Actor Nate Parker recently posted a picture on Instagram of him and veteran filmmaker Spike Lee with the caption: “Big Bro Spike Lee stopped in on the edit to give wisdom and show love.” #birthofanationmovie #natturner
Parker is busy working on his directorial debut film “The Birth of a Nation.” Aside from directing, he will also star in the film as Nat Turner. The film will focus on the 1831 slave rebellion that was led by Turner. It is said to be one of the most successful revolts in American history resulting in the deaths of between 55 to 65 whites in Virginia.
Parker has expressed that playing Nat Turner has been a dream of his although Turner was considered a “bad guy” in history. The actor had this to say:
“A lot of people thought he was a bad guy, but it’s [about one’s] perspective.” “I don’t think he was a bad guy at all, but we all have our ideas of what we want and why we want it, and what we’ll do to achieve those things.”
Nate Parker is one of my favorite actors. I have yet to see a movie that he has starred in that I was disappointed by, and with Spike Lee backing the film I think it will definitely be worth watching!
Gorgeous actress Sanaa Lathan is mostly known for her movie roles on the big screen but this past weekend she shocked all of her fans when she dropped a music track called “Emotional”. The song was inspired by her latest film “The Perfect Guy” which was released this weekend. The actress stated that her love interest in the movie, played by actor Michael Ealy was a very emotional character . The track was produced by Detail, who has also produced music for Beyonce, and it also features rapper Dej Loaf. In my opinion the single sounds pretty good! Check out the track here.
With Straight Outta Compton bringing in over 60.2 million dollars at the box office in its opening weekend, there is no denying that it will go down as one of the top movies of the summer for 2015. The movie chronicles the lives of rap group NWA, known as one of the most controversial rap groups of all time.
Although the movie focuses on the group’s controversial music, it also touches on the issue of police brutality which is very prominent in society today. Several black men have died at the hands of white police officers this past year along with many of the officers being acquitted of the crimes. The movie briefly touches on the 1991 beaten of Rodney King. King was beaten by four white police officers who were all acquitted of charges. The film reveals just how much times have not changed because even today black men feel their life isn’t valued by society and they have to constantly deal with being stereotyped and seen as a threat just based off of their appearance.
The film does a good job of explaining why the group chose to rap about certain topics that many would consider controversial. In one part of the film Ice Cube(who is portrayed by his son O’shea Jackson Jr.) justifies the groups music when he tells a reporter that the group raps about the reality that they see, which for many young black men back in the late 80s and early 90s was drugs, violence, and racism. The casting for the film was great as many of the actors embodied the essence of the characters that they portrayed.
Although most NWA fans are now in their 40s and 50s, people of all ages can appreciate the film. The biopic combines comedy, drama and music and gives viewers an in-depth look into the men behind one of the world’s most dynamic hip hop groups.
Rising South Carolina artist Kelvin Armstrong released his EP In Due Time last month. After listening to the album it’s hard to believe that the talented singer who is also a songwriter and guitarist has only been singing professionally 2 years. The album is a perfect blend of acoustic, R&B, soul, blues and a tad of country. If we had to describe Armstrong’s voice it would be a combination of Anthony Hamilton, John Mayer, Lyfe Jennings and D’angelo. The title of the EP speaks for itself in that the album was released during a time when music seems to lack substance. In Due Time delivers the type of feel good music that is missing from the music industry today. While most artists seem to be going main-stream, Armstrong decided to take listeners on an alternate route. Each song on the EP tells its own unique story. You can tell each song poured from his soul and you can feel his raw emotion in each lyric. It is definitely an album you can listen to the entire way through.
The EP opens with Peaches & Cream.The song is far from what you might imagine when you first hear the title. It’s a song about life and the difficulties you might face on this journey that we all must take. It also speaks about fighting for what you believe in.
Falling was one of the most touching and personal songs on the album. Kelvin expressed that the song was about a dark place in his life where he found himself battling with depression. People underestimate the severity of depression and the toll it can take on a person’s life. Kelvin was able to get through those difficult times and transfer his pain into music.
Cold Woman is a song about playing the fool in a relationship. It’s something that happens to the best of us. When opening your heart to someone you’re taking a gamble and sometimes you get burned.
Many people have a belief in God and have faith that no matter what obstacles they encounter in life they feel like God is there guiding them through the ups and downs. The song Stones Throw questions God’s presence during the difficult times in life.
The album concludes with Selfish, a song that speaks on being deeply in love. Many of us find ourselves in relationships that are destructive but the love for that person is so strong that we hold on even though it’s not a healthy relationship. A line from the song states: “I don’t want to be by myself even though loving you is bad for my health.”
We had the pleasure of attending Kelvin’s album release party for “In Due Time” this past Sunday at Wet Willie’s in Columbia, South Carolina. The event was held on the second floor of the venue and there wasn’t an empty seat in the room. Kelvin took to the stage with his guitar in the dimly lit room filled with his friends, family, fans, and music lovers anxiously waiting to hear the vocals of the rising star. Kelvin shared the stage with a few special guests which included his sister Kyshona Armstrong, another talented musician. He put on quite a show singing songs from his EP as well as a few extra songs in the mix. Listening to him live made you appreciate his music even more. His future is definitely bright and we wish him much success.
