For the past week, social media users have been marveling — and fretting — over photos of the New York City skyline as a haze of smoke from Canadian wildfires has rendered the air quality a murky shade of orange (and not very safe to breathe). The tableau has been compared to the aesthetic of […]
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Photo: Phillip Faraone, Theo Wargo, Mike Coppola (Getty Images) After dominating The Voice for 23 seasons, country superstar Blake Shelton is exiting the singing competition series. His popularity has led to wins for several of his singers, so he’s leaving behind big cowboy boots to fill. The good news is, his exit makes room for […]
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In late March, the news broke that Oscar Award-winning musician Questlove was set to direct Disney’s live-action remake of The Aristocats. Originally released as an animated movie in 1970, the movie will see quite a few changes, or so Questlove joked on Instagram. Taking a fan-created mashup from the original film in which the famed […]
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Photo: Zak Hussein (AP) In September, “Gangster’s Paradise” rapper Coolio was tragically found dead at a friend’s house in Los Angeles. Now, his cause of his death has been revealed. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, Coolio died of an accidental overdose of heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine on September 28. LEGO Star Wars, […]
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If you were ever wondering how Questlove acquired his encyclopedic knowledge of music, it’s probably because he has a lot of records in his collection, maybe too many — 200,000 according to this 2021 profile in The New Yorker. However, he’s looking to reduce that gargantuan number, according to Billboard. Quest is auctioning off some […]
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It’s no surprise that The Roots co-frontman Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson chose a musical for his feature directorial debut. But admittedly, the project he’s helming is a bit of a surprise. CC Off English According to Deadline, the Oscar-winner will direct a live-action/CGI hybrid version of The Aristocats. In case you haven’t gone too deep in […]
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Questlove has dedicated his lengthy and highly-decorated career to uplifting Black people. He’s launched his new publishing imprint Auwa Books. He’s organized the 50th anniversary of hip hop tribute at this year’s Grammy Awards. He’s made public archival footage of the Harlem Cultural Festival for his Oscar Award-winning, documentary Summer Of Soul. He’s spoken out […]
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Photo: Eugene Gologursky (Getty Images) Whether he’s curating a star-studded hip hop tribute for the GRAMMYs or directing an Oscar-winning documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, Amir “Questlove” Thompson has his fingers on the pulse of what’s happening in the culture. Now, the DJ, producer, author and filmmaker is about to get into […]
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With the unfortunate passing of soul singer Bobby Caldwell at the age of 71, the Black community came together on social media to collectively mourn the death of a beloved and beautiful“Black voice.” CC Off English Yes, I know he’s a white man. But when Caldwell broke into the music scene with his 1978 single, […]
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With the unfortunate passing of soul singer Bobby Caldwell at the age of 71, the Black community came together on social media to collectively mourn the death of a beloved and beautiful“Black voice.” CC Off English Yes, I know he’s a white man. But when Caldwell broke into the music scene with his 1978 single, […]
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I wouldn’t be surprised if many people clicked over to another channel after Angela Bassett was gagged AGAIN at the 2023 Oscars. The one category we were all waiting for was placed at the very beginning in the producers’ efforts to televise every category in a timely manner. CC Off English Therefore, after the winner […]
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The White Stripes is one of the most beloved rock bands of its era and “Seven Nation Army” is a bona fide classic. The band is carried by Jack White’s distinct voice and his often-aggressive guitar, as well as by Meg White’s relatively simple drumming style, the latter of which has often been criticized. A […]
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Photo: Emma McIntyre (Getty Images) I wouldn’t be surprised if many people clicked over to another channel after Angela Bassett was gagged AGAIN at the 2023 Oscars. The one category we were all waiting for was placed at the very beginning in the producers’ efforts to televise every category in a timely manner. CC Off […]
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US costume designer Ruth E. Carter accepts the Oscar for Best Costume Design for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 12, 2023.Photo: Patrick T. Fallon (Getty Images) I wouldn’t be surprised if many people clicked over to another channel after Angela […]
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Photo: Chris Pizzello (AP) “This article-your thesis and including the title-is regressive in so many ways. You’re arguing that Black folks need to impart violence-intentionally, publicly, in anger-on other Black folks when they stray from whatever narrative one deems as justifiable. That people’s (in your assessment) poor decisions justify a public ‘stomp down’. Or, in […]
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Source: Mike James, Brian Stukes, Patricia McDougal and Earl Gibson / Urban One Inc. If there’s one woman that we’re making sure to today for International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, it’s without a doubt our very own founder of Urban One, Ms. Cathy Hughes! Thankfully, Questlove of The Roots felt the same way, […]
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Photo: Chris Pizzello (AP) “This article-your thesis and including the title-is regressive in so many ways. You’re arguing that Black folks need to impart violence-intentionally, publicly, in anger-on other Black folks when they stray from whatever narrative one deems as justifiable. That people’s (in your assessment) poor decisions justify a public ‘stomp down’. Or, in […]
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Photo: Kevin Winter, Frazer Harrison, Matt Winkelmeyer (Getty Images) After 23 seasons and nine wins, Blake Shelton is ready to move on from NBC’s The Voice. As the unquestioned star of the show, he has been a huge part of its success. It’s no secret that his popularity has led to many of his contestants’ […]
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Will Smith attends the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California.Photo: Emma McIntyre (Getty Images) Social media is still abuzz thanks to the phenomenal performances at the 2023 Grammys. Chief among them was the star-studded tribute to 50 years in hip-hop that boasted performances from everyone to […]
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At the Grammys last night (February 5), the Recording Academy paid tribute to 50 years of hip-hop history with a 10-minute, all-star performance from a number of the most important rappers ever. With anything of this sort that attempts to be all-encompassing, though, some people are bound to be upset. It’s impossible to include every […]
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Photo: Kevin Winter (Getty Images) From Queen Bey being crowned with the most Grammy wins ever, to Lizzo’s uplifting, gospel performance of “Special,” to Viola Davis securing an EGOT, the 65th Annual Grammys might have been the Blackest show in the event’s history. What really made the night fun were all the spectacular performances by […]
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Photo: Mason Poole/Parkwood Media (Getty Images) Black people stay winning and the 2023 Grammys could be no different Viola Davis achieves EGOT status To begin the historical night, Viola Davis became the latest member of the heralded EGOT club, taking home the award for Best Audio Book, for her memoir Finding Me. She was so […]
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Serena Williams attends the Michael Kors runway show during New York Fashion week in New York on September 14, 2022.Photo: ANGELA WEISS / AFP (Getty Images) With a little over four weeks until the 2023 Oscars, tennis legend and all-around GOAT Serena Williams is finally revealing her thoughts about the now infamous Will Smith/Chris Rock […]
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Ahead of the 2023 Grammy Awards this weekend, the Recording Academy has announced that they’ll be hosting a special segment to honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. LL Cool J will open the tribute with an introduction and a performance. Questlove is the segment’s producer and musical director. He will also be providing music with […]
Read MorePhoto: Araya Doheny (Getty Images) Hip-hop and the Grammys have always had a complicated relationship. It all started when the first award for Best Rap Performance was presented in 1989. When it was announced that it would not be televised, many artists—including eventual winners DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince—boycotted the ceremony. Since then, […]
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