Music & Film – The Double Scoop

Insecure Season 1 Review

Authors: The Double Scoop

If you don’t know who Issa Rae is by now, it will only be a matter of time before you do. The rising actress, writer, director, and producer is turning heads and gaining attention in the film world.

We became fans of Issa after watching her web series Awkward Black Girl back in 2011. The series was very successful and it really established her fan base. Since the series Issa has produced and been apart of several projects; she even started her own media company called Issa Rae Productions. Her work caught the eye of HBO executives which landed her a deal to create her own successful show on the network called Insecure which she stars in and produces. The 8 episode first season recently ended and HBO has already given the green light for a second season. Talk about some serious BLACK GIRL MAGIC 😉

Since we don’t have HBO luckily we were able to binge watch and stream the first season using the HBONow app (Thank goodness for 30 day free trials). The first episode was very reminiscent of her web series Awkward Black Girl and even included some of the characters from the show. It’s almost like a spinoff but broader because it addresses more life topics and gives viewers a more in depth look into the lives of the other characters like Issa’s long term boyfriend Lawrence and her best friend Molly.

Insecure follows Issa and her best friend Molly as they navigate life in their late 20s. In the first episode Issa celebrates her 29th birthday and it makes her begin to question the direction of her life. The show highlights the experiences that many young black millennial woman face: a dissatisfying job, the pressure that comes along with leaving your 20’s behind, infidelity, love, friendships, and finding yourself. The series also addresses more serious topics like racial stereotypes and sexual double standards among men and women. The topics are nothing new but Issa’s wit, humor, and perspective gives the show a refreshing modern day touch. Being millennial women ourselves, the show is very relatable. It’s raw, authentic, hilarious and a little ratchet. Who doesn’t love a little ratchet?! 😉 And the show’s soundtrack never disappoints; the music really complements the show. One thing we like is that you become invested and attached to the characters. The characters are very relatable and they remind you of people you may know in your own life.

The season finale left viewers on edge with the status of Issa and Lawrence’s relationship. It’s going to be a long wait before we get to see what changes are going to take place in the character’s lives next season. It’s all good though because we know Issa and her creative team are behind the scenes creating magic. We are sure the wait will be well worth it!

It has been amazing watching Issa’s career grow over the years and we can’t wait to see how far it will continue to go.

Jamie Foxx Will Produce Marvin Gaye TV SERIES

Author: Amy Nicole

Over the last three decades many attempts have been made to produce a Marvin Gaye biopic, but none have been successful due to disapproval from the late singer’s family.

The 2013 film “Sexual Healing” was the last attempt at producing a Marvin Gaye biopic. Lenny Kravitz was originally cast to star in the film but was later replaced by actor Jesse L. Martin. Due to lack of funds and family lawsuits, the movie stopped production three weeks before completion. Check out the trailer for that unreleased film here.

Jamie Foxx recently managed to gain the family’s approval and is set to executive produce a tv series about the singer’s life. Suzanne de Passe of Passe Jones Entertainment and Marvin Gaye III (Marvin Gaye’s son) will also serve as executive producers for the series. The film is said to be a powerful and defining telling of Marvin Gaye’s life.

The late singer is best known for his hit singles What’s Going On, Let’s Get It On, and Sexual Healing. In 1984 he was fatally shot by his father at age 44.

I’m a huge fan of music biopics so I’m excited to see this series! Jamie Foxx is very talented so I’m sure he won’t disappoint! What do you guys think about the upcoming series?

Marvel’s Black Panther Set To Begin Filming

Author: Ashley E.

Marvel fans are full of excitement as new details have emerged regarding the anticipated Black Panther movie.

The film, which is directed by Ryan Coogler is set to begin filming in January of 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. Tammy Smith Casting announced that they are having an open casting call for film extras on November 4th and 5th in Atlanta.

