On Thursday, the estate of musical icon Prince released the original studio recording of his song “Nothing Compares 2 U,” recorded in 1984.

Prince didn’t know he was taking fentanyl, a painkiller 30-50 times stronger than heroin, at the time of his death. Still, citing a lack of evidence, Carver County (Minn.) Attorney Mark Metz announced in a news conference on Thursday that there will be no criminal charges filed in relation to Prince’s overdose death.

Tiffany Haddish’s ascendance should surprise no one. The comedian-actress has been ready, and now she’s just reaping the rewards. Among them: landing the cover of Time’s 100 Most Influential People issue, a diverse list of the world’s most prominent news-makers and culture shapers.

I’ve often thought about making a list of TV and movie characters so beloved that the actors who play the roles become inextricably linked to the characters. Perhaps the greatest indicator of this phenomenon is when black audiences begin referring to actors by the roles they play.

A person of colonizing descent recently explained why it’s perfectly reasonable for him to play a black character on a new Netflix series, citing the fact that he raps, listens to black comedians, sponsors black youths and, most importantly, has an “urban background.”

In less than a month, you can have Black Panther all the time—which is reason enough to call in sick May 8 (a Tuesday, so start sniffling on Monday to really sell it). And the bonus features that Marvel is packing into its history-making film promise viewers even more of the wonders of Wakanda.

Older women in my family have no clue that Taylor Swift decided to butcher Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September.” But if they did pay attention to the internet and social media and cared to make a video of their reactions, it would go something like this:

Gatorade is the quintessential American sports drink. Or at least it pays to be—you’d be hard-pressed not to see its contents being poured over the head of any winning coach in a well-tread “surprise” splash. Also, it’s a great remedy for a hangover.

Brooklyn, N.Y.’s own Tracy Morgan returned to his stomping grounds at the Marcy Playground on Tuesday to dedicate a newly refurbished basketball court to the community. Morgan, along with TBS, dedicated the court in front of people from the community, the New York City Police Department and the New York City Parks…

We all knew that Beyoncé’s Coachella performance, which was essentially her comeback to the stage since having twins Sir and Rumi, was going to be popping. Our queen is nothing if not a stellar performer and a perfectionist—no detail is too small. However, what we actually got Saturday night left many of us (aka…

For those of you who have been wanting to find out what happens with Sam, Troy, Coco, Lionel, Gabe, Joelle, Reggie and their fellow students at Winchester University, your wait is almost over. Dear White People returns May 4 for its second season on Netflix.

Two things are certain: Vince Staples will never not say what needs to be said, and R. Kelly is an accused serial predator who should’ve been exiled from the music industry long ago.

Updated Monday, April 16, 2018, 4:30 p.m. EDT: An attorney for Dominque Collier reached out to The Root to shed further light on his client’s lawsuit against Steve Harvey. In the letter, attorney Jehan Carter said that TMZ incorrectly framed Collier’s lawsuit strictly as a sexual harassment suit. Carter said that…

Kendrick Lamar made history Monday afternoon, becoming the first rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize. In doing so, he also became the first nonclassical or nonjazz artist to ever take home the coveted award, which he won for his album Damn.

As citizens of the Purple Nation prepare to commemorate the anniversary of the death of their monarch, Prince Rogers Nelson, a new report reveals that Prince’s family has yet to see a dime from his estate, while lawyers and “consultants” have cleared millions.

Philadelphia’s newly elected district attorney, Larry Krasner, is really about that criminal-justice reform life, it would seem. His office said in open court on Monday that Meek Mill should get a new trial for his gun- and drug-charge conviction. That puts Meek one step closer to getting the freedom he has been…

There’s a short clip making the rounds on the interwebs about reality-TV personality Hazel-E getting “schooled” by Iyanla Vanzant, self-proclaimed life fixer, on Vanzant’s television show, Iyanla: Fix My Life.

You see, this is why people stay claiming Beyoncé is Illuminati. Nothing the Queen does ever seems to be without a deeper meaning, and apparently, her iconic Coachella #Beychella performance, which paid special homage to HBCUs, was no different.

R. Kelly is facing yet another allegation of sexual misconduct, and this time, a new accuser says the R&B singer infected her with a sexually transmitted disease, as well as groomed her for his “sex cult.”

Andrea Constand will take the stand again Monday, her second day of testimony in the retrial of disgraced comedian and actor Bill Cosby, who is facing charges of indecent assault.