Bel-Air is a winning reboot of a classic sitcom
Iconic nineties sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, receives a reboot with a dramatic angle in Bel-Air from Peacock. Will Smith (Jabari Banks) is a highly talented basketball player living in West Philadelphia in his sophomore year of high school with his single mother.
Sundance Review :Jeen-yuhs : A Kanye Trilogy
One of my most anticipated (Sundance movies) was Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy. Featuring a run time of nearly four hours, Part 1 of the documentary had its world premiere at Sundance.
Sundance Review : Master
Writer-director Mariama Diallo makes her debut with Master, which focuses on three women striving to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister.
Second Listen Sunday : Ne-Yo, 3 Simple Rules
At the tail end of 2021, Ne-Yo slowly crept back into music with the release of two singles, “What If,” and the Young Bleu assisted “Stay Down.” While neither song particularly caught my interest when Valentine’s Day approached, I decided to revisit the surprise EP that the singer gifted fans with on February 14, 2014.
Slow Jam Saturday : Johnathan Butler, Love Songs, Candlelight and You
Johnathan Butler was a decade into his career when his self-titled album arrived in stores in 1987. Listeners may recall his hit singles “Lies” and “Overflowing” from that album.
Phat Tuesdays provides a great history lesson on a classic comedy club
Iconic director Reginald Hudlin gives viewers a history lesson in Amazon’s Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy. In the words of today’s biggest comedians including Chris Tucker, Steve Harvey, Tiffany Haddish and more, Phat Tuesdays tells the unbelievable and inspiring story of how one man, Guy Torry, moved mountains to launch an all-Black comedy night at The Comedy Store.
Concert Review: Raheem DeVaughn at The Birchmere
Washington D.C.-based singer Raheem DeVaughn was welcomed home with open arms at The Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria, Virginia, on Friday, January 28.
Sundance Review : Emergency
Carey Williams follows up his directorial debut R#J with another love story in Emergency. Straight-A college student Kunle (Donald Elise Watkins) and his laid-back best friend, Sean (RJ Cyler), are about to have the most epic night of their lives. Determined to be the first Black students to complete their school’s frat party legendary tour, the friends strap in for their ultimate assignment, Solo cups in hand.
Second Listen Sunday : H-Town, Fever For Da Flavor
H-Town was one such group who burst onto the scene with their debut Fever for da Flavor. When the group’s debut album arrived in stores on April 15, 1993, its slow jams stood out the most. However, I want to focus on the album tracks before that.
Slow Jam Saturday : Michael Sterling, Lovers & Friends
Pulling out the liner notes, I discovered that Lil Jon had sampled the song from a singer named Michael Sterling, who is this week’s pick for Slow Jam Saturday.
Sundance Review : We Need To Talk About Cosby
One centers on Kanye West, and the other focuses on Bill Cosby. The latter documentary bares the title We Need To Talk About Cosby, and it premieres on Showtime this Sunday. In the four-part miniseries, comedian and now-director W. Kamau Bell explores Bill Cosby’s life and work, weighing his actions against his undeniable influence through interviews with comedians, cultural commentators, journalists, and women share their personal encounters with him.
Sundance Review: Fresh
Mimi Cave flips the cinematic trope of a meet-cute with her directorial debut Fresh. Collaborating with screenwriter Lauryn Kahn for the film Cave gives the audience an interesting look at what happens when you meet the wrong guy.