The Double Scoop with Kelvin Armstrong @ his EP release party
Check out footage from the show below. You can also view it on Double Scoop TV.
Is there such a thing as a perfect guy? Is there a shortage of good black men? Do black women have unrealistic standards and expectations when it comes to dating and marriage? Director Tamarat Makonnen attempts to answer these questions in his latest documentary “In Search of the Black Knight”. The documentary humorously addresses relationship topics that many young, professional African American women face today regarding black men. The film follows Makonnen as he travels to several states interviewing women and men who gave their opinion on the topic of there being a shortage of eligible black men.
Many people are suffering from withdrawals on Wednesday nights since the first season of Empire has come to an end. Whether you love the show or hate it people can’t stop talking about it. Over 16 million viewers tuned in to watch Empire’s season finale according to Nielsen, and the show is already set for a second season.
The two hour season finale was packed with so much fast paced drama and suspense that viewers didn’t have time to process everything. When you’re competing for money and power even your family and closest friends will become your enemies; there was a lot of backstabbing, jealousy, deceit and manipulation. Lucious found himself all alone from burning so many bridges with people close to him, but he fell back into good graces with Jamal (his least favorite son) and in turn Lucious gave him the key to the empire. Out of spite Andre and Hakeem are ready to see Lucious head to an early grave and even his most loyal supporter Cookie has a change of heart about Lucious after she discovers he is the one that killed her cousin Bunkie. When Lucious finds out that Cookie has been giving her “cookies” away to one of his top security officers (Derek Luke), he banishes her from the company that she helped build. The tables turn when Lucious is informed that he was misdiagnosed with ALS but before he can celebrate the good news he is arrested for the murder of Bunkie. Ironically the key witness to the murder (Vernon) is killed accidently by Andre’s wife.
Lee Daniels, one of the creators behind Empire has come under attack by some who criticize the show for promoting a negative stereotypical image of black people. The show gives viewers a peek into the dark side of the music industry; it shows how money, temptation and greed can destroy a family, and it also shows how hard an artist must fight to stay relevant and current in an ever changing industry. Aside from music the show also highlights topics such as homophobia and mental illness. In contrast to the negative criticism of the show, Empire shows a black man rise out of poverty to establish a successful million dollar company and in turn he has established something that he owns and can pass down for generations to come. The show also provides a platform for a diverse and talented black cast.
Will Smith shines in the new drama-comedy Focus. In the film Smith portrays Nicky, a con man who scams and steals millions of dollars from people with the help from his team of fellow cons. From the outside looking in Nicky seems to have access to the perfect life, but as the film later reveals the life of a con-artist is a very lonely one as Nicky is always on the move and in constant need for new victims to keep the cash flow coming.
Nicky meets Jess(Margot Robbie), a beautiful young woman who is intrigued by Nicky’s lifestyle. She convinces Smith to train her to become a part of his team. Despite his own advice of not having a heart in his line of work he falls for Jess which ultimately leads to his downfall when he encounters a criminal named Garriga(Rodrigo Santoro).
Smith delivers his usual Fresh Prince humor combined with his undeniable charm; and at the age of 46 he continues to give the ladies some very tasty eye candy with his super toned physique. The movie is definitely packed with lots of unexpected twists which leaves the audience guessing about who is the con and who is being conned. Although somewhat lengthy, Focus is a decent movie and a cool date night flick.
I got so excited when I heard Jazmine Sullivan was dropping a new album at the beginning of the year. The Philly native took a 5 year hiatus from the music scene and her presence was definitely missed. There aren’t too many female artists in the music industry right now with a unique and distinct sound like Ms. Sullivan. During an interview with Hot 97 Jazmine described how her label Jive Records dropped her when she was 18 years old because they couldn’t figure out where her sound would fit in the industry; now it seems as if people are longing for that familiar sound.
The singer admitted that her absence was largely in part due to her being involved in an abusive relationship that brought her to a very low point in her life. It is said that an artist sometimes produces their best work when they’ve experienced pain and Jazmine showcased a lot of that pain in her latest album Reality Show.
She described her album in a recent interview:
“I feel like with this particular album I was really done with trying to impress, I just wanted to do me.”
Overall I liked the new album. It was different but familiar at the same time. She did a lot of storytelling and played with various sounds, and I feel like she challenged her vocal ability. I remember instantly loving just about every song on her debut album Fearless when it dropped back in 2008. Reality Show was a bit different; there were songs like “Dumb” and “Forever Don’t Last” that I liked immediately, but a lot of the other songs had to marinate in my ears before I could really appreciate and feel what she was singing.
In her track “Mascara” she sings about the stereotypical video vixen, Instagram model and reality show female who has to keep up this certain image and appearance in order to maintain a certain lifestyle. She discussed in her interview with Hot 97 how overwhelming and exhausting that could be to have to “stay on” at all times.
