers you’d like to work with?

I really want to work with Cardi B — I love her! I'm also looking forward to collaborating with GloRilla. 

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Many female rappers come into the industry and feel like they have to start changing themself to fit a certain aesthetic or archetype. However, everything about you seems super unique — from your voice to your style and appearance. How do you maintain your individuality? 

Being yourself is literally the easiest job ever. When you're doing everything you're supposed to be doing, you're being genuine while you're doing it and you’re just being 110 percent authentically yourself — I feel like everything works out for you perfectly fine. 

I haven't had the urge to change anything or do anything different. The reason people started liking me was because I was being myself. Even if it wasn't accepted, I'm not going to stop being myself. I do what works for me and I feel like everybody should just do what works for them and not what works for the people outside of them. 

That's what creates discomfort for yourself, that’s how you become a depressed artist — trying to please everybody [but] yourself. I feel like people lose sight of that fact. Aside from this being a job or a career for me now, it’s still my outlet and a way I express myself;  it's still my form of art. I will never let anybody take that from me. It's intimate for me. 

Speaking of intimacy, what was the inspiration behind "Nene’s Prayer"? I want to know who was playing with you.

I was just having a little therapy session in the booth and everyone ended up liking it. Instead of getting mad, flipping out and wanting to go to jail I just put in a song. Even though I said some messed up things in the song, it’s better than me doing those messed up things. 

Have you ever written a lyric or song that you felt went too far or was too personal?

Nope. A lot of the [topics] that I [rap about] is just stuff girls really want to say, but don't have the courage to say. But me, I don’t give a damn! If it resonates with you then it does, and if it doesn't — listen to somebody else. 

Exactly! What advice would you give to upcoming artists trying to get noticed or have that one song that pops?

If you got something that you want to put out into the world, you just have to have that confidence for yourself, and you have to do it for you and not for other people. I feel like people make music and do certain things for other people. That's why [their song] doesn't do what it needs to do because it’s a perspective of what other people want, rather than doing [a song] that you're comfortable with and what you like.

How do you want people to feel after listening to ‘Princess Pop That?’

I just want the girls, and even the boys, to get in their bag. Regardless of how you went into listening to the album, I want you to leave with just a little bit more self confidence. If you’re feeling low, I want you to feel like "I am that bitch." 

It's a no judgment zone. I want everybody to find their purpose, walk in their truth and feel like "that girl" with everything they do. You could even be in a grocery store, I want you to feel like the baddest bitch. 

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Since Mike Piacentini’s switch from computer science to audio engineering in college, his family has been his biggest champions. So, when he received his nomination for Best Immersive Album for Madison Beer's pop album Silence Between Songs, at the 2024 GRAMMYs, it was a no-brainer to invite his parents and wife.

“He’s always been into music. He had his own band, so [the shift] wasn’t surprising at all,” Piacentini’s mother says in the newest episode of Family Matters. “He’s very talented. I knew one day he would be here. It’s great to see it actually happen.”

In homage to his parents’ support, Piacentini offered to let his father write a short but simple acceptance in case he won: “Thank you, Mom and Dad,” he jokes.

Alongside his blood relatives, Piacentini also had support from his colleague Sean Brennan. "It's a tremendous honor, especially to be here with [Piacentini]. We work day in and day out in the studio," Brennan explains. "He's someone who's always there."

Press play on the video above to learn more about Mike Piacentini's support system, and remember to check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Family Matters.

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Nigerian Afrobeats singer Chike recognizes music's ability to release inhibitions freely. Instantly, it'll improve your mood or make you want to dance — and his new track, "Egwu," is a celebration of that movement.

“Music need no permission to enter your spirit,” Chike declares in the chorus of the song. “Anywhere, anyhow, you know say you go feel/ Life is life, life is life.”

In this episode of Global Spin, watch Chike deliver a vibrant live performance of “Egwu,” made complete by his intricately patterned colorful suit and neon stage lighting.

The original version of “Egwu,” released on Dec. 15 via Brothers Records, features the late Nigerian rapper Mohbad: “I made a ton of music with a great guy, and I’m happy I can share the first one with the world,” Chike revealed on Instagram. On March 29, he dropped a remix of “Egwu” with DJ Call Me.

In another social media post, Chike announced that he will offer “an intimate musical experience as well tell stories of love, romance, and life” at his upcoming show, Apple of London’s Eye, in England this July.

Press play on the video above to watch Chike’s technicolor performance of “Egwu,” and don’t forget to keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Global Spin.

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