Chris Riotta

Bio

Chris Riotta is a reporter from New York and Master’s candidate in Journalism at Columbia University. He has covered topics as diverse as politics and international conflict, immigration, and internet culture. Riotta can be reached at chrisriotta@gmail.com.
How Does Marijuana Affect Exercise?
By Chris Riotta
For some athletes, marijuana is a crucial part of working out, as they say smoking weed helps them perform better during their routine. Lighting up some bud before hitting the gym may not be the best idea for others, however, as cannabis is known to…
Gorillaz tease new album with 'The Book of Noodle,' a cryptic, bloody visual short story
By Chris Riotta
After a long hiatus, Gorillaz has returned to the music world in the most idiosyncratic way possible: with a series of bloody animations and a colorful fantasy storyline. Posted to Twitter in the form of a short story titled The Book of Noodle, the…
Solange brings the stunning black beauty of 'A Seat at the Table' to life in 2 new visuals
By Chris Riotta
Solange Knowles' A Seat at the Table is her most matured, immersive and issue conscious project to date, and the world she's built around it grew a little bigger. Solange dropped two videos Sunday from the album, one for "Don't Touch My Hair"…
Solange Knowles shares intimate race relations talk to accompany 'A Seat at the Table'
By Chris Riotta
On Friday, Solange Knowles released her most mature and socially conscious album to date, A Seat at the Table, focusing on black beauty and race relations in America. The project is essentially an invitation to take a seat at the Knowles' dinner…
How Solange Knowles has evolved from Beyoncé's sister to R&B queen in her own right
By Chris Riotta
Solange Knowles dropped A Seat at the Table on Friday, inviting fans to take a seat with one of the most famed musical families as they discuss their thoughts on racial relations in America. Even in its quietest moments it contains multitudes: It…
John Legend expertly sums up the U.S.'s problem with mental health and mass incarceration
By Chris Riotta
John Legend has become a prominent voice for social activism in recent years, throwing his support behind San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protest, creating anthems like "Glory" inspired by the movement for black…
Mary J. Blige on Hillary Clinton singing interview: "I'm a singer before I'm a journalist"
By Chris Riotta
Mary J. Blige is already catching flack for her interview with Hillary Clinton, and Apple Music hasn't even premiered the full video yet. After the streaming giant teased the first episode of Blige's new show The 411 showing a clip of Blige singing…
Kesha defends Alicia Machado, slams Donald Trump on "racist, misogynist verbal diarrhea"
By Chris Riotta
Another story of Donald Trump making offensive remarks about a woman — this time 1996's Miss Universe winner Alicia Machado — has sparked a nationwide controversy about his famed "temperament." Even those who don't typically comment on politics have…
The Weeknd drops "False Alarm" from upcoming album 'Starboy' — listen here
By Chris Riotta
The Weeknd released "False Alarm" on Thursday morning, the second track off his forthcoming album Starboy, set for a Nov. 25 release. The single arrives with artwork seemingly borrowing the aesthetic of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. It…
Solange Knowles' drops 'A Seat at the Table' digital book celebrating black beauty
By Chris Riotta
Solange Knowles' last album True was released back in 2012, and it seems she's done a whole lot of soul-searching since. On Wednesday, the New Orleans-based singer-songwriter released an epic 112-page digital book compiling lyrics and photographs to…
The Weeknd destroys his former image, career and reputation in new "Starboy" music video
By Chris Riotta
A week ago, The Weeknd revealed to the world he had cut his hair, getting rid of his signature dreadlocks. The internet, as many could've expected, lost its collective chill. Wednesday, in a new visual for his "Starboy" single featuring Daft Punk,…
Texas university's class on Beyoncé's 'Lemonade' will explore black feminism in the US
By Chris Riotta
Fans have been dissecting the symbolism and multilayered meanings Beyoncé injected into her transformative album Lemonade since its release in April. Now, students at the University of Texas at San Antonio will put their Lemonade literacy to the…
Gucci Mane set to star in 'The Trap' alongside Al Pacino and publish a book
By Chris Riotta
Gucci Mane is living his best life after being released from a federal penitentiary earlier this year — a life few likely saw coming for the former lean-sipping, regularly incarcerated rapper. The rapper has made a full 180, staying sober, slimming…
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Drake's 'Please Forgive Me' is just like his new music: safe, predictable and expensive
By Chris Riotta
Sunday night, Drake kept fans up late into the night to deliver a long-awaited epic. At midnight, Toronto's own released a 22-minute-long action-packed and sexually charged bombshell of a music video/short film, titled Please Forgive Me and directed…
Kid Cudi's 'Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin'' tracklist features André 3000 and Willow Smith
By Chris Riotta
Kid Cudi is recruiting some of the biggest names in the music industry for his forthcoming album Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin'. The artist revealed the track list for his long-awaited next project on Twitter Monday, including 18 tracks featuring…
President Obama to host Leonardo DeCaprio, 'Stranger Things' kids at the SXSL festival
By Chris Riotta
The summer festival season doesn't have to end in September if the Obamas don't want it to. The White House announced the lineup for its first South by South Lawn music, film and interactive festival on Sunday, along with some special guests,…
Fall album releases: Everything we know about new Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Kid Cudi and Beck
By Chris Riotta
The absolute deluge of new music that's come crashing down in 2016 is not set to let up anytime soon. A steady stream of new albums from some of music's brightest will continue to arrive throughout the fall, adding to a range of transformative…
Kesha makes impassioned speech to fans at concert regarding her rape case against Dr. Luke
By Chris Riotta
Kesha has been traveling across the country on her Fuck the World tour, performing in smaller, more intimate venues and reintroducing herself to her fans. Thursday night, the singer took a moment to thank the audience at her Brooklyn stop for…
T.I. releases 'Us or Else' EP condemning police brutality and makes every lyric count
By Chris Riotta
T.I. released Us or Else, his most socially conscious EP, in the wake of continued police brutality and burgeoning racial tensions across the nation. The six tracks include several nods to the Black Lives Matter movement, the failed war on drugs,…
First-ever song made by artificial intelligence sounds just like the Beatles — listen here
By Chris Riotta
Drake and Kanye West are teasing a joint project that may never see the light of day. Adele claimed she's done touring for a decade and wants to focus on her family instead. Frank Ocean has already slipped back into the shadows after releasing two…