Modern Griots Review: Beasts of the Southern Wild

How does one celebrate life amidst impending doom? Or for this, how does one review a movie that she had high expectations for, but was a bit of a letdown? Appreciate the specks of wonder in it. Lessons learned from the film, Beasts of the Southern Wild. An adaptation Lucy Alibar‘s play, “Juicy and Delicious,” […]

Behind the Mask: Is Willow Smith Too Young?

Tamar-Kali – Boot Willow Smith, the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, is known for her eccentric fashion sense, which I love. Yet lately she has been turning heads with her hairstyling and a possible tongue piercing. The Daily News has reported that her piercing is fake, but many are still questioning Will […]

Modern Griots Review: Alicia McCalla’s Breaking Free

Are you 17 years-old or do you remember when you were? What would you do if your genetics gave you special powers? If suddenly your mother was taken away by a corrupt governmental agency? If your family expects you to join “the revolution?” And all you want to do is live a normal life and […]

Behind the Mask: Uncensored

Fashion Q & A did a beautiful, fantastical photo-shoot called Uncensored. Qianna Smith styled the models and they were photographed by Fernando Colon. I love the purple hair, probably because one of my favorite colors is purple.

Otherworldly Videos: Ulysses

Melissa Laveaux– Ulysses

Moving on the Wires: Janelle Monae and the Black Camera

*At the Toronto Jazz Festival last week, Janelle Monae performed two new songs that might be on her upcoming album: “Dorothy Dandridge Eyes’ “Electric Lady” * Indiana University’s Black Camera, a film journal, is requesting papers for their fall 2013 special Afrosurrealism in film/video. This is the description of the issue: In the conceptual space […]

Art of This World: Radcliffe Bailey

Artist Radcliffe Baily speaks at the TEDx Atlanta about the mystery of art, the influence of family, music, spirituality and history in his creative process, and his use of art to bring kinfolk together.

Moving On the Wires: SHAOLIN JAZZ L!ve in DC

For those in the Washington, DC area today, Shaolin Jazz is doing their first musical performance tonight at the legendary Blues Alley. It is the first DJ-led performance at Blues Alley including DJ 2-Tone Jones, the co-creator of SHAOLIN JAZZ, his fellow band members of Sound of the City and special guest artists.. Their repertoire […]

Moving on the Wires: Afrofuturism and Beyond

Cherie Ann Turpin, assistant professor of English at the University of the District of Columbia and blogger of Afrofuturism Scholar, recently premiered her radio show, At the Edge: An Afrofuturism Salon on Blog Talk Radio. The first episode was with Afroerotik owner, Scottie Lowe (be careful, not safe for work and kids). BBC recently did […]

Behind the Mask: Adidas, Monsters and Slaves

The internet was buzzing with Adidas’ now debunked concept for a new pair of sneakers that had an interesting design – orange ankle shackles. Now my concern over the sneakers was not only that Jeremy Scott’s design looked awfully similar to slavery shackles or imprisonment, and that Adidas sells shoes to a mostly urban audience […]