sorry to bother you
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I’m a Virgo: Jharrel Jerome, Boots Riley On Bringing New Series About a 13-Foot-Tall Black Man to Life
The first four episodes of the Prime Video show recently made its debut at this year’s SXSW Conference.
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Omari Hardwick Reveals He Only Got Paid $150K per Episode on Power
The Nobody’s Fool star also shared how producer 50 Cent lent him money on more than one occasion during the show’s early seasons.
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In Boots Riley's New TV Series, Jharrel Jerome Portrays a Virgo…Who Is 13-Feet Tall
Jharrel Jerome had quite a triumphant 2019 awards season, so I’ve been wondering what the 2019 Emmy Winner and 2020 Young Futurists honoree will be appearing in next. Fans have spotted him co-starring in Tayarisha Poe’s Selah and the Spades, which dropped on Amazon Prime this spring, but of course, eyes are extra-peeled for his…
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'There Was Silence. It Was Understood': Reflections About 'yasiin bey: Negus,' the Listening Installation at the Brooklyn Museum
A few weeks back, I wrote a piece that was critical of “yasiin bey: Negus,” the traveling art exhibit/listening installation curated by yasiin bey, the artist formerly known as Mos Def. My overarching point (perhaps fairly called “mean” in the comments on the actual piece, and disregarded as closed-minded on Facebook) was that the idea,…
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2019 BAFTAs: Nominations Are Out and The 'Rising Star' Category is Particularly Black AF
It’s that time again: the film industry across the pond is staking their claim within awards season with The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards nominees for 2019. Fun fact: some awards prediction experts also use what happens at the BAFTAs to determine what will happen at the Academy Awards because the…
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Odd Couples, Iconic Roles: W Magazine Kicks Off Awards Season with a Celebration of Best Performances
When the Golden Globes air on Sunday night, it will mark the start of the 2019 awards season—a season in which we are eagerly anticipating well-deserved recognition for 2018’s blockbuster, Black Panther, as well as keeping our eyes on honors for If Beale Street Could Talk, BlacKkKlansman, Sorry to Bother You, and more. And to…
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For the Culture: 2018's Pop Culture Becomes Halloween's Most Popular Costumes
Fun fact: I’ve been low-key lobbying for us, just once, to turn The Root 100 into a costume party, where all of the guests and honorees are expected to come as their favorite black historical figure or pop cultural reference. After all, our annual gala takes place close to Halloween—and it’d be an understatement to…
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Spike Lee Responds to Boots Riley's Critique of BlacKkKlansman: 'We Need Police'
More than a week after director and musician Boots Riley delivered a pointed and detailed critique of BlacKkKlansman and its portrayal of police officers, filmmaker Spike Lee has a response. Riley shared the three-page criticism on Twitter (warning: it does contain spoilers) on Aug. 17, citing Lee as a “huge influence” on his own filmmaking…
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Sorry to Bother You Has a Wild Alternate Reality Centered on Black People
There’s something so powerful about Boots Riley declaring in his debut, Sorry to Bother You, that black people are allowed to be a part of a movie with an alternate reality. This film is set in an alternate present-day Oakland and it follows Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) as he struggles to make something out of…
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Dystopian by Design: Costume Designer Deirdra Govan Isn’t Sorry to Bother You
Just watching the trailer for Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You is like taking a mini psychedelic trip. The rapper-turned-director’s dystopian fever dream may be set in present-day Oakland, Calif., but explores alternate dimensions as an allegory of the dangers of assimilation. The satirical comedy, which stars Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson and Omari Hardwick, among…