Despite its critics in its early days, Hip-hop as an artistic medium has spread to all corners of the Earth, but could it spread throughout the galaxy? What about world violence against young people? Chicago-author Shirley Hardy-Leonard explores these questions in her latest work, Odysella: Empress of Nar series. The series follows two main leads […]
Read More Modern Griots Reviews: Odysella – Empress of NarImagine seeing the journey of the Black Atlantic through the memories of a centuries-old vampiric human. A DC IT specialist working at an HIV organization Justin Kena is privileged with this information when he falls for one named Dante. As he falls in love, he learns of the ancient indigenous Yoruba group, the Razadi, who […]
Read More Modern Griots Reviews: Birth of a Dark NationI know I am a bit late on reviewing this one, but finally here is my review of it: Ytasha L. Womack’s Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-fi and Fantasy Culture is a well-thought out introductory book that is a smooth blend between a personal memoir and a reference source for those interested in delving […]
Read More Modern Griots Reviews: Afrofuturism – The World of Black Sci-FI and Fantasy CultureIn continuing with women this week who are taking hip-hop to higher spaces: Cosmic rap (or God Hop as some artists call it) is in South Africa by way of the Johannesburg independent label Iapetus Records (Saturn’s moon) and emcee, Yugen Blakrok. Influenced by other labels like Boogie Down Productions, The Bomb Squad and Ninja […]
Read More Modern Griots Reviews: Yugen Blakrok’s “Return of the Astro-Goth”Here is part two of the Renina Jarmon interview from yesterday. Below Jarmon talks about the significance of Erykah Badu, Octavia Butler and Janelle Monae, her future plans for Black Girls Are From the Future and the future she dreams of for Black girls: 6) The book includes discussions on Octavia Butler and Janelle Monae. […]
Read More Modern Griots Interviews: Renina Jarmon and Black Girls Are From the Future Part 2Renina Jarmon is a writer, cultural critic, blogger and educator whose work centers on Black women’s sexuality and pop culture, as well as race, technology and the concept of self. She recently released her book, Black Girls Are From the Future, a collection of essays based on her popular posts from her blog New Model […]
Read More Modern Griots Interviews: Renina Jarmon and Black Girls Are From the FutureTo have a fantastic imagination requires a fluidity of perception of reality and that encapsulates Wangechi Mutu’s exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, A Fantastic Journey. Mutu’s medium of collage artwork provides a natural basis for her ideas that combine an ancient mythic and animistic values with the futuristic cyborg concepts to comment on global modern […]
Read More Modern Griots Review: Wangechi Mutu’s A Fantastic JourneyBlack women’s mental and physical health are often not at the forefront of news and studies, especially with the continuation of the myth of the strong black woman or medical professionals and the public who make light of our conditions. A few days ago, I attended Jaded the Musical at The Secret Theatre in Queens, […]
Read More Modern Griots Reviews: Jaded the Musical…and getting the respect!” Author, music historian and filmmaker, Nelson George, said at a rough cut screening of his latest film, Finding the Funk, that funk music was a music for outsiders. Reaching its peak in the 70s and early 80s, the short time between the eras of soul and post-bop/funky jazz and the rise […]
Read More Modern Griots Reviews: “Finding the Funk…This morning I heard that communication companies are attempting to rid us of phone landlines and replace them with wireless service only, and it reminded me of the two films I saw last night, Leah Gilliam‘s movie Apeshit and Wesley E. Barry‘s The Creation of the Humanoids. Gilliam spoke at the showings of the film […]
Read More Modern Griots Reviews: Apeshit + The Creation of the Humanoids – The Politics of Obsolescence
Sherese Francis 