Don’t worry, this is not another think piece about Beyonce’s new song and video, Formation. I simply want to post the video here as an appreciation for the complicated, powerful, Black, queer images in it. Enjoy! (The video is unlisted on Youtube, that’s why I had to just include a tweet that includes a link… Continue reading Formation Appreciation
Music has been just as important to my life as books. It seemed like music was always booming out of the radio, or on tv, 24/7. When I woke up in the morning for school, my grandmother would turn on the little black radio on top of the fridge, to the only station we both… Continue reading R&B Ruled in 2015!
With my mind still on Miami beaches, eclectic art and Cuban cuisine, I chose Clean Up Woman by Miami native and soul legend Betty Wright as Video of Week. We all remember  Clean Up Woman, Tonight is the Night, and No Pain No Gain right? Still based in Miami, Betty Wright has been performing since… Continue reading Clean Up Woman
Every time I hear Ain’t No Stopping Us Now by R&B duo McFadden and Whitehead, it lifts my spirits. Even though the song was not written as social commentary, it was interpreted that way, and therefore have infused it with a larger meaning. This song especially has relevance for the current moment we are in,… Continue reading Ain’t No Stopping Us Now
While searching for a video for this week’s “video of the week”, I came across the above performance on http://www.spin.com. During a visit to students at L.A.’s Marcus Garvey High School in 1993, Tupac is speaking to youth and spits the first verse of his classic (and my favorite) Keep Ya Head Up. Keep Ya… Continue reading Keep Ya Head Up
The past year has seen the proliferation of conversations concerning cultural appropriation, specifically in regards to White rappers. The stardom of Iggy Azalea and Macklemore, whom many hip hop fans regard as mediocre at best, seems to have hit a nerve among a lot of people, me included. It’s hard to watch the Iggys and… Continue reading Good Music
So, I really like Empire, Fox’s new show centered around the Lyon family, headed by Luscious Lyon, owner of Empire Entertainment, a record label. Soon before he takes his company public, his life is turned upside down with the arrival of his ex-wife Cookie, released from 17 years in prison. Cookie, expertly portrayed by Taraji… Continue reading Inspired by Cookie
This week’s video is a performance from the legendary soul/funk band Rufus, with their gorgeous lead singer Chaka Khan. Sweet Thing is on Rufus’ fourth album, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, released in 1975 for ABC Records. Chaka Khan and Tony Maiden, a band member, wrote Sweet Thing, which was rose to #1 on the R&B… Continue reading Video of the Week-Sweet Thing
This is the second in a series of posts about Indiana Avenue, a stretch of blocks just west of downtown Indianapolis that was the center of social life for the Black community from the 1920s-1960s. Below, I focus on the chitlin’ circuit of clubs, which featured local, regional and national blues, funk, and soul… Continue reading Indiana Avenue Chitlin’ Circuit
Speaking of Rivers 