Lalah Hathaway Makes the Case for Owning the Music You Love
Lalah Hathaway is asking listeners to think about what happens to their favorite music beyond the next stream. In an October 5th interview with Rated R&B, the singer described buying the records she loves so she can keep them and eventually pass them down. Her point is personal: music can become part of a family’s history.
Hathaway does not dismiss the convenience of streaming. The interview instead makes room for both immediate access and a collection that stays with its owner. A record on a shelf can be something a younger relative discovers years later, with the stories attached to it becoming part of the listening experience.
Preserving more than a catalog
That interest in preservation also extends to her father, Donny Hathaway. She told Rated R&B that her work on his biography helped her learn more about his life, including his activism. The conversation places the person behind the recordings alongside the music that listeners already know.
Penguin Random House currently lists the book as Everything Is Everything, by Lalah Hathaway and David Ritz, with a June 15th, 2027 publication date from Pantheon. The publisher describes a portrait drawing on her memories and previously unpublished interviews, tracing Donny Hathaway’s artistic life and enduring influence.
The publisher’s account includes his journey from St. Louis through Howard University and onto major stages. It also highlights the songs and collaborations that remain central to his legacy, including “This Christmas” and his partnership with Roberta Flack. The book is forthcoming; readers can follow the publisher’s page for the current edition and release details.
For anyone building a collection, the conversation invites a practical question: which records would you want someone else to discover through you? Read the complete Rated R&B interview for Hathaway’s own account.
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