-
VH1’s The Breaks Holds Up a Mirror to the Early Days of Hip-Hop
In the late ’90s, I went to a meeting at one of the biggest record labels. I was scheduled to do a quick interview with the president. I knocked on his door and he waved me in. Then he sized me up and fixated on my navy-blue messenger bag with the Rawkus Records logo stitched…
-
Meet the Creator of the Women Over 40 Be Like Video Series
It took a two-minute video for stand-up comedian Tyree Elaine to capture the hearts of women everywhere. Her three-part video series, Women Over 40 Be Like, took off because of her spot-on impersonation of women in the I’m-doing-me stage of life. Within three days, Elaine’s videos had racked up over 2 million views and thousands…
-
Motherhood Resolutions for 2016
I have five resolutions for how to be a better parent to Emmy in the new year. Let’s go. 5. Be careful of the snap-back. I don’t necessarily lose my temper with Emmy. Wait. That’s a lie. I do often lose my temper with Emmy. Because her sister is 10 years older, Emmy functions as…
-
Remember When Ralph Tresvant Went Solo?
It was only a matter of time. After Bobby Brown was kicked out of New Edition in 1985 and then put out his first solo record, the road was set for the other members of the group to venture out with individual projects. Expectations were high after Don’t Be Cruel, Brown’s sophomore album, became a…
-
We Have Never Celebrated Christmas, but I’m Starting to Wish We Did
I’ve been having this Christmas fantasy for a few years now. Tonight my husband and I, along with our two daughters, should be putting the finishing touches on our Christmas tree, wrapping last-minute gifts and watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas in matching brand-new pajamas while sipping hot chocolate. I never had that experience growing…
-
Remember When Showing Black Women on the Silver Screen Was Revolutionary?
Like Star Wars, some movie releases are bigger than the actual film. They are touchstones. They are communal experiences. They are I-remember-exactly-where-I-was moments. And the opening night of the film Waiting to Exhale was exactly that. I can vividly remember, 20 years ago this week, rounding up my friends to hit the theater early because…
-
My Daughter Talks Back to Me—and I Encourage It
I was raised by two civil rights activists, one of whom was born in the ’30s in the Deep South, the other raised in Newark, N.J. It goes without saying that the very idea of “talking back” was unheard of in my household. We couldn’t even look back, much less talk back. So why does…
-
The Time When The Color Purple Became an Iconic Black Film
In the canon of black films, The Color Purple—released Dec. 18, 1985—will always have a space in the top 10. Based on the novel by Alice Walker and directed by Steven Spielberg, the film—lusciously shot and performed with an aching realness by an all-star cast—was heralded immediately as one of the most nuanced portrayals of…
-
I Never Tell My Daughter She’s Beautiful, and I Want Others to Stop Saying It, Too
First things first. This column is not about how beautiful my daughter Emmy is. This is not about oh-my-goodness-please-stop-noticing-my-daughter’s-model-like-breathtaking-beauty. Emmy’s cute. Like every other 8-year-old girl in her class—and beyond. My concern is this. Often, when we are out and we see my friends, neighbors or co-workers, and they meet Emmy for the first time,…
-
Remember When T-Pain Made Auto-Tune a Thing?
Let’s get the album title out of the way first. T-Pain indeed started out as a rapper. His hip-hop cover of Akon’s hit single “Locked Up” led to a record deal. But T-Pain decided to transition to singing in lieu of rapping, hence the name of the album, which was released a decade ago on…
