culture

As the mother of two daughters, holiday shopping has now turned into an annual quest for black dolls. And not just any black dolls. I’m not talking about those white dolls that look like they’ve been dipped in chocolate or dyed that ubiquitous shade of candy-bar brown in an effort to pass for black. I’m…

For those who like to draw a line in the sand to distinguish between “real” hip-hop and that which is not-so-real, Kanye West has shown a consistent ability to blur the line. Since his 2004 breakthrough album, The College Dropout, there have been many rap artists as prolific and visible. But where so many of…

After an Iraqi journalist pelted a shoe at President Bush in a press conference yesterday, the New York Times reports that “Hitting someone with a shoe is a strong insult in Iraq. It means the person is as low as the dirt underneath the sole of a shoe.” My question is: Why is the first…

If the people who deliver your newspaper, cut your grass (or your hair) or hold open the door to your apartment building suddenly become much cheerier around the holidays, it could be the spirit of the season—or it could be they’re hoping for a holiday tip. In some parts of the country, tipping is welcome…

Santa might be a little strapped for cash this year, but if your kids are anything like mine, they won’t be trying to hear that on Christmas morning. It’s true; it’s the thought that counts, and many Americans just might be on the verge of busting out the depression glass this year. But most kids…

Skip the ugly sweater, nix that stinky perfume and—unless you want to bestow the gift of a big fat behind—definitely say no to the gi-normous bucket of caramel corn. If you’re looking for a unique gift this year, something that really shows how much you care about someone, think about giving the gift of fitness.…

Books are fool-proof gifts. Not just because they virtually last forever, unlike that fruitcake or sweater that shrinks after one wash, but also because they’re affordable in these tough economic times. And, just think, you can take care of everyone on your list with one trip to your local bookstore. That alone should relieve some…

The NBA is the most predictable of the three major North American sports. In each of the last five seasons, the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks, the Phoenix Suns, the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers have been top teams in the Western Conference. The Detroit Pistons have gone to the Eastern Conference…

I got nothing against Facebook. Me and my 450 “friends” are there. If I’m trying to finagle work, or, say, hip myself to the gay scene here in L.A., I check in on that particular social-networking site. But I’m from Sandusky, Ohio, and my roots are on MySpace. I was the first in my family to go to…

What’s your favorite “black-out” verse in hip-hop? When did Black Thought cut off his dreads? Anyone notice white women growing ass? The discussions range from the whimsical to the trivial on okayplayer, the pioneering digital home of artists such as The Roots, Common, Erykah Badu, Mos Def and Talib Kweli. For nearly a decade now,…