I absolutely loved “Forever Don’t Last” because you can literally hear the pain behind her words in the track. So many people can relate to giving so much of yourself in a relationship only for it to end leaving you drained and broken.
“Mona Lisa” is a track that has become one of my favorites off the album. I love it because she talks about dealing with insecurities and so many women deal with them, even the ones that seem to be the most confident. It’s about looking in the mirror, accepting your flaws and embracing and loving what you see. You have to love what you see when you look in the mirror before anyone else does because you will find yourself seeking validation from others in order to love yourself and the way that you look. In the interview with Hot 97 Jazmine discussed her body image and how she knows she doesn’t reflect the typical standard of beauty. She said she wants to represent for the regular women.
Jaz kicks off her Reality Show tour next month. I’m so glad she is back and I hope she is here to stay for a while.
Jazmine Sullivan Performs Forever Don’t Last as part of the Dreammakers Series in New York City
If you were expecting to get a more in depth look into the life of Whitney Houston after watching the biopic that premiered on Lifetime last weekend, than you probably felt unsatisfied.
A more appropriate title for the movie could have been The Whitney and Bobby Love Story as the movie focused more on the couple’s relationship rather than her actual music career. The movie also didn’t waste any time highlighting the late singer’s drug use. It seemed as though the director and writers wanted to humanize Whitney. People forget that at the end of the day despite how much money or fame a person obtains, they are still human just like everyone else. Whitney was adored by many and was placed on a pedestal so high that when she fell from grace people looked for someone to blame instead of holding her accountable for some of her actions. Unfortunately throughout the years majority of the blame was placed on her ex-husband Bobby Brown.
The movie showed a more vulnerable side to Brown which left many viewers feeling sympathetic towards him. People forget that Brown was 19 years old when he was first introduced to the star who was 26 at the time. The media over the years has painted Brown out to be the bad boy that brought Whitney’s career downhill and got her addicted to drugs. In contrast the movie shows that drugs were a part of the singer’s life well before Brown came into the picture. Shortly after Houston’s death Oprah Winfrey sat down for an interview with Whitney’s mom, Cissy and her brother Michael Brown. During the interview her brother took responsibility for introducing Whitney to drugs.
The casting for the movie was superb and the chemistry between Yaya DaCosta and Arlene Escarpeta was undeniable. The sex scenes in the film left little to the imagination but I believe the director’s point was to show how strong and passionate Whitney and Bobby’s love was for one another. These were two people who were madly and crazy in love with each other. Although their relationship at times became volatile, their love ran deep. DaCosta did a great job portraying Whitney’s mannerisms although her acting became a little too dramatic at times and the lip singing was very apparent. Arelene Escarpeta has starred in a few films but his portrayal of Bobby Brown in this movie could possibly be his break out role as he delivered the character’s emotion so convincingly. He was also giving the ladies some eye candy; the man is fine! 😉 Deborah Cox did an amazing job on the vocals. People always argue that no one will ever be able to sing like Whitney, which they won’t because Whitney was her own but you can’t deny that Deborah did a great job. At times during the movie her voice sounded very similar to the pop icon.
Overall the movie was good but it didn’t capture the true essence of Whitney Houston as it lacked what she was most known for which is her music. There was no way a 2 hour television movie could tell the full story of Whitney Houston, but it focused on an essential part of her life which gave viewers a new perspective. People seemed to have either loved the movie or hated it but we enjoyed it. Kudos to Angela Bassett for her directorial debut!
The need to constantly recreate or tell the same story in film is often times questioned, especially if the film deals with an ugly past that many want to forget. It is said that those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it, so how ironic is it that Selma highlights issues in the 1960’s that are still very prevalent today. The film’s release follows the widespread protests that have recently taken place in response to the domino effect of black men being killed at the hands of law enforcement officers.
Selma highlights the 1965 equal voting rights campaign that was led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama. Watching the film, you couldn’t help but to get emotional and angry being reminded of what Dr. King and other individuals had to endure during their fight for equality. Owen Gleiberman wrote this statement regarding King’s decision to lead the campaign in Selma: “Hideous racist brutality isn’t what they’re seeking to avoid; it’s what they’re seeking to display.” Selma was a pivotal place to reveal to the world the ugly injustice that was being swept under the rug.
Police brutality, racism, abuse of power by law enforcement officers, and restrictions on voting laws are just some of the issues that individuals were dealing with at that time; fast forward to today and sadly we are still facing some of the same issues just hidden in different forms.
What’s sad is that we often forget how much the individuals before us had to endure in order for us to have basic rights that now we often take for granted. I thought the movie was great and well put together. David Oyelowo and Carmen Ejogo were perfect choices to portray Dr. King and Coretta. Carmen Ejogo had a striking resemblance to the late Coretta Scott King.
The film was nominated for “Best Picture” and “Best Song” but unfortunately the film’s director Ava DuVernay and the main actors were not nominated for their work in the film.
I do encourage everyone to go see the movie. There wasn’t a dry eye in the theater when I went.
