Second Listen Sunday : J. Holiday, Round 2
2009 was a strong time in R&B as a crop of male R&B under thirty had all dropped projects. Popular opinion would tell us that before his “incident” in February 2009, Chris Brown should have gone to another level with his project Graffiti.
Slow Jam Saturday: Jill Scott, Easy Conversation
One of the highlights of Summer 2023 for me was attending Essence Fest for the first time. Jill Scott was a featured performer, and for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to show some love to one of my favorite tracks in her catalog, “Easy Conversation.”
Nothing spooky about Fear The Night
Neil Labute continues diversifying his filmography with his latest feature, Fear the Night from Quiver Distribution. Iraq war veteran Tes (Maggie Q) travels to the California hills for her youngest sister Rose’s (Highdee Kuan) bachelorette party. The sibling’s middle sister Beth (Kat Foster), has a somewhat rocky relationship with Tess, which naturally causes some friction.
Routine action in The Island
Underrated action hero Michael Jai White returns to screens in his latest flick, The Island from Saban Films. Shaun Paul Piccinino is in the director’s chair, while Michael Caissie and Philippe Martinez pen the script.
Underrated is a slam dunk look at the early days of Chef Curry
The baby-faced assassin gets his flowers from director Peter Nicks in the crowd-pleasing documentary Stephen Curry: Underrated from A24 and Apple TV.
Second Listen Sunday: Houston, It’s Already Written
It’s no secret that Usher became a global icon in 2004 when he released his fourth album, Confessions. However, as the good folks over at YouKnowIGotSoul.com, world-class remixer DJ Soulchild, and, of course, my big but Edward Bowser will tell you, there are a few other singers that dropped albums as well.
Slow Jam Saturday: George Michael, One More Try
The late George Michael successfully transitioned from a boy band to a successful soul artist with his debut solo album Faith in 1987. Michael had already scored four successful singles when the fourth single, “One More Try,” hit the airwaves.
Michelle Buteau’s positivity shines through in Survival of the Thickest
After years of supporting work, comedian Michelle Buteau takes center stage in Survival of the Thickest from Netflix. Taking inspiration from Buteau s same titled essay series, the eight-episode sitcom centers on Mavis Beaumont (Buteau), a newly single Black plus-size stylist who put her dreams on hold to cater to her leach of a boyfriend.
Second Listen Sunday: 112, Pleasure & Pain
R&B quartet 112 was at a crossroads when their fifth album, Pleasure & Pain, hit records stores in the spring of 2005. A year prior, they officially departed longtime label Bad Boy Records for Def Soul, and the group’s fourth album, Hot & Wet, had underperformed two years earlier.
Slow Jam Saturday: Tamia, Still
There’s no question that Canadian singer Tamia is unsung. While she has six Grammys nominations and numerous other awards, mainstream success has yet to be in the cards. I was a month into my first overseas assignment in England when she released her third album, More.
Insidious: The Red Door is a ho-ho hum finale
A horror franchise gets its final chapter from first-time director Patrick Wilson in Insidious: The Red Door. Scott Teems pens the screenplay from a story by longtime series writer Leigh Whannell. The latest entry in the franchise is a direct sequel to Insidious: Chapter 2.
All You Hear Is Noise evokes crowd pleasing nostalgia
Directors Ned Castle and Matt Day collaborate with producers LeBron James and Maverick Carter for a good old-fashioned in-the-crowd pleaser in the documentary All You Hear Is Noise. The screenplay crafted by Castle and Day successfully balances audience appeal while abstaining from the typical stereotypes and oversimplifications frequently portrayed in media representations of intellectual disability.