The film will be set in the fictional African nation of Wakanda where T’Challa (Black Panther) is the reigning prince. The movie will feature an all-star cast that includes Lupita Nyongo, Michael B. Jordan, Forest Whitaker, and Danai Gurira. Chadwick Boseman, the headliner of the film will portray T’Challa.

My sis and I plan on auditioning to become background actors for a few of the scenes. We got the opportunity to be cast as extras in the James Brown biopic “Get On Up” about three years ago which also starred Boseman. The experience was very exciting!

Are you guys looking forward to the movie release?

Moonlight Receives Rave Reviews

Author: Ashley E.

Moonlight has received rave reviews from critics and fans since its October 21st release. Rolling Stone labeled the indie film “The best movie of 2016.” The film which was adapted by filmmaker Barry Jenkins from a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney centers on the life of main character Chiron.

Chiron grows up in Miami surrounded by poverty, crime, and an unstable household. The movie highlights his path to self-discovery as he journeys from childhood to adulthood. Janelle Mona’e, Naomie Harris, and Mahershala Ali are a few of the actors that star in the film.

Check out the trailer here.

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BET SERIES “THE QUAD” GIVES VIEWERS THE EPIC HBCU EXPERIENCE!

Author: Amy Nicole

The last television series that centered around HBCU college life was the show “A Different World” which was popular back in the late 80s and early 90s.

Many people are referring to the the upcoming collegiate series “The Quad” as a modern day version of A Different World. The show will focus on the experiences of several students attending fictional school Georgia A&M University. Actress Anika Noni Rose will portray newly hired university president Dr. Eva Fletcher who is hit with the tough task of bringing the university out of financial difficulty.

From looking at the trailer the series seems to be a mixture of the films Stomp The Yard and Drumline. The show will touch on topics like band hazing and college student promiscuity.

The cast includes Jasmine Guy and Ruben Santiago-Hudson. It also features upcoming actors Zoe Renee, Jazz Raycole and Peyton Alex Smith. The series was created by Felicia D. Henderson (Soul Food) and Charles Holland (New York Undercover). Director Will Packer will also serve as one of the co-executive producers for the show.

The Quad will premiere January 31, 2017 on BET.

Check out the trailer and share your thoughts below!

loving-movie-pic — Photo Credit: Daily News SF

Author: Amy Nicole

Interracial marriages are so common these days that you forget at one point in time they were actually illegal.

The film Loving is based on the true story of interracial couple Richard and Mildred Loving who were married in 1958. The couple spent nine years fighting for their right to live as a family in the state of Virginia. Richard Loving was arrested and sentenced to a year in prison because their marriage was a violation of the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, which prohibited marriage between black and white people. The Supreme Court eventually declared the prohibition to be unconstitutional, ending all race based legal restrictions on marriage in the United States.

The film stars Joel Edgerton as Richard Loving and Ruth Negga as Mildred Loving. Loving was written and directed by Jeff Nichols; It will open in select theaters on November 04, 2016.

It’s hard to believe that people were denied the right to love simply because of their skin color! I’m really looking forward to seeing this movie!

Check out the trailer below:

Check out this interview 1967 interview from Richard and Mildred Loving.

surviving-compt-1 — Photo Credit: Billboard

Author: Amy Nicole

When I first saw the trailer for Surviving Compton I didn’t have high expectations for the film, especially since it was premiering on the Lifetime network which doesn’t have the best track record for biopics. I wasn’t really familiar with Michel’le besides her appearing on the reality show Hollywood Divas but I do remember hearing stories that Dr. Dre abused her back in the day when they dated.

Many people speculated she was releasing the movie for financial gain and that she was lying about the abuse endured by Dr. Dre. The fact that she has been so consistent with her story for so many years made me think otherwise.

