During the 2021 Emmy Awards, Leon Bridges enlisted Jon Batiste to perform a powerful rendition of “River” from Bridges’ 2015 album Coming Home.
The musicians teamed up for the In Memoriam segment of the evening to pay tribute to those who died in the last year, including Alex Trebek, Cicely Tyson, Larry King, Jessica Walter, Norm Macdonald and Michael K. Williams.
In a 2016 statement, Bridges revealed the meaning of the track saying, “The river has historically been used in gospel music as symbolism for change and redemption. My goal was to write a song about my personal spiritual experience.” He added that “it was written during a time of real depression in my life,” saying he believes “it has the power to change and heal those that are hurting.”
The performance came ahead of the final Emmy Award of the evening for Limited or Anthology series which went to The Queen’s Gambit.
Monaleo has steadily built a strong connection with listeners over the past few years. She is an MC known for sharp lyricism and a high level of energy that shows up on every record. 2026 is shaping up to be an important year for her, with growing speculation that a larger project may be coming soon. That idea feels even more likely with the arrival of her latest release, “Crossroads Freestyle.” The brief, one minute track landed on YouTube on Tuesday and has already been getting a lot of positive reactions. Once again, Monaleo leans into her confidence, delivering tight verses over a smooth, consistent beat. It is a solid release that fans will definitely want to tap into.
Release Date: April 14, 2026
Genre: Hip-Hop
Album: N/A
Getting cake by the pound, I'm greater than britain
I'm greater than Alex on top like a attic (Uh-uh)
You pushing for Clipse I'm peeping a Malice
But fear ain't a factor I'm up for the challenge
The queen of my palace from Houston, not Dallas
