At three years old, Estelle’s parents went their separate ways. When the “American Boy” singer turned 23, her parents rekindled their relationship. Once she hit 33, they got married. Now at 38, Estelle is ready to put her parents’ love lost, yet love found storyline at the center of her new project, Lovers Rock (VP Records/Est. 1980). (Read More)
Twenty miles outside of Philadelphia stands the beige building; It may look mundane, with a humble exterior, but it’s full of movie magic once you enter. Aston, Pennsylvania’s Sun Center Studios is the temporary home to an unrelated family of actors, producers, writers and other creatives that are working on the sequel to 2015’s blockbuster, Creed. A fleet of extras sit in the boxing stands as eager spectators fill the vast room with sounds of anticipation. The harmonious noise immediately hits you once you enter the modestly lit set. As four bass knocks quiets the room to signal rolling time, 470 audience members prepare to usher in the titular character as he heads to the ring to enact a scene that’ll play out in the film’s final format. (Read More)
Saraciea Fennell’s journey with literature has been an integral part of her life since she was a child. During her time in foster care, the NYC native turned to books in order to get lost in an alternate universe while the world continued to press on around her. (Read More)
“The Internet is my platform.”
For independent artists like DAWN (formerly of Danity Kane and Dirty-Money), the World Wide Web provides endless opportunities for her music to travel across the globe, but with the impending net neutrality repeal taking effect on Monday (Apr. 23), it’s time to find a solution before her platform’s foundation falls into jeopardy. (Read More)
A year after Destiny’s Child recorded their versions of holiday classics on 8 Days of Christmas, the trio decided to let veteran producers, songwriters and rappers reimagine their most recognizable hits on This Is The Remix. Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle’s 2002 release morphed melodies that spanned three years worth of material—their self-titled debut album Destiny’s Child (1998) served as the springboard, cues from the 1999 classic The Writing’s on the Wall added that bounce, and reconstructed tunes from the platinum-selling Survivor (2001) solidified DC’s innovation. (Read More)
What does it feel like as an African-American to come full circle with your black identity? Is it a lonely journey? A trek to self-realization that historic passages or conversations with your favorite college professor can’t fulfill unless you take the road less traveled? Does it take you finally renewing your passport and purchasing a ticket to your African country of choice with just your senses packed? What does it feel like after years of incomplete school lessons and our buried achievements to finally realize your true black self? For critically-acclaimed director Ryan Coogler, those burning questions needed to be extinguished ahead of him turning Black Panther from a comic book character into a full-length feature film. (Read More)
After years of acting in front of the lens that’s catapulted Michael B. Jordan to award stages and the insides of magazine covers, the Newark native plans to plant his Hollywood focus behind the camera with his production company, Outlier Society. (Read More)
For activist Jessica Jackson Sloan, the perils of mass incarceration didn’t come knocking on her door until her former husband landed behind bars on July 24, 2004. As she sat in a courtroom with her then two-month-old baby girl, Jackson’s previous spouse’s incarceration—which stemmed from a non-violent misdeed—led her down a path of helping others who’ve fallen into the depths of the criminal justice system. (Read More)
For actor/singer/songwriter Bernard David Jones, his plate of talents aren’t sectioned off so that they don’t touch. Jones’ creative expressions blend together to present a resume that looks pleasing to the eye. (Read More)
The barrels have a story to tell. They’ve held tight the whispers of French kings, sealed the fingerprints of those who handled them delicately, and trapped the aromas of liquid molecules engrained within its creases. They’ve gracefully changed color, stacked neatly one on top the other, and allowed Arachnea Compniacensis spiders to be its security from insects that try to invade, all the while developing its own nucleus. That unspoken language, an unseen form of communication that has developed over centuries, is then transferred to its contents to create a consumable liquid that also houses its own history from the vine to the expertly crafted bottle. That liquid is called D’USSE. (Read More)
Camille Augustin 