-
Should Black Artists Care About the Grammys?
“Who gives a fuck about a goddamn Grammy?” These venerable words came from the mouth of Public Enemy’s Chuck D on 1988’s “Terminator X to the Edge of Panic.” It is a sentiment that’s been shared by so many other artists, critics and fans over the years. When it comes to the Recording Academy, black…
-
‘Radical Christian Terrorism’: Doesn’t Sound Nice, Does It?
Radical Islamic terror. Islamic. Terror. When you separate those words, they can’t be any more diametrically opposed. The dictionary defines terrorism as “the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion,” or as “the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in pursuit of political, religious or ideological aims.” Islam—the religion…
-
Burning Jerseys: The Distant Cousin of Lynching
There is something cleansing about fire. It marks at once both an ending and a beginning. There are two sides to fire: There’s violence and destruction, and there’s the reassurance and protection—each one as powerful as the other. We burn things: wood, garbage, forests, food. It signals the end of one cycle and the restart…
-
The Richard Pryor Show: A Master Class of Innovation vs. Censorship
The severity of Richard Pryor’s influence on comedy—black comedy especially—cannot be quantified. The late comedian-actor shaped the art form with his uncanny ability to retain all the unique turmoil of his upbringing and disdain for institutional prejudice, and use it to tell amazing, gut-busting stories and jokes, all while sliding in biting social commentary along…
-
Michael Jackson’s Bad: 30 Years Ago the King of Pop Hit His Prime … so Why Is That Album Underrated?
What does it mean to be in your prime? Whether you’re an athlete or an artist, it’s that window of time when all your best attributes and virtues are at the same level. When you’re young, your raw talent and physical ability supersede your intelligence and lack of experience. Over time, said experience gets applied…
-
Esperanza Spalding on the Peace Ball, Trump and Life After Emily
“If a mountain has to erupt, it’s going to erupt,” so says musician Esperanza Spalding. These are not lyrics from her progressive 2016 single “Good Lava”; she is, however, speaking of unleashing the molten abandon of her inner self to give birth to her critically acclaimed 2016 album, Emily’s D+Evolution, as well as of America’s…
-
Soundtrack of the #Woke
As the country marches to the twilight of 2016, an already dreary year is hit with a storm that puts Hurricane Matthew to shame. The fog of discordant hatred ushered in by Donald Trump’s election to the presidency of the United States seems like an appropriate stamp on 11 months marred by unchecked police shootings…