It took a minute for me to get into the film because of the narrative format and having to adjust to the actor’s high pitch voice(which was very annoying!), but after a while I became intrigued with the story. I saw the movie Straight Outta Compton which I really enjoyed so it was interesting to hear another side of the story from a woman’s point of view. I didn’t realize how much of a role Michel’le played in the group NWA or that she was signed to Ruthless Records which was Dr. Dre’s record label back in the 80s. I can see now why she wanted to tell her side of the story being that she was not included in Straight Outta Compton. I thought it was crazy how she was taken advantage of by some of the guys from the group. The movie revealed that she was initially not getting paid for her vocals on a lot of their tracks.

michelle-1 — Photo Credit: Monsters & Credits

Eventually Michel’le is approached about creating her own album and that’s when it seems like Dre’s attitude towards her became aggressive. The first scene in the movie where Dr. Dre hits Michel’le is almost unbearable to watch, he climbs on top of her in the bed while he is sloppy drunk and begins to punch her in the face until her nose starts to bleed. In the scene the real life Michel’le walks into the room with her character and explains why she chose to stay with Dre. She explained how she was taught growing up that abuse was a sign of showing love. To cope with the pain of abuse she indulged in drinking alcohol and taking drugs.

Although the film was supposed to highlight Michel’le’s singing career, the physical abuse overshadowed most of the movie. The most heartbreaking scene in the film is when Michel’le is in the studio recording her popular single Something In My Heart; she is singing with a bruised face looking fearfully at Dre who threatened to beat her again if she couldn’t sing the song correctly.

The scene was such a pivotal part of the movie because it sums up the emotions of what a lot of abused women go through. Many women equate love with physical pain which is very unfortunate. Most abused women feel helpless and trapped in relationships because of the fear caused by the abuser. I’ve never been hit by a man but I always wondered why women decide to stay in abusive relationships.

Many people, especially men shunned Michel’le because of her decision to date both Dr. Dre and Suge Knight, but the movie explained why she made that decision. When you’re coming out of an abusive relationship and you find someone else who treats you great, it is easy to see how she could fall for him so quickly. Although Suge eventually did hit her she explains in the movie that it was a one time occurrence. Later in the movie Michel’le is coerced into marrying Suge which she later finds out wasn’t a legal marriage; she also finds out that he was primarily using her to run his business while he was in prison.

surviving-compton — Photo Credit: The Boombox

After ending the relationship with Suge Michel’le is left drained and damaged from all the years of abuse and pain that she endured. The end of the film shows how she was able to get her life back on track and most importantly how she was able to survive. The majority of women in abusive relationships don’t survive so her story was an important one to tell.

For a Lifetime movie the film was decent and I think the network did a wonderful job with the casting. Rhyon Nicole Brown who formerly starred on the show Lincoln Heights did an amazing job portraying Michel’le, especially with mimicking her voice. Actor Curtis Hamilton also did a great job portraying Dr. Dre(He also wasn’t bad on the eyes!).

Surviving Compton wasn’t an amazing movie but it was definitely a story worth telling as I’m sure it impacted a lot of women who have experienced abuse in relationships.

Author: The Double Scoop

Beyonce’ made us get “In Formation” and now younger sister Solange wants us to have a seat and listen. A Seat At The Table which is now the number one album on Billboard 200 is Solange’s 3rd studio album.

The album is such a breath of fresh air because it’s so authentic, personal, and relatable. It’s also such a symbolic album because many of the songs touch on topics that are relevant in today’s society especially regarding black culture. This album really put Solange at the forefront and made many (both of us included) who failed to notice her music before take a second look. For many years people have referred to Solange simply as “Beyonce’s younger sister” but with this latest project she proves that she is a creative genius and a force to be reckoned with.

Solange has been a singer and music writer for years, and she has always been content with being in her own lane and creating the type of music that she wants without looking for recognition.

ASATT is socially conscious, filled with black pride and in true Solange fashion beautifully artistic. It’s obvious she put a lot of time and passion into the creation of this project because everything about the album is so cohesive; from her vocals, to the instrumentation, the lyrics, the artists she chose to collaborate with, and even the location where she created majority of the album which was in New Iberia, Louisiana where her grandparents met.

