When you don’t know….you don’t know.” The first time I heard that expression was in 1997 when I first saw the film Hoodlum. Two characters were in the midst of a Harlem turf battle during a Depression-era numbers racket in Harlem, and mob boss Charles “Lucky” Luciano grouses to Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson about another gangster,… Continue reading Act Like You Know: When ‘Tacky’ & ‘Tone-Deaf’ Go Viral
Category: Pop Life
Miscellaneous topics, trends and columns
“No Matter How Much You Wanna Switch….”
.Just over 26 years ago, Ice Cube cemented his hip-hop status with his seminal debut, Amerikka’s Most Wanted. Along with brilliant sampling and now-classic rhymes, Amerikka… featured a scathing interlude calling out those who insisted on ‘going along to get along’ rather than rocking the boat when it came to confronting racism: “A message to… Continue reading “No Matter How Much You Wanna Switch….”
Fantasia & Anthony Hamilton Dish Up Southern Soul At Verizon
A cursory listen to typical radio playlists might lead folks to believe that true soul music is on life support and few true ‘sangers’ are left to revive it. But if you were at Grand Prairie’s Verizon Theater last night, Anthony Hamilton and Fantasia served up plenty of rib-sticking Southern-fried soul, nourishing the cravings of… Continue reading Fantasia & Anthony Hamilton Dish Up Southern Soul At Verizon
Raise Up, Man Up Or Shut Up: Brothers, the Choice Is Yours
If a single sentiment were used to describe today’s relationships between African-American men and women, the computer screen would read, “It’s complicated.” For every general conflict that can arise from connecting with the opposite sex—-career expectations, child-rearing, gender roles and so on—-historical complications, including slavery and present-day racism, can increase life’s tensions and become toxic… Continue reading Raise Up, Man Up Or Shut Up: Brothers, the Choice Is Yours
Keep It Real, Make It Plain: Truth Is Love, Not Hateration
“Can’t I criticize what I love?” Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon It’s as close as your Facebook feed, your teenager’s tweets, your girlfriend’s Instagram or Uncle’s Pinterest boards: all of us are witnessing—and to a degree, participating in—-a social-media-driven celebration of self. It’s the famous James Brown refrain from “Get Up (I Feel Like Being… Continue reading Keep It Real, Make It Plain: Truth Is Love, Not Hateration