Shawn Taylor returns for a special Hard NOC Life to break down Kendrick Lamar’s instantly iconic halftime performance during Super Bowl LIX. Together, he and Keith take in the symbolism and artistry that was on display and speculate where hip-hop goes from here.
The world of cinema is a place of institutions: from mainstay studios, long-revered directors and infamous producers, there are certain people and systems that both uphold the standards of film but also restrict the possibility of what could expand the artistic palette of the space.
Continue reading “RaMell Ross’ Heartbreaking ‘Nickel Boys’ is a New Classic Slice of Black Americana”
With Dominic out this week, Keith welcomes Troy-Jeffrey Allen as a special co-host on Hard NOC Life. They discuss Troy’s latest project, AfroFutures, a 17+ magazine collecting comics and articles that fall under the wide umbrella of Black speculative fiction — from sci-fi and fantasy to action, drama, and beyond.
Screenwriter, director, and playwright LaDarrion Williams is making his novel debut with Blood at the Root, which releases on May 7. You can hear the author speak all about his new fantasy story at his upcoming 92NY event.
Continue reading “LaDarrion Williams on the Themes of ‘Blood at the Root’ and Making a Difference in Fantasy”
Theater is a wide and wonderful world; a place of imagination, depth, and hundreds, if not thousands, of years of historical relevancy. It’s given us the gift of Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, August Wilson’s Fences, and Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, among so many other classics that have affected not just audience sensibilities but have helped frame and define stage storytelling and become mainstays of conventional cinema a well.
Continue reading “‘Rise’ is an Inspired Story of Love and Legacy”
Pulled away from the Company of Angels Theater at Hazard Recreation Park as the lights were dimmed and the locks were shut after a lively post-production reception, and into the dark of the studio parking lot, I had the opportunity to discuss the makings of COA’s newest community play — Rise by Kimba Henderson — with the cast and creators themselves.
Continue reading “God Built Us Different: A Conversation with the Women of ‘Rise’”
Staged adaptations of novels usually don’t end up working well as they are clunky at best and downright tedious at worst. Thankfully, the staged version of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye is one of the few works that so vividly brings the novel’s words to life, thanks to the fine adaptation of Lydia R. Diamond.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Bluest Eye’”
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was unlike any other Spider-Man film we’ve seen before. It was a highly dynamic cinematic experience that used a variety of animation styles and techniques to deliver something wildly psychedelic and separated itself from the rest of its animation studio rivals.
Continue reading “‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Stars Brian Tyree Henry & Luna Lauren Velez on Super Parenting”
On this special episode of Hard NOC Life, Shawn Taylor returns to join Keith as they look back at the legacy of De La Soul, one month after the group’s entire catalog was finally released to streaming platforms and a new generation of hip-hop fans.
Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, currently airing on Disney Channel and streaming on Disney+, follows Lunella Lafayette is a 13-year-old genius living with her parents and grandparents in the Lower East Side of New York. One day, she activates a portal and a red, horned Tyrannosaurus steps out of it. Together, the two fight crime, while also addressing the importance of representation and the need to talk about social issues like gentrification.
Continue reading “‘Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’ Cast and Crew on the Power of Representation”
Aside from father and husband, there are few titles that mean more to me than, b-boy. Yes, I have just entered my 50s, but b-boy still resonates for me as an operational position. While I no longer believe hip hop can change the world — the culture did move some things around — I do believe that hip hop can change us, so we can better navigate the world.
Continue reading “De La Forever”
A magical time is approaching! In February, Black Nerds Create is hosting their sixth annual Black Magical History Month (formerly Black Wizard History Month). The event is a month-long celebration of Black magical stories, characters, and fans.
Continue reading “Get Ready for Black Magical History Month 2023”
A cloudy evening over The Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena did nothing to hide the high spirits inside The Tap Room — the resort’s cocktail bar and lounge — where the cast of NBC/Peacock’s NAACP award-nominated series Bel-Air came both to cool down and celebrate, post red carpet, after a long day of photos and interviews just an hour earlier.
