As a black man, I can't be abstinent. Well, at least it seems that way. There is pressure to have sex. When I turn on music to get me through the day or get me from class to class, that fresh R&B crooner or hip-hop heavyweight — who looks like me or sounds like me or dresses like me — seemingly takes every opportunity to lace their lyrics with sexual connotations and … [Read more...] about The Pressure: Race & Sex
hip hop
Hip-Hop Legend Opens Up in ‘Nas: Time is Illmatic’
Photo Courtesy of Tribeca Film The life story of the king of hip-hop is now available for purchase/rent online. “Nas: Time is Illmatic” documents the journey of Nasir “Nas” Jones from kid in the projects to legendary emcee. It focuses on the creation and cultural weight of Nas’s 1994 album “Illmatic.” Fittingly, the film begins with a mash-up of visual and audio clips … [Read more...] about Hip-Hop Legend Opens Up in ‘Nas: Time is Illmatic’
Calle 13 changes the world one rhyme at a time
Art by Sacha IrickPicture a rap, hip-hop or reggaeton music video — we all know what they look like almost by instinct. The formula is the same: At some point, the lyrics mention success and endless amounts of money and images in the music videos serve the purpose of making it seem that way. Latin American hip-hop phenomenon group Calle 13 released their new album this … [Read more...] about Calle 13 changes the world one rhyme at a time
