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.
Second Listen Sunday : Shalamar, Three For Love
The classic Shalamar lineup of Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniel followed their third album, Big Fun, with 1980s Three for Love. Reuniting with iconic producer Leon Sylvers III for album number four, Three for Love hit record stores on December 15th just in time for the holiday season. Three for Love also found the group contributing to the writing and funk band Lakeside.
Slow Jam Saturday: Changing Faces, Keep It Right There
Cassandra Lucas and Charrisse Rose, better known as Changing Faces, started as backing vocalists for Sybil in the music industry. In 1994, the duo released their debut self-titled album, which featured two lead singles, “Stroke You Up” and “Foolin Around,” by a writer/producer who shall remain nameless. Instead, I want to focus on the album’s third single, “Keep It Right There,” for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday selection.
Soul Singer DirtyWhite talks influences, NC BBQ and more
Reviews & Dunn – Growing up in North Carolina, when did you realize that you wanted to pursue a music career?
DirtyWhite – Ahhh….thinking back…probably when I started to realize my voice was a force to be reckoned with. I’d guestimate around the age of 16 or 17, probably maybe a little later. However, I didn’t begin to promote myself until probably 24 or 25 years old actively.
A Shot Through The Wall is a promising debut from Aimee Long
Race relations serve as the backdrop of director Aimee Long’s feature debut, A Shot Through the Wall from Vertical Entertainment. Chinese-American Officer Mike Tan (Kenny Leu) is in his early twenties and still living at home with his parents, one of whom is his overbearing mother, May (Fiona Fu).
Honest chemistry from the leads can’t save The Royal Treatment from clichés
After focusing on television series such as Spartacus and Ash vs. Evil Dead, director Rick Jacobson returns to features in Netflix’s, The Royal Treatment. Holly Hester pens the film, a standard romantic comedy full of tropes that viewers will recognize instantly. Isabella (Laura Marano) runs her own salon and isn’t afraid to speak her mind, while Prince Thomas (Mena Massoud) runs his own country and is about to marry for duty rather than love.