The album includes interludes from her parents as well as several interludes from rap veteran Percy Miller (aka Master P.), who is one of Solange’s musical inspirations. He discusses reaching major success as a black owned company, the formation of his record label No Limit Records, and being able to recognize your value and worth in the industry.

Tina Knowles talks about black pride and the the stigma that sometimes comes along with that expression, and Matthew Knowles recounts the negative experiences he had growing up during the civil rights era.

Each dialogue presents a different discussion to engage the listener’s ear. I assume this is why Solange named the album “A Seat At The Table” being that most people who sit at a table together engage in conversation. Dope concept! The album is packed with over 21 tracks each delivering their own unique message.

Cranes In The Sky is one of our favorite tracks and one that Solange actually started working on it 8 years ago. The song is so relatable because it speaks on trying to escape a pain or filling a void by replacing it with temporary fixes.

In one verse from the song Solange sings:

I ran my credit card bill up

Thought a new dress would make it better

I tried to work it away

But that just made me even sadder

Don’t Touch My Hair is another favorite of ours. As black women who proudly rock our natural hair sometimes we notice the stares of people who may feel our hair looks too ethnic. The track also speaks of owning individuality and not trying to change or conform to appease others. It’s about not letting others diminish your shine or light.

In the song Solange sings:

You know this hair is my shit

Rode the ride, I gave it time

But this here is mine

You know this hair is my shit

Rode the ride, I gave it time

But this here is mine

solange-dont-touch-my-hair — Photo Credit: Direct Lyrics

The song “Weary” addresses the whole concept question everything and trust no one……

Solange advocates for human equality and urges listeners to question the reasoning for having a social hierarchy .

But you know that a king is only a man

With flesh and bones, he bleeds just like you do

He said, “Where does that leave you?”

And, “Do you belong?”

I do, I do

In the song “Mad” which features Lil. Wayne Solange expresses the anger that many black people are feeling towards the continuous loss of innocent black lives by police officers. It also speaks on being mad without being able to fully express being mad due to possible ramifications.

In the chorus Solange sings,

Why you always gotta be, why you always gotta be so mad (mad, mad, mad)

I got a lot to be mad about (be mad, be mad, be mad)

Lil Wayne raps:

Then I walk up in the bank, pants sagging down

And I laugh at frowns what they mad about?

Cause here come this motherfucker with this mass account

That didn’t wear cap and gown

Are you mad cause the judge ain’t give me more time

And when I attempted suicide, I didn’t die

Other songs like F.U.B.U.which is the acronym for the the 90s clothing like For Us By Us encourages the empowerment/unity of black people in a majority white society.

All my niggas in the whole wide world

Made this song to make it all y’all’s turn

For us, this shit is for us

Some shit is a must

This shit is for us

The album as a whole is a wonderful and creative body of work! Kudus to Solange for staying true to who she is and for putting out music that is relevant and important to what’s going on in society today.

When The Bough Breaks Review

Author: Ashley E.

When I first saw the trailer to WTBB a few months ago I didn’t have high expectations for the film. It looked like a movie with a storyline that you’ve seen before a million times, and it didn’t help that the average critic rating was a 4 out of 10! I think most people including myself were more drawn to the cast instead of the film; I mean it’s hard to turn down an opportunity to see the gorgeous Regina Hall and sexy Morris Chestnut on the big screen together. My mom kept going on and on about wanting to see the movie “with that black guy” (how specific) so we went to check it out a few days ago.

The film centered around the lives of John and Laura Taylor played by Morris Chestnut and Regina Hall. They seemed to have the picture perfect life; a nice home, successful jobs, and they were deeply in love. The only thing missing in their lives were kids. The couple tried several times over the course of their marriage to have children but Laura unfortunately suffered a few miscarriages. With Laura only having one viable embryo remaining, they decided to hire a surrogate as another option to have their child. That’s where Ana Walsh played by Jaz Sinclair comes into the story. A 21 year old student that desired to give a couple the gift of life. She was beautiful, innocent, vulnerable and sweet, and Laura felt she was the perfect person to be their surrogate.