Continue reading “The Stars of ‘Bel-Air’ on Black Excellence and Representing for the Culture”
The Creed franchise was so much more than a boxing film. It’s a celebration of Black culture through the lens of an underdog sports movie. In it, we witnessed the rise of a champion in Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) who not only stepped out of his father’s shadow, a father he never knew but also faced his demons fighting his father’s killer while also telling a powerful Black love story. And we get to see how all of that evolves in Jordan’s directorial debut, Creed III.
Continue reading “What to Expect from Tessa Thompson and Jonathan Majors in ‘Creed III’”
Onyx Collective’s new stellar legal drama, Reasonable Doubt is set to premiere on Tuesday, September 27 on Hulu. From executive producer Kerry Washington, Reasonable doubt is loosely based on the incredibly talented celebrity attorney Shawn Holley, and follows Jacqueline “Jax” Stewart, a premier criminal defense lawyer from L.A. as she battles the justice system while trying to deal with a breaking marriage and hardships of motherhood.
Continue reading “The Cast of ‘Reasonable Doubt’ Discuss Inspiration, Collaboration, and Creativity”
After Ryan Coogler and the cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever brought the house down in Hall H, some of the film’s stars stopped by our spot on the press line and spoke to Ron from POC Culture about what the new film will mean to audiences, but especially to Black and Indigenous moviegoers.
Continue reading “SDCC 2022: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Explores the Consistency of Excellence”
Celia Rose Gooding is a woman of her time just like the iconic character she plays on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Cadet Nyota Uhura.
Continue reading “Celia Rose Gooding on Staying True to Herself and Uhura in ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’”
It’s been four years and a few weeks since Marvel’s Black Panther leveled the pop-sphere with a $1.344 billion USD box office and a legion of new and reinvigorated fans. Before his big screen debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War — an appearance that all who saw it could not stop talking about — he was a C- or D-list comic book character in Marvel Comics’ overstuffed roster.
Continue reading “What Are We Saying When We Say, ‘Wakanda Forever?’”
Award-winning author Ibi Zoboi has penned a “biographical constellation” of the late, great Black feminist sci-fi writer Octavia Butler. Called Star Child (Dutton, January 2022), the book contains poems, short essays, and actual fragments of Butler’s own writing and musings.
Continue reading “Ibi Zoboi on Writing a Biographical Constellation of Octavia Butler”
It’s Black History Month!
You know what that means, many studios and advertisements will be elevating Black voices for the entire month. But, what about the rest of the year? Rather than only uplifting voices for 28 days, it seems like many companies are listening and starting to do something about it.
Continue reading “HBO Max Celebrates Black History with ‘More Than a Month’ Campaign”
Cosplay is an enigma to me. The act of dressing up as one’s favorite character to an almost identical degree shows a mastery of craft-making, make-up, and acting that is rarely discussed in other mediums. Being a fan of a show or a character is no longer a passive experience when you cosplay, it becomes an active response to the work that inspires you.
Continue reading “‘Shades of Cosplay’ Makes Me Want to Cosplay”
Film director Cheyenne Ewulu directed the 2015 documentary Shades of Cosplay about four Black cosplayers and their experiences during the 2015 Anime-Matusuri convention. Using her background as a cosplayer, Ewulu weaves a story that interacts with the world of cosplay and its issues of racism and inclusiveness in the space. Now in the year 2022, the film is being released online for the first time on February 4, 2022 — to celebrate Black History Month.
Continue reading “‘Shades of Cosplay’ Brings the Black Cosplay Experience Front and Center”
I was lucky to be afforded the opportunity to talk with the star of The CW’s upcoming show, Naomi, during a fun roundtable event with other media outlets. Kaci Wallfall is such a sweet and talented young actress. We talked about moments from the pilot, her favorite superhero characters, and so much more!
Continue reading “Kaci Wallfall on Being ‘Naomi’ and More”