(ThyBlackMan.com) Have you ever wondered how jazz, and then later rock ‘n’ roll, developed out of the blues? How Black music came to be America’s music? Whether or not people who are not Black can really play Black music? Amiri Baraka speaks on these things in his 1963 classic, Blues ...
(ThyBlackMan.com) In 1942, NAACP Executive Director, Walter White, worked with politicians and studio executives to establish an ad hoc committee with the major studios to monitor the image and portrayal of African Americans on the screen. In 1955, the Mississippi Branch of the NAACP, led by Medgar Evers, filed a ...
(ThyBlackMan.com) Some think that because I critique modern commercialized hip-hop (which is not the same as real hip-hop), that I don’t understand it. They also might assume that I don’t listen to it or wish to censor artists who might be defined as “ratchet.” Actually, the opposite is true: I ...
(ThyBlackMan.com) If you haven’t heard, (unless you’ve lived under a rock,) Beyonce shocked the music world by releasing her self-titled fifth album Beyoncé via iTunes in December. As expected, her fans not only bought the album, but showered their grace upon their female messiah. And if you’re wondering, there are ...
(ThyBlackMan.com) The thought hit me hard once again when I pondered the thought of how Black men are vilified in the media more so than any other race for the same exact indiscretions. There is no official gauge to measure whether they are or not as the way many will ...
(ThyBlackMan.com) The Boondocks, perhaps, is the most revolutionary African American themed television show in recent memory. Its satiric episodes brought issues to light such as prison, the African American culture of putting the wrong things as priority and even highlighting the criticisms and stigmas of Tyler Perry (which pissed a ...
(ThyBlackMan.com) If you’re fascinated by watching wealthy celebrities waste money on things that don’t make any sense while homeless people starve outside the building, then this might be a story for you. Jay-Z and Beyonce were spotted at a nightclub in Atlanta spending money like it was going out of ...
(ThyBlackMan.com) One of my favorite things to do during my down time is watch videos of Charlamagne Tha God giving his signature amusing commentary on today’s current events in urban music. One evening, I came across a video where he gave the opinion that Soulja Boy could have been an ...
(ThyBlackMan.com) When I heard about the tragic death of Lord Infamous (aka Ricky Dunigan) from the group Three 6 Mafia, I was hurt, but not surprised. We’re used to rappers dying before the age of 50, since we’ve come to embrace a culture that only serves to deplete our mental ...
(ThyBlackMan.com) Let me start off with a disclaimer: I am not a Beyonce fan, meaning I do not religiously follow her career or listen to her music. Though I don’t dislike Beyonce, I don’t keep up with her either. In high school, like every other black girl, I looooved me ...
(ThyBlackMan.com) Frequently, I see African American authors and readers on this site and others take on the notion that African Americans in the media spotlight are obligated to produce music, tv shows and movies to our satisfaction. For quite some time, those expectations have been relied on superstars such as ...
(ThyBlackMan.com) More hands and reasons in selling out than the average mind may think. Not too long ago, rapper/producer Tyler, the Creator announced in a series of tweets his conversation and bet he made with musician Will.i.am. To swiftly get to the point, he claimed Will.i.am was selling himself out ...