Second Listen Sunday: Jaheim, Ghetto Classics
Jaheim, a New Jersey-based singer, is currently on “The Love Hard Tour” after a significant break from the music scene. This week, for our Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to revisit his highly anticipated third album, “Ghetto Classics,” released on February 13, 2006. It had been four years since the release of Jaheim’s second album, and while they couldn’t see him vocally, younger singers like Omarion and Chris Brown were the current rage in R&B.
Slow Jam Saturday: Keyshia Cole, I Should Have Cheated
The Princess of Hip Hop Soul, Mrs. Keyshia Cole, is currently headlining the “The Love Hard Tour” with fellow R&B acts Trey Songz, Jahiem, and K. Michelle. So, in that regard, I felt it was only fitting to go back to 2005 and revisit the third single, “I Should Have Cheated,” from her debut album, “The Way It Is,” for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday.
Babes is a successful mix of heart and profanity
Pamela Adlon, an actress who has transitioned into a director, presents a heartwarming and uproarious comedy as her debut in “Babes,” produced by Neon Films. Ilana Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz pen the film’s screenplay. Inseparable childhood friends Eden (Ilana Glazer) and Dawn (Michelle Buteau), having grown up together in NYC, are now firmly in different phases of adulthood. Every Thanksgiving, the two decide to meet for a movie, but things take a surprising turn when Dawn goes into labor.
]J-Lo is lost in space in the dull Atlas
Jennifer Lopez reunites with Netflix to take on the Sci-Fi genre in her latest film, “Atlas.” Brad Peyton directs the film from a script by Aron Eli Coleite and Leo Sardarian. Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez), a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence, joins a high-stakes mission to capture Harlan (Simu Liu), a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past. This mission, crucial for the survival of humanity, is fraught with danger and uncertainty. But when plans go awry, her only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI is to trust it.
Sans the overlong run time Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga delivers the action goods
Australian filmmaker George Miller returns to the post-apocalyptic action-adventure genre for his eleventh film, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” from Warner Bros. Miller collaborated with Nico Lathouris to co-write the screenplay for the fifth installment in the “Mad Max” franchise. This installment is a spin-off and prequel to the previous film, “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
Second Listen Sunday: The Weekend, Kiss Land
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I embarked on a musical journey to the Land of Maple Syrup, a nickname for Canada due to its significant maple syrup production. I revisited a pivotal moment in The Weeknd’s career with his major label debut, ‘Kiss Land.’ This album marked a significant transition for The Weeknd, following the success of his 2011 mixtapes’ House of Balloons,’ ‘Thursday,’ and ‘Echoes of Silence,’ and the subsequent compilation album ‘Trilogy.’ ‘Kiss Land’ was his first studio album, a testament to his growth and evolution as an artist, and it was released on September 10, 2013.
Slow Jam Saturday : Kevon Edmonds, Never Let You Down
Frankie Beverly, a renowned music legend, is embarking on his “I Wanna Thank You” Tour, marking the end of his illustrious career. In this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I would like to showcase a cover version of the beloved ballad “Never Let You Down” by Frankie Beverly & Maze.
Second Listen Sunday: Carl Thomas, Conquer
This week’s featured album for Second Listen Sunday is Carl Thomas’s “Conquer.” Thomas, known for his work as a hook singer at Bad Boy Records, is set to join R&B icons Tank and Keri Hilson on ‘The R&B Money Tour. Considering this upcoming event, it’s fitting to delve into the often overlooked ‘Conquer. After a hiatus following his third album, ‘So Much Better’ in 2007, Carl Thomas returned to the scene with ‘Conquer’ in 2011.
Slow Jam Saturday: Keri Hilson, Slow Dance
Keri Hilson, a talented and alluring artist, has been focusing on her acting career. However, she is preparing to embark on ‘The R&B Money Tour’ alongside other R&B acts such as Tank and Carl Thomas. For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I would like to highlight one of my favorite slow songs by Keri, “Slow Dance.”
Charming cast elevates the clichéd Mother of the Bride
Netflix has released a new romantic comedy, “Mother of the Bride,” perfectly timed to coincide with Mother’s Day celebrations. The film is directed by the esteemed filmmaker Mark Waters and written by Robin Bernheim Burger.
The Last Stop in Yuma County is an impressive debut
Francis Galluppi, the writer and director of this debut film, “The Last Stop in Yuma County,” takes audiences on a thrilling journey reminiscent of the grindhouse era. This tense and gripping thriller is set in the unforgiving desert landscape of Arizona, following a nameless young knife salesman (Jim Cummings) who finds himself in a perilous hostage situation at a remote desert rest stop.
Lazareth is a horrific bore
Australian Director Alec Tibaldi navigates to the thriller genre for his third effort in “Lazareth” from Vertical. Tibaldi also pens the film’s screenplay, which stars Emmy and Golden Globe Nominee Ashley Judd. Following the death of their parents, Lee (Judd) adopts her nieces, Imogen (Katie Douglas) and Maeve (Sarah Pidgeon), and raises them in a remote cabin as a deadly pandemic rages on around them.