Writing Highlights
Kendrick Lamar performs during halftime at Super Bowl LVI in February 2022, in Inglewood, California. Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Kendrick Lamar’s Auntie Diaries is a clumsy attempt at trans acceptance
Why the controversial song on “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” falls flat.
Vox
Peacock / Greg Gayne/PEACOCK
Peacock May Finally Take Flight Thanks To “Bel-Air”
The streamer could be hitting its stride thanks to a couple of notable reboots with predominantly Black casts.
BuzzFeed News
Photo by Alex Green
Music is my sonic haven from a world that wants to destroy me
As part of The Washington Post’s Pride Month Essay series, Daria writes about the thing that’s been his haven his entire life and throughout the pandemic and anti-LGBTQ legislation, music.
The Washington Post
Magazines
Colman Domingo, Danielle Brooks and More AAFCA Nominees Praise Org for Celebrating Black Storytelling: ‘It’s Amazing to Be Celebrated by Your People’
Hollywood is often criticized about the amount of follow-through there is on promises for diversity and inclusivity. Yet there is much to celebrate about the films that are being made about Black life, and the 15th annual awards by the African American Film Critics Assn. will do just that on Feb. 21, 2024.
Variety Magazine
THE UNDERBELLY OF STAN CULTURE: THE PSYCHOLOGY, LEGALITY, OF THE STAN EXPERIENCE
There's a spectrum of stan culture where being a fan can be harmless, but on the extreme side, it can lead to glorifying public figures to harassing and doxing.
ESSENCE Magazine
Lifestyle
Credit: Photos courtesy of Daric L. Cottingham; Brian Wong/Xtra
How sneaker culture saved my life
A young man returns to the hobby he shared with his father as a way of survival.
Xtra Magazine
Photograph by Alexis Hunley/HBO Max
Decoding The 'It Girl': Tylynn Burns Is Human Too
Sweet Life: Los Angeles star Tylynn is navigating the highs and lows of being a reality TV girl authentically and with grace, fully aware of what she signed up for.
xoNecole
Designed by @popephoenix for Okayplayer.
How De La Soul, Madlib And MF DOOM Nike SB Dunks Became Hip-Hop’s Rarest Sneakers
De La Soul, Madlib and MF DOOM are the inspiration behind some of hip-hop’s most coveted Nike SB Dunks. Here is the story of how those collabs came about.
Okayplayer.
Film/TV
Actress, musician and human rights advocate Angelica Ross. Credit: Courtesy of CBC Gem
Why Angelica Ross jumped at the chance to guest star on ‘Sort Of’
Playing a gender-affirming specialist inspired the multi-talented star to share her insights on transitioning: “The more comfortable you get with change, the more beautiful the experience becomes”
Xtra Magazine
Credit: Courtesy of Starz; Elham Numan/Xtra
‘P-Valley’ tells Black queer stories you won’t find anywhere else
The series, wrapping up Season 2 this weekend, depicts the layered experiences of Black queer Southerners with care and authenticity.
Xtra Magazine
Credit: Prime Video
How ‘The Boys’ Uses Satire to Tackle Black Issues
The Boys understands satire as a tool to hold a mirror up to society, especially as it pertains to Black issues.
Okayplayer.
Music
Credit: Zumapress/CP Images
‘Montero’ is the moment: a track-by-track review of Lil Nas X’s debut album
The rapper introduces the world to his true self, a Black gay man living his truth, one day at a time.
Xtra Magazine
Photo Credit: Carlijn Jacobs
In Beyoncé’s 'Renaissance' The LGBTQIA+ Community Is Center Stage
Like everything she does, queen Bey has raised the bar; this time with a musical masterpiece that's also a culturally significant form of resistance.
xoNecole
Photo Credit: Sarah Morris/WireImage
The Secret To Rising Rapper Kidd Kenn’s Flow? Learning Every Nicki Minaj Verse
Chicago’s Kidd Kenn came up remixing drill music from artists in the city. Now he’s performing at Pride events across the country.
Okayplayer.
Books
‘Fat Off, Fat On’: How Clarkisha Kent found grace in the face of anti-Blackness and fatphobia
Culture critic Clarkisha Kent gets candid about writing her memoir and her hopes for readers.
Reckon News
‘We See Each Other’: Author Tre’vell Anderson reckons with Black trans representation in media
The Charleston, South Carolina native discusses their debut book and their hopes specifically for future generations of Black trans folks to have it all.
Reckon News