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'Life Is Good': Nas' Raw and Mature New Album
(The Root) — Rapper Nas brings the heat with his latest album, Life is Good, an ode to the rawness and realism that have made him a household hip-hop name. The CD, which features a few singles that have already garnered a bit of radio airplay, includes an impressive lineup of guests, such as Mary…
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FDA Approves Drug to Help Prevent HIV
In a major advance in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the marketing of the antiretroviral drug Truvada for the prevention of HIV transmission, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. This comes after a panel of experts recommended in May 2012 that the FDA approve the drug’s use as a…
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'Go-Go Live' Author's DC Book Talk, Signing
(The Root) — Join The Root on Monday, July 16, as contributing editor Natalie Hopkinson discusses and signs her newest book, Go-Go Live: The Musical Life and Death of a Chocolate City, at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C. The drum-and-bass-heavy go-go genre, which emerged out of the nation’s capital in the 1970s, has since…
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Teenage Rapper Drops Mixtape, Spurs Buzz
(The Root) — Brooklyn, N.Y., 17-year-old Joey Bada$$ may only be a senior in high school, but his inaugural mixtape 1999 is already creating buzz on music sites and across the blogosphere. Equal parts old school and new, 1999 showcases the burgeoning renaissance of a hip-hop sound and vibe that far precedes the teenaged rapper.…
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'Endgame' Exposes AIDS' Harsh Toll on Blacks
(The Root) — Frontline, the groundbreaking documentary series from PBS, takes on the AIDS epidemic’s effect on the black community when it premieres Endgame: AIDS in Black America on July 10. The two-hour film, directed by Renata Simone, examines the disproportionate toll that HIV/AIDS has had on African Americans, highlighting how prejudice, shame and reticence…
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Watch the Trailer: 'Red Hook Summer'
When director Spike Lee screened his latest joint, Red Hook Summer, at Sundance in January, some hoped the film would mark a triumphant return to his indie-moviemaking roots. But initial reaction to the self-financed effort was mixed at best. With an unexpected plot twist near its end, the film divided early audiences. This trailer, though,…
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'Yes, Chef': Harlem Restaurateur Dishes
(The Root) — Famed chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson talks about his life in and out of the kitchen in the new memoir Yes, Chef, which was released on June 26. The Ethiopian-American cook recalls his mother’s untimely death from tuberculosis and how his grandmother’s upbringing led him on the path to culinary success. From…
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Lianne La Havas Readies Her British Invasion
British songstress Lianne La Havas has made plenty of headlines with her soft, soulful vocals, and after more than a year of buzz from The Root and others, the singer is finally set to drop her debut album Is Your Love Big Enough? in the U.S. on August 7. If that’s too long to wait,…
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20 Black LGBT Movers and Shakers
June is national LGBT Pride Month, so The Root is presenting 20 advocates, filmmakers, journalists, actors, authors, former athletes and straight allies who have helped break down barriers and change the landscape for today’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. While actor, director and playwright Colman Domingo‘s dive into Hollywood may have been meager —…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