Things went from 0 to 100 real quick once Anna was pregnant with the Taylor’s child. Shortly after learning she was pregnant Anna and her boyfriend Mike were involved in a domestic violence situation in which he physically assaulted her leaving her homeless and helpless. After Mike gets arrested John files a restraining order and warns him to stay away from Anna. The Taylors insist that Anna come live with them until she has the baby and is able to get back on her feet. (Now how realistic is this type of situation? Regardless if a woman is carrying your child what are the odds of a person willingly inviting a stranger to live in their home?) What John and Laura don’t realize is that Anna and her boyfriend were scheming them from the beginning; their plan was to get as much money out of the couple as they could then keep the baby for themselves.

While living with the couple Anna becomes infatuated with John and she doesn’t hesitate in letting him know. Anna quickly goes from sweet and innocent to full out psycho. During the film Laura goes out of town leaving Anna alone in her home with John. (Really Laura??!) Anna really takes advantage of the situation and uses it as an opportunity to pursue John; she goes as far as to show up to his job unannounced in front of his co-workers, and sends him graphic videos which ultimately puts his career in jeopardy. She really played with the fact that she was carrying the baby and had the right to change her mind about giving up the child at any time. John feels helpless so he tries to appease her without crossing the line in an effort to get her to cooperate until the baby arrives. All the while Laura is totally in the dark not knowing that anything is wrong. When Laura gets back in town all hell breaks loose. Anna can’t control her feelings for John so she attempts to cause tension in the Taylor’s marriage. When that doesn’t work she takes off leaving Laura and John frantic and clueless on how to find her with only a few days left before the baby’s due date.
During all the chaos a friend of Johns’ uncovers that Anna is a dangerous felon who was able to bypass the background check of the surrogate agency because she was listed under an alias.

The movie ends in a goose chase with the couple putting their life on the line to get their child back. When The Bough Breaks was a recycled blend of the films Fatal Attraction, Obsessed and Single White Female without a more innovative plot. It wasn’t a terrible movie but it wasn’t great either. There were so many predictable, unoriginal and unrealistic moments, and the acting was just sub-par. It was nice to see Regina Hall in a more serious role since she is notorious for comedies. I wasn’t familiar with Jaz Sinclair but I would definitely consider her the wild card of the film. Her acting depth was impressive. I would recommend saving your money instead of going to see the film in theaters. The 3 minute trailer actually breaks down the movie in its entirety.

Author: Amy Nicole

Power has become one of my favorite shows on television. The show is so unpredictable and it’s packed with suspense, action, and drama! When season two ended viewers were left with several cliffhangers. Ghost and Tommy seemed to have ended their friendship and the biggest surprise of the season was the revelation that Kanan had survived the basement fire.

In season 3 Ghost and Angela decide to take their relationship to the next level by moving in together but they both struggle with trusting one another because of their lifestyle differences. Ghosts’ relationship with Angela causes a riff in his family which creates tension between him and Tasha. It also causes his son Tariq to develop animosity towards him. Because of Ghosts’ absence in the household Tariq begins to act out at school and is disrespectful towards Tasha.

Kanan takes advantage of Ghosts’ damaged relationship with Tariq by stepping into his life as a sort of father figure and exposing him to criminal behavior. The return of Kanan puts Dre in a tough situation because he works for Ghost but Kenan still demands his loyalty.

(Sidebar) As much as I would love to see Ghost work things out with Tasha I think she deserves better than him. What woman would be eager to take back a husband who left his family to pursue a relationship with his high school sweetheart!? But on the other hand I try to keep in mind that Tasha was not supportive of Ghost getting out of the drug business.

