Kevin L. Clark is a screenwriter, entertainment director, and founder of Subject To Change, a creative consultant company out of Los Angeles. He covers the intersections of pop culture, film and TV, and you can follow him on IG/Twitter @IAmKevitoClark.
It's often said that anyone Black and American should make a pilgrimage to Africa. This statement proved true, as this writer's first trip to Ghana, West Africa, was rewarding and invigorating. What's more, it allowed a feeling of freedom from the confines of America's antagonistic efforts against Black people. For GRAMMY-winning hip-hop artist and multi-hyphenate Chance the Rapper, a visit…
Web3, cryptocurrency, NFTs — these were all imaginative ideas that appeared in lyrics from OutKast and Shabazz Palaces way before they became trending topics. Ideas that stem from an innate love that Black culture has with science fiction and world-building. If you YouTube Goodie Mobb’s "Cell Therapy," you’ll watch them highlight concerns about the technology that has now become your…
Singer/songwriter and all-around tour de force Durand Bernarr has long excelled in showing how dope he is. Born into a musically rich family — his mother was a professional music teacher and vocal coach, and his father did sound production for Earth, Wind & Fire — Bernarr not only had the chops for singing, but a larger-than-life personality. Performing under…
"This is the kind of s— I like being a part of," Snoop Dogg told the crowd on the second night of the Blue Note Jazz Festival in California's Napa Valley. "This s— is fly."\ \ Over the July 29-31 weekend, artist-in-residence Robert Glasper and Blue Note Records left an undeniable impression upon wine country. Held at Charles Krug Winery in…
This article was updated July 28 at 12:30 p.m. to reflect these genres’ African origins and status as standalone genres. Established acts like Burna Boy, MUZI, Elaine, Mr Eazi, Yemi Alade, and Wizkid have contributed immensely to the diverse sound of African music, resulting in international recognition and multiple GRAMMY wins. Stateside, Billboard recently launched a U.S. Afrobeats song chart and the Recording…
The ever-elusive Steve Lacy has come out to share his latest, Gemini Rights, out July 15. The wunderkind producer, musician and guitarist for GRAMMY-nominated band the Internet — whoj has collaborated with the likes of Chlöe x Halle, Blood Orange and Kendrick Lamar, among others — announced his sophomore album (his first release with RCA Records) during a live performance…
The final day of the 2022 Essence Festival of Culture was one not to miss — and one full of hits. After Janet Jackson, Patti LaBelle, Jazmine Sullivan, and Summer Walker put on for the ladies in a major way on Friday and Saturday, New Edition and the Isley Brothers were two of the many acts to bring the nostalgia…
Well, Essence Fest 2022 certainly began with a bang. Nicki Minaj showed why she's still a rap tour de force, keeping everyone up past their bedtime, trying to keep up with her supercharged lyrics. Looking to outdo the curfew from Friday night, the Coca-Cola-presented night of Black joy found 80,000-plus attendees packing out the Caesar Superdome in New Orleans for…
As with any time someone chooses to put their heart on the line, there’s a chance that it can be broken and kicked to the curb. For a decade, Syd, frontwoman for alt-rap/R&B group the Internet, has used this truth to bravely take audiences on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Listeners have experienced emotional loop-de-loops of sadness, reflection, and sensuality —…
Five years ago, Kendrick Lamar unleashed DAMN., which would win him a Pulitzer Prize and cement the MC as a generational talent. With plenty of turmoil going on in America at the time, Lamar grappled with weighty topics like racism, gun violence, and religious ideation in daring and complex ways. Now, we have Lamar's fifth and final record for Top…
On May 6, at the stroke of midnight, the hip-hop and pop worlds successfully collided when Jack Harlow released Come Home the Kids Miss You. His second major-label album was released via a joint venture between Generation Now and Atlantic Records.\ \ The 24-year-old Louisville native has made a name for himself as one of the most sought-after performers in…
In a move reminiscent of another famous G.O.A.T., Kendrick Lamar announced to the world that he's back — and arguably better for it. Taking to his personal website, "Pulitzer Kenny" delivered a Michael Jordan-esque press release that marked the arrival of his album next month. Despite his recluse nature, Lamar remains an undisputed people's champion whose ascent to the upper…
You couldn’t escape the hype train around Pusha T’s fourth album, It’s Almost Dry, released on April 22. Few artists have the power to make click-and-scrollers slow down long enough to give a new release the attention it deserves. But the Picasso of the Pyrex, King Push, has an effect on hip-hop unlike anyone before him or to come after.…
When it comes to music and culture, constant evolutions and unique developments from Black artists have challenged and pushed conventionality into a place of many groundbreaking firsts. From Megan Thee Stallion, the first woman rapper to perform at the Oscars, to Cardi B, the first solo female rapper to win the GRAMMY for Best Rap Album, to Mickey Guyton, the…
In almost any moment during Black history, you'll find music at the center of it. From Mahalia Jackson to N.W.A to Mickey Guyton, Black musicians have contributed much to this thing we call life. After all they've given us, why not give back? When it comes to showing your love to the Black music community, your next step can be something…