I think the biggest question on everyone’s mind for season 3 was whether or not Tommy and Ghost would be able to reconcile their friendship. Tommy doesn’t want to let the drug business go but Ghost is adamant about leaving the game for good which causes major conflict in their relationship.

After Tommy discovered that Ghost tried to pay Holly off to leave town it seems as though their friendship would totally be destroyed. The loyalty of their friendship was tested when Lobos ordered Tommy to kill Ghost. Tommy however when presented with the opportunity to kill him couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger on a childhood friend that he considers to be a brother.

Because of Tommy’s slow response to getting the job done Holly takes action into her own hands by paying someone else to kill him. When Tommy discovers what Holly has done he chokes her to death in a fit of rage without knowing that she was carrying his child. Ghost helps Tommy get rid of her body reconciling their friendship and the two decide to work together to take down Lobos.

Ghost finds out the transportation route for Lobos which allows him and Tommy the opportunity to take him out. The murder of Lobos causes an investigation into the police taskforce where Angela works prompting an internal search by detectives to discover who in the company leaked Lobos’ whereabouts.

Agent Greg Knox spends the majority of the season compiling evidence to incriminate Angela as the leak and Ghost as the killer. After Greg has all the evidence to convict Ghost he arranges a meeting with Agent Mike Sandoval to share his new found knowledge about the Lobos case. During their meeting Greg receives a phone call from Mexican county authorities which makes him realize that agent Sandoval is actually the leak. Greg confronts Sandoval about being the leak which ends in Greg being shot and killed. (Dang I was annoyed by Greg’s interference in the case but I hated to see him go out like that!)

It looked as if Ghost would finally be able to get out of the drug game until he realizes that his security guard Milan is a drug dealer for a Serbian gang. Milan coerces Tommy and Ghost to sell drugs for him otherwise he threatens to harm their families. (Although I love the bad boy drug-dealing side of Ghost I also sympathize with him because I know how badly he wants to live a life free from crime).

Fortunately with the help of Dre, Ghost and Tommy are able to take out Milan and his crew freeing them of his control. However little does Ghost know Tommy is secretly taking over the Serbian drug supply and plans to sell drugs in his club.

Things seem to be smooth sailing for Ghost by this point; his upscale event for Truth is a success and he manages to reclaim the club partnership with Karen. It looks like Ghost will get his opportunity to start a brand new life until Angela shows up at the club and surprises him with handcuffs and charges him for the murder of Greg.

One huge mystery this season left us with is the whereabouts of Keisha! The season ended without any kind of indication of what happened to her. Tasha convinced Keisha to work with her so she could help expand her hair salon as a way to bring in more of a profit for the both them. In actuality,Tasha was using the salon as a way to clean Ghost and Tommy’s “dirty money” from the drug business; similar to how they used the laundromats. After overhearing a conversation between Tasha and Milan, Keisha finds out the truth and feels hurt and betrayed that her best friend Tasha would lie and involve her into that type of situation. Milan tells Tommy that Keisha needs to go “bye bye” and the last we saw of her was Tommy walking into her empty salon at the end of the night. It left viewers wondering did Tommy cancel Christmas on Keisha or did he pay her off to leave the area.

The season ends with Tasha receiving a photo of Tariq unconscious with Kanans’ burned arm around him. Obviously this is a warning sign to Ghost that Kenan is back with a vengeance. Season 3 was definitely epic! The writing is amazing and I’m so looking forward to what season 4 has in store! What did you guys think of the season 3 finale?

Category: Music & Film

Insecure Season 1 Review

Jamie Foxx Will Produce Marvin Gaye TV SERIES

Marvel’s Black Panther Set To Begin Filming

Moonlight Receives Rave Reviews

BET SERIES “THE QUAD” GIVES VIEWERS THE EPIC HBCU EXPERIENCE!

“Loving” Tells The Story Of Forbidden Love

Surviving Compton Review

A SEAT AT THE TABLE REVIEW

When The Bough Breaks Review

POWER SEASON 3 Review